I have been participating in this thread with great interest, and have read similar threads on other forums with great interest. There seems to be two camps with strong opinions, and I think I am beginning to see a pattern.
I have been diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I also am an admitted perfectionist. I am willing to spend an above average amount of money and a great deal of my time it implementing the perfect solution to a problem. According to my doctor, this is a common trait among programmers and engineers.
I don't know if, and don't want to accuse, any one else of having OCD, but it seems pretty clear that some of us think differently than others. OCD would be one explanation.
Some seem to be very focused on the lowest cost TV that can just barely tow a particular trailer versus what is the best TV, all factors considered.
Some people replace their cars more often than other. I have one friend that has never bought tires in his life. When the factory tires need to be replaced he trades in his car for a new one. I keep my cars and trucks for 200k miles.
I can see that anyone that intends to replace their TV in a few years has no interest on wear and tear causing premature failure so far down the road that they will no longer be the owner. For me it is very important.
I bought my first camping equipment in 1974. Stove, lantern, ice chest, tent, sleeping bags, etc. The ice chest wore out about 5 years ago but I still use the rest of the equipment every year. When I bought it I bought it to last a lifetime. This is just the way I am.
I have been in the same house since 1986. My neighbors have frequently teased me about how long I keep my cars. Recently they have started to mention that they think I have spent a lot less money on cars than they have over that period of time. They no longer think I am crazy.
So it just seems to me that the two different camps run something along the lines of:
1. OCD vs. non OCD
2. Long term perspective vs. short term
3. Quality oriented vs. cost oriented
4. Engineering background vs. non engineering background
5. Perfectionist vs. close enough for who it is for
Neither is right or wrong.
I think that my main point is that no one should be towing anything that is not safe. The closer you are to towing at the limit the more important it is to weigh it all so you don't have to guess if you are overweight or not.
It is clearly possible to overload a TM 2720 without trying very hard. I have loaded and weighed mine, so I know how close I am go going over the factory spec.
And as for the comments that the manufacturer always builds in a safety margin, I stick to the point I made earlier. I have no doubt that there is an extra margin, but it is not documented and it is not the same for every product. So the consumer has to guess.
Not to slam the TM, but I would be more comfortable being overweight by 20 percent in my 1500HD than I would be if I overloaded my TM by the same 20 percent.
I plan on owning and using my TM for at least 20 years. This is why we bought new and why I try to be sure I do not overload it.
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