X19H Tongue Weight

[McMullap]

Hybrid Owners,
I have a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with the Hemi V8. I saw a X19H in person and the dry tongue weight was 340 pounds (website says 375). Someone mentioned that the tongue weight could be 600 when fully loaded. That seems a little high but then again, what do I know?!?! If that’s the case, I would be ok, but barely. For those of you that have weighed your tongue with a fully loaded X19H trailer, what was your tongue weight? I know it varies how you pack but I’d like some numbers to confirm that I’ll be ok. Thanks!

[Tunce the traveler]

You’ll have to add your complete WDH, battery or batteries, propane tanks,water that you carry + your stuff and anything forward of your axel.

[ALJO]

Scale gives the final calculations

[McMullap]

True. But I’d rather get an idea what others are weighing. I’d prefer not to buy a hybrid trailer only to take it to the scales and be over my limit. I honestly don’t know how cargo affects the tongue weight. 40 pounds for propane. 50 pounds for battery plus 30-40 pounds for weight distribution hitch. No idea about cargo. Trying to see how other people’s cargo affects their tongue weight. I would assume not as much as I would think since it’s a duel axel trailer. Then again, I’m new to this. Thanks!

[ALJO]

The figure 600 sounds very close to loaded e.g. mine listed empty is 530 lbs. but loaded is 910 lbs. a 930 lbs.

[Jagiven]

I hope not to rain on your parade. Unfortunately dry weight does not mean anything. Really need to be looking at the GVW, and for the 2021 X19H, that is 4950 lbs. Tongue weight, is a portion of that GVW. It needs to be between 10-15% (495-743 lbs), ideally around 13-14% of your actual weight. Being you do not own it yet, I would use the max GVW for your calculations.

On your Jeep's driver's door panel is a yellow sticker, it should list your payload capacity as it came off the production line. That is the number you really need to be concerned with. In the calculation it includes a full tank a fuel, in the past it has also included an "average" 150 lbs driver. My DW's new car, lists driver and passengers out separately. Everything else, you add is part of your total payload. So passengers, hitch, coolers, aftermarket vehicle accessories, kids toys, etc. If you have small kids, remember, they tend to grow fast, and bring lots of entertainment.

Personally, at this point I would figure in the max tongue weight. It is really easy to keep adding things to the TT, and tossing in another item in the back of the Jeep.

Here is a link to the online specifications; https://www.jayco.com/products/trave...-feather/x19h/

Hope this TT works out for you

Edit: I looked up the generic online towing capacity of you model Jeep. It says it has a tow capacity of 7200 pounds. But the payload sticker is what you should go by.

[RogerR]

If you do decide to get that model I recommend an Andersen Hitch as it is much lighter than most bar type hitches. I pull a 195RB weighing about 3,500 including my normal load plus a little wiggle room. Tongue weight has not been a problem and I bet another 130 pounds would not break your Jeeps back.

Looking at your 340 add 60 for a 27 group battery, 20 for LP gas, 55 for the andersen hitch. 130 pounds plus whatever you add to the trailer in water, food, clothes, bedding, cookware, camping equipment and tools times 13% or more if it is not balanced. 600 is a good guesstimate.

[Rustic Eagle]

McMullap,

Welcome to JOF

Originally Posted by McMullap

snip....... Someone mentioned that the tongue weight could be 600 when fully loaded. That seems a little high but then again, what do I know?!?!.....snip

A JOF member has a 2011 X19H with a 4,950lb GVWR. His CAT scaled gross loaded weight was 4,580lbs with a loaded tongue weight of 680lbs (14.85%) based on his CAT results. Source Post #42 here for details: https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...t-57188-4.html

The 2011 & 2021 model X19H both have the same GVWR of 4,950lbs.

Worst case scenario with a X19H loaded to 4,950lbs GVWR = 643lbs to 742lb (13% to 15%) recommended loaded tongue weight range.

Bob

[DocBrown]

Sorry, I didn't mention the tongue weight in the other thread to be discouraging or mislead you. I said it so that you being new to towing a travel trailer would understand what you are really doing, and to do it safely for you and your family. From your OP it sounded like you really believe the tongue weight is always going to be 375#. I hope the answers here help clarify. This is a great forum with a very helpful bunch of people.

[bankr63]

On my 2011 X19H the CAT scale reading fully loaded for a long camp trip (but I do have my bike rack over the tongue) is 680# raw, 640# with WDH bars engaged. No water in fresh or waste tanks roughly 1.5 propane tanks (about 8 gallons).

With some redistribution and different configuration of the hitch head I have been able to get it down to 500# with engaged bars on other CAT runs.

Looking forward to this year - got the BetterWeigh for Christmas and looking forward to trying it out and knowing my weights all the time.

ETA: Just realized that @Rustic Eagle already posted my results.

[McMullap]

Originally Posted by bankr63

On my 2011 X19H the CAT scale reading fully loaded for a long camp trip (but I do have my bike rack over the tongue) is 680# raw, 640# with WDH bars engaged. No water in fresh or waste tanks roughly 1.5 propane tanks (about 8 gallons).

With some redistribution and different configuration of the hitch head I have been able to get it down to 500# with engaged bars on other CAT runs.

Looking forward to this year - got the BetterWeigh for Christmas and looking forward to trying it out and knowing my weights all the time.

ETA: Just realized that @Rustic Eagle already posted my results.

bankr63 - that’s good to know. Based on the crappy payload of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and factor in the wife and kids, I need to keep the tongue weight below 600. As I envision mostly 2 night trips, I don’t envision maxing out the Gross Weight of the trailer. I think if we took our time packing properly and traveling with empty water tanks, we could get that number below 600. Also, I technically need the tongue weight to be less than 650 but I’m counting on my kids to continue growing. By that point, I hope to be a seasoned pro packing the trailer. I appreciate that you shared your numbers. Cheers!

[Rustic Eagle]

McMullap,

Once you establish 'your' typical ready-to-camp TV/TT loaded weight, a CAT scale visit will tell you everything you want to know to dial-in your setup.

CAT scale (3-pass) how-to: https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...v-tt-3871.html

Bob

[DM in NJ]

So, as everyone says...scale is the only definitive way to know (preferably CAT scale where you can weigh whole setup and distribution weights).

I recently just made our 1st trip with a 2021 X19h. I'm towing it with a 4Runner which puts me right to the limits if I max loaded everything which I don't plan (11,300 GCWR.
With 6300 GVWR + 4950 Trailer GVWR). I certainly don't plan on making any trips into the mountains with this setup.

Because of concerns of tongue weight (4Runner max is 500lbs) I purchased a Sherline Tongue scale. https://store.propridehitch.com/sher...le/?sku=LM2000 I set it up with 2x4 cribbing I use for working on my car so that the tongue scale height was about where my trailer sits whe fully hooked up to the truck with weight distrbution.

Prior to our first trip as I was sanitizing and loading gear I took some measurements.

My trailer yellow sticker is 4016 lbs. I estimate I had about ~300 lbs of "stuff" in the trailer (note: my estimate is based on bathroom scale weighing most of what was in the trailer). I had a full fresh water tank (just in front of axle~350 lbs). Battery and what I believe are full propane tanks since I hadn't used them from the dealer yet. And of course my Reese Strait Line weight distribution components mounted on the tongue. My tongue weight was at ~520 lbs after walking around the trailer and getting out. Added my 40 lb tool box to the back just inside the door and it came back to 500 lbs.

Right before hooking up to leave I measured everything again, about 500 lbs of gear (no water in any tanks)....maybe 550lbs after my wife was done with last minute items and I ended up moving my tool box to the front of the camper to put me at about 450 lbs of tongue weight. I'd like to be as close to my 500lb rating to keep the percentage as high as I can for stability. I did have about 60 lbs of chairs in the rear entrance way and about 10 lbs of leveling boards strapped to the back bumper.....I put the chairs in the back of the truck on the way home but didn't scale it before leaving the campground. Towed pretty much the same either way.

Your results will obviously vary and once I get this thing to the CAT scales I might find something different (based on bankr63's results).....including the need for a different truck.

Hope this helps...but in reality until you scale yours loaded you just won't know.

Please note....I am personally an in-experienced camper. Never towed anything before bringing this camper home but I've leaned on my father heavily who has 30 years of experience towing travel trailers. Don't be afraid to ask and learn...this group seems great for that!!!!

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by DM in NJ

snip..... I purchased a Sherline Tongue scale.....snip

I purchased my Sherline a number of years ago and have found it to be a very useful tool.

I used my Sherline for the first time at a campground years ago checking my prior Eagle 278FBS ready-to-camp tongue weight with the site/TT level, stab jacks raised, etc..

I checked the Sherline tongue weight reading for the first time and thought it was a little on the 'light' side because I tend to load heavy. It took a few minutes before I realized that I normally don't tow my TT with the side slide "opened"...., so I closed the slide and my loaded tongue reading increased another 200 plus pounds.

Just thinking out load here, was your X19H front/rear tent bunks 'closed' during your Sherline readings ??

Bob

[DM in NJ]

[QUOTE=
snip...Just thinking out load here, was your X19H front/rear tent bunks 'closed' during your Sherline readings ??
[/QUOTE]


That's a wonderful question b/c I had been pushing hard to get things in place and weighed while packing, de-winterizing, etc. Went to weight and realized the bunks were out and waited til the next day to weigh after the bunks were folded. So, in my case yes they were closed but I did almost weigh it open!

[McMullap]

DM in NJ. Thanks for the response. Great to hear about your numbers. I’m pretty sure I can safely tow the X19H with some common sense packing. Appreciate the feedback.
Andy

[E_Benson]

I think all of the previous responses covers everything you need. Just a quick reminder, weight distribution DOES NOT change your tongue weight. It does distribute load back to the trailer axles and to your front axles, but it does not change the force from the trailer onto the hitch.

Payload and rear axle weight are your key specs when towing trailers as folks mentioned before, CAT scales are your friend.


Eric

[dogmeat]

load distribution ABSOLUTELY changes tongue weight. the trailer axle is the pivot point (fulcrum). anything forward of the fulcrum increases tongue weight, anything aft decreases tongue weight. put enough weight aft and the tongue will stick up in the air.

every pilot calculates the center of gravity of the aircraft in inch pounds. this is really no different, the tongue weight reflects the center of gravity of the trailer. and btw, too much weight aft creates towing instability issues. it makes the trailer not track and can lead to oscillations that make it whip around

[bankr63]

Originally Posted by dogmeat

load distribution ABSOLUTELY changes tongue weight. the trailer axle is the pivot point (fulcrum). anything forward of the fulcrum increases tongue weight, anything aft decreases tongue weight. put enough weight aft and the tongue will stick up in the air.

every pilot calculates the center of gravity of the aircraft in inch pounds. this is really no different, the tongue weight reflects the center of gravity of the trailer. and btw, too much weight aft creates towing instability issues. it makes the trailer not track and can lead to oscillations that make it whip around

And there is a difference between distribution of load and weight distribution as related to a hitch. You are absolutely right that physically moving the load around in a trailer (or an aircraft) changes the weight that bears down on the hitch (or front wheels of an aircraft).

However, a WDH does not physically MOVE any weight. It is the same as lifting a wheelbarrow with leverage. The point load at the hitch is the same but the leverage of the bars distributes the point load fore and aft. It does not change the fact that there is an 800# (or whatever) static point load at the hitch head and being carried by the hitch apparatus.

[E_Benson]

Agree. I guess I did type very quickly and should have made sure to be very specific with my sentences.

Weight distribution Hitch: Does not change tongue weight. Some people believe that it allows them to run a heaver tongue weight because it "distributes" the load off the hitch which is not true.

Load Distribution: moving weight around trailer / tow vehicle to achieve the desired hitch weight and driving dynamics.

Sorry for the confusion.

Eric