Tongue weight

[Jim and Rosalie]

We have recently purchase a 2007 Montana 5th wheel, love it and can't wait to use it this year. In trying to determine the tongue weight the information in the manual on page 13 in unclear as to do this correctly. Can you let me know what the correct calculations are, thanks.

[trukdoc]

The most acurate way to do this is to load it up ready to travel and go to a CAT scale at most truck stops and measure weight on each axle with the TV and without. The weight difference on the TV is your tongue weight.

[H. John Kohl]

Here is my tongue weight and calculations
_______BOTH --Truck--Difference
Steering 4840___4980___-140
drive___7180___4060___3120
trailer_10660___0_____10660
total___22680___9040__13640
total truck tires_12020 trailer tires 9040
13640 Total Trailer weight
10660 Trailer weight on tires
2980 Tongue weight
22680 Gross weight
Tongue weight was found by adding up the difference on the steering and drive axle weights.
I hope this helps.

[Cat320]

The pin weight (tongue weight is a travel trailer term) in the brochures is always empty and always way too light. Like the truck manufacturers, who want us to think their trucks can haul more than they really can, the 5th wheel manufacturers want us to think the pw is less than it really is. Add about 500 lbs to get a realistic pw, or, even better, as Rick suggests, to weight it.

[trukdoc]

Load it like you are going on a long trip. Then weigh it. This way you have worst case scenario. My overall weight is Ok so I fill my fresh water tank which is behind the axles and will counter weight my pin weight. If overall weight is under pin or tounge weight can be adjusted by moving load around.