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Old 03-25-2014, 02:29 PM   #1
dallen1x
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Default Weight reduction?

Has anyone had any luck reducing the weight of their TM?
I like the 3326 but it's 20lbs over the rated capacity of my TV (Ford Edge).

I can think of a few things;
No water
No food
Take the chairs out and put them in the other TV (F350 & boat).
No A/C
No clothing
Put batteries in the other TV.
Put propane tanks in the other TV.

Anything else?
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Old 03-25-2014, 02:44 PM   #2
ShrimpBurrito
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I'm sure others will chime in, but I cannot imagine any scenario where a Ford Flex would be a suitable TV for a 3326.

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Old 03-25-2014, 03:48 PM   #3
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I also cannot imagine the Edge is rated anywhere near a 3326 weight. Towing is only half the equation. Stopping is the other half. You would have to remove several hundred pounds and not go camping for me to suggest its safe. Anything you remove from the TM and carry in the TV is not changing the GCVW.
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Old 03-25-2014, 04:13 PM   #4
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try doing a search on this
good thread from a few weeks back from a flex owner (sauropod) did not seem to go well for them, maybe they can help out with advice here.
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Old 03-25-2014, 04:20 PM   #5
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Under the best of situations (flat, no wind, allowing extra distance between vehicles and using all of best towing practices) you are on the margin. I'm assuming the Edge has a 3500 limit. You will want propane and a few essentials. If I were you,I ireally wouldn't want to cut it so close. I've pulled a 2720 with an Odyssey and a 6 cylinder Venza using a WDH, but that TM is smaller and lighter than the model you are looking at. You might want to look at the 24 series since I saw in the other thread you are also interested in a king size bed.
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Old 03-25-2014, 05:36 PM   #6
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We own a 3326 king and pull with a Toyota 4 Runner V8 with weight distribution hitch it is rated at 6500 lbs.

We did the southern Utah National Parks last spring and needed every bit of the power we have for the mountains.

It is really a bad idea to push it to the limit all the time. One "something" out of the ordinary and you could be dead.

YOU CANNOT TAKE THE BATTERIES OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE WHAT DRIVES YOUR BRAKES ON THE TRAILMANOR.

Best advice, bigger tow vehicle or "Much" smaller TM.

God bless.

Norman
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Old 03-25-2014, 05:56 PM   #7
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A 3326 trailer is going to weigh well over 4000 pounds when packed up and ready to camp. In the context of a 4000 pound trailer, adding or subtracting 20 pounds in weight is absolutely meaningless. I don't mean to be unkind, but your question is typical of the feeling that there is a magic threshold, and if you are under it by even one pound you are golden, but if you are over by even one pound, the world will end. It just isn't so.

I would go to http://www.ford.com/towingguides/ and get the real scoop for your vehicle, engine, and year. It looks to me like the Edge has at best a rated towing capacity of 3500 pounds, and only if it has the correct engine, and a factory-installed tow package. But the tow package includes only a Class-2 hitch receiver (you need Class 3 minimum) and a 4-way trailer electrical connector and wire harness (you need 7-way ). The Edge is not an adequate tow vehicle on either count. Don't do it!

My daughter has a Ford Edge, and it is a wonderful soccer-Mom car for her, especially with the 4WD (she lives in snowy Maine). But I wouldn't tow a TM with it. I think it might kill me.

I don't know how big your boat is, but if you put the TM behind the F350, you would be golden on that half of the equation. What does the boat weigh?
Could the Edge handle it? Could you trade the F350 plus the Edge for a pair of F150's? (Just kidding - again, I don't mean to be unkind.)

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Old 03-25-2014, 06:20 PM   #8
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The Ford Edge has a curb weight of 4073 and a gross weight of 5150 so it will always out weigh a TM, even the 3326 at a dry weight of 3520lbs.
It is outfitted with the tow package and they (Ford) say that it can tow 3500lbs. I haven't checked the tongue weight to see if the class II can handle a TM so I'll get on that one.

I've towed 3500 before (with Class II to III adapter and w/o trailer brakes) when the F350 was not available and the Edge did great. The 3.5L V6 and the brakes on the Edge worked great (short distance and flat ground). Going from a 4way to 7way plug shouldn't be that much of a problem.

I usually need to get over the Cascade range or the Coast range here in the Pacific NW. That's why I'm wondering about getting the TM down to around 3000.

I'll start looking closer at the 3124KD. It seems to have a nice layout.

The boat and trailer are over 3500lbs so they have to go on the F350.
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Old 03-25-2014, 06:53 PM   #9
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First, you should note that I believe the dry weights listed on the TM's website do not include "accessories" that are often considered standard, like batteries, propane tanks, air conditioner, awning, spare tire, etc. Or at least that used to be the case, and I may have some of them wrong or not included others. Point being, you certainly cannot rely on those numbers as exact. They are only guides. A call to the factory would probably very easily reveal what a typically-equipped trailer weighs as sold off the dealer floor.

Second......

Quote:
Originally Posted by dallen1x View Post
I haven't checked the tongue weight to see if the class II can handle a TM so I'll get on that one.
I can't imagine it can handle the weight. Tongue weight is the whole reason for getting a class III hitch. And TMs have inordinarily heavy tongue weights (think 500-700 lbs).

And finally......

Quote:
Originally Posted by dallen1x View Post
I've towed 3500 before (with Class II to III adapter and w/o trailer brakes) when the F350 was not available and the Edge did great. The 3.5L V6 and the brakes on the Edge worked great (short distance and flat ground). Going from a 4way to 7way plug shouldn't be that much of a problem.
Wow, that is really not good. Towing 3500 lbs without brakes is not only unsafe, especially in a marginal tow vehicle, but in every state where I've read such regulations, IIRC, it's also illegal. If you are at fault in an accident in such a state and you hurt someone, there's a reasonable chance you'll spend some time in jail. Is that risk worth it, regardless of whether or not you think the Flex is capable?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dallen1x View Post
I usually need to get over the Cascade range or the Coast range here in the Pacific NW. That's why I'm wondering about getting the TM down to around 3000.
I used to live in the PNW, and there is no way I would even tow my 2720 in those mountains with anything less than a vehicle with a tow rating of at least 5,000 lbs.

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Old 03-26-2014, 04:48 AM   #10
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I think your pretty spot on ShrimpBurrito. As you all know, I pull a 3124KB and its very close to 4k pounds with not much camping gear in it. I wouldn't tow it with anything less than a TV with 5k lb tow capacity. There's the numbers on paper and then there's reality and most of us know reality will bite you in the rear when we least expect. I know my Tundra V8 is more than capable and probably has kept me from some serious issues due to the power I can pour on when necessary like merging traffic and hill climbing. I've preached stopping power for a long time but if you can't get out of the way with power or pull yourself up a hill, your begging for issues.
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