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Old 12-03-2004, 07:22 AM   #4
RockyMtnRay
TrailManor Master
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 816
Thumbs up Greetings from across town!

Quote:
Originally Posted by MountainCamper
My better half and I are planning to upgrade from our pop-up to either a 2720SL or 3124KS early next year. I’ve been shadowing the forum for almost 2 years and finally became a site sponsor the middle of this year due to the wealth of info provided here. We live above Colorado Springs, CO, at about 6900’, and we depart from there to go camping UP into the Rockies. This is very similar to the posts from RockyMtnRay, ColoradoCop, CastleRockCamper, ColoradoAl and a few others here along the Front Range of the Rockies, so high altitude loss in the TV performance is just another part of everyday life. As can been seen by my signature, we currently have a 03’ 4x4 Pathfinder w/ factory tow package, which would be the probable TV for the 2720SL, but I strongly feel we would need to secure a more substantial TV if we decide to go with the 3124KS. In either situation, TM weights play a part into the decision making, thus below, I have a few questions on realistic TV & TM weights.
Glad to have another Springs area member here! I'm an east-sider...Cimarron Hills...a mile east of Powers at Palmer Park; have lived there for about 24 years.

Your Pathfinder will indeed be fine for a 2720SL...you've got enough torque and a low enough axle ratio...and enough wheelbase for this size trailer. However, I concur that you will need more wheelbase (and quite a bit more torque) if you want to tow a loaded 3124KS here in Colorado. I'm sure the Nissan dealers would be happy to arrange a tradeup to an Armada (or Titan)...either of these would be great with a 3124KS...and you still would have a Nissan.

Quote:
I’ve researched many of the posts within discussing TM loaded weights in trying develop a matrix of reality: what a nominally optioned and outfitted TM weighs, either with or without fluids & gear loaded, supporting how many adults, for how long, etc, etc, but I still have a basic question regarding these posted TM weights. (Realize, I know I’m an Engineer, but we all have handicaps to overcome……) Is there a consensus between the forum’s weight-gurus as how the TM weights have consistently been determined: i.e.: which weighting process below (or some other) might have been used to calculate the TM weights published within the forums?

#1) the full TM alone on the truck scale, providing the combined axle + tongue weight, with no WDH attached from the TV, or

#2) the just the TM’s axle alone, with the tongue statically supported off scale but not by the WDH to the TV, providing the TM gross axle weight only, or

#3) the just TM’s axle with the WDH installed to the TV, which also includes the portion of the WDH-distributed tongue weight onto the TM’s axle

Net, I’m unsure yet when I read about a recorded TM weight, say 3600#, which of the 3 above weighing processes derived that weight since the 3600# could imply differences of several hundred pounds with regard to the TM gross axle and tongue weights, as well as the TV gross vehicle, gross axle (front and rear) and gross combined vehicle weights.

Thanks in advance..
Perhaps I should just explain how the experts from the RV Safety Education Foundation have weighed my rig at the 2 weighins I've gone to. Incidentally in checking their 2005 Weighin Schedule , I see the good folks at Pikes Peak Traveland (on the east side...Platte at Wooten) are again hosting a weighin on July 30th...I'll definitely be getting my rig weighed again due to mods I've done since the last one.

Anyhew, their process is simple and requires just two weighings:

1. With trailer hooked to tow vehicle they get the weight on all tow vehicle and trailer tires.

2. Then they unhook the trailer and get the weight on all the tow vehicle tires (the trailer is NOT reweighed).

From these numbers, they get the hitch weight by subtracting the weight of TV without trailer from the weight of the TV with trailer. To get the total trailer weight, they add the hitch weight to the weight that was on the trailer tires when hitched up. Badda bing, badda boom.

In my case, at the last weighin I had about 3300 lbs on the TM axle when hooked up (this includes some weight (150 lbs?) being transferred back from the WDH) and about 500 lbs being carried by the tow vehicle for a total trailer weight of around 3800 lbs. I'm guessing that I actually had somewhere around 650 lbs on the TM tongue (if that had been weighed while unhitched) and around a fourth of this was being transferred back to TM wheels by the WDH.

Some notes:

This method tells you exactly what each tire of the TV and the trailer is carrying when hitched up. No guessing, no estimation of the effect on any tire from the weight distributing hitch.

The differences in weight on the front tires of the TV with/without trailer are an excellent indication of whether or not the weight distributing hitch has been properly adjusted. In theory, half the hitch weight should be distributed to the front of the TV when hitched. What I've found both times I got weighed ( ) was my TV front tires were getting unweighted by the trailer indicating that I did not have my hitch properly adjusted.

The other thing that's great about these RVSEF weighins is that they measure the weights on each wheel and not just the axle in total. With the 2720SL TM where all the tanks and fridge ride on the driver's side, knowing the individual wheel weights is critical...the first time I had mine weighed I had several hundred pounds more on the driver side than on the passenger side.

If you have your trailer by July, I strongly encourage you to call Pikes Peak Traveland (Parts Dept) and see if you can get on the weighin schedule...you have to have an appointment time. This has been a free weighin...Pikes Peak Traveland has been paying all the RVSEF expenses as a community service.
__________________
Ray

I use my TM as a base camp for hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and climbing Colorado's 14ers


The Trailer: 2002 TM Model 2720SL ( Mods: Solar Panels (170 Watts), Dual T-105 Batteries, Electric Tongue Jack, Side AC, Programmable Thermostat, Doran TP Monitor System)

The Tow Vehicle: 2003 Toyota Tundra V8 SR5 4X4 w/Tow Package (Towing & Performance Mods: JBA Headers, Gibson Muffler, 4.30 gears, Michelin LTX M/S Tires, Prodigy Brake Controller, Transmission Temperature Gauge)


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