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I am getting ready to set out on another camping trip, and a very active summer schedule of trips.
Longest trip over 2 weeks, and about 3k miles.
Most others only a day traveling, or less.
Trying to understand the weights on my bumper pull.
I haven't had any issues on the trips I have pulled, so I am guessing I am set up good, but would just love to put that doubt to rest.
Tongue/hitch weight stated on trailer is 702 pounds, I am guessing that is loaded to cargo capacity, right?
The numbers:
Truck 2011 SC FX4 SB 6.2 gas Auto 3.73 6 speeds GVWR 10K
Payload 3945
I used this tool to weigh the tongue.
Here are the pictures, and how I set it up.
Why did I lose weight once I hooked up trailer to truck, and I did not put on the bars, just dropped the trailer down onto the ball until the jack was off the ground?
702 would be the dry weight and is likely not correct anyway if that's what the manufacturer states.
I have no idea how that tool works I'm guessing its meant to weigh without being attached to your truck. Your truck is going to bear some of the weight once its on the hitch. Take your trailer for a spin and see how it handles, with an SD and the weight of your trailer, even completely loaded you should be fine esp if you're using a WDH, I wouldn't be worried about towing that with an F150.
702 would be the dry weight and is likely not correct anyway if that's what the manufacturer states.
I have no idea how that tool works I'm guessing its meant to weigh without being attached to your truck. Your truck is going to bear some of the weight once its on the hitch. Take your trailer for a spin and see how it handles, with an SD and the weight of your trailer, even completely loaded you should be fine esp if you're using a WDH, I wouldn't be worried about towing that with an F150.
Yeah, it's a spring scale, plunger type, it is meant to weigh the ball hitch on the trailer only....
I think when I moved it up to the truck, I shifted that weight from the trailer to the truck.
Why do you think my 702 is wrong?
It pulls great, I am just a worry wart
The manufacturer dry weight is never spot on thus resulting in the 702 being incorrect as well. It's in the ballpark of 702 lbs probably but not exactly 702. You could go to a CAT scale if you want to find out all of your weights if you're curious.
The second picture in the original post looks to me like a scaled tongue weight of about 825. Without knowing the axle weights you can't determine what your percent tongue weight is. If 702 is the published "dry weight" then the scaled ~825 is probably fairly accurate assuming full propane tanks and batteries on the tongue which aren't included in the published "dry weight" figure. As suggested running over a CAT scale when you have a chance would allow you to fully understand how things are loaded and confirm you have an appropriate amount of tongue weight. If for example your fully loaded trailer weight (axle weight + tongue weight) is 6500 the 825 tongue weight would be right in the sweet spot at ~12.7%.
The second picture in the original post looks to me like a scaled tongue weight of about 825. Without knowing the axle weights you can't determine what your percent tongue weight is. If 702 is the published "dry weight" then the scaled ~825 is probably fairly accurate assuming full propane tanks and batteries on the tongue which aren't included in the published "dry weight" figure. As suggested running over a CAT scale when you have a chance would allow you to fully understand how things are loaded and confirm you have an appropriate amount of tongue weight. If for example your fully loaded trailer weight (axle weight + tongue weight) is 6500 the 825 tongue weight would be right in the sweet spot at ~12.7%.
Yes, the 825-tongue weight is ready to go, no water, we hook up, just add sway bars and go.
I would hazard my best guess we are shy of 6500 and have lots of room in front cargo storage. I could toss in some 1-gallon water jugs to bring it up, if need be?
My axles on trailer favor the rear of it more than the middle, so any weight added is forward, nothing left behind them where I would store stuff.
I could put water in my freshwater tank. it's right in front of axles.
After we did our walk-through last year when we bought it, they left the tank full, I trailered home, a little over 100 miles. I recall telling my wife how much more planted this trailer felt on the highway, 65mph, etc.
When I got home to winterize it much to my surprise it was full of water!
Thanks for your help.
Don't have any scales close by.
If it is pulling good then I don't think I would worry too much about it. As you are traveling if you have an opportunity to run over a CAT scale I would do that. Getting the trailer axle weight would fill in some of the missing pieces for you. But it sounds like any added cargo will be in front of the axles which will just increase the tongue weight. If you have a choice between cargo in the truck/truck bed vs front pass through you could favor the use of the front pass through to help keep the tongue weight up. Your truck can easily handle the heavier tongue weight. Over time the tongue will lighten as you burn off propane and waste tanks fill. Maybe the dump station is closed and you have to tow for a while with full waste tanks behind the axles - stuff happens.
Even though the fresh water tank may sit in front of the axles it may not add very much to the tongue weight when full. My fresh water tank and 10g hot water tank are both just in front of the axles. Full load of fresh water is ~665lbs but only adds about 60lbs to the tongue weight. My experience is the added weight doesn't really have any noticeable impact on fuel consumption so we always travel with full fresh tank just because you never know what you may encounter.
Knowing one weight is only part of the puzzle. Go to the cat scale and get truck without trailer, truck with trailer, and then truck with trailer and WD bars engaged. Those three scale tickets will tell you everything you could ever want to know.
So………not sure how the OP is measuring the weight settling on the truck hitch ??
It appears that the ground is dug out under the scale. If the OP dug that out so he could start the scale at 0, then the truck springs will absorb some of the weight as the trailer tongue settles on the hitch.
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