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Old 09-25-2004, 01:19 PM   #17
Bill
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
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Paul -

I agree with T_C that you are getting a bogus reading with the TM opened. Tongue weight should be measured with the TM ready for travel, since the only time tongue weight matters is when you are ready to hitch up and move on down the road. So this means it should be measured with the TM closed, but also when it is fully stocked with food, clothes, appliances, propane, and whatever else you expect to have when you are on the road.

When you open a TM, a lot of weight moves forward. The slider is probably the biggest contributor, but raising the shells contributes, too. The front shell moves forward, which increase tongue weight - the back shell moves back which decreases tongue weight - but since the tires aren't centered on the length of the body, they probably don't cancel each other out. If you have roof air, the unit is slightly forward of the wheels when closed - but it moves forward a lot more when the front shell opens. Water is heavy, but in a 2720SL it is under the sink, which is near the tires, so it probably doesn't contribute much to hitch weight. Forty pounds of propane translates almost exactly to 40 pounds of tongue weight - I don't believe that any of the TM weight numbers include propane in the tanks. And as T_C points out, the awning is another biggy, since it is forward of the wheels, and swings even further forward with the front shell.

If you get a chance, make the measurement again, and let us know what you find. We'll all be interested.

Bill
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