Oh, I got a lot more of these types of videos coming soon! I plan on taking into account all the really good suggestions and ideas. I too am interested in how moving stuff around inside impacts the tongue weight. More stuff to come!
Thank you. Extremely helpful, as most of your videos have been in learning just some of the basic concepts for towing rvs. Truly grateful for your efforts!
This video is an example of, IMPORTANT, HELPFUL, INDUSTRY RELEVANT. This check should be added to every RV trailer inspection video. Every dealership should have this e trailer tongue weight device.
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it 1000 times. Most trucks are payload limited. Not tow capacity limited. 99% of the time, if your trailer is properly loaded, as long as you’re in payload spec, your truck can pull it.
@@randywilson5269 and normally they only allow die 10% hitch weight. As we’ve found out here, 10% just isn’t happening with an RV. I normally plan on 15% with a travel trailer.
I’m learning staying within payload capacity is not easy. I have a 2016 tundra TRD, 6.5’ bed. Will tow about 10,000, cargo weight, not good, 1350. With passengers, gear, camper shell, etc, plus tongue weight, going over cargo capacity with a 720 pound tongue weight on my camper. Learned this too late, lol
Can I make a suggestion? It will require much more of a commitment though. Ask Ron Hoover if you can pull one of their heavy TTs to the CAT scales. Get your truck rear axle weights with and without the camper. Then get your truck rear axle weight with a properly set-up WD hitch on that same set-up. Let's see how much a properly set-up WD hitch transfers weight from the hitch to the rest of the rig.
Definitely would be interesting, but the bigger problem here is going over payload for the truck. Pushing weight forward doesn't help that. It does push weight to the camper Axel though too, when properly set up but not usually enough to get you to a safe zone when looking at these kind of numbers on a half ton truck
Wow awesome content. Definitely eye opening. Sounds like these dealers should have some of these trailer tongue scales. Now can you show some FifthWheel pin weight with that pin scale you have. Maybe coupled with a FifthWheel tri pod to demonstrate. You Would be the man for the job!!! Sounds like the next scale to be made.
What I found most interesting was to watch your friend enter the trailer and walk to the front. You could see the weight shift. Puts a nice point on how distributing the payload inside the trailer affects tongue weight.
This is one of your best videos to date. I know it's probably not practical everytime but you should try and include the tung weight on all your trailer reviews. That way people can see how they compare. Even on the 5th wheels as well.
Yeah, my 39’ Work & Play 30QBS toy hauler has an INSANE tongue weight when my RZR isn’t in the garage. Like over 2100 lbs! (With a full tank of water). Thankfully when I put my RZR into the garage and load it for a weekend trip the tongue weight settles back down to about 1650. WIll be upgrading to a fifth wheel within a year for sure. As much as I like the Work & Play, I hate towing it even with a Pro Pride 3P (Whcih helps to increase the overall tongue weight pretty significantly)
BTW, I towed it with a 3/4 ton for one year, and switched to a one ton dually. The reason I don’t like towing it is more related to the height and overall sail like properties is has.
@@x3dominator28 haha I have a 1 ton with standard bed 6.6 foot duramax.Max tongue weight is 1300.If it was a long bed only 1500.What’s up with gmc low weights? Heck max tow is 13500.
My 2005 f350 srw has a toung weight max of 1250 lbs. I know the newer trucks have a higher payload of mine, but geeze. These guys towing with 1/2 tons are not doing there homework. Keep up the great work!
This is great info! I tried to have this conversation with a coworker saying he’s way over his payload. Like you said you can tow it but can you support it. Keep em coming, great vids.
That Flagstaff Classic is a double wide mobile home that happens to fold up into a single wide for running down the highway. A half ton pickup might pull it, but not for long. Your in 1 ton dually turf for that trailer! 1350 pounds plus 100 pounds for batteries, 110 pounds for tanks, your at 1500 hanging on the bumper before you add water and stuff to the trailer. Remember, all that weight is plopping down on a hitch that is located between 5 and 6 feet BEHIND the centerline of the rear axle of your truck. The effect is like adding an additional 700 pounds to the back of the rear axle due to the leverage force.
Never ever thought of the toy hauler issues with bumper pulls. Great vid! It also is something to consider if you are at the limit with a toy hauler WITH cargo and you one time DON’T put any cargo in the garage, you could potentially be over your limit by NOT carrying cargo. Who woulda thunk? Haha
Positioning of the load is much more critical than you realize, as did I. I have the weigh safe hitch. When I moved my 1800 lbs sxs, LITERALLY 12 in forward, it added 125 lbs to my tongue weight.
Writing as the video is playing 1) 1000lbs (YAY) 2) 1200lbs (WOW, 1300? That kitchen placement had me fooled) 3) 1100lbs (YAY) This is awesome content.
Good video. I know that the slides were not the point of the video but the Schwintech slides are rack and pinion slides. The ones that you were calling rack and pinion are ball screw. I think it was just a slip up because I don't remember noticing this mixup in your previous videos but maybe I missed it in the past. Keep up the good work.
Common Sense said do not hook a poodle into the harness to pull a freight sled. So use a one ton or 3/4 ton truck, 1/2 tons are very limited on towing trailers. In some cases a dually rear or 4x4 may be required depending on your needs. From Alaska.
Absolutely CAN CONFIRM the bumper pull toy hauler issues. I have a Ozark 27THX with an 11 foot garage. We just bought it at the end of last season, and our first planned trip out we had loaded our side-by-side in the back and hit the road. I had the sxs loaded before I hooked to the truck, so I should have caught the issue in the driveway. I have a friction bar anti-sway setup, and it seemed way too easy to get the bars in place. I just assumed it was the difference between my old trailer and the new one. It only took a couple of highway miles to realize something was wrong; the trailer sway was almost immediate. Before we could get off the closest exit, we nearly went in ditch after a passing semi caused the worst sway I've ever felt. We turned around and went home, parked and unloaded. Haven't hooked it up since. Now I've done some research, and my Ozark has a listed tongue weight of 830 pounds, and a dry weight of 5630. That's about 15% on the tongue, which is great if you don't load anything in the back. However, the garage is completely behind the axles, so the weight transfer off the tongue has to be enormous. This seems like a serious design flaw to me. In a couple of months, we're going to try it again, this time loading the sxs backwards to try and get more weight closer to the axles, as well as filling the fresh water tank (which is in front) and adjusting the sway bar mounts on the trailer frame (because I think the tech at Gander Mountain put them on too low). The moral of the story, be very, very careful with bumper pull toy haulers.
Great video. But I don't think most people would tow a 38' or 34' trailer in the 11,000 lb GVWR weight with their 1500 ram.. Maybe do some with 26'-29', which are more commonly towed with a 1/2 ton.
I think you would be surprised. I feel like I'm pushing it with a 6500 pound TT that is 32 feet tounge to bumper, 28 foot actual trailer on a Ford expedition. I'm fine for payload, and total towing capacity, but would not really want to be any closer.
Good info. You got to check it and not guess. Seeing those boats reminded me of mine , a new boat and motor combo with it's factory trailer the tongue weight exceeded the coupler capacity. I had to move the axle (which wasn't easy) just to get weight off the tongue. You would think they don't leave the factory like that.
1. 825 2. 1,450 3. 1,200 So by the third one I dialed it in a bit better but I was still off!! Wow! This is an important video, especially for the 1/2 ton naysayers.
Although with the proper load equalizing hitch and torsion bars ....about 1/2 of that tongue weight gets put through the frame of the truck to the trucks front axle also... that is a big trailer....And a stronger suspensions is always better , and long wheelbase on the truck for better control, but...you can tow lot with a 1/2 ton with enough engine, at a reasonable speed.......
The "tow" ratting listed for any vehicle is, in realty, what u can "drag"! For comparison, a flat bed trailer loaded with flat steel that grosses 13000 lbs is what u can "drag", but, stand up an 8' by 8' wall on the front, even with a somewhat aerodynamic cap, in a 10 mph head wind, and the real "drag" weight shoots way up there and goes higher as the speed increases! Have to put a computer to it for the actual numbers. Been dragging and driving RV's all over the US since the 70's and spent 10 yrs OTR, transporting oversize and overweight loads nationwide! When asked where I got my "Big Truck" experience, I told them my Dad would say "Get in that and follow me!" LOL!
My catalina-legacy-edition is sitting around 1200lbs tongue weight loaded and it split the bottom of my receiver tube open on my navigator. I use a f350 now.
The first Video my guess was over by about 150 on all but one. This video i was very under guessing until the last unit i got that one exactly. These were great informative videos that highlight the unknown of weight transfer
Im planing on buying a toy hauler i just got a 2022 trail boss 5.3l and im looking at a grey wolf 30ft dry weight 5100 and gross weight 7690lbs would i be good?
Riddle me this: I ordered my 2016 F-150 with the Max Tow package. So my truck could tow more weight then without that package, but couldn't haul more payload as the Max Tow package didn't help payload at all on my 2016 F-150. If anything, adding the Max Tow package because of the extra stuff put on the truck increased my truck's overall weight, thus decreasing my trucks payload from if it was just ordered without the Max Tow package. What the hell is wrong with these truck manufactures?!?!? My 16 F-150 Lariat with Max Tow package had a pathetic payload of 1,448 lbs.. What a joke! So glad to have my 2020 F-250 now with 2,797 lbs payload for our larger travel trailer. Max Tow packages offered need to go hand in hand adding payload packages as standard. Thanks to this TH-cam channel and others, I have been greatly educated for proper towing equipment for RV's. Thanks JD!!!!
So what do you think about the F150 increased payload option that gives an F150 over a 3,000 pound payload capacity? My thoughts are with that much payload capacity, the frame and brakes start to become the weak link, which has the potential to be catastrophic should something go wrong, just my opinion.
It will be a good video if you can take these TTs and popular half-ton and 3/4-ton trucks on a white board, and make a white board video like what EngineeringExplained does, to further illustrate how trucks are payload-limited by comparing numbers, and also how the cargo/toy/water/propane/battery in trailer affects how much one can tow
I would like to see a video with a Toyhauling 5th wheel. We have 1 now. And, it's 8,880 lbs dry. Being a 2014, she has 3 axles. Less than 9,000 lbs at 40' long is already cool as it is. But, if possible I'd like to see something like that, if you don't mind doing one. Thank you much. 🙏🙏
I have found with my boat the tongue weight is a lot lighter than the same size travel trailer. The axles are set back further as is the weight. A large amount of the weigh is on the end where the motors are.
Truck dealers avoid talking about payload capacity also, they make more money by loading up the truck with all of the options you could possibly ever think about to raise the out-the-door price. But with all those options your payload goes down down down until your one-ton SRW will have less payload than a ¾-ton truck with bare-bones features.
I hope the frame manufacturers will wake up one day and give us one axle up front and one in the back like on the old wagons. The horse didn't carry any weight just pulled the weight. Pickup truck should just pull not carry part of the weight. You wouldn't have any payload issues. The trailer would also be more stable if it had front and back axles.
If you have a half-ton pick-up you don't want to buy a travel trailer over 30 feet long. Once you reach that size you need a 3/4 ton pick-up or 1 ton. Finally you got one right. Proud of you.
@@BTBRVReviews yes finally. You are always saying people need a 3/4 ton to pull a travel trailer, when that is not true. Half tons can handle a travel trailer up to 30 feet with no problem with a wet weight of 7500. You keep saying that is too much for a half ton. I have proved that wrong at least 40 times over the last two years. So this time I agree with you that the trailers you showed do need a 3/4 ton or one ton to haul them.
When I purchased my forest river xlr fithwheel the brochure stated 2600lb tongue weight when I had it weighed it ended up having 4000lbs of tongue weight,so don’t ever trust the weights from the manufacturer
Damn! What’s in the garage. I know my tongue weight gets a heck of a lot better with my 2500 lbs rzr in the garage. (My turbo s has built suspension, cage, and aftermarket storage options that really increase the weight )
I'm new but it seems to me that the conversation should start with getting 10-15% of the trailer weight on the tounge when loaded. Then the tow vehicles cargo capacity. Finally the towing capacity.
We’re all the trailers level when you weighed the tongue? Should it be for an accurate dry tongue weight reading? Does it matter? I assume any angle greater or less than level would change the reading as it pivots on the axle(s)right? How do the manufacturers come up with the dry tongue weight? I get the point of the video, but many more factors than just dropping the tongue on the scale and calling it un-towable by a 1/2 ton.
Great video! Do you have a video hooking up to a heavy bumper pull like this one then hooking up to a fifth wheel with a similar pin weight and showing the difference in squat on a truck from the different positions?
I bought that scale to measure the tongue weight . . . . The Weekend Warrior what would the tongue weight measure using that scale ? Your turn to guess ? . . . . . . . . . . I went to a CAT scale last week 06/25/2022, with the trailer partially loaded, because the Weekend Warrior did not have a toy inside the Toyhauler. The weight of the trailer without a UTV toy inside was: Steer Axle 4960 lbs. on the 1first pad, Drive Axle 6440 lbs. on the 2nd pad and then the 3rd pad has only the 3 Trailer Axles on it, 10,360 lbs. Because the weight distribution was on and connected some of the trailer weight was on the Drive Axles and some were shifted back to the trailer due to the weight distribution shifting the weight back onto the trailer axles. The Gross Weight was 21,760 lbs. In the past, once the trailer jack foot was up the trailer only moved slightly because the e-scale has a small footprint and it has a round ball at the top of the scale as the trailer was realigning to the e-scale support. With a Blue Ox distribution hitch, connecting the hitch at the RV lot takes 2 hours. If I would disconnect the trailer on the CAT scale I would be tying up the scale at a minimum of 1 hour to unconnect and then reconnect the weight distribution hitch between the trailer and tow truck. I do plan on reweighing only the truck at a CAT scale. As you remember, you must lift the trailer up to release the tension on the spring bar and then relower the trailer to disconnect the trailer from the truck and then raise the trailer again to release the coupler off the hitch ball, then lift the trailer up high enough to get enough clearance to get the trailer's coupler off the truck’s ball to be able to drive way. That assumes the coupler and hitch ball disconnects and reconnects on the first attempt as you weigh each part separately when you arrive at and then leave the CAT scale. I have to work at connecting and disconnecting the hitch it never just happens with the first attempt.
I always here need to go with a 5'er but the garages are too small. Most 4 seat sxs's are 12 to 14 feet in length. Need a 15+ foot garage for my toys. I've only been able to find bumper pull TT's with this much garage space.
Lol at towing that big flagstaff with a 1500. Thats dually territory all day. You'd be in the ditch real quick. A 2500 would struggle to keep that baby on the Freeway at speed. Your butt would be sucking up the seat when a semi went past. I weighed my open range 308bhs with battery and 2 full propane tanks, empty other than that, and i got 1490lbs tongue weight. With out our stuff in it and all tanks empty. Went all the way from an Excursion to a 350 Dually before I could safely tow it on the freeway at 75mph. It weighs a shade over 10,000lbs fully loaded and is 37ft long. Now using a 2020 350 srw long bed with the max payload spec and it handles it fairly well. Tried a diesel 250 and it just didn't have enough suspension to handle it, was all over the road and bottoming out on large bumps. These big tt's are a handful at 75mph.
Hey, I was wondering what you think about the towing numbers for the Subaru Outback. I've got a 2022 XT, so a 3.5k pull and 350 tongue weight. With the Unibody design, it must have no weight distribution hitches. It has a curb weight of 3937 lbs. I will rarely tow it, maybe once monthly, but mostly just being a full-timer in one spot. Besides of looking for a trailer at 80% of my tongue and max capacity, what other numbers should I be calculating for? I've seen TH-camrs pulling an Airstream Basecamp 16x, with 435 tongue and 2635 dry.
Any way to hitch those same TTs up to a truck with an WD hitch and see how much of that weight is transferred? Maybe a video on how to check that you have maximized the distribution capability of said WD hitch? I've set mine up the best I could with the info I had, but I've always wondered if I can get a little more weight on the front tires if I move to another link tighter on my WD bars. Thank you. (sorry if you have already done that in another video!)
There's plenty of guys out there who already "know" their half-ton truck can pull a massive trailer. Additionally, these guys know that their half-ton truck pulling a massive travel trailer has the exact same driving characteristics (acceleration, handling, braking, etc.) as a brand new high-performance sports car.
I was practically dead on all three. Used 13.5% for the first two and 13% for the last one. Last one was a bit tricky since you didn't really show where the axles were located.
Question, these things are not designed to be carried down the road with slides out altering centers of gravity. I know that the weight is the weight but distribution of weight is what is important here. Would you think tongue weight would be impacted by increasing width and overhang versus decreasing width and centering more weight over trailer axles? And if so would it be the same, a decrease or increase? I've honestly never checked one way or another or even asked myself the question before. At first I assumed it would make no difference but having used counterweight to my advantage many times before now I'm questioning. Sorry if I'm not communicating my thoughts well enough.
Fantastic video. If only people would watch, learn and apply what you have shown and taught. Definitely can’t Use the 10% rule ! I bet fifth wheels are no different.
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Oh, I got a lot more of these types of videos coming soon! I plan on taking into account all the really good suggestions and ideas. I too am interested in how moving stuff around inside impacts the tongue weight. More stuff to come!
Thank you. Extremely helpful, as most of your videos have been in learning just some of the basic concepts for towing rvs. Truly grateful for your efforts!
Do you have a way to do one of these with fifth wheels?
This video is an example of, IMPORTANT, HELPFUL, INDUSTRY RELEVANT. This check should be added to every RV trailer inspection video. Every dealership should have this e trailer tongue weight device.
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it 1000 times. Most trucks are payload limited. Not tow capacity limited. 99% of the time, if your trailer is properly loaded, as long as you’re in payload spec, your truck can pull it.
Bingo!
Also we need to remember that with any truck the tow rating includes ALL of the rated payload with the possible exception of a 150lb driver.
@@randywilson5269 and normally they only allow die 10% hitch weight. As we’ve found out here, 10% just isn’t happening with an RV. I normally plan on 15% with a travel trailer.
I’m learning staying within payload capacity is not easy. I have a 2016 tundra TRD, 6.5’ bed. Will tow about 10,000, cargo weight, not good, 1350. With passengers, gear, camper shell, etc, plus tongue weight, going over cargo capacity with a 720 pound tongue weight on my camper. Learned this too late, lol
I'd like to see you do this with some of the Micro Lite and Mini Lite trailers to see how much of a difference there is.
Still wouldn’t be half ton towable to him
Finally, its gettin interesting. We should be happy that there are not more accidents with TTs on the road 😯
This is the type of research everyone should be doing. I thank you for inviting us to join in. Everyone be safe.
Getting the guy inside was the best to see effects of weight distribution.
You should do the 5th wheels now, I actually see more overweight loaded 5th wheel haulers than bumper pull.
He has so videos of doing hitch weight on fifth wheels and gooseneck
Great video. I wish every RV buyer (and dealer) would watch this!
Can I make a suggestion? It will require much more of a commitment though.
Ask Ron Hoover if you can pull one of their heavy TTs to the CAT scales. Get your truck rear axle weights with and without the camper. Then get your truck rear axle weight with a properly set-up WD hitch on that same set-up.
Let's see how much a properly set-up WD hitch transfers weight from the hitch to the rest of the rig.
Definitely would be interesting, but the bigger problem here is going over payload for the truck. Pushing weight forward doesn't help that. It does push weight to the camper Axel though too, when properly set up but not usually enough to get you to a safe zone when looking at these kind of numbers on a half ton truck
I think this is one of your best videos in a while. In my experience, most rv dealerships I’ve been to try to avoid talking about payload capacity.
RV dealers are always saying "Oh yeah, your truck is fine pulling it!"
Wow awesome content. Definitely eye opening. Sounds like these dealers should have some of these trailer tongue scales.
Now can you show some FifthWheel pin weight with that pin scale you have. Maybe coupled with a FifthWheel tri pod to demonstrate.
You Would be the man for the job!!! Sounds like the next scale to be made.
I'd love to see the 5th wheel version of this video!
What I found most interesting was to watch your friend enter the trailer and walk to the front. You could see the weight shift. Puts a nice point on how distributing the payload inside the trailer affects tongue weight.
JD another great video packed with critical information in it. I hope everyone see's it and ""LEARNS"" from it.
This is one of your best videos to date. I know it's probably not practical everytime but you should try and include the tung weight on all your trailer reviews. That way people can see how they compare. Even on the 5th wheels as well.
I would love to see the light stuff like pop ups, tear drops or small campers. A lot of people still use small suvs for trailers.
Yeah, my 39’ Work & Play 30QBS toy hauler has an INSANE tongue weight when my RZR isn’t in the garage. Like over 2100 lbs! (With a full tank of water). Thankfully when I put my RZR into the garage and load it for a weekend trip the tongue weight settles back down to about 1650. WIll be upgrading to a fifth wheel within a year for sure. As much as I like the Work & Play, I hate towing it even with a Pro Pride 3P (Whcih helps to increase the overall tongue weight pretty significantly)
BTW, I towed it with a 3/4 ton for one year, and switched to a one ton dually. The reason I don’t like towing it is more related to the height and overall sail like properties is has.
@@x3dominator28 haha I have a 1 ton with standard bed 6.6 foot duramax.Max tongue weight is 1300.If it was a long bed only 1500.What’s up with gmc low weights? Heck max tow is 13500.
Very important to know what you can tow safely good video buddy
My 2005 f350 srw has a toung weight max of 1250 lbs. I know the newer trucks have a higher payload of mine, but geeze. These guys towing with 1/2 tons are not doing there homework. Keep up the great work!
I'd be really interested to see how these tongue weight numbers differ from the listed numbers in the manufacturers brochures.
You should do this test with trailers that are loaded and ready to travel. That would be interesting. Also what truck they're towing with.
Another great informative video! Thanks for educating the masses!!
Great video we just bought a 2022 3016 hyperlite ours is 1400 people need to know this good job on a informative video
This is great info! I tried to have this conversation with a coworker saying he’s way over his payload. Like you said you can tow it but can you support it. Keep em coming, great vids.
Awesome video thanks for letting us know.
That Flagstaff Classic is a double wide mobile home that happens to fold up into a single wide for running down the highway. A half ton pickup might pull it, but not for long. Your in 1 ton dually turf for that trailer! 1350 pounds plus 100 pounds for batteries, 110 pounds for tanks, your at 1500 hanging on the bumper before you add water and stuff to the trailer. Remember, all that weight is plopping down on a hitch that is located between 5 and 6 feet BEHIND the centerline of the rear axle of your truck. The effect is like adding an additional 700 pounds to the back of the rear axle due to the leverage force.
Never ever thought of the toy hauler issues with bumper pulls. Great vid! It also is something to consider if you are at the limit with a toy hauler WITH cargo and you one time DON’T put any cargo in the garage, you could potentially be over your limit by NOT carrying cargo. Who woulda thunk? Haha
Positioning of the load is much more critical than you realize, as did I. I have the weigh safe hitch. When I moved my 1800 lbs sxs, LITERALLY 12 in forward, it added 125 lbs to my tongue weight.
What was your tongue weight?
600 at start, moved it and went to 725.
Cool idea for a video. A suggestion - bring a little magnetic level with you.
Wow… speechless…thanks for the video.
Another great educational video! Thanks! Keep up the good work!
WOW!!! I have learned so much from you. That's amazing.
Eye opener for sure.
This is why I like your content. My experience been the tounge weight and rear axle weight are the most likely to be over. AND varied per trip!
Writing as the video is playing
1) 1000lbs (YAY)
2) 1200lbs (WOW, 1300? That kitchen placement had me fooled)
3) 1100lbs (YAY)
This is awesome content.
Good video. I know that the slides were not the point of the video but the Schwintech slides are rack and pinion slides. The ones that you were calling rack and pinion are ball screw. I think it was just a slip up because I don't remember noticing this mixup in your previous videos but maybe I missed it in the past. Keep up the good work.
Good job!!! So much information!!!
Common Sense said do not hook a poodle into the harness to pull a freight sled. So use a one ton or 3/4 ton truck, 1/2 tons are very limited on towing trailers. In some cases a dually rear or 4x4 may be required depending on your needs. From Alaska.
Wow...that beast weighs more than my 36ft 5er! Beautiful trailers though! Great video!
Absolutely CAN CONFIRM the bumper pull toy hauler issues. I have a Ozark 27THX with an 11 foot garage. We just bought it at the end of last season, and our first planned trip out we had loaded our side-by-side in the back and hit the road. I had the sxs loaded before I hooked to the truck, so I should have caught the issue in the driveway. I have a friction bar anti-sway setup, and it seemed way too easy to get the bars in place. I just assumed it was the difference between my old trailer and the new one. It only took a couple of highway miles to realize something was wrong; the trailer sway was almost immediate. Before we could get off the closest exit, we nearly went in ditch after a passing semi caused the worst sway I've ever felt. We turned around and went home, parked and unloaded. Haven't hooked it up since. Now I've done some research, and my Ozark has a listed tongue weight of 830 pounds, and a dry weight of 5630. That's about 15% on the tongue, which is great if you don't load anything in the back. However, the garage is completely behind the axles, so the weight transfer off the tongue has to be enormous. This seems like a serious design flaw to me. In a couple of months, we're going to try it again, this time loading the sxs backwards to try and get more weight closer to the axles, as well as filling the fresh water tank (which is in front) and adjusting the sway bar mounts on the trailer frame (because I think the tech at Gander Mountain put them on too low). The moral of the story, be very, very careful with bumper pull toy haulers.
Great video! I didn’t think my TT added that much to the hitch weight. Gonna have to check it out.
Great video and the observation of the class b at the end was classic JD.
Great video. But I don't think most people would tow a 38' or 34' trailer in the 11,000 lb GVWR weight with their 1500 ram.. Maybe do some with 26'-29', which are more commonly towed with a 1/2 ton.
I think you would be surprised. I feel like I'm pushing it with a 6500 pound TT that is 32 feet tounge to bumper, 28 foot actual trailer on a Ford expedition. I'm fine for payload, and total towing capacity, but would not really want to be any closer.
This is a great video and solidifies my decision to buy a scale similar to the one you are using.
I have this scale, and own a 34ft 274rk Cherokee and it has a 1000 pound tongue weight, and pull with silverado 1500 with 5.3 and a 3.42axle
Good info. You got to check it and not guess. Seeing those boats reminded me of mine , a new boat and motor combo with it's factory trailer the tongue weight exceeded the coupler capacity. I had to move the axle (which wasn't easy) just to get weight off the tongue. You would think they don't leave the factory like that.
1. 825
2. 1,450
3. 1,200
So by the third one I dialed it in a bit better but I was still off!! Wow! This is an important video, especially for the 1/2 ton naysayers.
Boy those Flagstaffs are heavy. They’re proof that trucks today are payload limited instead of towing capacity limited.
I'd be curious to see how these #s stack up to manufacturers claims
Although with the proper load equalizing hitch and torsion bars ....about 1/2 of that tongue weight gets put through the frame of the truck to the trucks front axle also... that is a big trailer....And a stronger suspensions is always better , and long wheelbase on the truck for better control, but...you can tow lot with a 1/2 ton with enough engine, at a reasonable speed.......
The "tow" ratting listed for any vehicle is, in realty, what u can "drag"! For comparison, a flat bed trailer loaded with flat steel that grosses 13000 lbs is what u can "drag", but, stand up an 8' by 8' wall on the front, even with a somewhat aerodynamic cap, in a 10 mph head wind, and the real "drag" weight shoots way up there and goes higher as the speed increases! Have to put a computer to it for the actual numbers. Been dragging and driving RV's all over the US since the 70's and spent 10 yrs OTR, transporting oversize and overweight loads nationwide! When asked where I got my "Big Truck" experience, I told them my Dad would say "Get in that and follow me!" LOL!
My catalina-legacy-edition is sitting around 1200lbs tongue weight loaded and it split the bottom of my receiver tube open on my navigator. I use a f350 now.
The first Video my guess was over by about 150 on all but one. This video i was very under guessing until the last unit i got that one exactly. These were great informative videos that highlight the unknown of weight transfer
Im planing on buying a toy hauler i just got a 2022 trail boss 5.3l and im looking at a grey wolf 30ft dry weight 5100 and gross weight 7690lbs would i be good?
Riddle me this: I ordered my 2016 F-150 with the Max Tow package. So my truck could tow more weight then without that package, but couldn't haul more payload as the Max Tow package didn't help payload at all on my 2016 F-150. If anything, adding the Max Tow package because of the extra stuff put on the truck increased my truck's overall weight, thus decreasing my trucks payload from if it was just ordered without the Max Tow package. What the hell is wrong with these truck manufactures?!?!? My 16 F-150 Lariat with Max Tow package had a pathetic payload of 1,448 lbs.. What a joke! So glad to have my 2020 F-250 now with 2,797 lbs payload for our larger travel trailer. Max Tow packages offered need to go hand in hand adding payload packages as standard. Thanks to this TH-cam channel and others, I have been greatly educated for proper towing equipment for RV's. Thanks JD!!!!
Can you do a comparison of solid axle vs IFS while towing?
So what do you think about the F150 increased payload option that gives an F150 over a 3,000 pound payload capacity?
My thoughts are with that much payload capacity, the frame and brakes start to become the weak link, which has the potential to be catastrophic should something go wrong, just my opinion.
It will be a good video if you can take these TTs and popular half-ton and 3/4-ton trucks on a white board, and make a white board video like what EngineeringExplained does, to further illustrate how trucks are payload-limited by comparing numbers, and also how the cargo/toy/water/propane/battery in trailer affects how much one can tow
Can you do full review of the massive flagstaff on day please
I already did. th-cam.com/video/4prwbkHcLac/w-d-xo.html
@@BTBRVReviews thanks
Other thing to pay attention to is water tank location. A full water tank adds 200 lbs to my tongue weight, because the tank is forward.
Exactly Ron. Then the tongue weight loss on the return trip with the weight of the black and gray tanks behind the axels with empty front tank.
I would like to see a video with a Toyhauling 5th wheel. We have 1 now. And, it's 8,880 lbs dry. Being a 2014, she has 3 axles. Less than 9,000 lbs at 40' long is already cool as it is. But, if possible I'd like to see something like that, if you don't mind doing one. Thank you much. 🙏🙏
Just goes to show that to safely tow without a constant headache a 3/4 ton truck is a good investment if you regularly tow.
Great info.
Maybe you should go over and investigate that Class B set up.
Just out of curiosity, what about checking a couple of the boats for tongue weight? 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton for certain size boats?
I have found with my boat the tongue weight is a lot lighter than the same size travel trailer. The axles are set back further as is the weight. A large amount of the weigh is on the end where the motors are.
Rvs and truck and trailers should hit the scales like commercial vehicles... weed out those breaking towing ratings and licenses
Great video!!!! Thank you for sharing!!!! Would love to see video on some fifth wheel toy haulers!!!!!
Truck dealers avoid talking about payload capacity also, they make more money by loading up the truck with all of the options you could possibly ever think about to raise the out-the-door price. But with all those options your payload goes down down down until your one-ton SRW will have less payload than a ¾-ton truck with bare-bones features.
Can you do a video about a 21-ft toy hauler for the tongue weight dry and wet and no sides
Do you have any videos like this of the front deck style toy haulers. Palomini 177 ORVBH
Great information! Gotta get one of those gauges!
I hope the frame manufacturers will wake up one day and give us one axle up front and one in the back like on the old wagons. The horse didn't carry any weight just pulled the weight. Pickup truck should just pull not carry part of the weight. You wouldn't have any payload issues. The trailer would also be more stable if it had front and back axles.
How well would the turn with an axle up front?
@@spankroy, obviously the front axle would turn. It would not be fixed. Like FedEx double trailer.
If you have a half-ton pick-up you don't want to buy a travel trailer over 30 feet long. Once you reach that size you need a 3/4 ton pick-up or 1 ton. Finally you got one right. Proud of you.
Huh? Finally?
@@BTBRVReviews yes finally. You are always saying people need a 3/4 ton to pull a travel trailer, when that is not true. Half tons can handle a travel trailer up to 30 feet with no problem with a wet weight of 7500. You keep saying that is too much for a half ton. I have proved that wrong at least 40 times over the last two years. So this time I agree with you that the trailers you showed do need a 3/4 ton or one ton to haul them.
When I purchased my forest river xlr fithwheel the brochure stated 2600lb tongue weight when I had it weighed it ended up having 4000lbs of tongue weight,so don’t ever trust the weights from the manufacturer
Damn! What’s in the garage. I know my tongue weight gets a heck of a lot better with my 2500 lbs rzr in the garage. (My turbo s has built suspension, cage, and aftermarket storage options that really increase the weight )
@@x3dominator28 that’s empty when I first bought it now it could be more
They need to make trailers where the axles can slide to adjust tongue weight.
I'm new but it seems to me that the conversation should start with getting 10-15% of the trailer weight on the tounge when loaded. Then the tow vehicles cargo capacity. Finally the towing capacity.
Does having the slides in or out change the tongue weight? Could you please check that out? Thanks
Nope. Only thing that could affect it is having the auto-level down.
I think you should put a link to the RV sales center you are doing a review from.
Great video...!!! Thanks for sharing....
We’re all the trailers level when you weighed the tongue? Should it be for an accurate dry tongue weight reading? Does it matter? I assume any angle greater or less than level would change the reading as it pivots on the axle(s)right? How do the manufacturers come up with the dry tongue weight?
I get the point of the video, but many more factors than just dropping the tongue on the scale and calling it un-towable by a 1/2 ton.
Great video! Do you have a video hooking up to a heavy bumper pull like this one then hooking up to a fifth wheel with a similar pin weight and showing the difference in squat on a truck from the different positions?
Probably safe to just use 15% on tongue weight after looking at dry weight
I bought that scale to measure the tongue weight . . . . The Weekend Warrior what would the tongue weight measure using that scale ? Your turn to guess ? . . . . . . . . . .
I went to a CAT scale last week 06/25/2022, with the trailer partially loaded, because the Weekend Warrior did not have a toy inside the Toyhauler. The weight of the trailer without a UTV toy inside was: Steer Axle 4960 lbs. on the 1first pad, Drive Axle 6440 lbs. on the 2nd pad and then the 3rd pad has only the 3 Trailer Axles on it, 10,360 lbs. Because the weight distribution was on and connected some of the trailer weight was on the Drive Axles and some were shifted back to the trailer due to the weight distribution shifting the weight back onto the trailer axles. The Gross Weight was 21,760 lbs.
In the past, once the trailer jack foot was up the trailer only moved slightly because the e-scale has a small footprint and it has a round ball at the top of the scale as the trailer was realigning to the e-scale support.
With a Blue Ox distribution hitch, connecting the hitch at the RV lot takes 2 hours. If I would disconnect the trailer on the CAT scale I would be tying up the scale at a minimum of 1 hour to unconnect and then reconnect the weight distribution hitch between the trailer and tow truck.
I do plan on reweighing only the truck at a CAT scale. As you remember, you must lift the trailer up to release the tension on the spring bar and then relower the trailer to disconnect the trailer from the truck and then raise the trailer again to release the coupler off the hitch ball, then lift the trailer up high enough to get enough clearance to get the trailer's coupler off the truck’s ball to be able to drive way. That assumes the coupler and hitch ball disconnects and reconnects on the first attempt as you weigh each part separately when you arrive at and then leave the CAT scale. I have to work at connecting and disconnecting the hitch it never just happens with the first attempt.
I always here need to go with a 5'er but the garages are too small. Most 4 seat sxs's are 12 to 14 feet in length. Need a 15+ foot garage for my toys. I've only been able to find bumper pull TT's with this much garage space.
Lol at towing that big flagstaff with a 1500. Thats dually territory all day. You'd be in the ditch real quick. A 2500 would struggle to keep that baby on the Freeway at speed. Your butt would be sucking up the seat when a semi went past. I weighed my open range 308bhs with battery and 2 full propane tanks, empty other than that, and i got 1490lbs tongue weight. With out our stuff in it and all tanks empty. Went all the way from an Excursion to a 350 Dually before I could safely tow it on the freeway at 75mph. It weighs a shade over 10,000lbs fully loaded and is 37ft long. Now using a 2020 350 srw long bed with the max payload spec and it handles it fairly well. Tried a diesel 250 and it just didn't have enough suspension to handle it, was all over the road and bottoming out on large bumps. These big tt's are a handful at 75mph.
Hey, I was wondering what you think about the towing numbers for the Subaru Outback. I've got a 2022 XT, so a 3.5k pull and 350 tongue weight. With the Unibody design, it must have no weight distribution hitches. It has a curb weight of 3937 lbs. I will rarely tow it, maybe once monthly, but mostly just being a full-timer in one spot. Besides of looking for a trailer at 80% of my tongue and max capacity, what other numbers should I be calculating for? I've seen TH-camrs pulling an Airstream Basecamp 16x, with 435 tongue and 2635 dry.
If you're thinking pop up, you would be fine, you get into anything else you will be blowing out your payload and max towing quick.
Excellent! Where’s part 1?
Do this with the boats as well please.
Exactly
Any way to hitch those same TTs up to a truck with an WD hitch and see how much of that weight is transferred? Maybe a video on how to check that you have maximized the distribution capability of said WD hitch? I've set mine up the best I could with the info I had, but I've always wondered if I can get a little more weight on the front tires if I move to another link tighter on my WD bars. Thank you. (sorry if you have already done that in another video!)
I’ve always been a tent guy never understood why you need a home to camp but I guess each his own I guess when in America where one home isn’t enough.
There's plenty of guys out there who already "know" their half-ton truck can pull a massive trailer. Additionally, these guys know that their half-ton truck pulling a massive travel trailer has the exact same driving characteristics (acceleration, handling, braking, etc.) as a brand new high-performance sports car.
Is there a way to measure the pin weight on those 1/2 ton towable 5th wheels?
I was practically dead on all three. Used 13.5% for the first two and 13% for the last one. Last one was a bit tricky since you didn't really show where the axles were located.
Question, these things are not designed to be carried down the road with slides out altering centers of gravity. I know that the weight is the weight but distribution of weight is what is important here. Would you think tongue weight would be impacted by increasing width and overhang versus decreasing width and centering more weight over trailer axles? And if so would it be the same, a decrease or increase? I've honestly never checked one way or another or even asked myself the question before.
At first I assumed it would make no difference but having used counterweight to my advantage many times before now I'm questioning. Sorry if I'm not communicating my thoughts well enough.
Fantastic video. If only people would watch, learn and apply what you have shown and taught. Definitely can’t Use the 10% rule ! I bet fifth wheels are no different.
My guess was 850, 1200, 900 so I was close on the 2nd one. I like these videos because it's a real life scenario
Questions. Toyota Tundra with a 5.7 v8 engine is rated 1/2 ton?
1. 1k + 300 for propane, battery & hitch
2. 1300 + 3-500
*very similar to our old Open Range 310BHS
3. 1100 + 3-500
Im not surprised at all.
Why would anybody give you a thumbs down on that video?