Tongue Weight on 19'er

[EscapeBoulder]

Trailer: Escape 19’er, picked up in early December 2018. Pretty much loaded with the factory options… Insulation package. Inverter. Twin 6v batteries. Solar panel. Front box. Mid-sized frig. TV & Stereo. More.

Total trailer weight: 4,400 lbs This was taken on a roadside scale in Oregon in December with a full fresh water & frig, + personal effects onboard, etc.

I just borrowed a tongue weight scale from a friend, so here’s the current tongue weight measurements and the weight’s percentage of (estimated) total trailer weight. (I understand one wants between 10% and 12% of the total trailer weight on the tongue.)

Empty fresh water tank: 480 lbs 12% (Assuming we had 300 lbs of water on board in Oregon = 4,100 lbs empty for this weight in)

Full fresh water tank: 440 lbs 10% of trailer weight.

Full fresh & gray water: 520 lbs 11% (Assuming 500 lbs of water on board).

The basic configuration was… Minimum of stuff in the front box, except of course the two 6v batteries! 1-1/3 bottles of propane (one bottle was partially filled). Frig & black water tank empty. They’re both pretty close to on top of the axles so I assume don’t affect tongue weight either way. Dry & canned food stored forward (we hadn’t unpacked dry food from our last trip). TV and a couple of other small “heavier” items on the back of the bed. Tools & ancillary equipment / stuff stored under the bed as far back as possible.

That sure seems like a very good design as it appears that no matter the amount of water aboard, the tongue weight remains within guidelines. Good job Escape!

[Eggscape]

Just finished loading our 2018 19 to head off to the BC Egg Rally in Hope BC this weekend. I am not sure of the camping conditions so have a full tank of fresh water and our screen room and chairs in the rear. My spare tire is under the front tongue with two batteries on top without a storage box. I am down to 1/3 in one of the propane tanks. Not a whole lot of options from ETI.
Tongue weight is 396 lbs.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Eggscape

I am down to 1/3 in one of the propane tanks. Not a whole lot of options from ETI.
Tongue weight is 396 lbs.

I seem to be missing something.

[Upfisk]

We were weighed at the ralley by Tom. Ours is a Oct 2018, 19 ft. About 3/4 fresh water, no grey, no black. Pretty full pantry (closet), front box with all the ground tackle, under dinette...30 cans cat food, wine locker very reduced to 5 or fewer bottles. About 100# of bikes and bike carrier on rear. Our tongue weight was right about 390#. Guess we need to add more weight under the front dinette. Myron had 600# of tongue weight

[MyronL]

Now I'm wondering, so what's normal? My tongue box contained 2 6v batteries, a couple bottle jacks, assorted minor tools and a few wood blocks. Nothing abnormal inside the trailer, just the usual food, tool box, maybe water tanks were (??) a quarter full, probably? That's it.

[EscapeBoulder]

Originally Posted by Upfisk

We were weighed at the ralley by Tom. Ours is a Oct 2018, 19 ft. About 3/4 fresh water, no grey, no black. Pretty full pantry (closet), front box with all the ground tackle, under dinette...30 cans cat food, wine locker very reduced to 5 or fewer bottles. About 100# of bikes and bike carrier on rear. Our tongue weight was right about 390#. Guess we need to add more weight under the front dinette. Myron had 600# of tongue weight

Upfisk: My guess is your light(ish) tongue weight is probably the result of the bikes on the back.

[cpaharley2008]

My tongue weight has varied from model to model, my classic 21 was 500#, my 2ndg 19 was 445, I'll check my 2ndg 21 soon.

[MikeS]

Originally Posted by EscapeBoulder

Upfisk: My guess is your light(ish) tongue weight is probably the result of the bikes on the back.

This! Bikes on the back are adding weight essentially as far back as possible so it has to be lifting some from the tongue.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by MikeS

This! Bikes on the back are adding weight essentially as far back as possible so it has to be lifting some from the tongue.

as does the fresh water tank volume...

[EscapeBoulder]

Good to know that bicycles (or whatever) on the back bumper receiver appear to maybe have only 50% of their weight in reducing tongue weight. (Of course, that's just a gross guesstimate.)

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by EscapeBoulder

Good to know that bicycles (or whatever) on the back bumper receiver appear to maybe have only 50% of their weight in reducing tongue weight. (Of course, that's just a gross guesstimate.)

It's just the ratio of the distance from rack to axle, to the distance from coupler to axle. The trailer is a big lever (like a teeter-totter rocking on the axle), and the end for the bikes is about half as long as the tongue end.

It's the same for the fresh water tank, which is closer to the axle centre and so has less effect on tongue weight.

Get out you tape measure, and you can have more accurate ratios.

[EscapeBoulder]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

It's just the ratio of the distance from rack to axle, to the distance from coupler to axle. The trailer is a big lever (like a teeter-totter rocking on the axle), and the end for the bikes is about half as long as the tongue end.

It's the same for the fresh water tank, which is closer to the axle centre and so has less effect on tongue weight.

Get out you tape measure, and you can have more accurate ratios.

You can't get away from that Archimedes fellow!