Yes on adding the hitch weight twice. I did that a couple of times untill I realized something wasn`t right. and on the air bags, they will help support the weight put in/on the rear of the truck, but they won`t transfer weight! that is what the weight dist. hitch is for.
Wife kim
Son brandon 7yrs
Daughter marissa 6yrs
Dog shadow
07 Cherokee 32B
02 Excursion 4X4 V-10 4.30 gear
Reese HP dualcam,Prodigy brake controller,
Air lift air bags.
Better to have a bad day of
camping than a good day at work!
clokman wrote: His exact words were "Air bags remove hitch weight".
That right there shows how much he knows about WD and how a WD hitch works. He evidently knows very little about towing a trailer and is just blowing smoke!
I would not listen to him or even consult with him anymore.
Barney
2004 Sunnybrook 30FKS TT
Hensley "Arrow" 1400# hitch
2002 Ford F250 Super Duty, 7.3L PSD
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IMO, you have to forget the "tow ratings", no matter what they may be....
In my case, my F150 has a "tow rating" of #7700.. Wow, pretty decent for a truck that only has a GVWR of #6250!
Well, enter the real world and this is what happens... I know that I don't want to get anywhere near the 'max ratings', so I get a nice little 22', #5000 GVWR TT.. It has a #500 tongue weight. I load the thing up, load up the truck and get it all weighed... I didn't know any better at the time, so I only weighed the truck on one scale and the trailer on the other scale. Trailer came in at #3900 on the axles and my truck was right at #6250...
Humm.... I'm a far cry from that 'tow rating' of #7700, yet my truck is already at it's GVWR with only around #500 tongue weight...
Now, that was 6 years ago... Since then, I've added more things to the trailer and I'm hauling more stuff in the truck.. I've not weighed it again, but I KNOW I'm heavier now then 6 years ago.. The truck still does fine and I don't fret it, and that's with a truck that now has 185,000 miles on it!!
So, you can usually be a couple hundred over your trucks GVWR and not worry too much, but the trailer you have your heart set on will be way more then I'd want to tow, even with a 5.7 equipped Tundra... But, that's just my opinion..
Work the numbers all you wish... It will all boil down to reality anyway, and what dealers tell you and what published numbers tell you usually does not equal reality...
Air bags reduce rear end sag. Nothing can reduce hitch weight except adding weight to the rear of the trailer, removing weight from the front of the trailer, or moving the trailer axles forward.
MitchF150 I'm not sure I see where your concern was after the visit to the scales. You were at the GVWR but had not exceeded it. You were well below your tow weight..was the problem with your CGWR?
clokman wrote: MitchF150 I'm not sure I see where your concern was after the visit to the scales. You were at the GVWR but had not exceeded it. You were well below your tow weight..was the problem with your CGWR?
No concern, just pointing out that I had reached my trucks GVWR with only a #5000 GVWR trailer, yet the 'tow rating' is #7700. Now that my trailer is loaded up with even more stuff, and I find myself hauling more stuff in the bed, I'm now over my trucks GVWR, but still towing the same #5000 GVWR trailer..
If I had a #7700 GVWR trailer, I'd be just that much more over the trucks GVWR and I don't think I'd enjoy the tow as much as I do now.
Manager - Schmanager: That title just means he has refined his lying skills to become the head honcho. NO addition to a vehicle, other than those added as options at factory, change it's stated/rated towing capabilities. He has simply addressed the levelling of the rear of the truck to keep your headlights aimed whil towing. Air bags serve as a "helper" for the rear springs and do absolutely nothing for the engine performance, transmission cooling & longevity tire ratings, axle ratings, brake rotor size frame strength etc., etc.. You have received excellant advice in this thread from folks with experience and one of which who had a similar truck and to ignore that advice from folks with no vested interest whatsoever but give credance to something said from a talking head at an RV dealership who wishes to make his next Beemer payment would fly in the face of all of the carfull consideration you've displayed to date.
In short ignore the dealership officienados and listen to the folks without a "dog-in-this-hunt".
Today is just the tomorrow you worried about yesterday!
'04' International 4400 LoPro 310Hp/950FtLbs 10Spd Harley/RV Toter
'05' Mobile Suites 38RL3
'01' Harley Ultra in the bike barn.
Yes, many thanks to all of you without a dog in this hunt. I did pull the plug on this deal. I dont see any way of getting into a 3/4 ton PU so we are going to shop for smaller trailers, something that will end up loaded down and on the road with 5500 on the TT axles and 500 on the PU as hitch weight(after WD). Those numbers put me 200 under GVWR (I have been to the scales) and 1300 under max CGWR. That is still a lot but almost all of my towing will done at sea level and over flat terrain.
At this particular time you may come to bless the circumstances that have led you to make that decision. The fuel crisis ain't over yet and probably won't be until domestic production ramps up and that isn't going to happen as long as the oil companies are making record profits buying the stuff from the Arabs. In the meantime enjoy your travels secure in the knowledge you took every reasonable precaution to make sure you didn't subject yourself and family to needless safety risk or agro from unpredicatble break-downs in 100F temps by the roadside. Best wishes.
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