28BHBE actual Tongue Weight?

[TC-Tex]

Hello, I'm looking at getting a 2015 Jayco Jay Flight 28BHBE. However, I'm worried about exceeding my payload. I'm hoping someone on here can give me an idea of the actual tongue weight of the same trailer.
My TV is a 2015 RAM 2500 MC Diesel with about 2000# payload. After I started adding up weights I was amazed at how quickly the payload disappears.
I borrowed my sister's 2008 26BH just to see that what an actual weight would be. The brochure for her trailer says 485#. After weighing the truck with the trailer on it, it looks like the tongue weight was actually 860#. That also includes the WDH weight and there was some stuff in the trailer, but it wasn't loaded for camping. Also, the WDH was not engaged.
With such a wild swing on my sister's trailer I thought I better do a little research before taking the plunge on a trailer that would put me over my weight limit.
If you have the same trailer and know your tongue weight please reply or PM me. Also, please let me know how your trailer was loaded (LP tanks full, cargo loaded, or empty, etc).

The 2015 brochure says the unloaded hitch weight of the BHBE is 610#.

Thanks a bunch!

[NVGun40]

Accordingly, the brochure is essentially right. The trailer you are looking at at or around 610lbs. However, that is somewhat of a moving target, depending on load out.

Rest easy, knowing the specs of your TV based on the little information you give. I would assume with approximately a 2000pound payload you have a Laramie, Lone Star or SLT with 342 gear ratio. The good news is you can rest easy, your truck should be able to handle this trailer without issue. Of course its your responsibility to ensure your WDH is hooked up properly, if you're using a sway bar, how the trailer is loaded (this is important) etc.
in the end, based on the paper specs you are good to go.

[TC-Tex]

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I guess I should have added more specifics. TV is a Laramie with 3.42. Family of 4 (2 kids), I'm guessing people weight is 550, plus another 150 for the occasional guest, so maybe 700#. I think I am over thinking it. I used to have a popup camper and on our annual beach trip most of my load went in the back of the old truck which would be packed to the gills with ice chests, generator, gas cans, fishing stuff.
I think I need to change my thinking and remember that I will be loading the trailer more than the truck now. Which will give me a percentage of the weight to the truck instead of the full weight of my gear.

Thanks again. I guess I am just thinking out loud at this point, but any comments still welcome.

[RedHorse1]

IMO what you need to watch is the rear axle weight. Since you have a 3/4 ton I'd expect you'll be good. You've weighed your rig so hopefully you have the truck only weights. The rear axle weight vs the rear GAWR will let you know the available payload on the rear. I'd expect 1500-2000# range (just a guess). The WDH Is only to help level things out.

[TC-Tex]

Yes, I did weigh the truck previous to weighing my sister's trailer and it came out to right at 8000#, leaving me 2000# payload. Sticker on the truck shows GAWR Front = 6000, GAWR rear = 6500. I only had the total truck weight, not by the axles, but the ram documentation for my truck shows front/rear axle weight of 4900/3100, so that should leave me with 1100# front and 3400 rear.

[Northern Jay]

I have a 2015 28BHBE. It is the Elite model with fibreglass exterior. Yellow sticker weight on delivery is 7189lbs. Our last trip we were loaded for 7 days boondocking so we were full fresh water tanks (700lbs)ish. Total trailer weight was 8800lbs, 1200lbs on tongue. I believe you will have no problem towing with your truck. I will usually scale my rig if i find a weigh station that is closed just to satify my own curiosity as i get to weigh for free
Happy camping.

[Camper_bob]

Last time I weighed my trailer (2014 28BHBE), I got a tongue weight of about 960. That's full propane, battery, and our generally loaded weight (I actually used ballast for that weight).

Here is my post of my CAT Scale results: http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f3...lts-17202.html

I think you'll have a fine time with that truck, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[Dirkdaddy]

You're good to check, but we have a 1/2 ton Tundra 4.6 and tow a 28BH with it, but no slides or anything, I don't even have WDH. I just will load a few things in the rear storage to offset the propane and battery up front and it rides level. That diesel is a beast and you should pull it no problem.

[Bookemdanno]

Essentially, I have the same setup as you, only both my TT and TV are 2014's. I travel with a family of 4 and have gone as long as 10 days worth of "stuff" in the TT. I use Equilizer WD hitch. Sometimes I forget the TT is even behind me. My tongue weight was at 947 lbs. Happy Camping!


Dan

[TC-Tex]

Thank you all for the replies! I guess all I need to do now is some haggling on price.

[Subaru297]

Originally Posted by Dirkdaddy

You're good to check, but we have a 1/2 ton Tundra 4.6 and tow a 28BH with it, but no slides or anything, I don't even have WDH. I just will load a few things in the rear storage to offset the propane and battery up front and it rides level. That diesel is a beast and you should pull it no problem.

Seriously?

That is really bad advice. You do realize that the weight carrying limit of your receiver is probably only 500lbs right? And you are loading up the back of the trailer to reduce tongue weight creating an unstable trailer.

You need a WDH!

[Bookemdanno]

Originally Posted by TC-Tex

Thank you all for the replies! I guess all I need to do now is some haggling on price.

Let us know how it turns out...and post lots of pictures!

Dan

[Dirkdaddy]

Originally Posted by Subaru297

Seriously?

That is really bad advice. You do realize that the weight carrying limit of your receiver is probably only 500lbs right? And you are loading up the back of the trailer to reduce tongue weight creating an unstable trailer.

You need a WDH!

I don't pretend to be expert, but loading trailer to adjust the tongue weight that is done all the time, if you are hauling a race car, you move the car so the trailer tongue weight is not excessive and weight is centered with the recommended amount on the hitch for stability. You don't want the car to pull the hitch up or push down so much it unstabilizes the TV. There's a interesting video on the "grassroots motorsports" web page about how they grossly mis-loaded a race car and used a short wheelbase TV like a Explorer and even at one point disconnected the trailer brakes and sent a driver around a road course race track to make observations on various things measuring braking distance and what not.

When I added two full large propane tanks and a battery and gear I noticed my previously level trailer was now a little down in the front due to the weight so far ahead of the wheels, just put my popup shelter in the rear storage and a couple other small things and for me, it worked. I probably could use WDH for best performance but I've been buying things like crazy since buying my needy TT, just got X chocks, wheel chocks (instead of 2x6's which didn't work very well), vent cover, spare tire, tire mount for bumper (hey, more weight off hitch, just thought of that), new flooring, LED bulbs, Y hose tap, etc!! Just trying to space it out purchases. The Goodyear radial tires on it and the way the Tundra tows, its incredibly stable. I don't have the power of diesel but the frame and hitch are super beefy. I'll have to educate myself on what the hitch can handle and find a local scale I can visit as I understand that will be very illuminating. I've also seen rigs that use a bathroom scale and leverage to measure tongue weight, so I have research to do on my setup to make it better and safer. For now with eye to how its loaded, its working. My first trip I didn't even have a trailer brake installed as I had just got the thing and was psyched about doing a weekend. That in dry conditions wasn't as bad as I expected with the huge brakes on the Tundra, but now with TB I can see that was dangerous for accident avoidance.

I am aware of the fact you don't want too light of a tongue it should be in range, I wasn't recommending that for the OP, at WDH is a great recommended addition. I have driven a buddy's larger cargo trailer with a WDH to CA and back to TX and understand how they work.

Regardless, his big 3/4 ton diesel should handle his trailer, but have to take care loading and use common towing practices. I have a buddy with a Duramax crew cab and he tells me if he didn't see his 29' TT in the mirror, he wouldn't know it was attached.

[hboy]

My 28BHBE was 1,100lb last time I hit the scales. No fluids. Full propane. I was very surprised how heavy it was. After moving some cargo in the trailer, I got it down to about 950lb using sherline scale.

Still puts me GVWR, and rear axle rating (1/2 ton truck) :-(

[Subaru297]

Originally Posted by Dirkdaddy

I don't pretend to be expert, but loading trailer to adjust the tongue weight that is done all the time, if you are hauling a race car, you move the car so the trailer tongue weight is not excessive and weight is centered with the recommended amount on the hitch for stability. You don't want the car to pull the hitch up or push down so much it unstabilizes the TV. There's a interesting video on the "grassroots motorsports" web page about how they grossly mis-loaded a race car and used a short wheelbase TV like a Explorer and even at one point disconnected the trailer brakes and sent a driver around a road course race track to make observations on various things measuring braking distance and what not.

When I added two full large propane tanks and a battery and gear I noticed my previously level trailer was now a little down in the front due to the weight so far ahead of the wheels, just put my popup shelter in the rear storage and a couple other small things and for me, it worked. I probably could use WDH for best performance but I've been buying things like crazy since buying my needy TT, just got X chocks, wheel chocks (instead of 2x6's which didn't work very well), vent cover, spare tire, tire mount for bumper (hey, more weight off hitch, just thought of that), new flooring, LED bulbs, Y hose tap, etc!! Just trying to space it out purchases. The Goodyear radial tires on it and the way the Tundra tows, its incredibly stable. I don't have the power of diesel but the frame and hitch are super beefy. I'll have to educate myself on what the hitch can handle and find a local scale I can visit as I understand that will be very illuminating. I've also seen rigs that use a bathroom scale and leverage to measure tongue weight, so I have research to do on my setup to make it better and safer. For now with eye to how its loaded, its working. My first trip I didn't even have a trailer brake installed as I had just got the thing and was psyched about doing a weekend. That in dry conditions wasn't as bad as I expected with the huge brakes on the Tundra, but now with TB I can see that was dangerous for accident avoidance.

I am aware of the fact you don't want too light of a tongue it should be in range, I wasn't recommending that for the OP, at WDH is a great recommended addition. I have driven a buddy's larger cargo trailer with a WDH to CA and back to TX and understand how they work.

Regardless, his big 3/4 ton diesel should handle his trailer, but have to take care loading and use common towing practices. I have a buddy with a Duramax crew cab and he tells me if he didn't see his 29' TT in the mirror, he wouldn't know it was attached.

Thanks for the additional information.
Yes I agree with you that rearranging things to adjust tongue weight is common as I have done it myself but it is best to do that if you know what your tongue weight is from a scale.
The range of acceptable tongue weight is 10-15% of the trailer weight. In my case I don't think 10-11% is particularly stable and I have had better luck around 13-15%. So as long as you are still keeping enough weight on the tongue you are fine moving stuff around in the trailer.
As far as the WDH it is a much more valuable (necessary) item than most of the other purchases. Your receiver hitch will have a sticker on it with its rating. For most half ton trucks it will be 500/5000lbs weight carrying mode and 1000/10000lbs using a weight distribution hitch.
Your trailer is way above 500lbs tongue weight and 5000lbs trailer weight so you need a WDH. Even on a 1 ton truck you would need one.

And sorry for hijacking the OP. To get back on topic the GVWR of the 28BHBE is 9250lbs so at the absolute max your tongue weight would be 1390lbs. Even at that you are probably fine with your 2000lbs payload and passengers. More realistically the trailer is probably around 8000lbs loaded up and you can load it for 12-13% tongue weight giving you about 1000lbs of tongue weight which is inline with what others are saying.

Go for it! Looks like a great trailer.