How will adding a rear cargo rack effect tongue weight and towing on my TT?

[eventdude]

Howdy friends,

I have a 2006 Jayco Eagle 278FBS and I am hoping that I can have a rear cargo carrier professionally installed so that I can carry (2) Honda 2000EU generators and (2) 5 gallon gas cans.

I tow with a 2012 GMC Yukon with upgraded cold air intake and weight distribution hitch and am pretty darn close to my max tongue weight if im doing the math correctly (I always overestimate to be safe as the wife tends to pack heavy and shop heavy! ).

How will the additional weight I add to the rear cargo carrier and the weight of the cargo carrier itself effect my tongue weight and towing? (I'm guessing the total additional weight on the rear to be around 300#)

Thanks for the thoughts in advance.

[Jmooney]

I think , like a seesaw, it will reduce downward weight up front.

Unless the axel is directly in the center, it won't be proportional.

That said, the gens will get bounced around back there. Can you trade for some other cargo?

[wwsmith111]

Yea, Jmooney is right. Whatever is on the rear of that TT is in for a rough ride. 300 lb on the tail of the TT will probably reduce the tongue weight by about 50 to 100 lbs since the axles are roughly about 1/3 of the way up from the rear. But please note that the extra weight will be added to the TT weight which may now be overweight i.e. tires and axles. Also not enough tongue weight may cause the trailer to "fish tail" while going down the road. This of course will depend on how you have the weight distributed. I have seen people trying to overcompensate for having too much tongue weight by moving all their stuff to the rear of the trailer while going down the road thus creating a move severe problem of having an unstable TT while towing. The bottom line is you need to have a good distribution of weight and the right amount of tongue weight is a good thing.

[Rustic Eagle]

eventdude,

Welcome to JOF!

You stated that your present TT tongue weight is "pretty darn close to my max tongue weight" that your Yukon will allow, so it sounds like any weight "added" to the TT may compromise your Yukon's tongue weight limit depending on where the added weight is placed.

Question: The recommended loaded tongue weight range is 13% to 15% of the 278 FBS's scaled gross weight, is your present loaded tongue weight within this range?

Try this before you modify the rear of your TT: You have the exact same model TT as I do (except mine is an '05'), and our fresh water tank is located at the very rear of the TT. Filling the tank with water will add about 380lbs to the rear of the TT......, now head to a CAT scale (under loaded TV/TT conditions) and preform a complete weigh-in. This should give you a fair idea of the impact on the tongue weight to your targeted 300lbs.

CAT scale "how-to": http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3871

Feel free to report back your CAT scale results if you like.

My '05' 278FBS:
GVWR: 9,000lbs
TT scaled loaded weight: 8,400lbs
TT scaled Loaded tongue weight: 1,250lbs

Note: I do not travel with fluids in my tanks.

Bob

[wwsmith111]

I have read that many people do not travel with fluids in their holding tanks. I travel with water in mine every time. I find myself using the facilities quite often. We cook, take showers, use the rest room, wash dishes, wash our hands, etc. We use it pretty much just like we do when hooked up. I bought my RV so that I could use it any time I want any where I want. I think that is why they have holding tanks to begin with - so one can use it while traveling. I can not count the number of times that we just decided to stop somewhere for the night. I can't imagine not being able to use the facilities just because I don't want to travel with fluids in my tanks.

[clutch]

Our water tank is over the axles so having them full doesn't have as much effect on the tongue weight as some other models.

Strap your generators down so they can't move and don't worry much about it. I love our cargo rack and carry a Delta tool box with tools, air compressor, hose, cables, etc. I don't even know it's back there.

[Seann45]

It will take weight off the tongue and MAY increase the trailer sway..

[clutch]

The cargo rack has a weight limit of 200 lbs. It would surprise me if it was maxed out if you would loose 40 lbs on the tongue of the trailer.

[Brownie]

Since you have an Eagle TT, the mounts for the rack are already built into the frame. I just had my dealer add the Jayco Bike Rack/Cargo Tray to my Eagle 266RKS, and am very happy with it. It has a max. cargo capacity of 250#. I plan to use it for my generator, blue tank, ladder, and tool box (all securely tied down), but haven't had a chance to use it for that, yet. On my only outing (last week), I did find it to be a handy place to leave the full doggy bags between trash runs.

If you had ordered it with your trailer, it would have added $429 to the price. As an aftermarket dealer add-on, I believe I paid $680 (includes installation). For me, it was worth the cost, since it will free up the space in my truck bed for my small pontoon-style fishing boat.

I like Rustic Eagle's suggestion of filling your water tank and going to a CAT scale. That will approximate the weight of your loaded cargo tray. Drive around a little with it full, and you will also get an idea of how the tray will affect vehicle handling.

Good luck with your decision, and Happy Camping!

[msturtz]

Welcome to JOF! I had a similar problem with carrying a generator and other items. I was at nearly 1200# tongue weight with my 2004 JayFlight 29BHS from the dealer. Adding a rear cargo carrier actually helped with balance and reduced my tongue weight. GVRW was fine when I weight it on a CAT scale.

[eventdude]

Thanks all for the fantastic feedback!
Rustic Eagle, I appreciate the info and link...

After research, scales, fluids full - fluids empty... I bought a new 2014 Ford F-150 Ecoboost with twin turbo and heavy duty tow package - I had the opportunity to upgrade and felt it was the best way to go.
Now I have the best situation possible.
The DW took the yukon and hauls her horse trailer - so win - win for both of us.
Again... I so appreciate all the feedback and response.
Hitting the road for two weeks in a few days and looking forward to reporting back and how we do.

[Rustic Eagle]

Big jump from a cargo rack to new TV , congratulations!

Bob