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Deryll1 · 06-01-2013, 12:59 PM

Here I go again, lol, but because I am a newbie I have a lot of questions. Safety first so better ask twice...
Here some facts, I have the 203 slc, 23 foot long, it's 5200 dry. I have 2 atvs in there, they weigh 410 each. I have a 2008 suburban 1500, so it has a good wheel base. I added a equalizer hitch and sway control.
Looking at the trailer one atv would sit right above the axles, the other one behind. I wanna travel as light as possible, so almost no water. But I heard u need the weight of the water in the front to avoid fish tailing?!?
Any suggestion or experience you had loading the best way? Thanks again, Dennis.

**ependydad** · 06-01-2013, 10:53 PM

Load them up and go get weighed. Try different configurations and see how it effects your scale slips. If you use a CAT scale, the first weighing is $10 and each re-weigh within 24 hours is just $1 or $2.

sheriff1 · 06-01-2013, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ependydad

Load them up and go get weighed. Try different configurations and see how it effects your scale slips. If you use a CAT scale, the first weighing is $10 and each re-weigh within 24 hours is just $1 or $2.

Thats a good answer but unless he checks his tongue weight he hasn't really answered his question about weight distribution and how it may affect handeling such as fishtailing. When loaded you need to find out what you tongue weight is.

wyo700 · 06-01-2013, 11:50 PM

I also have a 203 slc and am camping right now and on this trip I brought one atv a grizzly 660 weighs about 600. On this trip I have zero water in my fresh water. I have the 4 point sway control equalizer hitch. I have a tundra crewmax. The trailer did not pull any differently than with water. I position my atv almost right over the axles it was back slightly. The fresh water tank or in my case tanks. I have the extra 50 gallon tank and they are positioned right over the axles. So if you only have one tank it's over the front axle. Get your tongue weight figured out and adjust your hitch properly and should tow like a champ.

Deryll1 · 06-02-2013, 10:02 AM

Hey guys, thanks for the reply. Guess I will load it up and try it out, spending 100$ for a tongue scale is I think worth it. I only have one tank over the front axle. I will try and update my experience as soon as I figured it out.

Deryll1 · 06-02-2013, 08:54 PM

Little update here, just went and bought the tongue scale, tried it on the dry trailer, 950 lbs, wow! Guess I will need some weight in the back....

wyo700 · 06-02-2013, 08:58 PM

Wow. How much stuff do you have the front compartment. And do you have on board Onan gen? I have the gen and after last year I took a lot of the heavier things out of my front compartment. I figured it was around 1000 pounds. But I have never checked.

**ependydad** · 06-02-2013, 08:59 PM

Maybe, maybe not.. Do you know your overall weight? What percentage is 95p pounds of that?

Deryll1 · 06-02-2013, 09:20 PM

There is nothing in the trailer, only the generator sitting in front of the bed inside. Only my hoses and cables inside the compartment... No propane either...looking at the brochure they say its 661 lbs hitch weight. I bought the trailer and the sticker says 5203 lbs as it sits dry. So why is that number so high?

**bikendan** · 06-02-2013, 10:48 PM

because that fictional "dry" tongue weight is without a generator in it, along with the weight of the normal "options" that nearly all trailers have.
awning, stove, a/c, microwave, spare tire, and so on.
that's why you should NEVER use "dry" weight numbers.

Deryll1 · 06-02-2013, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikendan

because that fictional "dry" tongue weight is without a generator in it, along with the weight of the normal "options" that nearly all trailers have.
awning, stove, a/c, microwave, spare tire, and so on.
that's why you should NEVER use "dry" weight numbers.

Well said ;-)

wyo700 · 06-02-2013, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deryll1

There is nothing in the trailer, only the generator sitting in front of the bed inside. Only my hoses and cables inside the compartment... No propane either...looking at the brochure they say its 661 lbs hitch weight. I bought the trailer and the sticker says 5203 lbs as it sits dry. So why is that number so high?

That's crazy that's all you have and it's that high. Man I wonder what mine is. I have the built in gen and propane, batteries and some other misc things in my front compartment. Mine is probably over 1000. But when I hook to my tundra with no WD yet it doesn't squat all that much then when I hook up my WD bars it comes right back to level and pull fine. But I am right at my trucks gvw but 300 under rawr. Thank goodness for a WD hitch.

Deryll1 · 06-02-2013, 11:36 PM

Crazy right, but that number will change when the atvs are loaded in , the one in the back will drop the weight down. So it will be less weight on the hitch. What's the numbers on your tundra, gvwr, gawr etc? Cause I was looking into getting one too. You can send me a pm too. Thanks;-)

**ependydad** · 06-03-2013, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyo700

That's crazy that's all you have and it's that high. Man I wonder what mine is. .......... But I am right at my trucks gvw but 300 under rawr. Thank goodness for a WD hitch.

If you don't know your tongue weight- how do you know where you're at with GVWR and under RAWR!?

wyo700 · 06-03-2013, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ependydad

If you don't know your tongue weight- how do you know where you're at with GVWR and under RAWR!?

Because I have weighed my entire truck and just the rear axle with my trailer attached if I unloaded my trailer I could find the true tongue. I am going off of me driving onto a scale and seeing actual numbers that's how I know.

**ependydad** · 06-03-2013, 09:40 AM

Makes sense.

JR Sr. · 10-10-2013, 06:35 PM

I know this is an older post, but I have two large ATVs in my 203SLC each weigh in at around 600lbs.. they both fit in the toy hauler. I also have my generator on the tongue with the propane tanks. I have pulled with and without full water load and have never had fish tail or tow issue.. I pull with a Tundra and although I only get about 9MPG when hauling it does fine. Never had my trailer weighed..

Deryll1 · 10-10-2013, 09:03 PM

Late answer but thanks ;-)! Yeah I towed my hauler from Sacramento to pariah Utah and it towed very well! Guess because I was towing the first time I was a little too worried about the whole thing...but I had a bad brake lock up when I headed out, towed it all the way to Utah with only little trailer brakes on. Problem was a bad brake pedal switch, brake controller thought I was applying brakes but I didn't... Then I had temp issues in Vegas due to 122 degrees outside, picked the hottest day in their history when I passed through, but way home was very good, no problems and towed great! But I guess my next truck will have 6 speed ;-)

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