Toung Weight?

[RedGuy]

I got my truc and trailer weighed today at a Cat Scale and want to see if I'm calculating the toung weight correctly. Here's my weights,

1st truck and trailer, spring bars unloaded.

Front axle - 2,180 lbs

Rear axle - 3,080 lbs

TT axles - 3,920 lbs

Total - 9,180 lbs

2nd truck only.

Front axle - 2,520 lbs

Rear axle - 2,060 lbs

Total - 4,580 lbs

So I figure my TT to be 4,600lbs (9,180-4,580=4,600). Now I'm pretty sure my toung weight is 680lbs as it adds up this way 2 different ways TT weight minus TT axle weight(4,600-3,920=680) and Rear axle with trailer minus rear axle without trailer, then subtract the difference in the front axle weight from that(3,080-2,060=1,020 then 2,520-2,180=340 last 1,020-340=680).

So does my math look right? Also is this a good ratio with about 15% of the TT weight on the toung?

[RedGuy]

I got my truc and trailer weighed today at a Cat Scale and want to see if I'm calculating the toung weight correctly. Here's my weights,

1st truck and trailer, spring bars unloaded.

Front axle - 2,180 lbs

Rear axle - 3,080 lbs

TT axles - 3,920 lbs

Total - 9,180 lbs

2nd truck only.

Front axle - 2,520 lbs

Rear axle - 2,060 lbs

Total - 4,580 lbs

So I figure my TT to be 4,600lbs (9,180-4,580=4,600). Now I'm pretty sure my toung weight is 680lbs as it adds up this way 2 different ways TT weight minus TT axle weight(4,600-3,920=680) and Rear axle with trailer minus rear axle without trailer, then subtract the difference in the front axle weight from that(3,080-2,060=1,020 then 2,520-2,180=340 last 1,020-340=680).

So does my math look right? Also is this a good ratio with about 15% of the TT weight on the toung?

[RustyJC]

Yep, 680 lbs looks right. 15% might be a tad heavier on the tongue than you would expect, but it's better to be heavy than light in terms of trailer stability as long as you're within your hitch/tow vehicle pin weight limits.

Rusty

[RedGuy]

It's within limit's, but it's close. My hitch says it's got a 750lb toung weight limit WITH weight distributing hitch (which I do have) and only 350lb without.

The toung weight should be alittle lighter when I go camping though since pretty much everything else I load goes in the bedroom which is in the back. I even put the coolers back there since it's the easiest place to secure them.

[CD]

RedGuy
Be carefull loading in the back. That is where you get handling problems. Better to be a little heavy on the tounge.

[RedGuy]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by CD:
RedGuy
Be carefull loading in the back. That is where you get handling problems. Better to be a little heavy on the tounge. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Yeah, I know, I've pulled a few car haulers, and a couple times could not get enough weight on the toung. What I nightmare! I probably only add a couple hundred pounds of extra stuff when I travel, and the main amount of that weight is the coolers, which I put right if front of my bed. In that location they're only about 2 ft behind the rear axle. Then if I pull with a full water tank that'd be another 300lbs @ about 3 1/2 ft behind the rear axle. My last trip I pulled it with a full water tank and it still towed good. I think I'm going to figure up a weight and balance sheet for my trailer so I can know just how much I weigh and where the weight is.

I did finally get a new shank for my truck this weekend too. Before I had a 12 in drop that I had to use flipped up other wise I only had about 2 inches of ground clearance to the bottom of the shank. This caused the front of the trailer to be very nose high, about 4 inches above level. So I got a 6in drop this weekend and now I can pull it level and still have 8 inches of clearance. Just from pulling it up to the scales I can tell you it tows much better when it's level. I now get alot less bounce in my truck giving me a smother ride, and I'm not scraping the back bumper going out of steep driveways.

[bitterroot]

You might find this link useful.
http://www.hitchesonline.com/WD/tow_tips.htm

google search:"measuring trailer tongue weight with bathroom scale"