[ShrimpBurrito]

I would not bother looking into a Class IV hitch. Could you find one that could fit the Flex and be rated for your tongue weight? Probably. Is that a good idea? I don't think so. While the hitch may be your limiting factor, something else might be as well. Think about suspension components you'd be maxing out, especially springs or struts, the weight limits of your rear axle and tires, and furthermore, how tongue weight adversely affects maneuverability of your setup. Getting up to speed is never the issue, it's maneuvering at speed and stopping, especially in a panic stop.

Regardless, tongue weight is only part of your problem. Gross weight is the other demon on your shoulder, as you've seen first hand with your Excel wizardry, and for that I defer to others here that are more up to speed on that than I.

As I said before, you don't like in Kansas, and you don't want to have to weigh the kids' shoes before they get in the car to determine if they will put you over a weight limit. You will want to throw everything in the car last minute and drive away, especially with kids, and when you do that, it's hard to be weight conscious. Remember, water weighs 8 lbs/gallon, and if you leave with everything filled (fresh water, toilet, water heater), that's hundreds of extra pounds right there.

As to your other lessons, it sounds like you are learning fast and learning well! You'll have 80% of it figured out after a few trips, and the rest of it is just gravy you pick up as you go along. That's part of the fun.

The Other Dave - We're over in England on a temporary basis, and really missing the TM. We'll be back home in Sunny SoCal soon!

Dave