Finally hit CAT scale

[greengiant]

Finally was able to get to a CAT scale and check weights. I've thrown a lot of info here and quite a few questions, so thank you for any input.

I had a hard time just making the pdf from fifthwheelst.com smaller and attaching, so hopefully this screen shot I cropped and edited is readable. If not, the numbers are listed, but not nearly as readable as the website or pdf.

I've been towing the Hideout with my f250 for two seasons with no major concerns. I do get some sway with wind or passing big trucks, but otherwise, it tows pretty good (based my 15 years of towing experience-but this is the heaviest I've ever towed) I think it could or should be better though. Based on the numbers from weighing, I see two concerns:

1.MY tow vehichle GVWR is only 260lbs from max based on this weigh in. I didn't have 350lbs of kids/wife in the truck. I also didn't have 5 bikes or firewood in the truck. Guess I need to figure out how to lighten the truck and shift things to trailer, or potentially get tongue weight closer to 10%, unless that would affect ride.

2. I have not done the true, weight distribution measurements of front fender height before and after hitching (haven't parked it somewhere perfectly level to do so). but based on the front truck axle numbers of: 4360, 3880, and 4100 (truck alone, hitched-no wd, and hitched with wd)-is this a clear indication that I am not using the wd hitch to it's fullest potential?

Note: The front of the truck is not way in the air, and the trailer rides very level to ground.
I have a reese, high performance hitch, with 1200lb trunnion bars. I have tilted the ball mount back a few notches, but there are more teeth to do more, as it is listed in the manual to tilt 15 degrees for proper spring bar adjustment. I'm currently using the 5th chain link and can't do more or bars rub the frame of the trailer. Does anyone else tilt the ball mount back a lot to be able to get proper tension or am I missing something? If that ball mount is angled way down, are there concerns of the tongue bottoming out on the ball mount if I travel over a steep/short incline or a low dip (like a driveway)? Also, will this make coupling an uncopoupling the ball from tongue more of a challenge??

So would having my steer axle running light like this, add to sway on highway? I do not have any sway control. I also notice that there is some play in the shank when it is pinned to the receiver, but not hooked up to the trailer. Could that contribute to some sway?

Thanks for any input or conversation that can be generated,
greengiant


Front Axle GAWR 1 5940 TV Front Axle Weight A 4100
Rear Axle GAWR 2 6100 TV Rear Axle Weight B 5240
GVWR 3 9600 Trailer Axle(s) Weight C 7700
GCWR 4 19000
Tow Vehicle & Trailer with
WD System Deactivated
Conventional Hitch (Ball) TV Front Axle Weight D 3880
Enter the lowest rating of either the manufacturer's TV rating
or the lowest hitch component rating. TV Rear Axle Weight E 5560
Hitch Tow (GTWR) 5 12500 Trailer Axle(s) Weight F 7640
Tongue Weight Rating 6 1200 Tow Vehicle Only
Conventional Trailer TV Front Axle Weight G 4360
GVWR
7 9705 TV Rear Axle Weight H 3980
Section C - Report Click to process
Safety Margin vs. Overload
TV w/attached Trailer Wt.
9340 TV Front GAWR
-1840
TV Weight
8340 TV Rear GAWR
-860
Trailer Gross Weight
8700 TV GVWR
-260
TV & Trailer Combined Weight 17040 TV GCWR -1960
Caution: Entering only the TV and trailer weights with the
WD system activated, the results may be well below true TW. Trailer GVWR
-1005
Tongue Weight (TW) 1100 Tongue Weight Rating
-100
Tongue Weight Percentage
(Recommended range: 10-15%)
13% Hitch Tow GTWR
-3800

[Ken / Claudia]

On my listed truck and trailer is a travel trailer. The way the dealer set it up I was 300lb lighter on front axle than empty. I tighten up chain 1 more link and weighted again. It was/is now 200 lighter. I did not adjust anymore. either way the truck handles (turns and stopping) has empty. So, I am not going to change it. If the front axle slid, oversterred etc on turns. I would be changing. But, it does not. I went back to the dealer serivce guy and told him what I had found and he laughed saying with a 1 ton 200lbs either way will not change the handling. Take that as it is he is not Ford. For my adivice, I ask does the truck feel light in the front axle when driving? Drive it without the trailer turn hard, stop hard understand what the truck drives like. Now drive with trailer, I did test panic stops at under 25 with trailer to check it out and normal driving. I did not do hard forced turns with trailer. My trailer is lighter than my truck so, it may drive different than yours. I think my trailer with tongue wt is 6800 and truck is 7800 without checking the wt. slip.

[greengiant]

Ken/Claudia,
Thanks for the input. It's good to know that I'm not alone with the front end getting lighter after hitching up. It's not that the front feels loose/light or gets out of my control, but on uneven (side to side) country roads, or highway speeds, I get a slight feeling of not being in total control. This could stem from my conservative driving style. Braking seems fine, it's more the big dips I get from hitting bridge approaches, or the slight trailer movement left to right that I see in my mirror. It's a large box, so I think even mild winds can give me movement.

[Ken / Claudia]

This is alittle out in the weeds but, think about weight transfering and shifting as you drive, turn, stop, go. I mean from wheel to wheel, corner to corner of the vehicle. The movements of the vehicle are named pitch, yaw, roll. You likely will not notice that with a unloaded vehicle driving at normal speeds. At high speeds and heavy loads you might. Maybe this is what your feeling. Scale wt.s are the best to see where we are at vs what the dealers say we should be and not go over. If your close alittle over or under on those numbers you should be good. Your the best judge as the driver.