Tongue weight question

[cekkk]

It took me a few years to write this post but I've always wondered how other people handled the tongue weight situation on this model: 2008 Cherokee by Forest RiverWolf Pack Toy Hauler Series M-18DFWP. I bought it from a fellow in Chicago who on his first outing was informed by his wife that it did not sleep 7. And was not suitable for their family. Have to agree, it did not sleep one comfortably.

However, to get to the point, since we had a ranch in Colorado and I had multiple typical Ranch type trailers I was able to hook this puppy up to my F350 dually. The advertised tongue weight was about 500 lb, and I know that advertised tongue weight means nothing. But just to quote the book on it. And that was fine for the average class III hitch. Mine had a class V.

But when I put our two ATVs on that front deck the tongue weight nearly tripled. Not a problem for my truck but it made it kind of difficult to properly set up a weight distribution hitch. I took a set-it-and-forget-it approach, but Wonder what people with half tons did to deal with the huge weight disparity. There was at least one other clone, don't remember who manufactured it. So did anyone own one of these things and what did you do?

[BigH]

I don't own your trailer and for sure the front loading would make drastic tongue weight changes from empty to loaded or anywhere in between making it difficult for a half ton to manage but I think many toy haulers that look half ton able are not easily doable.

I have a rear cargo toy hauler and see tongue weights from about 1000lbs empty to 1500lbs loaded. My truck doesn't require a wdh all the way to the limit of the receiver at 2000lbs and I don't use one. Considering your trailer at 1500lb tongue weight (and mine) is beyond the receiver rating of any half ton truck they shouldn't be pulling it at all.

All toy haulers are problematic for 1/2 tons because of the high cargo capacity and where the weight is located on the trailer in reference to the axle(s). Adding to the complexity is an owner may not take the same toys or load it up the same (I don't have the same load from trip to trip)... this forces those trucks that require a wdh to make adjustments with different loads.

Folks with half tons have to be very careful when selecting a toy hauler because the dry weights published by the manufacturer can make a trailer look fine on paper and be way over in reality. Your and my trailer are perfect examples...mine shows 930 tongue and 6600lbs dry. It looks within range of a properly prepped half ton so someone thinking that careful loading will keep the tongue weight in range will be in for a surprise and a challenge.

I knew a guy with a front load toy hauler...he put two atv's on it and made one pull before buying a 3/4 ton.