Changes in tongue weight and load weight......what do I do?

Mark · 08-12-2008, 09:33 PM

This weekend, I will tow with a full load of water. A short distance after I hit the state park.

But 8 miles will be highway (Route 80), and another 8 miles or so will be some of the most ridiculous Pennsylvania hills I ever tow through white knuckle.

In any case, just to spice it up a bit, I also just converted to two 6 volts (form two 12's).

So with a full fresh water tank in the back, and these batteries in the front, do you think I should adjust the number of links in my WD? I currently have five link hanging, so I have room to move wither way.

**JohnB** · 08-20-2008, 10:21 PM

Mark

Sorry I'm late on this post of yours but let me see if I can help if you still need it. Do you?

Changing TT weight loads and even PU truck bed loads for sure affect the setup of the WD hitch. How much they change depends on a number of things, some being,

1st was the WD hitch setup properly to return the TV front end back to unhitched weight and height for your Chevy?

2nd Did moving gear around in the camper and truck bed actually change the loaded tongue weight?

3. WD bars size and the actual loaded TT tongue weight and truck bed extra gear weight.

You are poking in the right places to wonder about making hitch adjustment however we cannot tell here if more or less WD bar tension is needed. We do not know enough about the truck setup in the first place.

Something to help tell if the WD on your Chevy is right is to measure truck fenders before and after hitching up. See this pic. Measure all 4 fenders and write down the numbers. Hitch up and then the front should come very close to unhitch height when the WD is engaged and adjusted right. The rear will be compressed by about 1" to 1 1/2" neiborhood. Do not over compress on the front end if you have torsion bar front end suspension.

I can predict Chevy rear fender drop fairly well but need to know bed loads and TT tongue weight along with WD bar sizes but those 1” to 1 ½” is the range you will end up in. If the rear is 2 plus inches lower and the front ½ to ¾” higher, then things are not adjusted optimally. And you do not want the rear back at unhitched height either as you took to much weight off for TT towing. Also to note left and rigth side of the truck may differ. Just what is the realtionship to the front/back of the truck on the same side.

TV WD is needed as a major component for sway control, however TT tongue weight is right up there with it.

Do you know your loaded TT tongue weight when you add the water and new batteries? Having tongue weight too low can be one of the larger contributors to sway.

If you need more, ask away. It might be you just need a WD setup health check to see where exactly you stand normally. And once understood, you can make your own adjustments as needed.

Hope this helps

John

PS do you have any side pics of the hitch setup on the TT and truck? I can tell a lot from the pics on what you have and if things are needed to be adjusted along with the fender heights,

Mark · 08-21-2008, 05:21 PM

Thanks for the help again, but it was last weekend.

I will take pictures the next time out in a few weeks. I did not notice the difference, but there was one element that I did not know about when I posted this question.....

Before adding the water weight

....I hit road debris, punctured a tire, and had to mount the spare.

Now nothing about this was fun, or funny, except for the fact that during the highway portion of the tow I:

-Added about 240 LB's of water to the back
-Removed a spare tire weight from the back
-Added another 14 gallons/112 lbs of water in the bed (just in case containers)
-Added two new six volts (instead of two 12's).

Totally mixed up the numbers last weekend. I think I will also get it weighed with the new setup.

**JohnB** · 08-21-2008, 08:50 PM

Mark

Yes get it weighed. It is the only way to know what "stuff" weighs

Also get a measurement from the center of the fresh tank to the ball coupler and from the front axle to the ball coupler.

I can calculate how much tongue weigh reduction will come when you fill the fresh tank.

Also where is the HW heater and do you fill it while you are filling the fresh tank? It is 6 gallons at 8.3# per gallon hanging somewhere on the TT. If you fill it, get measurements from HW heater to ball as well.

See this sketch I did on my T2499. From this I can pre determine what tanks and other weight additions do to tongue weight.

Sorry about the flat. It makes for a not good day.

John

Mark · 08-21-2008, 09:13 PM

In the 2553, the HW heater is ALL the way in back on the driver's side. And yes, I fill it.....

The flat was the good day.

When I re-tire

and I hand over the $'s for five new Goodyear's (Sunday), that will be a bad day.

Actually, I found all the tires are 24th week of 2002 manufacturer, so it was time....

**Tweety** · 08-22-2008, 06:39 AM

Where did you buy the 6V batteries?

Mark · 08-22-2008, 07:27 PM

SAM's club. Apparently, Energizer realized they could "lease" their name to MANY manufacturers. These are "Energizers"?

I would hate to see the size or wright of the Bunny for these anvils.

I have also seen the Energizer name now on chargers and other electrical related items which I know were previously under names like XPower.