Tongue Weight

[boaterok]

I have a 05 Monaco Exec 44" with tag axle. The table says don't exceed 1k pounds on the tongue and 10k towing. I will be towing a 20' stacker trailer with 4' tongue with dual 8k axles. My question is what would be the ideal tongue weight. I have been putting cars, bikes, fuel and assorted stuff in and keeping track of tongue weight with each arrangement. I can get it as light as 350 pounds and as heavy as 980 pounds but I was wondering what an ideal weight would be if anyone had a idea I want it to tow as good as possible, I know that with the tag axle it might not make any difference. Oh I also have a air hitch. thanks for the input. Roger

[JimM68]

tongue wieght should be about 10% of the total trailer wieght.
And that trailer can easily exceed your 10k, be carefull there.

I'm interested in a stacker myself. My towing limits are the same as yours. All the stackers I've seen are monsters, 18k gross. what brand is yours and what does it wiegh empty?

[Route 66]

We had a member break his hitch on the MH because the stacker was so heavy, it repeatedly exceeded the tongue weight from the normal bouncing of going down the road.

Be careful of the loaded tongue weight.

[speed racer]

60% of the total weight of the trailer should be in front of the center line of the axles. As far as tongue weight goes any thing over 350# should use an equalizer hitch rated for the total weight of the trailer.

[Ed-Sommers]

I would go to a good hitch mechanic and have the tongue (towing hitch) beefed up,

Ed

[Alan_Hepburn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimM68 tongue wieght should be about 10% of the total trailer wieght.

Yeah - 10% would be the absolute minimum. I'd aim for between 12% and 15% of total trailer weight, fully loaded. Go too light and you can induce catastrophic sway by simply hitting a pothole, or having a truck or bus pass you, going either direction.

[boaterok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by speed racer 60% of the total weight of the trailer should be in front of the center line of the axles. As far as tongue weight goes any thing over 350# should use an equalizer hitch rated for the total weight of the trailer.

When you use a equalizer hitch on a airhitch you have to DERATE your hitch by 25% so I sure can't do that. I have had as much as 18k behind this MH with this airhitch and it did bend down the ball mount a tad. But I don't know what the tongue weight was but I expect it was high becase it had 2 fuel tanks in the front of the trailer hauling 120 gallons of fuel so it had to have a fair load on the tongue when including the rest of the weight. Right now I am going to be about 12.5k with 370 pounds of tongue weight. For once maybe I will get over 3.8 mpg with DD60 515hp since this stacker is shorter, has V nose and weighs less.

[Gary RVRoamer]

370 lbs on the tongue of a 12,500 lb trailer? That borders on suicidal, in my opinion. 10% on the tongue is the minimum for safe operation. plus you are probably exceeding the motorhomes hitch limit as well.

[hooverbill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boaterok When you use a equalizer hitch on a airhitch you have to DERATE your hitch by 25% so I sure can't do that. I have had as much as 18k behind this MH with this airhitch and it did bend down the ball mount a tad. But I don't know what the tongue weight was but I expect it was high becase it had 2 fuel tanks in the front of the trailer hauling 120 gallons of fuel so it had to have a fair load on the tongue when including the rest of the weight. Right now I am going to be about 12.5k with 370 pounds of tongue weight. For once maybe I will get over 3.8 mpg with DD60 515hp since this stacker is shorter, has V nose and weighs less.

Your hitch weight should be at least 1,250...and you've already pulled 18k with a hitch/MH rated for 10k???

I agree with Gary RVRoamer, I don't object to you being suicidal, but what about the rest of us with this beast on the highways?

[Chuck 1935]

Tongue Weight,
The more I drink, the heavier it seems.
Just a thought !!