Adjusting tongue weight- towing with Forester - Page 2 - Escape Trailer Owners Community
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Old 10-10-2016, 05:57 PM   #21
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For what it's worth:
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Old 10-10-2016, 06:02 PM   #22
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Yes, I (she not he) have no sink. Inside is front small dinette, then driver's side stove and fridge and passenger side door and cupboard, then big dinette/bed. Original setup: dual propane tanks and dual batteries on the front which results in about 290 lbs on the tongue (with the trailer unloaded (which would be almost 15% of 2000). M plan is to pack my usual gear with X-pens on the back on a cargo rack, then reweigh tongue and see where I am regarding the propane tanks after I do that.

Even if I get the X-pens out of the back of the car, that still leaves plenty of room for gear if I want to pack some of it there. My two concerns now are whether pushing some of the weight out back destabilizes the trailer (it would be similar to a bike rack) and whether dropping the tongue weight from the (estimated) 12.5% I tested to 10% destabilizes it. Subaru says to use 8-11% which would make the 200 lb tongue weight at the max weight of 2400 lb 8.3% (which does seem light to me.)
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Old 10-10-2016, 08:09 PM   #23
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For what it's worth...
Right, there's a sink in both versions... there's no "dry" (entirely without plumbing) Escape 15 (or any larger model), but Bobbie's is apparently not stock.
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Old 10-10-2016, 08:18 PM   #24
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Right, there's a sink in both versions... there's no "dry" (entirely without plumbing) Escape 15 (or any larger model), but Bobbie's is apparently not stock.
Yes, for whatever reason, the original owner ordered it without a sink. I figure I'll also put a cover over the stove and rarely use it, either.

I have a sink in the Campster, and when I bought it, I got everything working, got the pump pumping, etc. And then never ever used it again and eventually took out the fresh water tank. Now, granted, in that trailer there is no gray water tank so you have to hook one up alongside the trailer when you camp, which made it less attractive to use the sink. Plus emptying the fresh water tank was a hassle. If I had one now I might use it but I'm not going to miss it.
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Old 10-10-2016, 11:18 PM   #25
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Bobbie,
I went back and read through your original post, and the subsequent ones as well.
I think your 2000 lb. weight figure is right on. The puzzle is the tow vehicle's 200 lb. tongue weight requirement. I would tend to want closer to 250 on the tongue with the 15A, which has the axle about centered on the body, and about 5 feet from axle to rear bumper.

Another concern (perhaps unfounded) is if the heavy contributions to the total weight are on the tongue and at the back, because the frame is very likely the earlier structural steel rectangular tubing, 1½"x3". I would be concerned about flexing. I would suggest giving Reace, at ETI, a call (or maybe an e-mail, so as to give him thinking time). He's the designer/builder, and has a wealth of knowledge about all aspects of it. I'll bet he has some valuable insights for you.
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Old 10-11-2016, 01:46 AM   #26
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Another concern (perhaps unfounded) is if the heavy contributions to the total weight are on the tongue and at the back, because the frame is very likely the earlier structural steel rectangular tubing, 1½"x3". I would be concerned about flexing.
I get the logic, but I've never heard of a concern with frame flex with the longer and heavier 17 Foot, which had this size of tubing from the beginning (2003) to 2014.
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Old 10-11-2016, 09:59 AM   #27
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Originally Posted by dfandrews View Post
Bobbie,
I went back and read through your original post, and the subsequent ones as well.
I think your 2000 lb. weight figure is right on. The puzzle is the tow vehicle's 200 lb. tongue weight requirement. I would tend to want closer to 250 on the tongue with the 15A, which has the axle about centered on the body, and about 5 feet from axle to rear bumper.

Another concern (perhaps unfounded) is if the heavy contributions to the total weight are on the tongue and at the back, because the frame is very likely the earlier structural steel rectangular tubing, 1½"x3". I would be concerned about flexing. I would suggest giving Reace, at ETI, a call (or maybe an e-mail, so as to give him thinking time). He's the designer/builder, and has a wealth of knowledge about all aspects of it. I'll bet he has some valuable insights for you.
But we aren't talking heavy contributions to the total weight. If tongue is 10% and back is less than that, the bulk of the weight is still sitting over the axle. Remember this is a single axle so a little weight in back or front makes a big difference to the trailer balance but it isn't a large amount of weight, and besides the trailer was set up bike rack ready, with a higher tongue weight so it would have been a bigger problem originally.

On a completely different note, I've now backed it into my driveway twice without dinging anything and without the towing mirrors- but I think I'm going to relocate my mailbox as it's the biggest obstacle. (Now if I could also relocate the one across the street I'd be happy!) It doesn't jackknife quite as easily as the Campster but I haven't quite figured out how to do a 90 degree turn without some back and forth.
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Old 10-11-2016, 10:26 AM   #28
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
I get the logic, but I've never heard of a concern with frame flex with the longer and heavier 17 Foot, which had this size of tubing from the beginning (2003) to 2014.
You're right, Brian. Comparison to the 17 is a good example. I was doing late-night speculations at home. You know what we get when we 'assume'.
I had heard of noticeable deflection in heavily loaded 17's (forget where) and had asked Reace about steel size and grade when we first ordered our 17.
But that was right when they changed to the 4 inch members, to standardize steel sizes for his frame fabricator.

I'm at work, where all my ref. books and notes reside, so I just did a quick calc., and static deflection is in the ten-thousandths. So: no worries.
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