gvwr = 3500 lbs but gawr = 3000 ibs ???

[JayRidge]

I have a 2015 Jay Flight SLX 185RB that has been sitting for about a year and a half due to COVID. We are hoping to get it on the road this year so I decided to put new tires on it fearing dry rot. While I had the wheels off I decided to also replace the brakes. I checked the sticker and read gvwr = 3500 lbs and ordered the parts. When I went to install the new brakes they wouldn't fit. That's when I discovered I had a 3000 lb axle (gawr = 3000 lb). I'm confused. This trailer only has one axle so how can the gross vehicle weight exceed the weight that the axle can support by 500 lbs? What am I missing?

[Rustic Eagle]

While in-tow the TT's "loaded' tongue weight is supported by the TV, not the TT axle.

Bob

[ttavasc]

As Rustic Eagle noted the tongue weight is carried by the tow vehicle and not the trailer axle. When unhitched it is carried by the tongue jack. Our previous 195RB Baja was similar with a 3750 GVWR but a single 3500 axle. I think this is fairly common on the smaller campers though I've seen some tandem axle units where the axle ratings don't cover 100%+ of the GVWR.

We usually ran very close to the GVWR with ~450 tongue weight and 3250 on the axle. That was with a second Group 24 battery on the tongue plus the larger 30lb propane tank. I would recommend running it over a CAT scale all loaded up to go camping to verify just how much your axle is carrying. Given that with the smaller campers they tend to run much closer to the GVWR when loaded I always wanted to know just how close I was on the axle.

[JayRidge]

Originally Posted by ttavasc

As Rustic Eagle noted the tongue weight is carried by the tow vehicle and not the trailer axle. When unhitched it is carried by the tongue jack. Our previous 195RB Baja was similar with a 3750 GVWR but a single 3500 axle. I think this is fairly common on the smaller campers though I've seen some tandem axle units where the axle ratings don't cover 100%+ of the GVWR.

We usually ran very close to the GVWR with ~450 tongue weight and 3250 on the axle. That was with a second Group 24 battery on the tongue plus the larger 30lb propane tank. I would recommend running it over a CAT scale all loaded up to go camping to verify just how much your axle is carrying. Given that with the smaller campers they tend to run much closer to the GVWR when loaded I always wanted to know just how close I was on the axle.

Thank you for your response. I thought it might have to do with tongue weight but wasn't sure. I'm not comfortable living so close to the edge but it is beyond my capabilities to change out the axle so I will have to live with it. I think it is time for me to check my weights at my local CAT scale now that I know.

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by JayRidge

snip.....I think it is time for me to check my weights at my local CAT scale now that I know.

The following JOF link my be helpful at the CAT:

Cat scale how-to: https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...v-tt-3871.html

Bob

[BanjoBob]

Very common. My 242BHS has a GVWR of 7000 and I have 2 3500 axles but that is more uncommon, you should be fine.