Help on tongue, payload numbers (travel trailer)

[BruceHenderson]

Hi all, looking for some help / confirmation / advice on tongue weight for a travel trailer. I have not bought one as of yet but want to ensure i get something within safe limits (of course).

My truck has the following numbers associated with the towing
MAX PAY LOAD 1,687
MAX TONGUE LOAD 1,310
MAX TRAILER WEIGHT 13,100
My understanding is that payload refers to the combined weight of all the cargo and passengers the vehicle can safely carry. it does include the weight pushing down on the hitch when a trailer is being towed, known as the tongue weight.
Also, my understanding is that tongue load, or tongue weight, is the downward force exerted by the trailer's hitch and coupling point on the tow vehicle.

I will have about 500 pounds of people and cargo in the truck itself leaving 1187 pounds left over for the tongue load based on the definition above. This number is less than the published MAX tongue load for my truck (1310) so we will go with the lower on (1187) since I do have people and a few things in the truck as stated.

Adding water and propane = 420 pounds water + 120 pounds propane = 540

I will put no more than 1000 pounds in the trailer of stuff
1000 + 540 = 1540 ------using the 15% rule this will add 231 pounds to the hitch downward force leaving 956 for a tongue weigh of a trailer on my truck.

Not that I would go that high for safety reasons.

Do these numbers make sense?

Any input will be welcome.

Thanks in advance,
Bruce

 

[Lantley]

For estimating purpose use 13-15% of the trailers GVWR as the tongue weight figure

 

[tomkatb]

Your assumptions are correct.

Translation.

You tv is not set up to tow very heavy loads. There are trucks with #800 more payload.

Likely you have car tires for a better ride. Not LT.

To calculate the tongue weight accurately you need calculus plus practice. So forget it. Weigh the truck at a scale for sure. They give you the weight of the front and rear tv. Plus the rv. You can Use the published tongue weight plus 13% of whatever you add to the rv. Close enough. Then weigh just the truck.

LA said 13% of everything. Ok accurate as well.

The trailer it can tow is not an rv. Your rv is bigger with lots of wind resistance not included in the 13,000 number.

Long rv’s on half ton trucks are sometime squirrley in wind or around big trucks.

The wdh you use counts as payload.

Every situation is different.

A 25’ trailer under #7000 pounds is sort of max. Beyond that enters the not so much zone.

We travel in all types of weather. So I am more conservative.

If you are towing 200 miles to the lake three times a year. That is different.