[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by sandy eggo

One big CAUTION if you want to tow with a BMW SUV. Unless they have changed their specs, you can tow 6000#'s with their BIG SUV, but the hitch weight can no exceed 600#'s. Thus if you have a trailer that needs a 15% tongue weight, you are really limited to a 4000# maximum trailer weight! I verified this with BMW. They say if you exceed that there is no warranty on related failures.

So, let's assume my hitch is rated for 600 lbs on the tongue. My new/next question is if the tongue weight (as specified on the TM website) of the 3124KB is 448, I should be fine; however, is that the tongue weight of a "dry" TM. What would the tongue weight need to be of a fully loaded 3124KB? And what are the safe tolerances for tongue weights - i.e., if the tongue weight is 600 lbs and the hitch is rated at 600 lbs, I'm assuming that this is not a safe scenario.

Thanks again for the help.

Rick

Generally there are two numbers provided for "allowable hitch weight"...one for a weight carrying hitch (aka standard drop hitch) and one for a weight distributing hitch (WDH). Typically you will have a much higher allowable weight with a WDH...on my truck the limit is 750 lbs (weight carrying) and 1100 lbs (weight distributing). You need to go sleuth out some more numbers....even call BMW if you have to...to find the allowed number for a WDH.

That being said, TM's tend to have very high tongue weights...typically 14 to 15 percent of total weight...because the axle(s) are further aft of their center of gravity than on most travel trailers. That aft location of the axle has the wonderful side benefit of making TMs inherently very sway resistant.

As for actual tongue weights on a heavily loaded 3023 or 3124KB, I'd estimate somewhere around 750 lbs (my very loaded 2720SL has a tongue weight of around 600 to 650 lbs). Sooooo, if the BMW limit is 600 lbs with a WDH, you're going to need to think smaller than a 3023 and/or going camping very lightly loaded. OTOH, if that number is for a weight carrying hitch, then you'll probably be fine with a heavily loaded 3023 as long as you use a properly adjusted WDH.