Quote:
Originally Posted by summerhummer
...Realistically I assume we want 10-12 % for hitch weight and not 13.5 or 14 for balancing ?
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The tongue weight percentage is dependent on a number of factors. Wheelbase of the TV, TV weight vs trailer weight, sidewall height, sidewall square footage, distance from axles to the front of the sidewall vs to the rear of the sidewall, shape of the trailer roof and/or rear wall, etc.
One tow vehicle may perform very well with a trailer using 11% tongue weight while the exact trailer may be "squirrely as heck" at 11% when towed by a different TV. So, you'll have to wait until you actually load and tow your combination to determine exactly what percentage of tongue weight works best for you... This is yet another reason not to figure at the "bottom end" of weights when trying to justify a lighter tow vehicle/heavier trailer combination. If you do all your "figuring" at 11% tongue weight and have zero GVW with the TV to fall back on and after you buy, suddenly find your rig actually tows better (and is safer) at 14% tongue weight, where's your capability to rebalance your trailer to achieve better "towability" ??
That's why most will advise to use trailer GVW and 15% tongue weight when doing the math, that way you'll almost always have the "fudge factor" working to your benefit rather than being "against the wall" with nothing to spare.