tongue weight

[TrailBlazer]

does the tongue weight given by the manufacturer include the cargo capacity of the trailer? ie 303tg 7473 dry weight 1527 carrying capacity. 905 tongue weight?

[SLIMSHADIE]

Tongue weight will be 10-15% of total combined weight. I believe 12-13% is optimum. So it should fall between 900-1350.

[TAZ23]

The tongue weight stated by the manufacturer is the weight as it comes off of the assembly line. That is a dry weight with no battery or propane in the tanks. Also any options installed by the factory and/or dealer may effect the tongue weight. The stated tongue weights will vary some what on each unit. My Outback 320BH came with a advertized weight of 7600 last year and a tongue weight of 1005. The actual weight sticker from the factory on the trailer was 7500 and the tongue weight with propane and battery was 1105 on a cat scale. (The trailer with battery and propane weighed 7605)

[michol02]

The sticker on mine says 750lbs. With all my stuff loaded and 5 gallons of water in the fresh water tank(for those emergency bathroom stops), my tongue weight is a little over 1200lbs.

[Javi]

Tongue weight has a lot to do with the trailer layout also... For instance my Passport 2890RL has a listed dry weight of 5490 and a dry tongue weight of 590lbs and yet even with two propane tanks and a 12 volt battery up front it is difficult to get to 590 lbs without filling the fresh water tank which is located just behind the front cap. Why.... because it is a rear living area and everything except the bed is behind the centerline... I struggle each trip to get enough weight up front without filling the FW tank simply because there is little storage in the front of the trailer that is easily accessible inside. The only storage of any size being under the bed and accessible only by raising and holding up the mattress, which is a struggle for me and impossible for the DW.


We love the layout but hate the tongue weight situation... Our remedy so far has been to store all the can goods and everything else we can in boxes up front and the upon arrival at our campsite distribute it into the rear cabinets for the stay...

[fla-gypsy]

Listed tongue weight is a dry weight and bears no reflection on actual tongue weight. As stated 12-13% of actual weight is optimal

[TrailBlazer]

thanks for the insight

[ewkearns]

Originally Posted by fla-gypsy

Listed tongue weight is a dry weight and bears no reflection on actual tongue weight. As stated 12-13% of actual weight is optimal

This must be *entirely* true! I need to hit the scales to figure out where I am.... BUT....

The published specs on my Hornet 27RLS are:

Gross Weight 6300#
Carrying Capacity 3700# (yeah, right...)
"Hitch" 620#

As stated the, "hitch" is only 9.8% of gross..... so it would take some LP, junk, and water to bring me into the desirable 12-13%....

[ktmracer]

nope, and in reality you'll find actual tongue weight is usually much higher than empty tongue weight. My "empty" tongue weight was 695lbs. ACTUAL tongue weight w/o any water 1250lbs, ACTUAL tongue weight with a full fresh tank and NO black/grey 1450lbs. No fresh but full black/grey puts me north of 1500lbs.