How to locate / determine tongue weight?

darenkamp1960

Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2016
Messages
23
Location
Milton
We are becoming more experienced RVer's after almost 2 years with our first RV, but still need lots of help.

I have a 2015 25 foot Aspen Trail travel trailer, model 2510RB that I purchased new from La Mesa RV in San Diego, CA. La Mesa RV took care of the weight distribution hitch, etc. Now I want to purchase an automatic front jack, instead of the crank, but they ask for the tongue weight. Is it same as the hitch weight?

I see the hitch weight posted on a placard, but not the tongue weight.

Thank you.

JIM
 
I'm not a trailer hitch guy but can't you just put the current tongue jack on a bathroom scale?
Rusty
 
Have you ever seen a bathroom scale reads over 500 lbs or even over 300 lbs? Although it is possible to use a bathroom scale using the correct method. There is information on how this is done.
 
Tongue weight would be the max it's rated for. Hitch weight is actual.
 
Good grief, your dealer must be nuts. Most electric tongue jacks on the market for rv's carry a weight rating of 3-4000lbs. At most you're in the 7-800lb range.
 
What is your GVW for the trailer, take 20% of that and buy a jack for that rating or heavier. Rocket science it ain't.

Aaron:cool:
 
All, good information. Kind of leery using the bathroom scale, especially if my tongue weight is supposed to be between 9%-15% (I have seen variations from 9%-20%) of my GTW. Time to go measure...or purchase a product that is overkill :).
 
All, good information. Kind of leery using the bathroom scale, especially if my tongue weight is supposed to be between 9%-15% (I have seen variations from 9%-20%) of my GTW. Time to go measure...or purchase a product that is overkill :).

Kind of hard to overkill on a tongue jack, FWIW I would recommend the Stromberg Carlson from etrailer. I had this one on my Coleman 16FBS, which was considered a light weight trailer. Remember if you are using it to hook up a WDH you are also lifting the rear of the tow vehicle too.;)


Aaron:cool:
 
We are becoming more experienced RVer's after almost 2 years with our first RV, but still need lots of help.

I have a 2015 25 foot Aspen Trail travel trailer, model 2510RB that I purchased new from La Mesa RV in San Diego, CA. La Mesa RV took care of the weight distribution hitch, etc. Now I want to purchase an automatic front jack, instead of the crank, but they ask for the tongue weight. Is it same as the hitch weight?

I see the hitch weight posted on a placard, but not the tongue weight.

Thank you.

JIM

Jim,

Electric toungue jacks come in two flavors, I can't recall the sizes, but there are two different post sizes. That is really all the info you need to start, what size is the tube then pick the capacity.

I have a Barker Engineering Made in the USA power head, I bent the tube and replaced it With a Chinese special. I love that Barker jack, but I keep forgetting to order up the spares to repair it.

Do some shopping around and look for sources other than a dealer ship.
 

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