Can you deduct tongue weight if you are over axle capacity?

BLSXJ · May 1, 2017

HE IS IN ONTARIO CANADA...

any pick up truck is considered a "commercial vehicle", it doesn't matter if its for personal use or commercial (for this argument)

16 hours north from Toronto... thunder bay? drive up empty, rent a uhaul tdm axle, and you'll be set, no borrowing. its just the way to do it.

PS with the toys you have listed in your signature/profile.... its time you get a yellow sticker

coldsteelva · May 1, 2017

Can you provide some insight into what this 'Yellow Sticker' is? Is that a general term for a safety inspection?

GLyford · May 1, 2017

1300 lbs on a bumper pull can have your front end steering very light, maybe even off the ground unless you have a weight distributing hitch. It also removes a lot of effectiveness from your front brakes (can slide easier with less weight on them) making it easier to slide/skid in unintended directions. All of this is worse when wet. This is usually far more "pucker" than I want to put up with for more than a few minutes, never mind for driving hours on end.

Industrial Toys · May 1, 2017

I don't have much money, relatively speaking. So I try not to piss away my money, preferring to save it for larger things, like this chipper. And, I certainly don't like giving money to the government who sees fit to simply give it away. I just don't need to move my STUFF often enough to justify all the expense of moving heavy stuff legally.

The Yellow window sticker is an indication of annual safety. Same thing on the trailer.

LD1 · May 1, 2017

GLyford said:
1300 lbs on a bumper pull can have your front end steering very light, maybe even off the ground unless you have a weight distributing hitch. It also removes a lot of effectiveness from your front brakes (can slide easier with less weight on them) making it easier to slide/skid in unintended directions. All of this is worse when wet. This is usually far more "pucker" than I want to put up with for more than a few minutes, never mind for driving hours on end.

1300# and 4' behind the rear axle....lifting the front axle of a 7000# truck up that is 10-11' forward, with a diesel engine sitting atop it.....not likely at all. Probably wouldn't even effect steering and breaking. With that diesel, the front end would probably like the 400-500# less it has to carry.

GLyford · May 1, 2017

Sorry, missed the diesel bit. Carry on...

ovrszd · May 1, 2017

LD1 said:
1300# and 4' behind the rear axle....lifting the front axle of a 7000# truck up that is 10-11' forward, with a diesel engine sitting atop it.....not likely at all. Probably wouldn't even effect steering and breaking. With that diesel, the front end would probably like the 400-500# less it has to carry.

When loading my GN trailer more tongue weight simply lowers the rear with minimal lift of the front. Might not have the same result with a bumper hitch.

Driveability and ride suffer dramatically if I don't properly balance the load.

aczlan · May 1, 2017

ovrszd said:
When loading my GN trailer more tongue weight simply lowers the rear with minimal lift of the front. Might not have the same result with a bumper hitch.

Driveability and ride suffer dramatically if I don't properly balance the load.

Your GN puts the weight pretty much right on or in front of the rear axle, so it will add load to both axles. A bumper hitch is well behind the axle and will unload the front axle.

Aaron Z

ovrszd · May 1, 2017

aczlan said:
Your GN puts the weight pretty much right on or in front of the rear axle, so it will add load to both axles. A bumper hitch is well behind the axle and will unload the front axle.

Aaron Z

Yep. Just trying to gently suggest that.

With either handling and ride change dramatically depending on where trailer load is placed.

LD1 · May 1, 2017

Yep. No question and no argument from me that a bumper pull does take weight off the front. But it's crazy the number of times I hear people say things like getting the front end too light, wheels off the ground, etc. People just don't understand weights and levers that make such crazy notions.

A standard wheelbase is usually somewhere around 135". Rear axle to ball, usually about 45". (3:1 ratio).

So 1300# on the ball is gonna take about 430# off a front end that's probably sitting at 4300. A mere 10%

Or in on the words, even if a light gasser with only 3500 pounds over the front, it would take OVER 10,000# on the ball to make the front end airborne.

So anytime I hear people make these notions, it just makes me roll my eyes.