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Old 08-31-2017, 07:38 PM   #21
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We love this floorplan. I started with an Equalizer 10k. It would work but the bars were really bowed and it didn't like to straighten out after a sharp turn. The Equalizer site had a calculator that took into account tongue weight as well as stuff in the bed and it said I needed the 14k immediately. I called them to check on the bars and the 14s are Certainly larger than the 10s. So I bought an entire new hitch. I think they said the 12s were not interchangeable either as something is drilled offset. I would recommend the 14 as I think I'm using all but one washer in it at the moment.
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Old 09-05-2017, 05:43 PM   #22
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Well... Here's an update from the research I've done. I went and got the truck weighed. No load, 3/4 tank of fuel, and no passengers. I was surprised when I looked at the weigh tag. 7640 lbs. Now put me inside with a full tank of fuel and I would expect to be right around 7900 lbs. Gvwr on the truck is 8800 lbs. The Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite 8329ss we were looking at lists a hitch weight of 965 lbs. Add the weight of the wdh, camping equipment and load the trailer... I don't stand a chance of staying below the truck's gvwr. I was trying to lure the wife in the "different truck" direction but I couldn't get her to bite.

I'm realizing now that the options I picked when I bought the truck drastically cut into my payload capacity. I can hardly wait to talk to the salesman and have him tell me again that my truck will tow it with no problem.

2002 Ford F250 diesel, crew cab, lwb, 4x4, manual transmission.

Thanks again to everyone who commented and got me going in the right direction to figure it out. I'm glad I did this before I bought the trailer.
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Old 09-05-2017, 11:41 PM   #23
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Tag weight? You mean scale slip? It's quick cheap & easy & to do it right you are going to need your unloaded TV steer & drive axle weights anyway. People who routinely set up the best most consistent safe stable setups even with different TVs & TTs go by scale slips not stacking guesstimates & making an estimate.

I don't add some hitch weight number. It's not what your TV axles are going to see anyway. I figure 12 1/2% of the travel trailer estimated wet weight and with a little Weight distribution work it normally comes close. Take the travel trailer dry weight add 1000 pounds for your estimated wet weight and multiply that by 12 1/2% for the estimated tongue weight seen by the truck. If the "tag weight" is actual and if seen TW is over 900 pounds then it will be a small percentage over on your truck GVWR. But below combined axles & likely set up well very stable & safe towing. Still as the payload police would say 56 in a 55 is speeding and you will be sued etc. So if you want to use that as an excuse to get a new truck you can.

This text has been about the process to find the truth of what's stable & safely towable. What most people do in stacking guesstimates toward a allowed sticker usually tells Them little of any value.
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The answer to what can my 1/2 ton tow; Generically whatever TT has a GVWR less than TV’s max tow rating. Specifically is found on CAT scale via weight distribution with TV TT & WDH. Best motor & gearing all 5 Mfgs within specs IE safe & stable normally to 8k but passengers & bedload reduce this. RAM 1500 ED max tow 9,200, max axle ratings 3,900, max 09-18 CVWR 15,950, axle weights me & gear 3,240 steer 2,560 drive
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Old 09-06-2017, 02:43 AM   #24
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Tag weight? You mean scale slip?
Sorry. Yes, I mean scale slip. I wasn't sure what the proper terminology was.

7640 lbs. was the actual weight of the tv with nobody inside and 3/4 tank of fuel. If I add 1000 lbs. to the listed trailer weight my number is 9103 lbs. 12.5% of that comes to 1138 lbs. for a tw of 8778 lbs. This would leave me with two pounds before I'm at the tv gvwr. Maybe I'm still missing something, but with that scenario, won't anything I add to the tv put me over the gvwr? I could live with a few pounds over. Several hundred pounds over is a bit out of my comfort zone.

Thank you for your thoughts. Whenever I have the chance, I prefer to get different opinions before I make my decisions.
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Old 09-12-2017, 09:55 PM   #25
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I never sweat 5 percent over GVWR as long as I'm under max axles weights & steer & drive axle weight bias is good as well as CVWR I know I'll have a safe stable tow. But with no WDH and a heavy tongue I could be under GVWR and have a hot mess white knuckle tow.
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The answer to what can my 1/2 ton tow; Generically whatever TT has a GVWR less than TV’s max tow rating. Specifically is found on CAT scale via weight distribution with TV TT & WDH. Best motor & gearing all 5 Mfgs within specs IE safe & stable normally to 8k but passengers & bedload reduce this. RAM 1500 ED max tow 9,200, max axle ratings 3,900, max 09-18 CVWR 15,950, axle weights me & gear 3,240 steer 2,560 drive
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Old 09-12-2017, 10:20 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by VernDiesel View Post
I never sweat 5 percent over GVWR as long as I'm under max axles weights & steer & drive axle weight bias is good as well as CVWR I know I'll have a safe stable tow. But with no WDH and a heavy tongue I could be under GVWR and have a hot mess white knuckle tow.
I kept going back and forth and finally decided to pull the trigger and get it (Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite 8329SS). I've towed heavier without a WDH and I know what you mean about a white knuckle tow. Once I pick up the trailer and get the WDH set properly I don't expect any issues.

Thanks for your responses. Very helpful.
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Old 09-13-2017, 06:35 AM   #27
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Proper set up on the scales she will be stable & safe. Need help with setup PM me. Click my avatar and look at the pics in my album. There is more bad advice on this forum in regards to how to & what will tow safe & stable and why including from a 12k post moderator than what there is good in the know on point info. A few guys in the know can't overcome the relentless repeated sea of bad information. Most newcomers who come here seeking good advice about this leave mis informed.
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The answer to what can my 1/2 ton tow; Generically whatever TT has a GVWR less than TV’s max tow rating. Specifically is found on CAT scale via weight distribution with TV TT & WDH. Best motor & gearing all 5 Mfgs within specs IE safe & stable normally to 8k but passengers & bedload reduce this. RAM 1500 ED max tow 9,200, max axle ratings 3,900, max 09-18 CVWR 15,950, axle weights me & gear 3,240 steer 2,560 drive
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Old 09-13-2017, 07:32 AM   #28
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My F250 is over my GVWR by 110 lbs, when I have everything loaded, filled, etc. like I am going camping. That makes me over by a whopping 1% and still got a dressing down by the weight police. It is well under the axle, wheel, towing, and tire ratings. Don't sweat a little over. Many people go right up to the edge of the rating and feel they are doing great. If they put one more package of cookies in their trailer or their dog eats too much the week before, and it now is over, it doesn't explode.

No matter, you did the right thing by weighing everything and then making an informed decision. It is much better than guessing and hoping.
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Old 09-13-2017, 08:44 AM   #29
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These guys weight thousands of RV every year and have been doing since the 90's. They deal in facts not forum seat the pants engineers Just basic 5th grade math when you understand the numbers.

Safety is critical when towing an RV Trailer. This training video discusses the importance of understanding a Truck's ratings and how these ratings limit the size of the trailer that can be safely towed. You will be provided the tools and basic understanding needed to assist your endeavor to properly match a truck and trailer, so that you can enjoy RVing safely.

Matching Trucks to Trailers
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Old 09-13-2017, 12:59 PM   #30
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Frankly the video is disappointing. Everything he said for TVs TTs & 5ers was correct. But he never took a Truck, TT, & WDH to a scale and showed you anything about what to expect why and how to set it up, how to adjust it to get different axle loading and why as to what makes it safe & stable. Pick a WDH go through set up show tips why how where to make changes to transfer weight then show the before & after numbers. And tell of the difference in stability with respects to wind or semi bow wave, trailer to truck wiggle or trailer sway. That if corrected strong wind gusts would push you almost as one solid unit with no wiggle that an emergency accident swerve around won't leave you your family & TT upside down facing backward in a ditch.

Anybody can go through numbers from TV & TT Mfgs and say stay inside all of these unilaterally and you should be ok to buy. Show a guy what tows like a hot mess that if adjustments were made could be within all specs on the scales and become a solid stable safe towing combination. It's not the guys that are too far off & could never meet scaled specs that we have problems with. It's the guys that have a TV & TT that are not working but will with proper set up as proven on the scales. What should loaded steer weight range be for your truck and how do you find it? How about the white truck in his video? Drive to steer axle weight ratio for safe stable towing he never says probably doesn't know and certainly didn't teach his audience.

People learn more useable information in the 30 second u haul toy car weight distribution video than this 30 minute dissertation.
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The answer to what can my 1/2 ton tow; Generically whatever TT has a GVWR less than TV’s max tow rating. Specifically is found on CAT scale via weight distribution with TV TT & WDH. Best motor & gearing all 5 Mfgs within specs IE safe & stable normally to 8k but passengers & bedload reduce this. RAM 1500 ED max tow 9,200, max axle ratings 3,900, max 09-18 CVWR 15,950, axle weights me & gear 3,240 steer 2,560 drive
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