Another Weight & Balance Thread

[Shamrockthecasbah]

Originally Posted by owlandfox

First post, so go easy.

Wife has 2013 Ford F150 SCREW, 3.5 Eco Boost, 5.5 bed. 18" tires. Not max tow. Payload sticker says 1401 lbs. Good Firestones, truck is at BSA camp, so I can't read them right now. GVWR for truck says 7200 lbs!

TT is a 2017 ROO, 23IKSS. GVWR for trailer 6628 lbs.

Blue Ox hitch with 750 lbs bars.

with wife, 2 grandsons, me and some stuff in the bed, probably 700 lbs. Tongue weight was listed at dealer as 550 lbs. Yes, it was empty. So we added our usual stuff (original camper was a popup) So, camp chairs, tool bag, those sorts of things. I'm guessing about 650 on the hitch.

Drove to the UP of Michigan, no real issues, except for a terrible headwind.

3200 miles later, I did notice the nose of the truck a little high and weight and balance training came into play. (22 years USN Aviation) I decided to purchase a hydraulic tongue scale.

Weighed trailer at hitch .... almost 700 lbs! Probably going to swap out bars to the 1000 lbs ones.

so question is. Do the manufacturers actually weigh campers before they put the sticker on, or is this a guideline? Are hitch weights usually that far off? Or, once again, are those "averages"?

As camper is new to me, grandma and I are working through the "take this, don't take that" and then where to place it. I've convinced her that weight and balance are important!

(BTW, I am weighing the rig soonest to get true numbers)

Great Forum, love the comraderie.

Scott/Kathy
Virginia Beach, VA
2013 Ford F150 SCREW, 3.5 Eco, 5.5
2017 Roo 23IKSS

I tow the same camper is yours with a 2003 suburban 1500 with Equalizer 1000/10,000. I would definitely recommend upgrading your bars to 1000lbs help distribute the weight better. Also, the 23IKSS has all the holding tanks behind the axles, with the freshwater tank at the extreme rear end of the trailer. I just wanted to point that out to you as you are considering your "weight and balance".

[windsurfdog]

OP...before you invest in 1000 lb. bars, how many links are you using now with the 750 lb. bars?

[owlandfox]

With the 750 lbs bars, I have 3.5 links showing from the side of the rig. It sits level. 21" off the deck to hitch point.

[windsurfdog]

Originally Posted by owlandfox

With the 750 lbs bars, I have 3.5 links showing from the side of the rig. It sits level. 21" off the deck to hitch point.

During setup, I count links from the end of the bar. I normally set mine at 9 for a moderate load, 10 for heavy load and 8 for unloaded/light load...and most of the time I set them at 9.

So, counting from the bar end, how many links do you use?

[owlandfox]

I'm using 9 from the end. I'll be able to tow it again, Labor Day weekend. Not too far either, less than 80 miles.

When you say light, moderate or heavy loads, what weights are you thinking?

[windsurfdog]

Originally Posted by owlandfox

I'm using 9 from the end. I'll be able to tow it again, Labor Day weekend. Not too far either, less than 80 miles.

When you say light, moderate or heavy loads, what weights are you thinking?

Sorry for my delayed response.

A light load was when I towed the trailer after purchase...nothing in the trailer and nothing in the truck besides myself.

A moderate load would be trailer loaded for camping with no onboard fresh water and possibly propane not completely full and little in the truck...no outdoor recreation gear (for me, windsurfing gear, keyaks).

A full load is the trailer loaded for camping possibly with fresh water and propane tanks completely full and the truck loaded with recreational gear.

And, I was having a "brain fart" with my previous post about number of links. I indeed count the links from the free end of the chain...8/light, 9/moderate, 10/heavy. Sorry about the confusion...I'm way too young to be this old...