Towing tounge weight

[kraftwerkauto]

So the tounge weight is about 500lbs, can I increase this with ome 895 springs and firestone air bags inside the springs ???? if so how much? I'm looking at a camper, but the tounge weight is 800lbs, the guy selling it stated that he towed it with a half ton pick up truck, the weight of the camper unloaded is 6k

 

[ToolmanJohn]

Thats a lot of travel trailer.

So the tounge weight is about 500lbs, can I increase this with ome 895 springs and firestone air bags inside the springs ???? if so how much? I'm looking at a camper, but the tounge weight is 800lbs, the guy selling it stated that he towed it with a half ton pick up truck, the weight of the camper unloaded is 6k

Typical CORRECT trailer tongue weight is 10-15% of the trailer weight. This is the best for a safe towing experience, helps reduce the chances of sway.

He probably has a class 3 reciever with a 8000 pounds tow capacity and 800 pound tongue weight rating. Not sure about his vehicle safe rating.

All trailers with that kind of weight are usually 5th wheel trailers. Unless this trailer is just plain HUGE . The only way a 4runner could maybe do it is with the V8 and a weight ditributing hitch in combination with the frame mounted class 3 receiver.

 

[kraftwerkauto]

Hello

the camper is a 2004 Fleetwood Prowler 27FQS and the weight is about 6000lbs it's 27 ft long, 800 lbs of tounge weight sounds like alot for the size camper, but I'm no expert. He has the weight dist. hitch and all

Typical CORRECT trailer tongue weight is 10-15% of the trailer weight. This is the best for a safe towing experience, helps reduce the chances of sway.

He probably has a class 3 reciever with a 8000 pounds tow capacity and 800 pound tongue weight rating. Not sure about his vehicle safe rating.

All trailers with that kind of weight are usually 5th wheel trailers. Unless this trailer is just plain HUGE . The only way a 4runner could maybe do it is with the V8 and a weight ditributing hitch in combination with the frame mounted class 3 receiver.

 

[BCfish]

Pretty sure that tongue weight is too much for a 4R even the v8 I think max tongue weight is 750 which is pretty heavy on the back even with a weight-distrubution hitch..I don't think adding better springs or an air bag would help all that much would be better than stock granted. BTW that's a hell of a lot of tongue weight for a trailer that weight. Did the original owner load it bad or modded it?? Ideally you want 10 - 15% of the gross trailer weight as tongue or else you end up with a poorly handling trailer..

 

[ToolmanJohn]

Yeah, it's too heavy

Best bet, look for a different camper (SUB 5000 lbs), or you have to get a better tow vehicle.

My first camper was 2900 lbs dry, and it had a very square front wind load area, not aerodynamic in the least. It towed at 55mph OK not in overdrive grear.

My new camper is 2600 lbs dry, teardrop shape, and I still have to stay out of OD, but I can easily tell how much easier it is to tow. The few hundred pounds and having a better shape makes a big difference.

It reallly doesn't matter if the trailer is heavy if you won't tow very far, but my own trips are always over 200+ miles in one way towing distance. Sometimes two days in a row to get to the camp area. Having the RIGHT trailer for your vehicle and needs is important.

 

[Pikeman]

The other issue is length of trailer to wheel base. Shorter wheel base vehicles such as our 4Runners don't do well with long trailers. As mentioned several times the tongue weight is to heavy even for that size trailer.