Trailer capacity

[Shaneard]

This is painful.

Only if your under the axle, stay on the tongue and you will be fine :dance1:

 

[RickB]

This is painful.

Not any more.

 

[AWSubie]

It’s probably best just to say that each of us needs to thoroughly understand our tow vehicle capacity, our trailer capacity and the influence of load distribution. Getting back to the OP’s original question, the trailer’s gross vehicle weight rating minus the trailer empty weight is the trailer’s load capacity. Tongue weight is not part of the equation.

 

[Jaylegger]

Not any more.

, I do what I can.

 

[snymat68]

 

[Renze]

As far as tongue weight,,
What happens to tongue weight going up a hill?
What happens to tongue weight going down a hill?
What happens to tongue weight when you travel on a rough road?
What happens to tongue weight during acceleration?
What happens to tongue weight during braking??

If you are operating the truck/trailer that close to a weight rating when measured in a static condition,,
YOU ARE OVERLOADING THE EQUIPMENT!!

That is just my opinion,,,:thumbsup:

Thats why manufacturers use a safety margin: to account for vehicle dynamics. In my time at a trailer builder we allways took a safety factor of two.

And when submitting a brake calculation for a trailer type approval, indeed the assumed center of gravity of the load, and the distance between kingpin and axles are taken into account when calculating the required brake force. With a high center of gravity and a short trailer wheelbase you often had to mount the air brake bellow a hole lower on the S-cam lever.

For the same reason, cars have disk brakes on the front axle for 50 years, though lesser capacity drum brakes were still used in the rear axle untill maybe 15 years ago...

 

[sawtooth]

I understand what you're saying BUT the weight is shared between the axle(s) on the trailer and the axle(s) on the tow vehicle distributed through the frame/tongue of the trailer to the hitch/frame/axle of the tow vehicle. Just because the vehicle gets the brunt of the tongue weight doesn't mean it's still not part of the trailer weight.

This is not correct. As RickB mentions the tongue weight is not shared between the trailer and tow vehicle. Picture it this way there is a inexpensive scale used to measure tongue weight. Place the tongue onto those scales and what ever is shown on it is carried by the tow vehicle. Plain and simple and straightforward. You can buy these scales off of eBay for under $200 I believe.

 

[sawtooth]

DOT is going to go by axle weight. So in that case, the tongue weight would be on the Tow vehicle and not the trailer. You could have all weight up front on a goose neck and be nowhere close to the trailer axle capacity but the rear axle of the truck could be overweight.

Exactly

 

[fried1765]

This is not correct. As RickB mentions the tongue weight is not shared between the trailer and tow vehicle. Picture it this way there is a inexpensive scale used to measure tongue weight. Place the tongue onto those scales and what ever is shown on it is carried by the tow vehicle. Plain and simple and straightforward. You can buy these scales off of eBay for under $200 I believe.

You can do it for free!
You can use a simple bathroom scale to measure any tongue weight.
Don't believe me?
Check the E-trailer website to learn how,.... with no cost.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I'll trust my trailers manufacturer over the tractor geeks on here :drink:
The tongue weight is not trailer payload, it is truck payload. I can load 6,000 lbs on a 7,000 GVW trailer that is 2,000 lbs empty weight by using the 1000 lb tongue weight.... per the manufacturer.

2 ft. dove tail with spring assisted gate, wrap around channel tongue, radial tires, rubber mounted sealed beam lighting in enclosed light boxes, conventional wiring with gel filled connectors.

GVWR 7000 lb. Capacity 6000 lb. with 1000 lb. Hitch load

Ramp Capacity 4500 lb.
•Treated wood deck
•Standard 2 ft. dove tail
•82″ between fenders
•3500 lb. braking axles with 4 wheel brakes
•Double eye spring suspension
•205/75 R15 load range C 6 ply rating Castle Rock Radial tires
•3x3x3/16″ angle frame
•3x3x3/16″ top rail
•3″ channel cross members
•4″ channel wrap-around tongue
•4 ft. full landscape gate (spring-assist standard)
•2 5/16″ A-frame coupler
•Top wind jack
•Tear drop fenders with backs
•Steps in front and behind fenders
•Stake pockets, self charging break away kits, safety chains, skip DOT reflective tape, and all rubber mounted sealed beam lighting, conventional wiring with gel filled connectors
•Primed, 2 coats of automotive grade acrylic enamel, pin striped


General Duty | 7 GVWR | Tandem Axle Trailers

 

[4570Man]

You can do it for free!
You can use a simple bathroom scale to measure any tongue weight.
Don't believe me?
Check the E-trailer website to learn how,.... with no cost.

I have no doubts that method can be done accurately. I think it’s vastly over a high percentage of people math ability to do so. Figuring out a total price after a 10% tax is mind boggling for a lot of people. I’m betting there’s more people that cant calculate the volume of a cube than those that can. Now you’re suggesting using ratios or fractions? Go look at the towing something wrong thread.

 

[4570Man]

As far as tongue weight,,
What happens to tongue weight going up a hill?
What happens to tongue weight going down a hill?
What happens to tongue weight when you travel on a rough road?
What happens to tongue weight during acceleration?
What happens to tongue weight during braking??

If you are operating the truck/trailer that close to a weight rating when measured in a static condition,,
YOU ARE OVERLOADING THE EQUIPMENT!!

That is just my opinion,,,:thumbsup:

My last trailer was rated over 18,000 payload by the manufacturer. Should it be limited to hauling 14.5k? If I load 17,000 on the trailer and drive across a scale with each axel carrying 9500 and the truck is rated for the 3500 pounds it’s carrying is anything over loaded? The trailer weighs 5500 with double 10k axels and the 4 tires on the axel are rated for more than 10k in duel configuration.

 

[snymat68]

My last trailer was rated over 18,000 payload by the manufacturer. Should it be limited to hauling 14.5k? If I load 17,000 on the trailer and drive across a scale with each axel carrying 9500 and the truck is rated for the 3500 pounds it痴 carrying is anything over loaded? The trailer weighs 5500 with double 10k axels and the 4 tires on the axel are rated for more than 10k in duel configuration.

:thumbsup:

"Duel Configuration"

"Dual Configuration"

 

[4570Man]

:thumbsup:

"Duel Configuration"
View attachment 609586


"Dual Configuration"
View attachment 609587

Tires are rated to carry less per tire in duels vs single.

 

[Shaneard]

I was probably a tad heavy on tongue weight the other day with 275 gallons of water sitting there. But the 100 gallons on the back countered some of it, didn’t it? :laughing:

 

[snymat68]

Tires are rated to carry less per tire in duels vs single.

This tire is ready to duel.

 

[4570Man]

I was probably a tad heavy on tongue weight the other day with 275 gallons of water sitting there. But the 100 gallons on the back countered some of it, didn’t it? :laughing:

View attachment 609588
View attachment 609589

A tad heavy is better than not enough. Aside from swaying just moving hitch light trailers off road runs short on traction.

 

[RickB]

:thumbsup:

"Duel Configuration"
View attachment 609586

That’s grammar, not math. He never claimed proficiency in that area.

 

[sawtooth]

Case in point is I just purchased a new PJ F8 deckover with 14k rating. BUT since the vehicle carries some of the load the trailer is actually can actually be rated at just over 16k. I had to go with a HD coupler to get the higher rating but now I’m legal to carry that much weight on the trailer. I won’t ever have that much of a load but good to know I have extra capacity. My max weight will be right at 14k.

 

[RickB]

Case in point is I just purchased a new PJ F8 deckover with 14k rating. BUT since the vehicle carries some of the load the trailer is actually can actually be rated at just over 16k. I had to go with a HD coupler to get the higher rating but now I’m legal to carry that much weight on the trailer. I won’t ever have that much of a load but good to know I have extra capacity. My max weight will be right at 14k.

View attachment 609581

Converse of that was the 2004 Load Trail 7K Car hauler style trailer that I bought brand spanking new with a 5K coupler on it. I never got quite mad enough to cut it off but I was not impressed.