RickBetterley

I have always followed the rule of thumb that you should have 10-15% of the total loaded trailer weight on the ball; for my 6,500 lb CargoPro/911/stuff, that means 650-975 lbs. I am at about 825 lbs.
Just off the phone with my trailer shop and they were telling me that 825 is unnecessarily high, and that 350 lbs is plenty.
I have a great luck at 825 lbs, so that really puzzled me.
Does anyone else set their weight at less than the 10-15% I've been going by?
Thanks

jrgordonsenior

They're delusional and used to selling toy haulers. You're not going to get 350 on the tongue with a 2400lb. car in the trailer, even a 911 based rear engine car. More important in how stable your truck is going down the highway. How much does the hitch droop when attached? More than 1.5 inches then you shoudl be using air bags or Timbren extended bump stops to stabilize the rear end. Do you use a WDH? Those are the items that matter not a preset limit....

350lbs. What's he towing a lawnmower?

KaiB

Rick, agreed above.

With your rig, I wouldn't be concerned and load up until the trailer tires are equally weighted. This will place more than ~12% onto the hitch, but you have the rig to do that. As JR mentioned, if the sag is OK when the trailer tires are happly equal....all is perfect and you'll have enough weight forward.

If you're an engineer and can't stand not knowing...I'll send you my tongue weight scale. I used it once and it now sits in the trailer so I can loan it out for beers.

M758

since you are towing with a F250 don't worry about a low tongue weight. Load it up as the more weigh the more stable at least unit you get the rear too low.

Make sure the trailer is level front to rear when towing. This keeps the weight even on front and rear trailer axles. This really important with torsion axles as they don't load balance like leaf axles.

Then make sure the truck is level or slightly right high. This will better distribute the load. I have 24 ft trailer that with the car and gear is probalby 7000-8000lbs. Tongue weight is probably 1000lbs. I use load bars equalize weight and keep the truck level. Part of this is 800-1000lbs or so I carry in the truck bed (tires, gas cans etc). Anyway I can feel what happens if load the car too far back and don't get alot of tongue weight. The trailer will tend to wag around. I tow with 2500 dodge with 8.0L gas motor so I have payload of aroud 3300lbs.

U4EEAH

Hey Rick, I ALWAYS get as close to 15% as I can. Closer to 10% and a noticeable increase in sway and crosswind instability. You have plenty truck, use it. 350lbs (6%)...dangerous

RickBetterley

Thanks guys (and hi Kevin)
I agree with what you're saying. I think I'll ignore what the trailer shop said (they must have misunderstood me).
This came up because I bought the new 2012, which has a 2.5" receiver. My 2008 F250 had a 2" receiver, so I had a choice of using the so-called sleeve (reduces the 2.5" to the 2" hitch), which I hate, or buying a new hitch in the right size. You know me - got to do it right.
EXCEPT I really like the polished aluminum adjustable hitch which has the 2 ***** (stop smirking); 1 suitable for the race trailer, the other for my boat trailers. Not weight distributing. I figure, shoot - with my big truck, why do I need weight distribution. The only reason I used it on my 2008 was it was something I used on my old Expedition tow vehicle, which needed all the anti-sway help it could get.
Now that I am looking into it, the dead weight (not weight reducing) hitch has a max load of 500 lbs it looks like. Uh oh; I've got about 825 lbs on the ball.
I WANT TO USE MY non-WD HITCH but it looks like I have to admit I goofed and go back to the WD hitch. Maybe I can use it as a paper weight.
Lots of guys at the track seem to have non-WD hitches, but I guess that doesn't mean they're right.

stownsen914

Careful to consider what the hitch can hold - not just what the tow vehicle can hold. I've heard of a guy breaking a hitch because he set up his trailer with too much tongue weight ...

CT03911

Rick,
I now have 600lbs on the ball towing a #7000lb trailer with a Tundra. It is fine. The Featherlite manual says 10% for larger trailers is ok.
I had #350 on the ball when I first loaded up and used the factory tiedowns. That was not fine!!
My car is as far forward as I want it. When I add cabinets, etc, etc, I will get more weght on the ball which should work well.
Point is, I have found around 10% works well. 5-6% was scary.

RickBetterley

Thanks; are you using a weight distribution hitch?

Doc GTO

This is a great idea too for getting the tongue weight accurate:

I'd rather be too heavy then too light on the tongue weight.

jrgordonsenior

Rick can you be more specific please. Where exactly are you reading a max load of 500 lbs? Is it on the 2-1/2" slide in receiver and ball, or the trailer's hitch (the cup) itself?

M758

I had that same issue when I got my 24ft enclosed. I towed my open trailer with simple dead weight ball (2" ball, 2" receiver with 6000lbs limit stamped into the hollow hitch). Worked fine. With 24 ft enclosed I had a hard time finding 2" hitch with 1000lbs tongue/10000lbs trailer limit. That is easy to do with WD set-ups as these are solid metal. Plus when towed the trailer empty from San Antonio to phx I had alot of cross winds. The trailer was only 3500lbs, but moved around alot due to the sail area. So my WD hitch also has sway control. So just seems better to use WD hitch even on a 2500. The result is nice rock solid system. I towed Phx to LA with 25 mph crosswinds and everything was rock solid at 60-70mph. Only bad part was my gasser used lots of fuel.

RickBetterley

Actually, I pulled it off the Car & Driver site, so I'm not sure (and totally lacking in confidence that it is right, so I shouldn't have posted it).
The Ford drivers manual would be more reliable. There used to be a Towing Guide (with the 2008 model); not sure if there is a similar guide for the 2012.
I'll see what I can dig up. If I were weighing the tongue, it would of course be at the ball/cup.

RickBetterley

I like rock solid - a lot. Looks like I will get a new shank for my current WD hitch and call it a day. I'll keep the fancy/shmancy adjustable aluminum hitch at the cottage (where the boat trailers live) and use it as a reminder that I should research before I click 'Order Now.'

Dwane

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