How to reduce my tongue weight

[layback lenn]

Hello out there, I am looking to reduce the tongue weight on my 24ft Fleetwood TT. We have cleared out all we can from the front storage area and the cupboards. From what I understand I should keep things over the axels, Generator, drinking water and so on. I started out with a swaying problem on the highway and found that I had to much tongue weight.I have a spare tire and a bicycle rack on the rear bumper not sure if that is adding or helping with my problem. I have upgraded the WD bars to 1000 lb from 600 and gone with 8 ply tires. I have a 2015 Toyota Tacoma rated at 6500 T weight, right now I am at about 6800. Guess I have two problems here hope this all makes sense any help would be welcome.
Thanks Len

[Oldman5145]

A proper set up WD hitch and possibly add stabilizer bar or bars should solve your problem. Shifting the weight to the rear WILL cause a swaying problem! 60% of your weight trailer axle forward and 40% to the rear is a good rule of thumb. My 2007 Silverado 1500 LTZ 4WD pulled without sway a 7000 lb 30' 3 slide Flagstaff V-Lite. I did have to hook my bars in the 3rd link down the chain to keep my rear level. I tried 2, but the 3rd link felt much better on the road.

Best wishes to you.

[layback lenn]

Thanks Oldman didn't know about the 60/40 thing, my trailer layout with the bunks in back bathroom and closet and master up front gives me a poor start in that area. Forgot to mention I have added a sway bar. Had the WDH set up at the shop all good there.
Lenn

[Skip426]

If the trailer is over the truck's rating , JMHO ; you're fighting a loosing battle.

The " max tow " rating that most truck manufactures give is set with an empty truck , with only a 150 lb driver, so every pound added to the truck has to be deducted from max tow capacity. With a bunk TT model I'm assuming your traveling with a family on board.
Have you taken the combination across the scales loaded for travel, family , pets and gear , full of fuel , and checked your loaded axle; front/rear; weights against the truck's ratings?

[shane_the_ee]

[QUOTE=layback lenn;4347915 I started out with a swaying problem on the highway and found that I had to much tongue weight...[/QUOTE]
Ok, I'm a newbie, too, so maybe someone with more experience/knowledge can help me. This is the first time I've ever heard of too much tongue weight causing sway. Every discussion I've seen of tongue weight and sway has been too little tongue weight. What's different or what am I missing here?

[layback lenn]

Yes I had everything aboard the T and family simulated as buckets of crush stone in there seats. But I don't have the numbers they came up with. There concern was the tongue weight and the lack of 8ply tires and no sway bar. Will go back and see if they still have the numbers.
Lenn

[billyw]

Too much tongue weight is very UNLIKELY to cause sway. Too LITTLE tongue weight causes sway. Air up the tires on the tow vehicle and trailer to the max stated on the tire side wall to add towing stability. You don't necessarily have to increase plies. Stuff hanging off the back of the trailer would contribute to sway.

For your consideration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2fkOVHAC8Q

[Oldman5145]

I don't know what type of WDH you have, but mine has the bars with chains that attach to clamp on snap up brackets. The dealer had me set at two links after a very short distance I moved up to three links and the truck felt much better on the road. I pulled it from April 2010 to June 2016. I then sold it to my son who uses his Ram 2500 diesel to tow it and his golf cart. "Kid's today have too many toys!" I'm glad that he is doing well.

I hope you get it comfortable and feel safe to haul.

[Badlands Bob]

You're towing a 6,800 lb trailer with a Toyota Tacoma? That's your problem right there. You need more truck. That weight is right at the top of the comfort zone for a well equipped 1/2 ton pickup.

[RedRocket]

Originally Posted by billyw

Too much tongue weight is very UNLIKELY to cause sway. Too LITTLE tongue weight causes sway. Air up the tires on the tow vehicle and trailer to the max stated on the tire side wall to add towing stability. You don't necessarily have to increase plies. Stuff hanging off the back of the trailer would contribute to sway.

For your consideration:

That is the exact video that came to mind when reading the first post on this thread.



OP,

On a travel trailer, you want to have around 12% - 15% tongue weight. That video gives an excellent representation of what will happen with too little of tongue weight.

Plain and simple, you have way too much "stuff" in your TT as you have stated you are overloaded. Cut back on some of that stuff and get it to within a safe range. Secondly, you will need to learn how to properly load your trailer front to back AND side to side so you achieve a good load balance. With lower numbers such as yours, you really should be scaling your trailer, tongue weight and truck to know when you are within a safe range. No one wants to see you, your family or anyone else get hurt because of a bad towing situation.

Do you have an experienced friend who pulls a travel trailer that can help you?

[Yosemite77]

In your bio, you have the length of your trailer listed as 26 ft. The only Fleetwood Pegasus bunkhouse trailer I found online was also 26 ft, so I’m assuming the correct length is 26 ft, not 24 ft. A longer trailer is going to exacerbate a swaying problem.
Opinions will and do vary, but generally it’s considered that in an ideal world you don’t want to surpass 80% of your trucks towing capacity. Obviously you are over 100%. More often than not, the payload of the tow vehicle is the limiting factor. You would have to follow SKIP426’s advance to see if you are overweight. My guess is that you are, but it’s a guess.
In my mind, if you want to tow your trailer safely, you need a bigger truck.

[layback lenn]

Thanks Guy's excellent advice, Guess its back to the Shop and the weigh scales. Sorry about the miss type it is 26ft .
Lenn

[Dropthejacks]

I'm with Yosemite77, you need to be pulling no more than about 20% of your TV's capability, which would put you towing no more than roughly 5200 lbs. You can crank down on that WDH, move supplies around, leave the wife behind, etc to lighten the load, but you're way off and nothing short of a better TV or a lighter TT is going to make enough of a difference. Now if your plan is to take the TT down the road 5 miles to your local State Park twice a summer using backroads the whole way, then I think you can push on as is and enjoy the white-knuckling experience. But if you are wanting to put that thing to use and get out there and enjoy some time on the road....

[LivinIt]

My last Tacoma was a 2015 DC V6 4x4 with tow package.

The GCVW was 11100 but it shows max tongue weight as 650, so you will be under 10% for sure just to make max there.
I’m guessing your over GCVW, max tongue weight and of course max payload.

I loved my Tacoma’s for sure, but follow these guys advise and get a bigger truck/smaller trailer for safety.

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