I need to know about travel trailer weights

[Blythkd1]

Listed tongue weight would be the least of my worries. Actual tongue weight is all up to you and how you load it. You should be able to pretty much dial it in to whatever you want it to be.

If you run 1000-1500 lbs tongue weight with a travel trailer on a 2500, I'd be ready to air bag it or add some other kind of aftermarket parts to keep the truck from hunting coons at night. Otherwise you'll likely get flashed a lot at night, especially on 2 lanes.

 

[AH64ID]

If you run 1000-1500 lbs tongue weight with a travel trailer on a 2500, I'd be ready to air bag it or add some other kind of aftermarket parts to keep the truck from hunting coons at night. Otherwise you'll likely get flashed a lot at night, especially on 2 lanes.

A properly sized and adjusted WDH should handle that with ease, but airbags will help out for any additional cargo/payload that the WDH shouldn’t be carrying. The airbags will also add some lateral stability to a 2500 as they are outboard of the main coils.

 

[Blythkd1]

I agree the WDH is a good start but with several hundred pounds in the bed of the truck as well, the hitch will need help on a 2500. On a side note, personally I'm just not a fan of WDH's.

 

[RevRon]

I am listening to you all and taking it in. If I really have my way, I want the trailer that width 8770 dry... but has a tongue weight of 1208... to me, that is a heavy tongue weight for a 2500, or is it? Of course, I will use a weight distribution system that also has sway control... or would I be better to use an independent sway control bar if I can fit this trailer into my weight parameters. I wonder if a trailer with a 1208 tongue weight will cause my truck to sag... don't want that!

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Unpopular opinion: WDH belong in the trash they are garbage and cause more issues than they solve.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

I am listening to you all and taking it in. If I really have my way, I want the trailer that width 8770 dry... but has a tongue weight of 1208... to me, that is a heavy tongue weight for a 2500, or is it? Of course, I will use a weight distribution system that also has sway control... or would I be better to use an independent sway control bar if I can fit this trailer into my weight parameters. I wonder if a trailer with a 1208 tongue weight will cause my truck to sag... don't want that!

I would start with just the trailer on the ball and no gimmicky sway control or WDH. See how it pulls with 15% on the ball and the correct pressure in all the tires.

A properly weighted tongue will pull fine. Every time someone tells me their trailer is all over the place I tell them to shift weight forward and they say “that’s way better thanks”

don’t be scared of tongue weight.

The tongue weight scale I posted above costs around $60 iirc

 

[Blythkd1]

Unpopular opinion: WDH belong in the trash they are garbage and cause more issues than they solve.

Now, they're not complete garbage. They get me out of the new RV yards past the cameras. Then a mile down the road at the C store, I take them off

I'm just not a fan. I've pulled LOTS of stuff over the years and when something is loaded correctly, it won't whip on you. I prefer to have my suspension beefed up to prevent sag and then run adequate tongue weight. That pulls fine with no sway control.

I love air bags. Millions of big trucks out there running around with them. Put all the weight you want to on the hitch and the truck will be running at the same level. That's nirvana to me.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Now, they're not complete garbage. They get me out of the new RV yards past the cameras. Then a mile down the road at the C store, I take them off

I'm just not a fan. I've pulled LOTS of stuff over the years and when something is loaded correctly, it won't whip on you. I prefer to have my suspension beefed up to prevent sag and then run adequate tongue weight. That pulls fine with no sway control.

I love air bags. Millions of big trucks out there running around with them. Put all the weight you want to on the hitch and the truck will be running at the same level. That's nirvana to me.

Air bags are awesome. I tried out sumo springs on this truck and I like them as well.

 

[AH64ID]

Unpopular opinion: WDH belong in the trash they are garbage and cause more issues than they solve.

I’d say that about sway control, but I am a big fan of WDH. They reduces issues in my experience, especially on long, tongue heavy trailers.

 

[AH64ID]

Now, they're not complete garbage. They get me out of the new RV yards past the cameras. Then a mile down the road at the C store, I take them off

I'm just not a fan. I've pulled LOTS of stuff over the years and when something is loaded correctly, it won't whip on you. I prefer to have my suspension beefed up to prevent sag and then run adequate tongue weight. That pulls fine with no sway control.

I love air bags. Millions of big trucks out there running around with them. Put all the weight you want to on the hitch and the truck will be running at the same level. That's nirvana to me.

Your post reads like you are using WDH and Sway Control synonymously, and they aren’t the same.

 

[kevin588127]

Thanks to you all. This weight thing is harder than trying to figure out a woman... or is it? Ok, here are my figures on the trailer I want. It has a dry weight sticker from the factory saying it weighs 9,011 lbs. The hitch weight is 948 lbs. I am speculating I will have 1,000 lbs of gear in the trailer and 800 lbs in the cab and bed. Looking at the stickers on the truck door and pillar, the truck weights 6,924 lbs and has a payload weight of 3,076. When I do all the math with GVWR, GCVWR, payloads, hitch weight, etc... I conclude that I am well within my limits to pull this trailer with this truck. Or am I?

You should be just fine. My truck is close to yours on payload. My toy hauler is about 8500 without the toy and actual tongue weight is 1400lbs. 2 adults, 2 kids and some crap in the bed and we are still good on payload. Truck only squats about 2".

 

[Gondul]

Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have the payload for a 2K tongue weight, it just means you’re using the payload for something else.

@Gondul said he doesn’t have the payload for it, which is false.

No.. I said hey 'may not' have the payload for it.
Depends on how much crap he's got on the truck... granted it is unlikely, but people are weird.

 

[AH64ID]

No.. I said hey 'may not' have the payload for it.
Depends on how much crap he's got on the truck... granted it is unlikely, but people are weird.

You are talking available payload, which is not the same as payload.

 

[rudyyoko]

It’s the console cat eating up the payload.

View attachment 53416

thats why i dont take cats in my truck, dogs dont do that to your truck...

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Just an example this is ~1700 LBS tongue weight without a WDH or airbags on my 2500 CTD it drove beautifully at 65MPH. You will be plenty fine with a 2500 hemi with the little weight on the tongue of your trailer…


Another example this is a 2150LBS water tote and about 7-800 LBS tongue weight. The 2500s are pretty capable and they have a GVWR of 12k not the 10k registration weight they falsely put on them

 

[rudyyoko]

Just an example this is ~1700 LBS tongue weight without a WDH or airbags on my 2500 CTD it drove beautifully at 65MPH. You will be plenty fine with a 2500 hemi with the little weight on the tongue of your trailer…

View attachment 53433
Another example this is a 2150LBS water tote and about 7-800 LBS tongue weight. The 2500s are pretty capable and they have a GVWR of 12k not the 10k registration weight they falsely put on them
View attachment 53434

Just curious, where did you find 1200lbs for a payload rating? Not saying you are wrong, you were not exaggerating when you told me my 2022 2500 ctd would have no problems towing 10k of 5th wheel up the mountains, just curious.

 

[kevin588127]

Just an example this is ~1700 LBS tongue weight without a WDH or airbags on my 2500 CTD it drove beautifully at 65MPH. You will be plenty fine with a 2500 hemi with the little weight on the tongue of your trailer…

View attachment 53433
Another example this is a 2150LBS water tote and about 7-800 LBS tongue weight. The 2500s are pretty capable and they have a GVWR of 12k not the 10k registration weight they falsely put on them
View attachment 53434

I am assuming that you are taking the axle ratings to get 12k GVWR. While I won't say you are wrong, I'd say that the 10k rating is also done as a safety buffer. Somebody out there is going to put all 5k "available payload" over the rear axle. I do wish they would bump it up a bit though. It would make sense to do it on the diesels as the front axle is carrying the majority of the extra weight.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

I am assuming that you are taking the axle ratings to get 12k GVWR. While I won't say you are wrong, I'd say that the 10k rating is also done as a safety buffer. Somebody out there is going to put all 5k "available payload" over the rear axle. I do wish they would bump it up a bit though. It would make sense to do it on the diesels as the front axle is carrying the majority of the extra weight.

No the 12k is the safety buffer AAM rates the rear axle at 10,900lbs. The tires and wheels are the first limitation in the current setup really

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Just curious, where did you find 1200lbs for a payload rating? Not saying you are wrong, you were not exaggerating when you told me my 2022 2500 ctd would have no problems towing 10k of 5th wheel up the mountains, just curious.

Thats the front and rear axle weights combined give you 12,040lbs

 

[rudyyoko]

Thats the front and rear axle weights combined give you 12,040lbs

Thanks, I have always wondered why the GVWR was so low for the 2500s.