Licensed mechanic for over 25 years and never used a sway control bar to pull a trailer and I just learned a hell of alot in less than 10 minutes from this video. Good job buddy. Thanks. I've forwarded this to a few people.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, appreciate the comment.

wow dude, actually the best description of tongue weight on all of youtube...very well explained.

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, that means a lot! Hope you’ll check out our other videos too.

Finally, someone who can present, naturally, without all of the umms and aahhs, and repetition. And yet, without sounding like you're reading a script. Great delivery. You need to rent out your services hosting other people's videos.

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Haha...Thank you. They could get me cheap if they asked! Thanks for watching.

This is a great explainer for those of us who have little to no background in towing things behind us. I know it's not great "clickbait" that is going to blow up the KZread algos, but its a valuable service and why I subscribe to your channel. Thank you.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Thank you, that means a lot. You are hilariously accurate about how the most important videos are destined to do poorly. For a channel like this to get popular, I probably have to set my camper on fire and make a video about it.

This is almost ver batum the lesson my boss gave us back in the early 80’s, when we were hauling all sorts of trailer combinations. “A nose heavy trailer will break your equipment, but a tail heavy trailer will kill you.” Excellent video.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Ай бұрын

Thank you for tuning in! Im glad that you get it.

You explain things very well, makes complete sense now. And I'm so excited because after a 6 month wait, I get to pick up my teardrop next week!! I can put all of your advice into use.

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

I appreciate you watching and commenting! Glad to help. I'm really happy you're getting your rig for the summer, you're going to love it! 😀

You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar! Best explanation video on the internet!!!!

@DIYOutdoorLife

11 ай бұрын

Haha Thank you, I appreciate you watching!

I have pulled a camper for 20 years and have never done this. I'm buying an analog scale! Thanks very much.

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

That’s great! Good luck and safe travels 😀

More people need to watch this. The number of fishtailing rental trailers on the freeway is terrifying

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

It’s crazy, we’ve gone cross country a few times and have seen some horrifying things…

The best video I’ve seen yet on this topic. Well spoken, clear and concise information. Anyone who tows a trailer should watch this.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Ай бұрын

Thank you, I really appreciate you watching!

Another great video! I’ve learned so much already just by watching the series you have put up. Many thanks!

@DIYOutdoorLife

Ай бұрын

Thank you, I appreciate you watching!

We love this. This is so important. Ensuring you have enough tongue is so important that you don't become a highway yard sale.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

I’ve seen a few of those yard sales, pretty scary.

This is a great explanation of the reason so many trailers start to fishtail. Great tip with the bathroom scale too. Growing up with horse trailers it just becomes intuitive that you want more weight forward than aft but definitely the wheels should carry the weight. If you get too much forward your mileage goes down on the tow vehicle and the brakes on the trailer are less effective. By the way, if you have a brake controller in your tow vehicle, I recommend that you do even with one of these, and you start to fish tale you can squeeze the brake controller to activate the trailer brakes alone as you take your foot off the gas and you will find that your trailer will stop the fish tailing for a moment but that's when you need to adjust the load for a better solution to the ride. Anyway, that's my 2 cents... Great videos as always and thanks for sharing, Pat

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Great tip with the manual braking! I’m glad you’re tuning into the videos .

hey Brian another great video good to see these kinds of things a lot of people even the more experienced RVs or tear droppers may not truly understand well done looking forward to the next one have a great day

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Sometimes the boring ones are the most important!

future trailer owner, this was an incredibly helpful video. Clear explanation at a good pace. It's helping me feel more comfortable/confident moving forward with my project

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Thank you, I appreciate the comment. Good luck with the new trailer!

This is EXTREMELY helpful. This winter I bought a used NuCamp T@B 320 and also a 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness for its 3500 lb towing capacity without having a good understanding of tongue weight or the rest of it. After reading comments from a few people saying it was a big mistake to assume the Outback would be suitable I was so discouraged by the whole plan, but now I have some actual helpful plans to weight and measure and find out in my own thinking how this is going to work. Thanks so much for making this video!

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

That makes my day. I try to put this stuff together to help people. Sometimes you wonder if it ever makes it’s way in front of the people looking for it. Great to know it helped.

@Travisharger

2 жыл бұрын

I have a Timberleaf Teardrop Trailer that weighs about 2000lbs with cargo and I tow it with a 2016 Subaru Outback (smaller liter engine with 2700lbs towing capacity) and it does just fine. I have never had any issue with fishtailing or bouncing but my tongue weight is probably close to 200 but I haven't don't any actual measuring yet. I have a feeling that you will be fine as long as you balance it out a bit.

Thanks for this video! Very informative and helpful.

@DIYOutdoorLife

11 ай бұрын

Thank you, I appreciate you watching!

Simple, and most excellent video! No nonsense, no distraction(s), and most of all no unnecessary material not related to the topic! A lot of people like to hear themselves talk and or don't really know what they are talking about, so they fill their tutorials with junk. Most people want to get to the solution of a problem and not be taken on a useless excursion. Again, most excellent video.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Haha… thank you very much. I appreciate you swinging by.

Very important and usefull information. Thanks for explaing the topic so comprehensively. Well done Brian! Thanks!

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Very good instructions relative to a overlooked topic that most campers don't involve themselves in. Good job!

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 ай бұрын

Thank you, I appreciate you tuning in!

Best video on TW on KZread.

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jon, lots of other videos on the channel for DIY camper folks, hope you enjoy! SUBSCRIBE: kzread.info

Thanks for posting. Great job of explaining. Very helpful!

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, glad it was helpful!

This was very informative! A lot better than the RV dealer told me. Thanks!

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 ай бұрын

Thank you, I'm glad you found the video helpful.

Thanks, well explained!! A must know for anyone who trailers.

@DIYOutdoorLife

8 ай бұрын

Thank you, I appreciate you watching!

As a newbie to travel trailer camping. Your common sense explanation and math is very much appreciated. I too will be buying an analog bathroom scale.

@DIYOutdoorLife

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for watching, I hope you subscribe and check out our other videos! Although the analog bathroom scale can be crude, it's really all you need for small travel trailers to get a good idea of the way you're pressing down on the tongue. Good luck and safe travels!

Very good information. I will have to buy a scale now.

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

glad it helped! Analog works better than digital!

Best video about tongue weight on KZread!...thanks Brian!

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Brent, glad it helped!

Very eloquent and comprehensive explanation, thank you!

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and commenting!

As someone who has never owned or driven a teardrop trailer but is interested in one, this topic seems quite important. You had a very good way of explaining TW in a digestible manner. Keep up the great work. Thanks for this explainer.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Thanks you for watching and commenting.

Great Easy to understand process---from a newbie....THANK!

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Hope you'll subscribe! SUBSCRIBE: kzread.info

Thanks Brian... very informative certainly kept my attention.

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! I figured this video would struggle, important info though.

Thank you for such an informative video.

@DIYOutdoorLife

4 ай бұрын

Thank you for tuning in and watching the video!

What a great video! Thank you for putting this together!

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for tuning in!

Excellent video. Thank you.

@DIYOutdoorLife

5 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching!

Thank you so much. This is exactly what I was looking for

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Great to hear, thank you for watching!

Thanks for explaining it to where it's easy to understand!

@DIYOutdoorLife

10 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching!

soooooooo helpful. I know nothing and this is so easy to understand. Thank you so much!

@DIYOutdoorLife

7 ай бұрын

That's really great to hear, thank you for watching!

Thanks so much.. getting the bathroom scale today!!

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Nice, happy camping!

Well done explanation!!! Thank you!!!

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching!

Awesome clip on an important subject. Your process and explanation is simple clear and accurate. Thanks! I once used a utility trailer to move about 10 miles. I knew about tongue weight, but after shoving those last things in the back like grill, garden tools, etc., the trailer was now back heavy. The trailer started to sway back and forth on I95 and I actually saw the wheels lift off the highway one at a time as it swayed like crazy. I was able to brake with timing as a wheel would come down. Very luckily I regained control and went very slow to my exit. This is serious stuff and you just may save someone’s camper and possibly their life or someone else’s life in what could be a very nasty accident this tongue weight issue could cause. Well done and thanks again for great and important info!!!!

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this comment, it is a serious topic. Really happy that you swung by!

Great video. I've been struggling with getting mine right and taking all of your advice.

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

I hope it helps, circle back to let us know how you make out 😀

Thank you! Everyone talks about row weight and total and dry weight on campers but NOT younger weight! And I understood what you said!

@DIYOutdoorLife

10 ай бұрын

Great to hear, thanks for tuning in!

Thank you!!! Awesome video!!

@DIYOutdoorLife

7 ай бұрын

Thank you, I appreciate you watching!

Thank you so much for your info. I'm a new trailer owner and this was very helpful.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

That’s great, thank you for swinging by!

Great video! Don't underestimate the importance. I've seen sooooo man fish-tailing trailers and I just shake my head and hit the gas to pass them. Level with the tow vehicle and correct tongue weight; the top two towing principles. Good work brother.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

I appreciate you watching, we’ve definitely seen some scary set ups on the road. There appears to of been a lot more in the last two years too…lol Did you get your batteries? How are they making out?

I , like someone else mentioned below, am also getting my new teardrop trailer (a ‘RainDrop’ from CampInn) in about a month or so. This info you presented will prove to be quite valuable as I hitch it up to my Subaru Outback. Thank you for your clear and precise presentation.

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Alan, the CampInn may very well be my favorite TD trailer. How long have you been waiting? Thanks for watching!

Great video brother, you broke it down where a newbie like me was able to understand the mathematics of weight distribution. I just subscribed to your channel, thanks you!

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

I’m glad it was helpful, thank you for commenting and subbing. Happy camping!

RV newbie here. Drew from Playing with Sticks recommended this video. It was very helpful, thank you! I actually understand this now!

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for swinging by! I appreciate you coming over from Drew and May.

Nothing about this video put me to sleep! I’m so thankful you took the time to explain this subject in the detail you did - this newbie wanted to know what he didn’t know lol!

@DIYOutdoorLife

10 ай бұрын

Thank you, I appreciate that. Happy camping!

Super informative, thank you!

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

I have a Timberleaf Teardrop Trailer (Classic - off-road) and I really appreciated the information in this video. Thanks.

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

That’s a really nice rig!

Thanks bro. I just bought a 10hd so that info was definitely helpful!

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Nice, glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!

Clear and simple. Thanks

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it, hope you’ll subscribe for more content on campers 😀 SUBSCRIBE: kzread.info

Solid job man. 👍🏻

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Brian, I appreciate this video very much...thank you!

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Really glad it helped! Thanks for watching!

Great video, good information!

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, figured you’d like the jeep 😀

Dude, great video. I'm taking a popup for a 10hr each way trip, with a Kia Sorento. It has a max towing capacity of 3500, and the trailer dry is 2500. Your explanation was awesome and easy to follow. Especially the tongue weight explanation. Thank you!!!

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Happy it helped! Have a blast on your trip.

This is a great video and has provided me with a brand new and more educated perspective. I was hoping to get a 4Runner to tow my bbq smoker, but now realize I need something more heavy duty. Thank goodness I didn’t buy a 4 runner without having this knowledge. Thanks so much!

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Thats great to hear, this comment made me hungry…lol

Great video, subscribed.

@DIYOutdoorLife

7 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching and subscribing. 😀

Excellent.....Thank you

@DIYOutdoorLife

4 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching!

Well explained and i truely appreciate you explaining this , i want to be confident im towing safe and this was very helpful, thank you ....

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 ай бұрын

That's great to hear, thank you for watching!

So helpful!!!

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Very good topic Brian ,so many inexperienced people run into the problem as you mentioned of not having enough tounge weight which can result in a terrible accident.

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

There's some pretty scary videos online showing the consequences! I'm sure you have some stories of what you've seen with the long haul trucking! Thanks for watching!

Very helpful.

@DIYOutdoorLife

10 ай бұрын

Im glad it helped, thank you for watching!

Fantastic explanation in layman's terms, thank you!!

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching, hope it helped.

Such good delivery... I'm thinking you might be able to help me finally understand quantum physics too... :) Well done on conveying important material in a super easy to consume fashion. Thanks gain.

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for that. Next week‘s video will be explaining superposition entanglement as “spooky action at a distance” lol 😂

great video I subscribed!

@DIYOutdoorLife

Ай бұрын

Thank you and thank you!

Great video! And tongue condition thank you highlighting this! Liability!!

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

I usually learn something after I do it wrong!...hahaha

Highly illustrative video about a really important topic. Thanks a lot for your detailed and interesting explanation 👍🏻👏🏻. Glad to join your community 🙂✌🏼, peace out you’all

@DIYOutdoorLife

11 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching the video and joining the community, welcome aboard!

Great info !!! thanks

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

👍

Thank you for explaining it so simply. We were just talking about this last night. Trying to figure out if we can safely take our bike with us.

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

Great timing! Happy it helped!

Very good video

@DIYOutdoorLife

7 ай бұрын

Thank you, I appreciate you watching!

Thanks for the info, good to know

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, glad it helped.

Thank you. You could easily open up for classes!!!

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Thank you, I appreciate you tuning in!

Thanks!

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching and supporting the channel!

Great video

@DIYOutdoorLife

7 ай бұрын

Thank you, I appreciate you watching!

Great video on understanding tongue weight. I was also using a bathroom scale and wife thought I was nuts - going to have her watch this now.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Haha… don’t get me in trouble 😂

Best tongue weight vidéo Thanks....

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Glad it helped.

good stuff

@DIYOutdoorLife

10 ай бұрын

Thank you for tuning in!

Even better, only add enough weight in the trailer slightly forward of the trailer axle to achieve the 10 - 15% tow ball weight. Put the rest in to the tow vehicle while remaining as far as possible below tow vehicle maximum load. The maximum load of tow vehicle includes everything in the vehicle including passengers, fuel and the down weight on the tow ball. As a rule, the more the tow vehicle weight exceeds the trailer weight the better.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Yes, that's the ideal situation. A lot of times when loading up your camper that's not always possible, but staying between 10 to 15% on the tongue and well within the range of your tow vehicle is key.

Great job. Anyone who has ever experienced trailer sway knows how important this is. It can kill you and people in other people in vehicles around you.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

I've seen some real horrors on the road...

Don't forget the propane tank. It weighs 37 pound full, but can be transported upright in the back of the tow vehicle.

@DIYOutdoorLife

5 ай бұрын

Great tip 👍

Excellent. Best explanation I have come across and it is very clear to me now. The only problem is using the bathroom scale directly for heavier trailers. I don’t think they go that high for 500 lb tongue weights

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

There is a simple trick, although it might be harder to convey in text than video. Look up “2x4 bathroom scale trailer tongue weight” in google. You will be following the same procedures as this video, but your place the tongue on a 2”x4” that leans on the scale. The marks you make on the 2 x 4 will allow you to prorate the weight. In other words, it’ll say 100 pounds on the scale when the hitch weight is 400. Or 200 on the scale when the hitch weight is 800. Simple trick that should help you out. If you’re not able to find this, reach out again and I will send links. Thanks for watching!

@mojoman366

Жыл бұрын

They do make "high-weight" bathroom scales, quite pricey though! They also make/sell tongue weight scales. 0 -200, and higher. One can also buy hitches with the scale manufactured into them. Having been a semi truck driver (over 20 years), I've seen a multitude of accidents as well as potential accidents waiting to happen due to people improperly towing and or loading trailers and vehicles; mostly camping and utility trailers. I recently purchased a Sherline tongue scale. It measures weight in both pounds and kilos. It cost just under $150.00. When you haul lawn equipment north of $12k, not including the trailer and tow vehicle, what's a $150.00 for piece of mind?

Wish this logic applied in the UK are vehicles max tounge/ball weights are so low from the factory that there is very little weight allowed on the tounge. Generally 100kg or 220 pound is the max tongue weight we are legally allowed. if caught over loading the tounge weight you can end up with points and fines and even the trailer be taking if we can shift the load to reduce the weight

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 ай бұрын

Yikes, stay safe!

You forgot to mention that you need to zero out the scale once the board is on it before you place the weight of the trailer jack onto the scale to get the proper tongue weight. It will be off by a few pounds with the added weight of the board.

@DIYOutdoorLife

8 күн бұрын

Thank you, that is correct. we are looking for a fast and easy way to get a good ballpark. If your tow vehicle can handle 200 pounds on the tongue, and your trailer weighs 1000 pounds, we are looking to get people between 100 and 150lb. Although every little bit counts, total precision here isn't critical. Good looking out, always best to aim for accuracy!

When weighing on the scale you would want to adjust the trailer to be level correct for the tongue weight to be correct? Thank you for a very detailed and easy to understand video much appreciated

@DIYOutdoorLife

11 ай бұрын

Yes, level for accuracy. Thanks for watching the channel.

Great video and description. Just one potential fly in the ointment. You’re measuring from the front jack point, not at the actual tongue. How much difference does the 10”-12” of extra arm make (at the ball vs at the front foot) on the weight? It will be less, I just don’t know by how much. Thanks for considering this :)

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

It comes down to the length of the frame in front of your axle, you are exactly right. For my trailer, and a lot of shorter teardrop/square drop, the difference is only a couple pounds. Since it's negligible, this is the way to go at home. The way that I mentioned doing it on a larger cat scale or transfer station will give exact numbers. Thanks for watching!

Very cool. Thanks. Is there a difference in using the screw lift vs using a board under the ball down? Is there a critical difference with you use the Weight Balance Theory for calculation and positioning?

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Is the pens on your camper, each set up as a different length, and leverage between the axle and the receiver. For these tiny campers, you can get a very accurate reading either way. If possible, weighing directly under the receiving hitch is the best way to go.

@bigal7561

Жыл бұрын

@@DIYOutdoorLife Thank you very much. This has been an excellent channel find. I am happy to have found it.

Good info! But shouldn't the weighing be done on a hard (paved of some kind) surface as opposed to soft dirt/grass?

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

It would be easier for sure! At these weights, it’s plenty accurate either way. Thanks for watching!

As someone who has never actually towed something, but has nervously sped around that person on the highway with their trailer swaying side-to-side, I will now be able to simultaneously tell the wife what the person messed up while increasing speed. Also, oddly enough as the same person who has never towed something I have wondered how to easily determine tongue weight. Apparently I have dreams of owning something to tow! Oh yeah... blue! Wait, wrong video.

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

Haha… I laughed pretty hard at this 😂 thanks for watching!

The bathroom scale method isn't exactly measuring tongue weight. It is measuring the weight at the tongue jack location. The actual tongue weight will be less by some amount. Let's say the distance on your little trailer from axle to ball is 10 feet and the distance from axle to hitch jack is 9 feet. If the bathroom scale measures 260 lb in your example, the actual tongue weight is 9/10ths of that value = 234 lb. With larger trailers the ratio of those distances gets smaller. At least it is always a conservative number...

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Exactly, like I mentioned, taking the actual measurement from weighing the whole trailer when coupled and uncoupled is the way to go for precision. With teardrops and tiny campers like this, were talking about a difference of 10 pounds, the bathroom scale on the jack is close enough to give you the numbers you need to stay safe. Great points, thanks for swinging by and watching.

Another big issue is loads shifting during travel - fore and aft, side to side, or both. Is everything strapped down???

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Great points, even a half filled water reservoir can cause some issues.

This is an AMAZINGly presented and informative tutorial! Great job! Can I just ask you to back up one step for me to make sure I start with the correct info. I have my 2000 Explorer's Bumper Weight Capacity (350lbs). But we added a hitch b/c we weren't confident with just using the bumper ball to tow our small camping gear utility trailer. So what I'm trying to find out is what my vehicle's current Tongue Weight Capacity would be and if it's any different b/c of adding a hitch (or would this totally be a mfr. question?). Nothing official online that I can find for TWC and we just want to be as safe as possible. Hence, gleaning your expertise on tongue weight. Thx!

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Hey Mikel, thanks for watching, glad it was helpful. When you added the hitch, what class hitch did you get? 1, II, III?

@mikel8779

2 жыл бұрын

@@DIYOutdoorLife 3

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

@@mikel8779 you have probably made a veryyy small impact on hitch weight, my guess is it’s negligible

I recently bought a Bushwacker and am in the process of getting it setup and loaded for my first trip. I have learned a lot from your videos, so thank you very much for producing them. I do have a few questions concerning weight distribution and the effects of the water tank. Based on your experience, do you travel with a full tank or wait until you get near your destination before filling up, and second, how does the full tank affect weight distribution? With a full tank, is it balanced overall, or does it shift the weight forwards for backwards? Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Hello, so happy you’ve been tuning in. I travel both full and empty, favoring empty if I can. The water tank is forward balanced, it definitely adds weight to the hitch. Both of my tow vehicles are more than capable and it rides pretty well full. I would avoid it if I was driving a tow vehicle with a smaller hitch capability.

@hughwalker4801

2 жыл бұрын

@@DIYOutdoorLife thanks for the info. I have a smaller vehicle, so I will probably need to travel empty. Still working on weight distribution and may need to move the battery to the rear to lighten up the hitch weight. Thanks

@midnight121190

Жыл бұрын

@@hughwalker4801what all did you end up doing? I have a 15DS and it’s sitting at ~20% or 375 lbs without water or cargo. I’m thinking if I move the propane from the tongue to the inside rear while towing I might be good. I’ve got a 350 lbs tongue capacity :(

Hey, just ran across your video as I've been trying to do some research on hitch weight. Sorry if this is a long rant...We are currently trading in our camper for a larger toy hauler. At first i wasn't to concerned as the tow weight of the camper is relatively low (6000lbs dry with a capacity to hull almost 4,000 more lbs, we wont be reaching our max tow btw) and my max tow for the truck is around 9-10,000lbs. I've know about hitch weight but not exactly how important it is (we use a weight distribution hitch). I seen on my receiver that the max hitch weight says 1,200lbs and the from the factory the hitch weight of the camper is 1,050lbs. I know this is cutting it super close for my max hitch weight and I'm starting to wonder if this will be a problem. Towing capacity is fine what sucks is that it's such a heavy hitch weight. From watching this video I understand more now on how this number can change do to weight in the back of the trailer and with a toy hauler I'm sure this number can change alot based on what is loaded in the trailer. What I'm wondering is can I help to balance the hitch weight from reaching my max by loading more of our gear in the back since my tow capacity of truck can handle it better? Not sure if this makes sense but just hoping to get more insight, thanks.

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely. By loading items behind the axle, you’re going to be reducing the down force on the hitch. Toy haulers in particular are designed to have a lot of weight in the back, that’s why they’re so heavy on the hitch to start. There’s a technique using a 2 x 4 and bathroom scale, that helps with trailers like yours. Look it up on Google, it will be the same as this video but using a 2 x 4 as a lever, allowing you to weigh without breaking the scale. Hope this helps!

Fantastic video, seriously thank you so much!! Now...is my vehicles max tongue weight rating the number listed under my hitch, or the number mentioned in the manual?? There's a 100lb difference for some reason, I can't believe how difficult it is to find out this information

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

I’m really glad that you watched! The number in your manual will be the one you want, but you want to make sure that that number is lower than the one printed on the hitch receiver. If the hitch receiver number is lower, that means somebody added it after market and used the wrong one…. Very rare but wanted to warn, if that’s the case, go with the lower number between the two. Thanks for tuning in !

@Ja8888

11 ай бұрын

@@DIYOutdoorLife Thanks so much! Looking to purchase our first travel trailer. When you explained that if you add weight in the back it will lower the hitch weight, that was incredibly informative. Do you think the size of the trailer matters in how effective that would be? The trailer we have decided on is a 23 foot trailer with a 430lb dry hitch weight, and my vehicle is 500lb max hitch weight. Add 1 propane/battery to that, I imagine its close to the 500lb mark. Do you think your method of adding weight to the back would be effective enough to keep the vehicle within safe towing capacity?

@DIYOutdoorLife

11 ай бұрын

@@Ja8888 yes, it will work. Generally speaking, id have to caution from getting too close to listed "limits". People go over their hitch limit all the time, some of them never even notice. Much safer to stay under that 500 if possible. Make sure you're not exceeding the overall towing capacity of a vehicle too, if your hitch weight is 500, you're probably getting close to the overall towing weight limit too.

How does tongue weight get affected when using a weight distribution hitch? Does the same concept prevail or do i have to calculate TW differently?

@DIYOutdoorLife

Жыл бұрын

This is a great question, the answer can get pretty detailed. To play it safe, the simple answer is to say it’s unaffected . In other words, make sure your tongue weight does not exceed your tow vehicles tongue weight capacity. You do reach a certain weight in which a distribution hitch is the only safe way to go. Although the way it locks the frames together distributes the weight, you still want to be conservative and not surpass the listed requirements of the tow vehicle. For example, let’s say my tongue weight is 600 pounds and my trailer weighs 6000. At these weights, I’m going to want to use weight distribution gear to make the towing safer, but I still only want to use a tow vehicle capable of 600 hitch weight. Hope this helps!

@danielbarrios8947

Жыл бұрын

@@DIYOutdoorLife Thanks so much! It certainly makes sense to keep it under the capacity limits.

2021 Kia forte gt line I have a 150 pound trailer 2 250 pound dirt bikes car is read it for 200 pound tongue weight what a safety tongue weight I should have

@DIYOutdoorLife

5 ай бұрын

As you said, your car has a 200 lb tongue weight capacity. You are going to need your bikes very well balanced on the trailer, over the axle.

When you are measuring tongue weight using a bathroom scale, does it matter that the camper is level or not?

@DIYOutdoorLife

3 жыл бұрын

level is best! It doesn't have to be perfect though 😀

That scale you have probably maxes out at 300LB. So what do you do on larger trailers that might have a tongue weight of 500 to 600 pounds? Couldn't you just buy two bathroom scales and put them next to each other with a board on them and then set the trailer jack on the board, Then add up the totals on both scales?

@DIYOutdoorLife

2 жыл бұрын

Go to Curtmfg . com The website will outline how to weigh tongue weight over 300 pounds using a single bathroom scale and a board. The process is simple, you place a 3 1/2 foot 2 x 4 on a pipe like a seesaw, placing one end on the scale. It only takes a second and allows you to use the same bathroom scale to weigh heavier trailers