Towing with the bed loaded question...
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Prolocutor
Joined: Jan 2009
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From: Western MA
Towing with the bed loaded question...
I am looking to take my two atv's with me along with a travel trailer. (I'm not into the toy hauler setup at all.) So, I see these atv carriers that allow you to put two in your bed like this one HaulAll ATV Truck Rack at DiscountRamps.Com. Now, if I have about 1900 lbs of atv's and rack in the bed, how much will this reduce my tongue weight capacity for my trailer considering I am using a weight distributing hitch?
Super Moderator
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: SW Virginia
It will reduce your tongue weight capacity. As you add weight as in gear, people, ATVs, and racks, it takes away from your payload capacity. You also have to count your tongue weight as part of your payload because you are carrying that portion of the trailer's weight on the truck. That said, a WD hitch will help but you do have to count your tongue weight as part of your allowable payload.
Best bet:
1) Weigh the truck.
2) Subtract that weight from your GVWR. This will tell you how much capacity you have left for the gear, people, ATVs, rack, and tongue weight.
3) Weigh the trailer but most importantly weigh the tongue. This way you'll know exactly how much weight you'll be placing on the hitch.
4) If you haven't already got one, get a good WD hitch.
Also remember you can adjust the weight in the trailer to a certain degree to transfer some of the weight toward the rear of the trailer by moving gear around. Also, you may want to check the tire sticker on the door post. It will differ from what Ford gives you as a payload rating. Only other thing would be to make sure your tires are up to the task and if they are the OEMs they should be.
Best bet:
1) Weigh the truck.
2) Subtract that weight from your GVWR. This will tell you how much capacity you have left for the gear, people, ATVs, rack, and tongue weight.
3) Weigh the trailer but most importantly weigh the tongue. This way you'll know exactly how much weight you'll be placing on the hitch.
4) If you haven't already got one, get a good WD hitch.
Also remember you can adjust the weight in the trailer to a certain degree to transfer some of the weight toward the rear of the trailer by moving gear around. Also, you may want to check the tire sticker on the door post. It will differ from what Ford gives you as a payload rating. Only other thing would be to make sure your tires are up to the task and if they are the OEMs they should be.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,196
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From: Carstairs Alberta
the problem is that when you load 1900 pounds you're at or near the max allowable weight for the truck so ANY tongue weight will put you over on the truck axles. how much weight is normally on the hitch. if your truck weighs 7000 which would be very light, you would already be at 8900 plus passengers so the truck doesn't really have any capacity left over for adding tongue weight. when you start doing the numbers the weight carry capacity vs the weight pulling capacity is pretty low
Super Moderator
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: SW Virginia
It looks like your truck has a GVWR of 9400 pounds. If it weighs 7000 and you add 1900 (your figure) you're already at 8900 without people or any additional gear. So you essentially have 500 pounds leftover for that plus the tongue weight of any trailer you decide to tow.
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Prolocutor
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From: Western MA
I guess I'd be over the limit. Maybe a single atv in the bed and then a single atv carrier on the back of the trailer would be a better fit. Now I just have to find out how a single hitch mounted atv carrier would affect the handling of a trailer. It would seem to have the opposite effect as my previous scenario as it would reduce tongue weight quite a bit. I'm hoping this could be countered by lightening up on the weight dist. bars. Don't want to be fishtailing all over the place!
Senior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 407
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From: Humble, Texas
Does your trailer have the payload available for an atv? If you go this route, you will probably have to redistribute the weight inside the trailer to even it out a little to prevent the fishtailing. Personally, I would weigh the tongue without the atv, then weight it again with the atv and start redistributing to get it near where it was. If you lighten up the tongue weight without redistributing, the first 18 wheeler or stiff gust of wind may claim the trailer.
Someone may correct me on this but when I pulled bumper pull travel trailers, I could sure tell when it was loaded too far aft.
Someone may correct me on this but when I pulled bumper pull travel trailers, I could sure tell when it was loaded too far aft.
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Stacy, MN
I put my Polaris Sportsman in the back of the truck and then pull a 30' travel trailer. I do use a WD hitch and it doesn't seem to pull any different then it does without the wheeler in the back...
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Prolocutor
Joined: Jan 2009
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From: Western MA
Thanks for all the input guys. It seems the best route to keep things safe is a single garage toy hauler. I can put one in the bed and one in the garage. It seems the other two options are a bit sketchy for my taste. Thanks again for the thoughts!
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Wayyy NoCal, USA
I think that is the best solution if have honkin heavy utility quads.
I successfully and comfortably haul 2 sport quads (Yami Warrior 350 and Raptor 700) on an "above bed" rack along with a couple/few hundred pounds in the bed underneath them (firewood and water). Fortunately, our trailer has a pretty reasonable tongue weight and pretty stout WD setup. With this, the overload springs are just touching on both ends and she drives great.
BUT, I would be hesitant to put two utility quads up there AND tow a trailer. Maybe if it was an F350 dually.... That much weight that high is just kinda sketchy.
Riding the quads up onto and off the "high" racks is pretty spooky as well. We always attract a crowd as our truck is a bit higher than stock - F350 blocks and 35" tires. Once you do it, it is no big deal, but it sure looks dramatic!
I successfully and comfortably haul 2 sport quads (Yami Warrior 350 and Raptor 700) on an "above bed" rack along with a couple/few hundred pounds in the bed underneath them (firewood and water). Fortunately, our trailer has a pretty reasonable tongue weight and pretty stout WD setup. With this, the overload springs are just touching on both ends and she drives great.
BUT, I would be hesitant to put two utility quads up there AND tow a trailer. Maybe if it was an F350 dually.... That much weight that high is just kinda sketchy.
Riding the quads up onto and off the "high" racks is pretty spooky as well. We always attract a crowd as our truck is a bit higher than stock - F350 blocks and 35" tires. Once you do it, it is no big deal, but it sure looks dramatic!
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,564
Likes: 11
From: Wayyy NoCal, USA
Just checked out the Haul All racks.... Very nice, but whoa, am I glad I was able to design and build my own! I think I have maybe $350 and a couple weekends into my rack and ramps. That project alone darned near paid for the welder!
I also went transverse (across the bed) so that I can ride on and off in forward gear, and don't have to unhitch the trailer. Jusssst fits with the long bed.
I also went transverse (across the bed) so that I can ride on and off in forward gear, and don't have to unhitch the trailer. Jusssst fits with the long bed.
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Prolocutor
Joined: Jan 2009
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From: Western MA
Yeah, the trailers we are after at around 800 on the tongue. Two 800 lb quads plus a rack would be too much. I was hoping to do it some way without getting a toy hauler as I wanted to keep the trailer under 30 feet. Now I'm looking at the Sunset Creek 341SRD. One quad garage that doubles as a bunk house in the rear. Pretty neat setup, but a 34 foot trailer is pretty long. Man, that's going to be a big sucker to swing around corners and into sites... I found one picture online with one behind a crew cab 250 and it made the truck look like a matchbox. I think I might actually be intimidated...
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