Hitch weight question

[Andymon]

In regards to adding 10 to 15% to the hitch weight, is that added to the tongue weight amount or to the loaded trailer amount? If my Tt weight about 7500 loaded, do I figure 10-15% of that as what the tongue weight would be (example: 840 lbs) or tongue weight of 675 then add say 12% which would be about 756?

thanks!

[B&T]

Your tongue weight should fall in the range of 10-15% of your Gross Trailer weight(loaded).

[camptails]

I have a similar question as Andy. My hitch weight is 600# dry. I plan to put on a Propride hitch, probably adds another 200# is my guess. All the storage for items is in a pass through in the front of the trailer. Should I buy 1000 or 1400 spring bars. Can you be over sprung? Is some of the weight transferred to the front axle?

[TAZ23]

Originally Posted by camptails

I have a similar question as Andy. My hitch weight is 600# dry. I plan to put on a Propride hitch, probably adds another 200# is my guess. All the storage for items is in a pass through in the front of the trailer. Should I buy 1000 or 1400 spring bars. Can you be over sprung? Is some of the weight transferred to the front axle?

590 lbs of tongue wt. (dry), plus 60lbs of propane, plus 50lbs for a battery, and your at 700lbs with out adding your personal stuff. How much weight are you going to add to the trailer? It adds up pretty quickly. some seem to take every thing they own with them while others load lightly. I weighed every thing we put in the trailer and only came up with a little over 400lbs of additional weight. Your best bet is to find out (as close as possible) how much additional weight you will be loading and go from there. I dont have a Propride hitch so others may help with that, but from my own experiance you can use heavier bars. The ride might be a little stiffer.
The WDH will transfer some of the weight forward and some backwards to the trailer. the bars you will need are for the trailer tongue wt. loaded and unhooked from the hitch. Hope this helps, and travel safely.

[camptails]

Originally Posted by TAZ23

590 lbs of tongue wt. (dry), plus 60lbs of propane, plus 50lbs for a battery, and your at 700lbs with out adding your personal stuff. How much weight are you going to add to the trailer? It adds up pretty quickly. some seem to take every thing they own with them while others load lightly. I weighed every thing we put in the trailer and only came up with a little over 400lbs of additional weight. Your best bet is to find out (as close as possible) how much additional weight you will be loading and go from there. I dont have a Propride hitch so others may help with that, but from my own experiance you can use heavier bars. The ride might be a little stiffer.
The WDH will transfer some of the weight forward and some backwards to the trailer. the bars you will need are for the trailer tongue wt. loaded and unhooked from the hitch. Hope this helps, and travel safely.

Keystone claims that the propane bottle weight is in there already but no one seems to know their jobs these days so the information from them is probably not acurate. Im like you probably around 400 for personal stuff. I never carry water. I have never been able to understand how you load up 1500 to 2000 pounds of camp gear when you already have a trailer, but thats just me. I think I will go with the heavier bars just to be safe.

[TAZ23]

Originally Posted by camptails

Keystone claims that the propane bottle weight is in there already but no one seems to know their jobs these days so the information from them is probably not acurate. Im like you probably around 400 for personal stuff. I never carry water. I have never been able to understand how you load up 1500 to 2000 pounds of camp gear when you already have a trailer, but thats just me. I think I will go with the heavier bars just to be safe.

You are right, the propane bottles are there but they are empty. They are generally filled by the dealer when you buy the trailer. Keystone does not supply the propane. That is the "dry" weight. There will be a yellow sticker somewhere on the trailer that will have the actual weight of the vehicle as completed at the factory and it will most likely vary slightly from the advertized weight in the brochure.

[jsmith948]

I have never been able to understand how you load up 1500 to 2000 pounds of camp gear when you already have a trailer, but thats just me. I think I will go with the heavier bars just to be safe.[/QUOTE]

Tools including DeWalt drill & torque wrench, jack, blocks, grill, pots&pans, dishes, flatware, cups & galsses, clothes & shoes/boots, canned goods and perishable food, pistol & ammo, camera, field glasses, sheets & pillows, lawn chairs, table for grill, air compressor, axe, shovel, rake & broom, patio mat, bundle of fire wood, etc., etc, - Not to mention several containers (1.75 L) of your favorite beverage & ice for said beverage. It all adds up!

[camptails]

I called Keystone again and asked for verification of hitch weight just to be sure. I had the individual check for sure. They say the hitch weight (590#) is with the trailer loaded and with propane and one battery. I stressed the point that I needed accurate information so he checked with others there they all said that was the case. Soooooooo......that could make quite a difference.

[camptails]

Originally Posted by jsmith948

I have never been able to understand how you load up 1500 to 2000 pounds of camp gear when you already have a trailer, but thats just me. I think I will go with the heavier bars just to be safe.

Tools including DeWalt drill & torque wrench, jack, blocks, grill, pots&pans, dishes, flatware, cups & galsses, clothes & shoes/boots, canned goods and perishable food, pistol & ammo, camera, field glasses, sheets & pillows, lawn chairs, table for grill, air compressor, axe, shovel, rake & broom, patio mat, bundle of fire wood, etc., etc, - Not to mention several containers (1.75 L) of your favorite beverage & ice for said beverage. It all adds up![/QUOTE]

Yikes!!!!

[TAZ23]

Originally Posted by camptails

I called Keystone again and asked for verification of hitch weight just to be sure. I had the individual check for sure. They say the hitch weight (590#) is with the trailer loaded and with propane and one battery. I stressed the point that I needed accurate information so he checked with others there they all said that was the case. Soooooooo......that could make quite a difference.

Thats interesting. In February of 2012 when we were looking for a new travel trailer, I called Keystone to verify weights and was told the listed tongue weight was with empty tanks and no battery. And that each unit was individually weighed as it came off the assembly line. (the yellow weight sticker on our door) Our trailer came from the factory 60lbs. lighter then the brochure wt. I weighed it on out truck scale at work and found the actual wt to be 90lbs heavier and hitch wt to be 100lbs heavier than advertized.(with the propane and battery) so I assumed what I was told by Keystone was correct. Maybe they now include the wt of propane and battery or it could be as you stated before "it depends on who you talk to". Either way you may want to run it over a truck scale and see where you are on weights. That way you can be sure of where you are on wts and how to load it. Happy camping and enjoy your new unit

[camptails]

I don't think anyone over there knows for sure. I am going to go with 590 plus 100 for propane and battery plus 200 for a pro pride and call it about 1000 pounds dry. So will about 700 of that be on the drive axle and 300 on the steering axle? I have never been real clear about that.

[TAZ23]

Originally Posted by camptails

I don't think anyone over there knows for sure. I am going to go with 590 plus 100 for propane and battery plus 200 for a pro pride and call it about 1000 pounds dry. So will about 700 of that be on the drive axle and 300 on the steering axle? I have never been real clear about that.

on a properly set up hitch, some of the tongue wt will be transfered forward to the steer axle and some will transfer back to the trailer axles. I dont know the exact percentages as I am no expert when it comes to WDH's. Your truck owners manual should have a section to help with setting up a hitch. On my Silverado it states that the front end should be returned to the original (unloaded) height of the vehicle. Your trailer should sit as level as possible when hooked up.