A little Towing Calculation Help, Please

[belairbrian]

You are absolutely right, the trailer guide is way more convoluted than it should be.

That said, what is the trailer hitch empty? I still do not know.

I actually have a tongue weight scale to get my true weight once loaded.

So the trailer hitch load empty is either:
1) nothing in the trailer and no battery or propane (what should be the published tongue weight)
or
2) nothing in the trailer but battery and propane insalled/filled (propane is usually not applicable to cargo trailers)

The real gray area comes when there are delear installed additions.
That's why I have a tongue weight scale. Not so much for empty weights, but it can really show what happens when loaded.

On the TT we just sold, all storage was forward of the axles and so was the fresh water tank. 50 gals of water near the front is significant.

Sponsored

 

[Davexxxx]

I had a lucky thing happen. Fortuitous timing. I hadn't bought my hitch yet but was shopping for a tongue scale and stumbled across Weigh Safe hitches.

I bought the middle weight and its just such a great idea. You know the tongue weight of every load and by unlocking one nut and adjusting another, you can custom dial in each load in 2 minutes, tops.

 

[Jmeo]

I actually have a tongue weight scale to get my true weight once loaded.

So the trailer hitch load empty is either:
1) nothing in the trailer and no battery or propane (what should be the published tongue weight)
or
2) nothing in the trailer but battery and propane insalled/filled (propane is usually not applicable to cargo trailers)

The real gray area comes up when there are delear installed additions.
That's why I have a tongue weight scale. Not so much for empty weights, but it can really show what happens when loaded.

On the TT we just sold, all storage was forward of the axles and so was the fresh water tank. 50 gals of water near the front is significant.

Thanks for your help. I think maybe I need to get a tongue weight scale, just to be completely safe.

I had a lucky thing happen. Fortuitous timing. I hadn't bought my hitch yet but was shopping for a tongue scale and stumbled across Weigh Safe hitches.

I bought the middle weight and its just such a great idea. You know the tongue weight of every load and by unlocking one nut and adjusting another, you can custom dial in each load in 2 minutes, tops.

Yeah, I have had my WDH since before Weight Safe came out with their WDH. I do have a standard drop receiver with a scale on it, but it already is not reading zero when not in use, so the scale is not accurate. If it was, I would use that receiver just to get the tongue weight, then switch to my WDH.

 

[Davexxxx]

You might check but I'm thinking they'll recalibrate the scale.

 

[J17GT]

How much stuff do you put in the truck when going to car events? A nicely optioned KR power boost will probably have a fairly low payload. How did you option the trucks? Things like the twin panel sunroof really eat into the payload number.

Another thing to keep in mind is the rear GAWR. It’s 4150lbs with the max tow. I think it’s 3800# with the standard 9.75” rear.

I tow a 24’ enclosed steel trailer with my 23 Lariat 3.5 max tow. Truck is decently optioned, but no twin panel sunroof, no auto running boards, no b&o unleashed stereo, but has most other options. My payload is 1721lbs.

I tow my 2017 Mustang GT to drag race events. The car is right on 4000lbs. I load the trailer with tools, ez-up canopy, generator, coolers full of beer & food etc. Pretty heavy at ~9750lbs when fully loaded.

In the truck it’s just me, a duffle bag of clothes and some small misc items. I added to the truck a bed cover and a line-x spray in bed liner, so that eats into some of the payload. The WDH setup is close to 100lbs as well. I run the new Weigh Safe WDH setup and it’s AWESOME.

At the scales I come in 230lbs under my GVWR and 290lbs under the rear GAWR. My rear axle weight is 3860lbs, so I’m glad I have the max tow capacity there.

At the end of the day, I think you will want the extra wiggle room in the payload that the non power boost truck will give you. But again, I guess it also depends how you optioned the trucks.

 

[Jmeo]

How much stuff do you put in the truck when going to car events? A nicely optioned KR power boost will probably have a fairly low payload. How did you option the trucks? Things like the twin panel sunroof really eat into the payload number.

Another thing to keep in mind is the rear GAWR. It’s 4150lbs with the max tow. I think it’s 3800# with the standard 9.75” rear.

I tow a 24’ enclosed steel trailer with my 23 Lariat 3.5 max tow. Truck is decently optioned, but no twin panel sunroof, no auto running boards, no b&o unleashed stereo, but has most other options. My payload is 1721lbs.

I tow my 2017 Mustang GT to drag race events. The car is right on 4000lbs. I load the trailer with tools, ez-up canopy, generator, coolers full of beer & food etc. Pretty heavy at ~9750lbs when fully loaded.

In the truck it’s just me, a duffle bag of clothes and some small misc items. I added to the truck a bed cover and a line-x spray in bed liner, so that eats into some of the payload. The WDH setup is close to 100lbs as well. I run the new Weigh Safe WDH setup and it’s AWESOME.

At the scales I come in 230lbs under my GVWR and 290lbs under the rear GAWR. My rear axle weight is 3860lbs, so I’m glad I have the max tow capacity there.

At the end of the day, I think you will want the extra wiggle room in the payload that the non power boost truck will give you. But again, I guess it also depends how you optioned the trucks.

My truck will be a KR, which comes with the moonroof, power running boards, spray in bed liner, B&O, and other luxury do-dads. The moonroof is not a delete option, it comes in the KR trim. Using a window sticker of a similarly equipped truck, it appears the payload will be 1479.

I will add my tonneau cover (roll up aluminum with vinyl cover), bed mat, bed extender, rear wheel well liners, which should total roughly 100lbs.

My equalizer WDH is roughly 100lbs.

I usually carry my floor jack and some tools in the trailer, in front of the car, and that’s about it.

It’s usually me, wife (320lb combined), a couple small suitcases, cooler and other items totaling probably 100lbs.

My trailer weighs roughly 3,700 and the car wraiths 4,400, equaling 8,100 total trailer weight.

In my research, the EcoBoost non Max Tow gloves me the most payload. The GAWR is 3,800

I think all this considered that I will be fine.

If I switch to Max Tow, I loose payload. I really do not think I need the Max Tow, unless someone tells me I am wrong.

 

[Jmeo]

I run the new Weigh Safe WDH setup and it’s AWESOME.

Funny, I was just researching this WDH this morning. I want to get a tongue weight scale and considered this.

Thing is, I already have an Equalizer WDH, so I either buy a stand alone scale, or switch to this one.

Have you used other WDH’s?

What (besides the scale) makes this better than what I already have?

 

[J17GT]

Funny, I was just researching this WDH this morning. I want to get a tongue weight scale and considered this.

Thing is, I already have an Equalizer WDH, so I either buy a stand alone scale, or switch to this one.

Have you used other WDH’s?

What (besides the scale) makes this better than what I already have?

I have not used any other WDH setup, so I really can’t comment on how it compares. I just like that there is zero guesswork with the weigh safe setup. Their app lays it all out for you so you can get the exact distributed weight needed. I experience zero sway at all, it’s like the trailer is on a railroad track behind the truck.

Look on YouTube for the ‘Wandering Weekends’ channel. He does a few video comparisons on all the top WDH setups. You’ll see he is a big fan of the weigh safe.

 

[Davexxxx]

What (besides the scale) makes this better than what I already have?

Other than one less piece of gear, with no need for a separate scale and the ability to quickly and easily, custom dial in each load, probably nothing.

The WD and anti sway parts of the designs, are more or less identical.

 

[NavyChief]

If I switch to Max Tow, I loose payload. I really do not think I need the Max Tow, unless someone tells me I am wrong.

But if you don’t go max tow you won’t get those cool axle bolts everyone raves about.

Sponsored