Hey, I'm getting ready to tow a 24' dual axle trailer with a total weight of around 6500 lbs. What is the best way to load the trailer in such a manner as to have a good tounge weight or correct weight distribution. I don't have a way to actually weigh the tounge unless you guys know a trick that I don't. Trailer weighs around 2500 and car weighs 3000 + 1000 of odds & ends thrown in there. Thanks for the help guys.

 

There actually is such a thing as a tongue scale that is designed to answer such a question. I suppose we could try to Google one up, but they aren't cheap. Plus you just need to know once, right?

Good rule of thumb is to keep 10-15% total weight on the tongue to prevent hop, so you'll need about 650-700#. Your load is pretty heavy already so I wouldn't cut corners. Haul yourself (and the load) to a local scale. If you talk to the folks there they can assist you. It would be good to know Gross weight, gross trailer weight, and tongue weight. You could determine the tongue by unhooking and placing the "foot" on the scale. After you determine the tongue adjust the car on the trailer until you have 10-15% showing, then mark the trailer deck around the car's tires so you'll have a"Stop Line" for next time.

Good Luck, and Tow Safe!

 

The max tongue weight of your factory hitch prolly is 500# with 5,000 max. There will be a sticker on it somewhere. Load equalizing hitches allow you to tow more, but I don't have any experience with them.

The boat trailer I pulled had hydraulic surge brakes with the coupler rated at 600/6,000#. If your trailer has surge brakes you may wanna look into that.

To check tongue weight I got a buddy and we picked up the tongue by hand and guessed.

I have heard of a way with a bathroom scale with a block of wood next to it and a plank going across the block to the scale. Center the tongue on the plank, read the scale and multiply by 2.

Let me know if the bathroom scale idea works.

 

Yes I have a local scale I can go to and I'm gonna do that anyways. You guys really think 6500 is a heavy load for my truck with the towing package?? I knew it was up there but not unreasonable.

flafonman, I like your idea but I don't think it will work with my trailer. The foot is at least two feet back from the tounge. Just using the principle of the arm & lever it's going to be off. Probably quite a bit too, but maybe not. Good idea. I'm sure it will get me in the ball park.

 

Well, your 305/70/16's are not going to help matters. I think that's at least a 33" tall tire, right?? Do you have the 3.55 gears?? I've got 31" tires and tow a #4500 TT and it tells you it's back there........ Although, you won't have the wind resistance that a TT has, but it still weighs more then your truck, so it will tend to have a "mind of it's own".

You'll need the WD bars if the tongue is more then #500.....

 

Yea, you're right about the tires... 33.1" to be exact. Thing about this trailer set up I am getting ready to pull is I have pulled it one other time before but only for about 20 miles. Some of it was at highway speeds too. I just wanted some opinions because this time it's a 400 mile trip. The last time I pulled it the truck actually did great. Power and handling was not an issue, but yes, I know it was only 20 miles. I loaded the car on there just until the load on the truck "looked" OK. Pulled fine to me that time. Not too worried about the gears/tires because like I said it pulled good last time and my trip will only consist of about 30 miles up hill with a total altitude change of about 2000'. After that, it's all down hill or completely level. I just wasn't sure if my "eye ball" technique would be the best method for the 400 mile trip on highway. But then again I'm sure I'm not going to be doing 75 pulling this thing either. Gonna **** off alot of people on the highway

 

I tried to weigh my tongue and all I found out was that the scale tasted awful. Am I doing something wrong?

 

Here's an idea for any engineers out there...If you know the weight of the trailer on the foot and you know the distance from the foot to the ball of the trailer, there has to be a formula to figure the weight at the ball. Basic weight and arm principle. Now, what's the formula??

 

Check you manual, but I believe that is within 200lbs of the max tow rating for your truck.

 

OK, although I may be getting heavy, I am not exceeding anything as far as the limits of the truck or anything...from what I've read. But does this mean I still want a limit of 500lbs on the hitch? Even if the trailer loaded weighs 6500 (+-) and 10% is recommended, which would give me roughly 650lbs on the hitch? I have the factory towing package and believe it's a class III hitch that it comes with right? So still limit it to 500?? How will it pull with less than 10% on the hitch?

 

Your class 3 hitch becomes a class 4 hitch with the use of a WD setup. You would want to use this anyway, as having #500 of tongue weight will take weight off of the front end and greatly effect the handling of the truck.

The reason you can go with a #1000/#10000 tongue/trailer combo with the WD setup is because it transfers the load to the trucks front axle and even the trailer axles and should actually raise the rear end to it's 'unhitched' ride height.

So, you are correct in that you want to maintain a min of 10% tongue weight. If this means you go over the #500 limit of the class 3 hitch, you have to add the WD setup to get the class 4 rating for the same hitch.

 

Just FYI, but the last time I pulled this combo I know I had a tounge weight of waaaay over 400lbs because a budy of mine and myself couldn't even come close to picking up the tounge. Yes, the two of us together would have been able to lift it if it was around 400.

The thing I was surprised at was the rear of the truck didn't sqat even close to what I expected, just a little bit. The front end kicked up in the air a tiny bit but not like what you may expect. Definately not bad enought to affect driving/handling to a point that it seemd unsafe. It actually drove exceptionally normal, even at highway speeds. And it pulled great.

Is there something different on the SCrew's?? I ask because I pulled a u-haul car trailer with my '97 regular cab with a 3000lb car on it and the rear sqated super bad and the front end was almost off the ground.

I was surprised at how well the load was dispursed and how level the truck sat with this trailer on my new Screw.

The only reason I started this thread was becasue last time I pulled this same combo it was for 20 miles. This time will be 400 and just want to make sure I'm safe.

How would it do with the trailer weight around 6500 max(estimated) and I keep the tounge weight to a maximum of 500??? Say around 450-470?? (I will have everything in the trailer. No payload in the truck but me & the dogs)

I am going to hit the scales before the trip so I can get all this set right.

 

Well, my experience with towing a flat bed trailer with a light tongue weight was not good. Swayed like a SOB above 50 mph.......

Moved some stuff around and put the heavyest items up front. While it squated the van I was towing with more, it towed a lot better.

This was a long time ago, and I don't know how much I was actually towing, but it was with a 1/2 ton Chevy van with only a bolt on bumper hitch and no electric brakes!! It had to weigh at least #5000 if not more. I drove this from Washington DC to Corning NY and somehow lived to tell about it. No disaster occured, but it was not an enjoyable ride either.

Only reason I tell this story is that just because you tow more then what's stamped on the hitch does not mean it's gonna break the moment you start to move...... Would I do it again..... Heck no, but if you do anything, don't go light on the tongue weight!

Good Luck!!

 

Yes! don't put too little weight on the hitch. Your trailer might start swaying so bad it will make your tow vehicle uncontrollable.IMO I would take the rig to a scale, the dump has them, trucking companies have them,go after hours, they usually leave them on 24/7 so trucks can use them when ever. Weigh the trailer, unhitch it and place just the tongue on the scale and move your car until approx. 10%-15% is on the tongue, don't have to be exact, your not preparing the shuttle for reentry. Good luck,

 

Let's hope RP has better luck than the shuttle.