New tune for a new camper????

[Jackpine]

I'm tempted to move this to the "Towing" forum, and may do so eventually.

Be careful loading things in the trailer. If you actually have 7,000# there, your tongue weight should be 840-1050#. (12-15% of 7000.) Now, this can easily exceed your truck's rear axle limit unless you use a Weight Distributing hitch, which I think you need to use anyway if the trailer is in the 5000# range. But notice, the 1050# tongue weight is a Class IV WD hitch, and I think 600-750# for 5000# is too.

Also, what is the load rating on your trailer axle/tires? You should ideally not go higher than 80% of that figure.

Regardless, I URGE you to take your truck/trailer combination to a truck scale and get things weighed. You can get one weight with your truck's two axles on separate platforms and the trailer axle(s) on the third, and then do a separate weighing with the trailer disconnected on the third platform and the truck by itself on the first two platforms. This way, you will know your truck's axle loadings (with and without the trailer), and, you'll know the total weight of the trailer. DO NOT take the trailer manufacturer's word for anything!

Tell the person in charge of the scale what you want to do before driving on it. I think he/she will be very accommodating. And unless there's a big lineup of big rigs, you can take your time. When I did it here in Tucson, it was $9.00 per weighing. It was cheap information that led me to have my trailer axle moved forward 3" to balance the trailer properly (my "dry" trailer weight was actually higher than the manufacturer's spec, and the tongue weight was much higher than it should have been - overloading my WD hitch)!

Yes, talk to Bill if you can reach him about the advisability of a tow tune.

- Jack

[BigSur]

Good info, thanks Jack. The Gross Axle Weight Rating on each of the 2 axles is 3500lbs. The dealer IS supplying a distribution hitch with the purchase, so I'm good there. Dry weight is "around" 4800 lbs....the GVWR is 7500. I really would be surprised I go much further than 5500 lbs.....we really don't carry all that much and I will likely always travel with empty water tanks. In any event, I do like your advice to have it weighed. I just need to figure out where the best place to do it is.....do most standard inspection stations have them? Also...off the cuff, do you know what the front/rear axle ratings are for an F150? Something tells me you know this by heart, but no biggie....I can easily pull my manual or find it online. Thanks again.

[Jackpine]

Originally Posted by BigSur

Good info, thanks Jack. The Gross Axle Weight Rating on each of the 2 axles is 3500lbs. The dealer IS supplying a distribution hitch with the purchase, so I'm good there. Dry weight is "around" 4800 lbs....the GVWR is 7500. I really would be surprised I go much further than 5500 lbs.....we really don't carry all that much and I will likely always travel with empty water tanks. In any event, I do like your advice to have it weighed. I just need to figure out where the best place to do it is.....do most standard inspection stations have them? Also...off the cuff, do you know what the front/rear axle ratings are for an F150? Something tells me you know this by heart, but no biggie....I can easily pull my manual or find it online. Thanks again.

I hardly know the axle ratings by heart! It's different on every vehicle. The VIN sticker on your driver's side door tells you these figures (up near the top).

Once you get it all hooked up with the WD hitch, find a place that has a truck scale (it's called a CAT scale here) and my closest is at the TTT Truck Stop (so a truck stop is a good place to start). Possibly, you can find one online or, the trailer retailer should be able to point you to one.

I suspect you WILL be in the 5500# range - your 7000# figure really caught me by surprise.

With the WD hitch, and your trailer loaded in the normal manner, you'd like the increased load on your truck's axles to be EQUAL. The common way to measure this is by "deflection" (how much the front and rear of the truck "settle"). But a weight reading is much more accurate. The CAT scales are incredibly accurate. The instructions with your WD hitch should tell you how to transfer more or less weight to the front axle.

Once you have the truck ball locked to your tongue receiver, you can crank the height of the assembly as required to hook the chains or position the bars to adjust the weight transfer.

And, you need to adjust the hitch ball height so that the trailer rides pretty close to "level". This equalizes the load on tandem axle trailers and is best for single axle trailers too. Instructions with the WD hitch should give you guidance here too. As you can see, there's a bit of "fiddling", and you can't expect it to be perfect right off the bat - and with different loadings, you're going to get some deviations from optimum. But, the goal is to get all of the various combinations close to ideal.

We also travel with empty water tanks, and we usually "boondock camp". I have a recommendation here I'll post in a different thread.

And now, I think this really DOES belong in the towing section, so I'll move it there.

- Jack

[Longshot270]

Good tips Jack

I'd leave the water tank empty because it is probably in front of the axle like mine, where you dont want an extra 300 pounds.

Also, as for maximum cargo weight to add to the trailer. My 26" Jayco says to not exceed 2674 pounds of cargo. So only about 2k if you have all the tanks nearly full.

[ticopowell]

Great info... Ill get a trailer someday... lol

[BigSur]

I've sent Bill an email regarding whether or not he recommends a custom tow tune in this situation. I'll wait to hear back and will definitely follow up to this thread to let you guys know how everything turns out. Thanks again.

[catdaddyxx]

Did you ever hear back from Bill? If you recognize my name from the other forum you know we have the same trailer. I just picked up a new CTS and was wondering the same thing you were about a custom tune tailored for my truck attached to a 26BH.