mosseater
Dillsburg, PA
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Joined: 10/19/2007
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I`m a little confused (again). If he is planning on hauling the SeaDo while towing, shouldn`t he set up the hitch for the actual weight of the truck and trailer? We are constantly saying to weigh your rig/set up your rig loaded like you are when camping. How is this different? I agree he should get the hitch that`s rated to handle the tongue weight of his trailer, since the SeaDo won`t affect the tongue weight. But, shouldn`t he try to get good weight distribution on the truck axles with the payload in the bed? 900 lbs of SeaDo or 900lbs of camping gear; what`s the dif? If the total cargo (including tongue) doesn`t exceed his payload or axle rating, why shouldn`t he set it up that way. Two set ups with the same hitch sounds reasonable to me. The weight will obviously change the distribution and attitude of the truck. Perhaps two different sets of bars and a different link count?
But then....thinking about it, most of us tow with a camping payload. On the rare times we tow unloaded, like taking it to the shop or storage, do we change our setup? I haven`t, at least not yet. When I take out the generator, fuel, propane, bikes, tools, ladder, 3 people, cooler, etc., I don`t change it. I`m taking almost 1000 lbs out, too. Interesting question. I guess it goes to the percetage of time you tow without payload in the tv.
"It`s not important that you know all the answers, it`s only important to know where to get all the answers" Arone Kleamyck
"...An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." Col. Jeff Cooper
Sunset Creek 298 BH
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SoCalDesertRider
SanDiego, CA, USA
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Joined: 12/14/2003
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Set up the rear suspension of the truck (the springs) to handle the payload carried in the truck. If this means adding extra leaf springs, air bags, or other suspension add-ons, then so be it.
Buy the weight distributing hitch bars appropriate for the trailer's tongue weight. Set up the hitch with the truck and trailer both loaded.
With the truck suspension fully able to carry the payload in the bed and the weight distributing hitch fully able to distribute the weight of the trailer tongue, the truck and trailer will both be set up properly and should tow very well.
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JBarca
Dublin, Ohio, USA
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Joined: 12/16/2004
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BCBill wrote:A friend of mine is looking for a new weight distrubuting hitch. He tows a 33' trailer with a 850lb tongue weight behind a 3/4 ton Chev.
I know to match the hitch to the tongue weight, but the problem is, he regularly (about half the time) carries an 8-900lb SeaDoo in the back of the truck, with most of the weight at the rear. From what I can figure, this adds to the tongue weight which would mean that he'd need a hitch for ~1700lbs. (or maybe I'm wrong in thinking this?)
Now if he were to buy this hitch and all works well, how well would it work if he didn't have the SeaDoo in the back?
His current hitch doesn't tow well at all with or without the SeaDoo. It's an older model of unknown capacity.
Thanks for your opinions / help.
Hi BCBill
A few things stuck out in your post about your friends’ setup.
Is this 33 foot trailer with 850# tongue weight that does not tow very well now, a Travel trailer camper or an open or closed utility trailer?
If this is a real scaled 850# on a 33 feet, this is the first heads up. If it is a TT, what brand model is it? His towing problems may stem from low tongue weight.
The next question on does weight in the truck bed aft of the TV rear axles add to tongue weight? To the words actual tongue weight, well no, but it does add to the load the WD bars have to give if you are using the hitch to set the WD on teh truck right.
As others have said, the Trailer frame is taking this extra WD bar load. If he has a heavy enough A frame it will be OK but still this 850# tongue weight until we know what the trailer is, is wild card here.
If he buys a 1,700# WD hitch, I happen to have one, a hitch that large is on a 2 1/2" hitch shank, which means a 2 1/2" TV receiver. The largest I have seen is 1,500# on a 2" shank.
If your buddy wants to get rid of the trailer sway, that needs to be addressed first. He may be suffering from low tongue weight. On 33 feet and if it is a TT, then he should be shooting ideally for 13% to 15% tongue per loaded GVW of the TT to help naturally tame the sway. He may also be fighting a TV and or TT tire pressure problem. What tire pressure and what load range tires does he have? Or the WD hitch is really out of adjustment and that is part of the problem.
And once he adjusts the trailer balance to be right, well the tongue weight might go up. Pending what Chevy 2500 he has, he might trip the GVWR on the truck with the new tongue weight and a seedo. A duramax, crew cab eats up GVW. If so, then he has another problem.
My recommendation is to get the trailer balanced right first to tow right, Figure out the new tongue weight and this will help sort out the right WD hitch with integral sway control. Before he buys the hitch, then figure out what to do with the seedo. If he runs into the truck GVWR with the seedo, well the air bags trick won't fix that and he has some decision to make. Do I over run the truck limts or not? For me, not.
What is being said about setting up the air bags with bed weight first then setting the WD hitch, I agree with providing the truck can actually take all that weight. Has he ever weighed the truck with all camping gear in it? This would be in order, including the seedo.
Hope this helps. Let us know how he makes out.
John
John & Cindy
2005 Ford F350 Super Duty, 4x4; 6.8L V10 with 4.10
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21,000 GCWR, 11,000 GVWR
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1,700# Reese HP hitch & HP Dual Cam
2 1/2" Towbeast Receiver
2004 Sunline Solaris T310SR
(I wish we where camping!)
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BCBill
FV BC
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Joined: 09/08/2006
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Thanks JBarca for the extended reply.
Specs:
2007 NBS Chev 2500HD Crewcab SB with duramax. 10ply Load range E Tires 80 psi. The truck does have the 2.5" receiver, if neded.
2007 Keystone Cougar 301BHS. 850lb tonque weight taken directly from website.
I definately agree with the advice of weighing everything himself to find out some actual numbers. I'll see what I can do about posting that.
I think his curent hitch is way under rated for his setup and probably not doing anything at all. Some sort of sway control is definately going to be added as well.
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beemerphile1
NE Ohio
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Joined: 04/20/2007
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BCBill wrote:
Specs:
2007 Keystone Cougar 301BHS. 850lb tongue weight taken directly from website.
If that is the manufacturer's dry tongue weight, I guarantee you that the actual weight is much higher.
According to the manufacturer, my tongue weight is around 650 pounds. In reality, loaded and going down the road the weight is 1,000 - 1,100 pounds.
Tim
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