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07-10-2009, 05:11 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 85 Bigfoot F20 5th Wheel
Posts: 17
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17 & 19 hitch weights
I'm considering either the a 17B or a 19. I'm looking to tow with a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder - class 3 hitch, 5000lb tow capacity. 500lbs max tongue, I'll have about 1000lbs for passengers, fuel, cargo and hitch weight. I know that the dry hitch weights of the 17B and 19 are around 250lbs. What are they typically when loaded? I'd like to get the dual propane tanks and dual 6v battery option. Where are the batteries located (on the hitch?). Anyone actually weigh their unit when fully loaded? Thanks...
Randy in Edmonton
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07-10-2009, 05:23 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
Hi Randy, and welcome.
I have actually never weighed my hitch on the 19 all loaded up. I have a 450 lb hitch capacity on my Pilot and never seemed to have an issue with too much weight, even without a WD hitch. The batteries are under the front right dinette seat (I have the 2-6V ones).
I actually worry more about not enough hitch weight, as the majority of the storage space is in the rear, under the bed.
I really should get it weighed some time, in order to devise a more weight appropriate way of packing.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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07-10-2009, 10:24 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 893
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
Our Highlander has the same capacity and when we picked up the 17ft we hitched it up and quickly realized that WDH was needed even though it was well within tolerance.. My best guess was the hitch weight was around 400Lbs (when fully loaded w/Dual Propane and our stuff inside the trailer) the backend really looked a tad out of wack once hitched.. We opted for a WDH, when installed really evened everything out..
__________________
Former 17ft Plan "B" Escape
Toyota Highlander w/tow pkg
favorite quote: "Put the candle back"
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07-26-2009, 12:53 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Silverdale, Washington
Trailer: No more Escape 21
Posts: 412
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
JeffZ, what year is your Highlander? I have an '08 pulling a 17' Casita and hopefully will be pulling a new 19' Escape! With the Casita I am only using an anti-sway bar and have wonder about using a WDH.
Rick
__________________
2008 Toyota Highlander
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07-26-2009, 06:12 PM
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#5
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 85 Bigfoot F20 5th Wheel
Posts: 17
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
A search in the other forum... someone weighed in at 2610 + 320 = 2930 for a 17B... a little on the high side I would suspect.
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07-26-2009, 10:19 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 893
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
Ours is 2008 Sport w/towing package.. we definitely needed the WDH as the back end sag'd a bit.. so it was money well spent. I have no doubt that you'll be able to pull the 19ft.. we end up with a AS Bambi and towed all the way to FL (from SF) and back of course.. The AS is 3680 dry weight and 460 tongue and it was just a tad too much for the 6 cylinder - so we up the ante up to F150.. I really think that the Highlander would-of pulled the 19ft with no problem.. I wouldn't get the high axle lift though..
__________________
Former 17ft Plan "B" Escape
Toyota Highlander w/tow pkg
favorite quote: "Put the candle back"
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07-27-2009, 08:32 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Silverdale, Washington
Trailer: No more Escape 21
Posts: 412
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
Jeff, thanks for the information. I must say the Highlander is a nice, very nice, vehicle. At the recent Oregon Grathering, where I saw the 19 footer for the first time, my Casita came in at 3,320 lbs. If I kept the speed to 60 mph, I was getting 17 mpg. But going home, I was going 65+ and the mpg's dropped to the high 14's.
Interesting is that my 17' Casita comes in at exactly 3,000 lbs dry while the Escape 19' is 2,510 lbs.
__________________
2008 Toyota Highlander
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07-27-2009, 10:14 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
Rick, do you include stuff like batteries, propane bottles and the awning in your dry weight though. I would definitely thought it would be a bit lighter.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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07-28-2009, 01:17 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Silverdale, Washington
Trailer: No more Escape 21
Posts: 412
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
Jim, me too, I thought the Casita would have been lighter. The 3,000 lbs inculdes the 1 battery, propane and the awning, but no water. Well, about 2 gallons or so in the the black water tank, empty gray water tank and no water in the fresh water tank.
__________________
2008 Toyota Highlander
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08-29-2009, 01:35 AM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 79
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
I was having an issue with trailer "bob" so I finally got my 17B weighed to check things out. Trailer weight was 3460 and tongue was 340 with 1 propane bottle 1/2 full and fresh water tank about 1/2 full (no gray or black tanks). Most sources say 10-11% is ideal but Reace tells me I should have more tongue weight to reduce the "bob". I find this hard to accept because the weight placard in my trailer says MGVW is 3500# amd max tongue weight is 350# which is exactly 10%. My rig is heavy because I am full timing in it and necessarily carry a lot of stuff, although I have since gone on a diet and jetisoned about 250#. I am not running a WDH, only air bags to reduce rear droop, and find my trailer tows beautifully.
My tow vehicle is an Toyota FJ Cruiser with 5000# tow limit and 500# hitch limit. I am getting 13-14 MPG towing, mostly in the Colorado mountains.
Ace
__________________
Alan "Ace" Brown
2008 Escape 17
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
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08-29-2009, 01:57 AM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 19
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
Quote:
.. I wouldn't get the high axle lift though..
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JeffZ, could you explain why you would not get the high axle lift? I believe you had that option on your Escape?
__________________
17B
Jeep Liberty CRD
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08-29-2009, 10:53 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 893
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
Tao-
We had a Highlander and we believed that High Axle Lift really didn't help us for our needs.. we don't off-road it and felt that it gave us a bigger/taller trailer that increased the wind drag and possibly lowered gas mileage.. that was the main reason..
__________________
Former 17ft Plan "B" Escape
Toyota Highlander w/tow pkg
favorite quote: "Put the candle back"
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08-29-2009, 01:30 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
I would agree with Jeff, I do have one because I do some gravel roads and a few unmaintained roads (trails). If you were only going to be going on roads, there is no need for the extra height, there really is a lot of clearance with a normal axle.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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08-29-2009, 02:57 PM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 79
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ace Brown
I was having an issue with trailer "bob" so I finally got my 17B weighed to check things out. Trailer weight was 3460 and tongue was 340 with 1 propane bottle 1/2 full and fresh water tank about 1/2 full (no gray or black tanks). Most sources say 10-11% is ideal but Reace tells me I should have more tongue weight to reduce the "bob". I find this hard to accept because the weight placard in my trailer says MGVW is 3500# amd max tongue weight is 350# which is exactly 10%. My rig is heavy because I am full timing in it and necessarily carry a lot of stuff, although I have since gone on a diet and jetisoned about 250#. I am not running a WDH, only air bags to reduce rear droop, and find my trailer tows beautifully.
My tow vehicle is an Toyota FJ Cruiser with 5000# tow limit and 500# hitch limit. I am getting 13-14 MPG towing, mostly in the Colorado mountains.
Ace
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Anybody got any comments on proper tongue weight? I especially would like to know if you agree with the suggested tongue weight being 10% of trailer weight.
__________________
Alan "Ace" Brown
2008 Escape 17
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
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08-29-2009, 07:42 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 893
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination.. But I do recall reading or hearing that 10% percent rule somewhere.. Hope your using a hitch pin especially if your getting a lot of bounce on the hitch..
__________________
Former 17ft Plan "B" Escape
Toyota Highlander w/tow pkg
favorite quote: "Put the candle back"
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08-29-2009, 10:57 PM
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#16
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 79
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
I don't feel I have excessive bounce, that is Reaces' opinion based on a related problem. There is some flex in any frame and what I am experiencing seems normal to me. What I would ask of a few of you 17B owners is check the tongue weight listed on the trailer placard. Mine reads 350# which is what I would expect to see.
Regarding the hitch pin; if I didn't have one I would loose my trailer in the first quarter mile. I believe you meant hitch latch pin. Yes my latch is always locked. I don't want to loose my home!
Ace
__________________
Alan "Ace" Brown
2008 Escape 17
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
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08-29-2009, 11:22 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 893
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
Ace--
Yep you're right "Hitch Latch Pin"
__________________
Former 17ft Plan "B" Escape
Toyota Highlander w/tow pkg
favorite quote: "Put the candle back"
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08-30-2009, 01:55 PM
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#18
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 52
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
What is the hitch latch pin? I don't recognize this; when we picked up our 17A on August 5 Reace showed us how to hitch up, but I don't think the latch on the hitch contains a pin -- the 3-to 4-inch long lever on top of the trailer hitch pivots down & forward, then a smaller lever on top of it clicks into place in a rearward direction with what look like small teeth at the back of it. It appears to be some kind of over-center arrangement, so forces exerted by the trailer would just make it tighter. We've been checking that the hitch is fully connected by cranking the hitch up higher and making sure that the car follows it up to where it's raising the car above the point where it usually sits. Doing so also makes it easier to connect the WDH chains.
Although we'd ordered a hitch lock, Reace told us that there wasn't one available that fit this hitch.
If there's supposed to be a pin, where does it go, and can I buy it at an aftermarket place, being as we're on Vancouver Island and the trailer is stored on the Mainland.
__________________
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow . . .
'09 17A with accessibility modifications
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08-30-2009, 04:25 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 893
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
It's that lever that locks the hitch to the hitch ball (you pull it up to release the hitch) -- There's a hole in the side of it about 1/4 inch in diameter.. When you're pulling the trailer you don't want that lever to "pop-up" & release the hitch (like if you hit a big bump or pot hole).. I just use a "caribiner" (i think that's the spelling - rock climbers use them to quickly attach to ropes & loops)..
You can use anything that stops the upward motion of the lever..
It's a safety precaution..
__________________
Former 17ft Plan "B" Escape
Toyota Highlander w/tow pkg
favorite quote: "Put the candle back"
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08-30-2009, 05:02 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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Re: 17 & 19 hitch weights
A carabiner doesn't require a key, but this does. It locks the hitch, at least from casual thieves. I use it when the trailer is off the hitch and when it is on. A padlock with a long hasp also works, but this one doesn't allow a thief to employ a bolt-cutter.
baglo
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What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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