15b tongue weight - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Tech > Towing and Hitching
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 05-15-2014, 10:12 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
delesseria's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Olympia, Washington
Trailer: 2014 Escape 15B
Posts: 19
15b tongue weight

Quote:
Originally Posted by techfan View Post
I have posted before that I must keep almost a full fresh water tank to keep tongue weight close to 350.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimJ View Post
Our experience is the same as Tim's.
Hi,
Are other 15b owners finding their tongue weight up around 350? The tongue weight supposed to be around 10% of the gross trailer weight, right?

We're considering dual propane, storage box, and dual batteries. Maybe we should open a discussion with ETI about moving the batteries back (inside maybe) to keep the tongue weight lower.
__________________
Andrea & Tom
2014 Toyota Tacoma
2014 Escape 15B
delesseria is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-15-2014, 10:59 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: n/a, Texas
Trailer: Escape
Posts: 720
Yes, tongue weight and trailer weight adds up quickly. I have dual batteries and dual propane, no storage box, and have to watch weight distribution. With the front kitchen storage capacity it is easy to overload the front of the trailer. I have a bike on the back, and I have to make a point of using the dinette bench storage.
Viajante is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2014, 08:03 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
With any single axle set up, packing becomes a "balancing" act. One does not just throw heavy items in the first storage space without considering the impact on trailer,tongue, and towing.
A Sherline tongue scale is critical to properly loading your trailer.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2014, 08:16 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
With any single axle set up, packing becomes a "balancing" act. One does not just throw heavy items in the first storage space without considering the impact on trailer,tongue, and towing.
It is a balancing act with a tandem axle as well. Moving an item may make less change in tongue weight with a tandem (compared to a single axle) because the two trailer suspensions fight each other, but that causes uneven load distribution between the axles which can cause problems.

In FiberglassRV there was a topic discussing some posted video of trailers out of control... and most of them were tandem-axle. Please don't be complacent because you have more wheels on the trailer!
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2014, 11:56 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2013 15B
Posts: 124
Our tongue weight at 350 lbs was measured at Osoyoos last year. I'm not overly concerned about it--we've moved things around, our WDH should adjust some of it, and our TV has suspension modifications added. We haven't noticed any sway or handling problems at all.
__________________
Jim and Robin
15B
Jeep Liberty
JimJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2014, 02:38 PM   #6
Junior Member
 
delesseria's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Olympia, Washington
Trailer: 2014 Escape 15B
Posts: 19
balancing act

I suspect the 15 was designed with a single propane tank and a single battery - maybe even without the bathroom initially. But with the bathroom and kitchen in front and the addition of a second propane tank, a second battery, and now the storage box, it might be worth reevaluating the balancing act of the dry weight trailer.

(maybe I'm just excited about getting a trailer and spending way too much time thinking about it )

-Tom
__________________
Andrea & Tom
2014 Toyota Tacoma
2014 Escape 15B
delesseria is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2014, 03:30 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2013 15B
Posts: 124
In our case our front end includes one propane tank, two batteries, and no storage box.
__________________
Jim and Robin
15B
Jeep Liberty
JimJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2014, 03:49 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
techfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Longview, WA, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15B - 2014 Nissan Frontier SL
Posts: 854
Tom, remember we had a single propane, box and dual batteries. Jim and Robin have dual propane, dual batteries and no box. We still need to keep full water to keep weight down. Ask Jim and Robin if they have ever needed two tanks on a single trip. With the gauge on our tank we have plenty of warning if we need a fill.
__________________
Tim and Julie
2013 Escape 15B
2014 Nissan Frontier, Previous 2012 Santa Fe
techfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2014, 03:53 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2013 15B
Posts: 124
We have one tank and have never needed more than that on a single trip. We don't do that much boondocking and don't use much fuel. Saving the weight of another full tank is one benefit.
__________________
Jim and Robin
15B
Jeep Liberty
JimJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2014, 04:11 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
techfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Longview, WA, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15B - 2014 Nissan Frontier SL
Posts: 854
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimJ View Post
We have one tank and have never needed more than that on a single trip. We don't do that much boondocking and don't use much fuel. Saving the weight of another full tank is one benefit.
So sorry Jim. I should have looked at my own pictures! A lot of weight is up front on the 15's.
__________________
Tim and Julie
2013 Escape 15B
2014 Nissan Frontier, Previous 2012 Santa Fe
techfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2014, 05:29 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: N/A, Indiana
Trailer: Escape
Posts: 976
Quote:
Originally Posted by delesseria View Post
I suspect the 15 was designed with a single propane tank and a single battery - maybe even without the bathroom initially. But with the bathroom and kitchen in front and the addition of a second propane tank, a second battery, and now the storage box, it might be worth reevaluating the balancing act of the dry weight trailer.
(maybe I'm just excited about getting a trailer and spending way too much time thinking about it )
-Tom
So, should the axle be moved further forward to compensate for the options that add more weight to the tongue ? Adding weight behind the axle to decrease tongue weight does not seem like a good strategy and could cause sway.
__________________
"Never argue with an idiot. They only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience." George Carlin
Jubal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2014, 05:39 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Phoenix Metro Area, Arizona
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19
Posts: 767
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jubal View Post
So, should the axle be moved further forward to compensate for the options that add more weight to the tongue ? Adding weight behind the axle to decrease tongue weight does not seem like a good strategy and could cause sway.
Definitely. You did get the moveable wheel well and the slider axle options, right?

Seriously, that is one of the issues with any trailer with variable options and loading.
jamman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-17-2014, 10:33 AM   #13
Junior Member
 
delesseria's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Olympia, Washington
Trailer: 2014 Escape 15B
Posts: 19
Yep, I'm spending too much time reading the forums. Reace et. al. have it under control.

Quote:
Hi Tom

On the 15’, the axle is pretty close to the center point on the body which makes it fairly easy to incorrectly load it and have too little on the hitch. Depending on the vehicle, an EQ hitch may be necessary to balance the hitch load, however this is far better than having it sway on the highway.

Reace
__________________
Andrea & Tom
2014 Toyota Tacoma
2014 Escape 15B
delesseria is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-23-2014, 03:16 PM   #14
Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Gallagher lake Oliver BC., British Columbia
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
Posts: 39
Hello Jim,
We have a 19 ft. and our tonque weight was with the storage pod up front and dual batteries over 500 lb. Which is way more than need be. We got rid of out 1/2 ton truck and will be towing with a new Audi Q5 diesel. I had an aluminum box build put the batteries in it and mounted it on the rear bumper. Now the tonque weight is approx. 300 lb. I drives nice and no sway.
hermenator01 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-23-2014, 03:43 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Dave Walter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 2013 19' & 2013 15B
Posts: 2,634
Quote:
Originally Posted by hermenator01 View Post
Hello Jim,
We have a 19 ft. and our tonque weight was with the storage pod up front and dual batteries over 500 lb. Which is way more than need be. We got rid of out 1/2 ton truck and will be towing with a new Audi Q5 diesel. I had an aluminum box build put the batteries in it and mounted it on the rear bumper. Now the tonque weight is approx. 300 lb. I drives nice and no sway.
That is actually very interesting to hear. It is my understanding that Escape made a recent decision not to construct any new 19' trailers with the batteries inside the front dinette. Although my 19' has the batteries in the front dinette, it is one of the last ones that they had allowed this. I really like having the batteries under the front dinette, as it really opened up the storage box for other items.

Apparently, the reason for the change in battery location policy, is due to some type of incident/accident that occurred involving a 19' with poor load distribution, and for which the trailer had the batteries in the front dinette rather than in the front box. Following that incident, all 19's are now manufactured with the batteries up front on the frame or in the front storage box.

"Hermenator" has now indicated that he has moved his batteries to the rear bumper, which would be a much more severe location than the front dinette, and has suffered no apparent unfavorable effects. I have wondered about the real differences in hitch weight having the batteries in the front storage box as compared to being under the front dinette. Until now, I have been avoiding taking measurements and trying to calculate the effect, but maybe it would be worthwhile to do so.
__________________
2013 19' \ 2013 15B, 2020 Toyota 4Runner TRD Offroad

"It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it." - 1907, Maurice Switzer
Dave Walter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-23-2014, 05:18 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
Posts: 743
I would expect the difference between front dinette and storage box to be minor, since you're only moving the battery(s) a few feet. But front storage box to rear bumper is another matter.

I'd be a tad nervous with only 300lbs on the hitch, in a trailer the size/weight of a 19.
__________________
Doug

2013 Escape 19 ("The Dog House") , 2018 Ford F150
dbailey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-23-2014, 05:24 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
I measured my tongue weight today, trailer is loaded, with 10 gallons in fresh, still need to put in food. Scale said 460#, so I may be approaching 500# once loaded with food and 8 gallons drinking water in containers on the bath floor.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
battery, escape 15b, tongue weight

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:56 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.