Tongue Weight with Bike Rack?

[ColoradoSwany]

We have a Gen 2 Escape 19. I weighed our tongue at 460# with 2/3 tank of water a couple years ago. Now, we often travel with a full fresh water tank, so tongue weight is probably 20-40# less. We would like to get a One-Up rack (when they are available!) for the back hitch so we can take our two old, approximately 30# mountain bikes. I figure that will be about 90# hanging off the back, which will further reduce tongue weight, likely to under 10% of our fully loaded ~4350# weight. We do use the Escape optioned Fastway anti-sway/WDH. Do I need to be concerned about tongue weight when using the anti-sway WDH? Or do we have to travel with 1/3 or under fresh tank and hope we can fill it at our destination?

Anyone one else using these racks on a 19’ If so, do you travel with full fresh water?

I am not really sure how we could shift more weight to front of the trailer since our front storage box limit is limited to 100# and other than a toolbox I could move from under the bed to under the dinette seat, I can’t think of anything else that would fit or weigh much.

Thoughts/suggestions?

[Rossue]

Maybe transport your spare tire elsewhere or carry extra water in 6 gallon jugs up front. The 1Up racks weight 46 lbs.; you likely will be over 100 lbs. You are right to be concerned as the 19 is easier to underweight the tongue vs. a 21C where one can put lots of items under the bed.

[Upfisk]

We also are worried and carry 5 gallons of ballast water under the front dinette to counteract the 2 bikes and rack. In Osoyoos we were weighed and had right at 400# tongue weight, the bikes, rack and bike cover were on the back at the time, the water tank was full. We have been loading up the front storage container: electric torque wrench and sockets, a gallon of distilled water, a gallon of antifreeze, X braces, anything that I can think of to increase weight in front. Under the front dinette we also carry boxes of wine, a case of cat food, bottled spaghetti sauce, etc.

The 100# limit in the front storage box seems unreasonable. The 2-6V batteries alone weigh more than 100#. Since the box is reinforced under the batteries, we take that 100# of advice as only an additional 100#.

[canyonrider]

We travel with a full fresh tank and two bikes on a 1Up. I usually try and travel with something weighty under the dinette table or just in front of the bathroom. That's usually a cooler, 7-gal water jug, or folding kayaks. Not particularly scientific, but I notice an improvement with a bit of weight.

[Doug2000]

I do recall a comment from a while ago. Escape (Reace) said to travel with an empty water tank or a full water tank, never a partial tank. This eliminates sloshing which can cause instability.