Tongue weight

[perry]

How much tongue weight should I have with my F-350, dual axel 10,000lb trailer and loaded with my 853 including attachment.
Thanks

 

[skidsteer.ca]

15 to 20% or your trailers weight should be tongue wt. Personally I favour the smaller number.
Ken

 

[sterlclan]

15 to 20% or your trailers weight should be tongue wt. Personally I favour the smaller number.
Ken

Just remember not enough tongue weight =trailer sway I usually watch the truck and trailer when the truck settles down I go a little farther onto the trailer so some weight is on the truck and haven't had the dreaded sway problem.The trailer I move the cat 236 with the plow and bucket at work is terrible you cant get everything far enough forward max speed is about 25 to 30 mph any faster and the trailer pushes the truck bad. Jeff

 

[Idoitall]

Just remember not enough tongue weight =trailer sway I usually watch the truck and trailer when the truck settles down I go a little farther onto the trailer so some weight is on the truck and haven't had the dreaded sway problem.The trailer I move the cat 236 with the plow and bucket at work is terrible you cant get everything far enough forward max speed is about 25 to 30 mph any faster and the trailer pushes the truck bad. Jeff

If you pull a trailer and equipment, you don't want to experience the dreaded swaying. Only bad things can happen, both to you and your equipment, and others as well. I've experienced this with a tractor, so now I get anal about getting the right balance.
This weight question brings up another one for a guy looking for his 1st machine. I've hauled cars, tractors, furniture, rocks, etc., but never a skid steer. I assume that all skid steers are heavy on the back, so is there a preferred direction to load the machine onto the trailer? Drive it on or back it on? I know that most of the weight should be over the axles, but either way the balance has to be right. I've seen them loaded both ways.

 

[lgammon]

If you pull a trailer and equipment, you don't want to experience the dreaded swaying. Only bad things can happen, both to you and your equipment, and others as well. I've experienced this with a tractor, so now I get anal about getting the right balance.
This weight question brings up another one for a guy looking for his 1st machine. I've hauled cars, tractors, furniture, rocks, etc., but never a skid steer. I assume that all skid steers are heavy on the back, so is there a preferred direction to load the machine onto the trailer? Drive it on or back it on? I know that most of the weight should be over the axles, but either way the balance has to be right. I've seen them loaded both ways.

i pull my cat 236 with a 24ft gooseneck. i always try to have the back tires of the machine between the rear axles, this seems to make it balance well. 70% of a machines weight is on the back tires when there is nothing in the bucket. when you load the bucket then 70% of the weight is on the front tires. this is how it was explaned to me. so i figure that 30% of the skids weight in front of the axles will make my weight work well

 

[Tazza]

i pull my cat 236 with a 24ft gooseneck. i always try to have the back tires of the machine between the rear axles, this seems to make it balance well. 70% of a machines weight is on the back tires when there is nothing in the bucket. when you load the bucket then 70% of the weight is on the front tires. this is how it was explaned to me. so i figure that 30% of the skids weight in front of the axles will make my weight work well

Always back the machine onto the truck or trailer.
You need to keep the heaviest part of the loader up hill, un-loaded this is always the rear of the machine. You don't want to drive up or reverse off and risk toppling backwards.

 

[perry]

Always back the machine onto the truck or trailer.
You need to keep the heaviest part of the loader up hill, un-loaded this is always the rear of the machine. You don't want to drive up or reverse off and risk toppling backwards.

I was looking for a recommended weight in pounds, this is the first F-350 I've owned and would like to have that 'preferred' balance so the brakes on the truck and trailer are balanced, or as close as possible.

Thanks

 

[skidsteer.ca]

I was looking for a recommended weight in pounds, this is the first F-350 I've owned and would like to have that 'preferred' balance so the brakes on the truck and trailer are balanced, or as close as possible.

Thanks

That weight is really going to vary with your particular trailer (and truck) and how much weight you haul on a given trip. If your trailer is a bumper pull, you will likely find that there is plenty of brake power to the rear wheels, of the truck. These where designed with the idea of pulling 5th wheel trailers set up with 35 to 40 % tongue weight.
Getting electric trailer brakes balanced with truck brakes can be a pita, in my experience.
I keep mine set quite low and manually override them when I need to brake hard. However we have realtively light traffic congestion and panic stops seldom arise. You may feel differently.
Personally I hate flat spotting tires, but someday I may wish I'd sacaficed them for a shorter stopping distance.
Unless you tow enough to get to know where to set your brake controler for each given trailer load, you may have to live with the wheels locking up at times.
Also remember that most factory reciever hitches are not heavy enough to take advantage of your duallys rear suspention capacity.
Ken

 

[Eric]

That weight is really going to vary with your particular trailer (and truck) and how much weight you haul on a given trip. If your trailer is a bumper pull, you will likely find that there is plenty of brake power to the rear wheels, of the truck. These where designed with the idea of pulling 5th wheel trailers set up with 35 to 40 % tongue weight.
Getting electric trailer brakes balanced with truck brakes can be a pita, in my experience.
I keep mine set quite low and manually override them when I need to brake hard. However we have realtively light traffic congestion and panic stops seldom arise. You may feel differently.
Personally I hate flat spotting tires, but someday I may wish I'd sacaficed them for a shorter stopping distance.
Unless you tow enough to get to know where to set your brake controler for each given trailer load, you may have to live with the wheels locking up at times.
Also remember that most factory reciever hitches are not heavy enough to take advantage of your duallys rear suspention capacity.
Ken

What is the gross vehicle weight of your trailer?
Yes, your axles combined are rated for 10,000 pounds but this isnt your gross vehicle weight. That doesnt include the tongue weight.
I have a sticker on my trailer that tells me this info. My trailer has a GVW of 25,000 pounds. My axles are rated for 10,000 pounds each. Both axles together gives me 20,000 pounds. This leaves me with 5,000 for my tongue weight which is 20% of my trailers gross vehichle weight.
You nead to find out what your GVW for that trailer is. Your tongue weight should be about 2,500 based on your axle capacitys. So your trailers GVW should be 12,500 pounds.
Make sure that the hitch on your truck is rated for 2,500 pounds of tongue weight.
Another issue with tongue weight is that when your tow vehicle is loaded to its GVW, then adding a trailer will then overload your truck due to the tongue weight. This will put the rear axle over its rated operating capacity when using a tag trailer.

 

[perry]

What is the gross vehicle weight of your trailer?
Yes, your axles combined are rated for 10,000 pounds but this isnt your gross vehicle weight. That doesnt include the tongue weight.
I have a sticker on my trailer that tells me this info. My trailer has a GVW of 25,000 pounds. My axles are rated for 10,000 pounds each. Both axles together gives me 20,000 pounds. This leaves me with 5,000 for my tongue weight which is 20% of my trailers gross vehichle weight.
You nead to find out what your GVW for that trailer is. Your tongue weight should be about 2,500 based on your axle capacitys. So your trailers GVW should be 12,500 pounds.
Make sure that the hitch on your truck is rated for 2,500 pounds of tongue weight.
Another issue with tongue weight is that when your tow vehicle is loaded to its GVW, then adding a trailer will then overload your truck due to the tongue weight. This will put the rear axle over its rated operating capacity when using a tag trailer.

I changed to the military or pintle style hitch. I believe, but I could be wrong, that the tongue weight, in this application should be in the hundreds of pounds. This would give a balance between the truck and trailer, meaning the the trailer would have enough weight on the tongue to track straight and not place to much braking force on either the truck or trailer.

 

[farmboy55]

I changed to the military or pintle style hitch. I believe, but I could be wrong, that the tongue weight, in this application should be in the hundreds of pounds. This would give a balance between the truck and trailer, meaning the the trailer would have enough weight on the tongue to track straight and not place to much braking force on either the truck or trailer.

Hey Perry
I have a 853, 709 backhoe attachment, 2 bucket's and a set of 48" heavy duty forks. I haul it all on my F350 single rear wheel truck. The biggest advantage I have is my 25 ft gooseneck, 14K trl. I can haul it all and more. With a bumper hitch you will just have to wrk with it until you find your balance point where it all comes together as far as towing dwn the road. I you ever get a chance to get a gooseneck get one. dennis

 

[perry]

Hey Perry
I have a 853, 709 backhoe attachment, 2 bucket's and a set of 48" heavy duty forks. I haul it all on my F350 single rear wheel truck. The biggest advantage I have is my 25 ft gooseneck, 14K trl. I can haul it all and more. With a bumper hitch you will just have to wrk with it until you find your balance point where it all comes together as far as towing dwn the road. I you ever get a chance to get a gooseneck get one. dennis

I like the gooseneck but, I have and need the rack on my truck to haul 20' PVC when doing water lines.

 

[sterlclan]

I like the gooseneck but, I have and need the rack on my truck to haul 20' PVC when doing water lines.

yup the pintle needs some weight more than a ball just try it till you get it right. good luck Jeff