Your towing rigs and trailers

[Snobdds]

Looks like you'll have more than 15% tongue weight, unless that rotary cutter is made of lead!

What made you come to that conclusion?

 

[ssrider]

Looks like you'll have more than 15% tongue weight, unless that rotary cutter is made of lead!

Ya there's probably more like 25 percent tongue weight. That is a pretty heavy mower though and rears are filled. Pulls great like this. I don't see a problem going over 15 percent on the tongue as long as the truck can handle it.

 

[4570Man]

That load looks fine to me. It doesn't bother me to load my trailers with the load placement being completely in front of the axels.

 

[blackrams]

I'm semi-retired. I tow a lot, mostly hot rods for other folks, I use two different goosenecks, one is a low boy, the other a high deck. I also use a tilt bed tandem axle bumper pull trailer for lighter loads. Use a Ram 3500 and a Ram 2500, both are two wheel drive and Cummins Diesels. Don't want or need 4wd. If the roads are that bad, I'm not going. Have been to or traveled through every state in CONUS transporting something. I like to travel on somebody else's dime.

I also pull a RV Toy Hauler to motorcycle and car rallies/shows. Then, there's the tag along trailer I use behind my Honda Valkyrie motorcycle. Yeah, I love trailers.

Ron
aka: Rams

 

[ultrarunner]

My buddy that tows a lot for his business just bought his first Ram... he started with an Excursion then a Ford Crew to a Chevrolet Crew and then to a Yukon 2500 gasser... and as of yesterday a Ram 2500 diesel.

The 98 Excursion was the most bullet proof... had issues with both the later Ford and Chevrolet pickups and made the switch to the big gas GMC version of the Suburban... got off to a rough start... only a couple of weeks and Dealer couldn't find out why the engine was shutting down... GM pulled an entire engine/trans drivetrain from the line and installed it... no more problems and great ride... but abysmal fuel mileage... 10-12...

I'm to see how the Ram performs... 12k 8x24 tag trailer up and down California.

 

[blackrams]

My buddy that tows a lot for his business just bought his first Ram... he started with an Excursion then a Ford Crew to a Chevrolet Crew and then to a Yukon 2500 gasser... and as of yesterday a Ram 2500 diesel.
SNIP

I'm to see how the Ram performs... 12k 8x24 tag trailer up and down California.

I won't put any other product down but, being honest, I'll drive anything with a Cummins Diesel in it. I can pull max loads and normally get better mileage than most other engines get running down the road without a trailer. My Rams are almost always pulling some load. If I'm not driving a Dodge Ram, I'm normally on my Honda Valkyrie pulling a tag a long behind it.

Recently pulled my toy hauler with two Valkyries inside and two Valkyries (Cruiser Motorcycles) on a tag along behind the RV to Billings, MT from Kentucky, Pulled across Wyoming into 45 mph headwinds. Tandem trailers and she pulled well. Yeah, the fuel mileage was not where I'd like it to be but, she pulled it like there was no tomorrow at the posted speed limits. Yeah, I'm a Cummins fan.

 

[TMGT]

Yup, something about pulling a decent load up a hill and not having to downshift, plus running down the road at 60 only turning 1600rpm is nice.

 

[aeblank]

I don't see a problem going over 15 percent on the tongue as long as the truck can handle it.

X2 for sure.

 

[CincyFlyer]

What made you come to that conclusion?

The fact that the rear tires of the tractor are over the axle, putting the "heavy end" toward the tongue. And affirmed by the poster as perhaps 25%. I'm a bit too OCD to guess, so when I get my new trailer I'm gonna get one of the hitches with a scale.

 

[4570Man]

That would require knowing what the whole load weighs making your hitch scale nearly useless. It's not that big of a deal anyway.

 

[civilian]

That would require knowing what the whole load weighs making your hitch scale nearly useless. It's not that big of a deal anyway.

Which is why I have a separate tongue scale that I can put on a floor jack and weigh the front of the tractor, then weigh the back of the tractor. Jon

 

[4570Man]

Which is why I have a separate tongue scale that I can put on a floor jack and weigh the front of the tractor, then weigh the back of the tractor. Jon

The weight distribution changes when you set the implements on the ground.

 

[fatjay]

 

[fried1765]

The fact that the rear tires of the tractor are over the axle, putting the "heavy end" toward the tongue. And affirmed by the poster as perhaps 25%. I'm a bit too OCD to guess, so when I get my new trailer I'm gonna get one of the hitches with a scale.

I assume you do know that you can calculate the trailer lbs. on the hitch using a bathroom scale.
If you tow every week, the bathroom scale method would be a PITA, but for occasional use, it works just fine.
I get the loaded trailer weight at a municipal scale.
I try to set up my load for 10% - 12% on the hitch.
I also do have air bags.

 

[blackrams]

I assume you do know that you can calculate the trailer lbs. on the hitch using a bathroom scale.
If you tow every week, the bathroom scale method would be a PITA, but for occasional use, it works just fine.

My assumption is, this only works with bumper pull trailers. I don't know of a single bathroom scale that could handle any of my goosenecks even when empty.

 

[4570Man]

I've never seen a bathroom scale that reads over 300 pounds. Even with a lever arrangement that's unpractical.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Y'all just fell into his rhetorical trap! :laughing:

 

[aeblank]

I go by look and by feel. Guess I'm a weirdo. I'd be too my destination before a scale. I'm fine with all the tongue weight the truck can handle.

 

[blackrams]

I go by look and by feel. Guess I'm a weirdo. I'd be too my destination before a scale. I'm fine with all the tongue weight the truck can handle.

Where I come from, that's called experience...........:drink:
Been towing for about 50 years, I'm pretty confident about how I load and secure. I know that look and feel.

 

[aczlan]

I go by look and by feel. Guess I'm a weirdo. I'd be too my destination before a scale. I'm fine with all the tongue weight the truck can handle.

Same here, I look for the tongue to drop 3-4" and call it good.

Aaron Z