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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: moparmikethree]
#1287405
08/18/12 04:15 PM
08/18/12 04:15 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,784
Corpus Christi, TX
shanker
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,784
Corpus Christi, TX
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weight of the load should be on the towing vehicle...if you notice that's the reason why most Freight Hauling trucks trailers are setup with the axle's so far back..
Most all double decker cattle trailers have the axles at the extreme rear of the trailer so that most all the weight is on the truck towing the trailer.
Its safer....that is unless your towing too heavy of a load meant to be towed with your vehicle..
The Federal Government has not yet learned that you cannot legislate morality
1970 Coronet R/T FF4/FF8/V85/V1G 440/Auto/3.23
1970 Coronet R/T FK5/FK5/V8W/V1W 440/Auto/3.55
1970 Super Bee TX9/TX9/V8W/N96 383/Auto/3.91
1975 Duster 360 VS29L5 Daily Driver
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: shanker]
#1287406
08/18/12 06:01 PM
08/18/12 06:01 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 12,271
Overpriced Housing Central
RobX4406
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I Live Here
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Quote:
weight of the load should be on the towing vehicle...if you notice that's the reason why most Freight Hauling trucks trailers are setup with the axle's so far back..
Most all double decker cattle trailers have the axles at the extreme rear of the trailer so that most all the weight is on the truck towing the trailer.
Its safer....that is unless your towing too heavy of a load meant to be towed with your vehicle..
So my 3000# car on trailer should put the tongue weight of around 3K on my tow hitch?
I don't think so.
You want the weight balanced over the axles of the trailer with a slight bias forward to apply proper tongue weight so the "tail don't wag the dog", trailer making the tow vehicle buttwag/sway!
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: 340SHORTY]
#1287408
08/18/12 07:36 PM
08/18/12 07:36 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 27,347
Today? Who Knows?
1_WILD_RT
Management Trainee
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Management Trainee
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 27,347
Today? Who Knows?
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Rule of thumb is tongue weight should be 10% of trailer weight, so a 3,000 lb trailer should have a 300 lb tongue weight...
"The Armies of our ancestors were lucky, in that they were not trailed by a second army of pencil pushers."
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: 1_WILD_RT]
#1287411
08/18/12 11:43 PM
08/18/12 11:43 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,354
Aurora, Oh.
max_maniac
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,354
Aurora, Oh.
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Quote:
Rule of thumb is tongue weight should be 10% of trailer weight, so a 3,000 lb trailer should have a 300 lb tongue weight...
 correct ----- remember the trailer is like a wagon - easier to pull it then carry it 
Russ
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: shanker]
#1287413
08/19/12 12:10 AM
08/19/12 12:10 AM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 12,271
Overpriced Housing Central
RobX4406
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So 500-750 is most of the 5K load gotcha...  The axles for a single car trailer carry most of the weight, not the tow rig. Tongue weight varies by trailer design attachment as well. Gooseneck and 5th wheels can apply more tongue weight because of where that weight is loaded to the tow vehicle, right over the rear axle, not on a lever 3 feet behind it. You want to see poorly loaded trailers... come out during the winter and watch the I-10 as sand buggy guys tow toyboxes out to Glamis. Talk about a hitch almost dragging the ground! Tow vehicles pulling the front tires off the ground.
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: B5 Bee]
#1287415
08/19/12 10:20 AM
08/19/12 10:20 AM
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,746
Ontario, Canada
Dodgem
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master
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Ontario, Canada
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Quote:
Tongue weight of approx 10% is what I shoot for.
I measured how much drop my truck has with weight on the hitch. A 200lb person standing on the ball drops the bumper height 2/3", or 300lbs per inch.
So with a trailer and car weight of 5000lbs, I load the car forward till the bumper drops ~1.7" which should be near 500lbs.
Too much tongue weight causes the front suspension to extend and throw the alignment out, causing the vehicle to wander.
Then get a set of these and level your truck nice for the bed weight and tong weight!
You can load up to 3000 extra pounds on the back of the truck let them down to 5 lb for normal driving
http://www.summitracing.com/search/?keyword=riderite&dds=1
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: shanker]
#1287416
08/19/12 11:35 AM
08/19/12 11:35 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,078
Irving, TX
feets
Senior Management
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Senior Management
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,078
Irving, TX
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Some of you guys are scaring me.
10% tongue weight is the rule.
5th wheel and goose neck hitches do not allow you to put more load on the tow vehicle through load balancing. They allow you to pull a heavier load while maintaining the 10% tongue weight rule. Do not exceed the capacity of the tow vehicle.
Air bags DO NOT let you add an additional 3000 pounds to the two vehicle. That is lunacy! The tow vehicle has a weight limit that should NEVER be exceeded. The chassis limits are the chassis limits and stuffing balloons in the suspension is NOT going to change that.
Some vehicles have lighter springs than you want for towing. Hitch a 5000 pound trailer to a SportTrac and the 500 lb tongue weight nearly bottoms the vehicle. That's when you can use load springs or air bags to level the vehicle.
A 1/2 ton truck does not become a 1 ton truck after the installation of air bags.
You guys need to be careful how you word things. A newbie is likely to read that stuff, take action, and hurt someone.
We are brothers and sisters doing time on the planet for better or worse. I'll take the better, if you don't mind.
- Stu Harmon
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: feets]
#1287417
08/19/12 11:42 AM
08/19/12 11:42 AM
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,746
Ontario, Canada
Dodgem
master
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master
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Ontario, Canada
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you miss understood me the air bags can hold up to 3000 more pounds Just what instructions say. I have a 24 foot enclosed assuming 700 to 750 lb tongue weight allows the truck to ride dead level and is way more stable over dips and bumps in the road. In my case with 30 lb of air in the bags!.
Plus at night my headlights are not blinding other folks.
Last edited by Dodgem; 08/19/12 11:43 AM.
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: feets]
#1287418
08/19/12 12:21 PM
08/19/12 12:21 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
VL21
pro stock
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pro stock
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
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Just to hijack a little... I see one ton pickups and cab/chassis trucks pulling 3 and 4 car trailers to the auction, or where ever, if the gcvw of the truck is, say, 12000 lb, how is this legal? I thought gcvw was total, all in, everything added in, weight. The truck weighs easily half that. Then trailer weight. And even if they are flyweight cars, they are still 2k apiece. Just curious, I don't have a dog in this hunt. 
It takes gasoline to interest me.
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: VL21]
#1287419
08/19/12 12:44 PM
08/19/12 12:44 PM
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,746
Ontario, Canada
Dodgem
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master
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Posts: 5,746
Ontario, Canada
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GVW is the weight of the truck including tongue weight added to the truck weight plus any cargo and passengers in the truck.
combined weight is different and hole list of different rules and licensing at different combined weights, weights on the trailer wheels and so on a 3500 truck is probabaly allowed to tow up to 18,000 but you made need to upgrade the licence plates (more money)
Last edited by Dodgem; 08/19/12 12:48 PM.
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: VL21]
#1287420
08/19/12 12:50 PM
08/19/12 12:50 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10,228
Colleyville
3hundred
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I Live Here
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Posts: 10,228
Colleyville
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Quote:
Just to hijack a little...
I see one ton pickups and cab/chassis trucks pulling 3 and 4 car trailers to the auction, or where ever, if the gcvw of the truck is, say, 12000 lb, how is this legal?
I thought gcvw was total, all in, everything added in, weight.
The truck weighs easily half that. Then trailer weight. And even if they are flyweight cars, they are still 2k apiece.
Just curious, I don't have a dog in this hunt.
The manufacturers tow rating is NOT a legal limit. It's simply the manufacturers recommendation.
Here's an example because I owned both these trucks. '96 3500 4x4 Cummins auotmatic 180 hp, 3.54 gears, manufacturers rating, 9,700 lbs. '01 3500 4x4 Cummins 6 speed, 245 hp, 4.10 gears, manufacturers rating, 14,300 lbs. The only real difference, power.
I ran the '96 commercially, cab card for 40,000 lbs. Most guys ran them at 36,000, I wanted a little leeway. In Florida I was legal to 54,000 lbs.
Robert
'68 Fury Convertible
'69 300 Convertible
'15 Durango 5.7 Hemi
'16 300 S Hemi
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: feets]
#1287423
08/19/12 01:11 PM
08/19/12 01:11 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 12,271
Overpriced Housing Central
RobX4406
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I Live Here
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Quote:
5th wheel and goose neck hitches do not allow you to put more load on the tow vehicle through load balancing. They allow you to pull a heavier load while maintaining the 10% tongue weight rule. Do not exceed the capacity of the tow vehicle.
http://www.ford.com/trucks/superduty/specifications/towing/
Look at the first column, 3.55 Powerstroke, 12500 bumper tag or 16700 5th wheel.
Why is the tag weight lower than 5th wheel? 1250 tongue weight isn't the chassis weight max on a 3/4 ton. It's where you put the weight on the chassis. And, yeah, don't overload the tow vehicle. If it doesn't matter where the weight is carried on the chassis, the rating would be the same.
Tag stuff usually has to cheat with a WD hitch above 5K total 500 tongue.
Put 1500# right at the tailgate and drive, then move it forward to very front of bed. Will the load location change the way it drive... YOU BET IT WILL!
Carry on.
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: Challenger 1]
#1287425
08/19/12 05:40 PM
08/19/12 05:40 PM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,139
West Tennessee
rbstroker
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,139
West Tennessee
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I scale mine and shoot for 12% tongue weight because I use equalizer bars even though I tow with a 1 ton dually. Because I tow a Coronet as well as a Dart, my chocks inside the trailer are able to be fitted to both predetermined points. If you do decide to scale, don't forget to include any tools, fuel, coolers, etc that you may have in (or on) the trailer.
This is the land of the free
because of the brave
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: Dabee]
#1287426
08/20/12 12:41 AM
08/20/12 12:41 AM
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,746
Ontario, Canada
Dodgem
master
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master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,746
Ontario, Canada
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Quote:
I pull a 28 ft closed trailer with my Ram dually. I load the race car with the front tires just forward of the front trailer axle. The car is 100 pound heaver in the front. That way it puts the weight of the car on the trailer axles not my truck. My trailer has cabinets in the front so all my tools and equipment are up front, plus the weight of the front of the trailer. I would estimate my hitch weight to be around 1,000 pounds. I have never had a problem with the trailer wagging around. In fact I have to keep looking in the mirror to make sure the trailer is still back there, just kidding.
Yea I've been with Russ trailering the Superbee at 85 LOL!
felt like we were going 60!!! Dam that's a nice working rig!
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Re: car trailer load question
[Re: Dodgem]
#1287427
08/20/12 11:31 AM
08/20/12 11:31 AM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 15,134
Kelowna, B.C. Canada
DPelletier
I Live Here
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I Live Here
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Kelowna, B.C. Canada
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This thread seams to come up once a month or so. Again;
- a bumper pull trailer should have around 12% tongue weight. A little more is preferrable to a little less. Don't guess by how the truck looks; weight it and mark the car's position. While you're at it make sure that you have the right hitch set-up: a regular class IV is only rated for 500lbs deadweight without a weight distributing hitch but goes to 1000lbs with the WD hitch.
Dave
1970 Super Bee 440 Six Pack
1974 'Cuda
2008 Ram 3500 Diesel
2006 Ram 3500 Diesel
2004.5 Ram 2500 Diesel
2003 Ram 3500 Diesel
2006 Durango Limited
[url] http://1970superbee.piczo.com [/url]
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