Maximum Hitch weight

[kayakr2769]

Before I pull the trigger on the diesel gladiator .. I am trying to find out what the maximum hitch weight / tongue weight is .. how does one calculate that figure .. I understand the hitch / tongue weight needs to be in the 10.5% to 15% of the trailer weight .. example : trailer weighs 5500 lbs .. minimum tongue weight will be 557.5 lbs ? .. so how do I learn how close i am pushing to the maximum tongue weight ?

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[ShadowsPapa]

Before I pull the trigger on the diesel gladiator .. I am trying to find out what the maximum hitch weight / tongue weight is .. how does one calculate that figure .. I understand the hitch / tongue weight needs to be in the 10.5% to 15% of the trailer weight .. example : trailer weighs 5500 lbs .. minimum tongue weight will be 557.5 lbs ? .. so how do I learn how close i am pushing to the maximum tongue weight ?

I look at it this way - figure what the truck is rated to tow and then figure 15% of that and your hitch should easily handle that much. If you can tow 6,000 pounds then it seems reasonable the hitch should support 900 pounds of tongue weight - but that counts against your payload so.............

The hitch that is on the JT with the tow package is a Class IV 2" Hitch Receiver and the HITCH has a 7,650 lb. towing capacity (likely with a weight distributing hitch as even my Silverado said max without a WDH was 6,000 pounds)

Otherwise can't find a spec per se on the max tongue weight the hitch can handle - not so far.

 

[kayakr2769]

I look at it this way - figure what the truck is rated to tow and then figure 15% of that and your hitch should easily handle that much. If you can tow 6,000 pounds then it seems reasonable the hitch should support 900 pounds of tongue weight - but that counts against your payload so.............

The hitch that is on the JT with the tow package is a Class IV 2" Hitch Receiver and the HITCH has a 7,650 lb. towing capacity (likely with a weight distributing hitch as even my Silverado said max without a WDH was 6,000 pounds)

Otherwise can't find a spec per se on the max tongue weight the hitch can handle - not so far.

Thank you Bill for responding .. I will definitely be purchasing a WDH ... and maybe some air bags .. I will try and download a rendition of what I am trying to build .. Glenn

 

[Ferg]

What type of diesel JT do you have? The specs vary.

 

[MPMB]

Before I pull the trigger on the diesel gladiator .. I am trying to find out what the maximum hitch weight / tongue weight is .. how does one calculate that figure .. I understand the hitch / tongue weight needs to be in the 10.5% to 15% of the trailer weight .. example : trailer weighs 5500 lbs .. minimum tongue weight will be 557.5 lbs ? .. so how do I learn how close i am pushing to the maximum tongue weight ?

Otherwise can't find a spec per se on the max tongue weight the hitch can handle - not so far.

It's in the manual. 10% of max towing capacity is the tongue weight capacity.

 

[LostWoods]

It's in the manual. 10% of max towing capacity is the hitch weight capacity.

Yup this right here though in theory, they're all the same back there so the Max Tow max of 750 is the theoretical max for all with the proper hitch as long as you aren't exceeding payload.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It's in the manual. 10% of max towing capacity is the hitch weight capacity.

Class IV 2" Hitch Receiver and the HITCH has a 7,650 lb. towing capacity

The receiver itself has a towing capacity regardless of the truck's capacity - so that's hard to fathom. They are saying that a Class IV hitch with a 7650 towing capacity (regardless of the truck's smaller limits) will only handle 10% of the truck's towing capacity?
My hitch can handle 7650 pounds towing, the truck says 6,000 pounds, so that 7650 hitch because of the trucks towing capacity is reduced to 600 pounds tongue weight?
If I tow 5,000 pounds, I COULD have a tongue weight of 750 pounds (15% of the trailer weight - depending on the trailer you want 10-15% of the trailer weight as tongue weight)
So you are saying the book is saying I can't have the proper percentage of tongue weight because of the 10% of tow rating of the truck?

That hitch will handle it. It's bolted to the same frame points of every other JT, including max tow and Rubicon.
So a 7650 pound rated hitch will handle only 600 pounds on an Overland but that SAME EXACT HITCH, no difference at all, same receiver, same bolts, same frame mounting points, will handle over 700 pounds if it's on a max tow but more than 100 less on an Overland.
So a 6000 pound tow rating goes out the door because you can't handle the tongue weight......

I never found that spot in the manual - where is it, what page?

 

[Ferg]

Look on pp. 213-216, right side of the chart.

 

[MPMB]

The receiver itself has a towing capacity regardless of the truck's capacity - so that's hard to fathom. They are saying that a Class IV hitch with a 7650 towing capacity (regardless of the truck's smaller limits) will only handle 10% of the truck's towing capacity?
My hitch can handle 7650 pounds towing, the truck says 6,000 pounds, so that 7650 hitch because of the trucks towing capacity is reduced to 600 pounds tongue weight?
If I tow 5,000 pounds, I COULD have a tongue weight of 750 pounds (15% of the trailer weight - depending on the trailer you want 10-15% of the trailer weight as tongue weight)
So you are saying the book is saying I can't have the proper percentage of tongue weight because of the 10% of tow rating of the truck?

That hitch will handle it. It's bolted to the same frame points of every other JT, including max tow and Rubicon.
So a 7650 pound rated hitch will handle only 600 pounds on an Overland but that SAME EXACT HITCH, no difference at all, same receiver, same bolts, same frame mounting points, will handle over 700 pounds if it's on a max tow but more than 100 less on an Overland.
So a 6000 pound tow rating goes out the door because you can't handle the tongue weight......

I never found that spot in the manual - where is it, what page?

I clarified my post with "tongue weight." The numbers are straight from the manual (I have it linked in my sig, manual pp. 214-216), so that's the reference point. Whether it makes sense or not is irrelevant.

Class IV hitches are maxed out at 10,000#-14,000#, depending on if it's a weight carrying or distributing hitch. So that means tongue weight can be 500#-1400#.

The distributions are probably all part of the difference suspension packages and payloads. All likely determined by some risk analyst in a cubicle.

If you're using the trim vs. trim differences to justify running more tongue weight, you might as well just tow the max Gladiator can tow, regardless of trim.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Look on pp. 213-216, right side of the chart.

Found it - page numbers different but you said right side of chart, so I looked for charts in the towing pages.
VERY odd that they do that because that exact SAME identical part number receiver is used on ALL JTs with the tow package including the max tow. The receiver is the same so can technically carry the same weight.

Tongue weight recommendations from a company's trailer towing guide -
Single axle = 10% min, 15% max
Tandem axle = 9% - 15%
Travel trailer = 11% - 15%

So restricting it to 10% means even at only 5500 pounds of trailer, at only 12% of trailer weight on the tongue puts you at 660 pounds, 60 pounds over according to that chart and yet you are under max trailer weight and right in the money on tongue weight.
Makes no sense to me.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I clarified my post with "tongue weight." The numbers are straight from the manual (I have it linked in my sig, manual pp. 214-216), so that's the reference point. Whether it makes sense or not is irrelevant.

Class IV hitches are maxed out at 10,000#-14,000#, depending on if it's a weight carrying or distributing hitch. So that means tongue weight can be 500#-1400#.

The distributions are probably all part of the difference suspension packages and payloads. All likely determined by some risk analyst in a cubicle.

If you're using the trim vs. trim differences to justify running more tongue weight, you might as well just tow the max Gladiator can tow, regardless of trim.

No one is justifying anything - just that restricting to those tongue weights is saying you can't follow recommendations of the trailer equipment companies in all cases. Of course hauling 5500 pounds is pretty darned close to maximum towing rating in my example so is pushing it anyway.

I'm only saying that payload on, just for example, a JT rated for 6,000 pounds towing is over 1,000 pounds. It has to be that they're figuring it on wheelbase, truck weight and so on - I suppose likely because it's behind the bumper so has leverage over the suspension that normal payload in the box would not.

 

[Ferg]

Found it - page numbers different but you said right side of chart, so I looked for charts in the towing pages.
VERY odd that they do that because that exact SAME identical part number receiver is used on ALL JTs with the tow package including the max tow. The receiver is the same so can technically carry the same weight.

Tongue weight recommendations from a company's trailer towing guide -
Single axle = 10% min, 15% max
Tandem axle = 9% - 15%
Travel trailer = 11% - 15%

So restricting it to 10% means even at only 5500 pounds of trailer, at only 12% of trailer weight on the tongue puts you at 660 pounds, 60 pounds over according to that chart and yet you are under max trailer weight and right in the money on tongue weight.
Makes no sense to me.

I suspect the way the JT is decked out makes a difference in how much it can tow and what the hitch weight limits are -- in other words, it's the truck that makes the difference, not the hitch itself. I'm absolutely not an expert, though.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I suspect the way the JT is decked out makes a difference in how much it can tow and what the hitch weight limits are -- in other words, it's the truck that makes the difference, not the hitch itself. I'm absolutely not an expert, though.

Yeah, apparently the engineers and test engineers had to make some compromises - get you "best in class" tow rating but can't quite get the tongue weight up there to match.
They look at far more than we have the ability to - and I don't have a membership in SAE myself.
I just try to figure it out.

 

[MPMB]

Since trailer tongue weight is counted as payload, Jeep has to make all the amounts add up to to a reasonable amount.

With payloads between 1000-1700, maxing out tongue weights at 765#, that leaves 235#-535#. Take the smallest payload with the most weight, that's maybe 1 passenger to stay under the GVWR.

So with a tow rating of 7000# and payload of 1200#, my Rubicon has 500# of payload left. 500# for a passenger (or the family), and a few bags of luggage/gear.

Compare that to a Sport S with Max Tow; Jeep lists payload at 1700#. 7650 max towing, so 765# tongue weight. 935# left.

6000# towing capacity (Overland/Mojave) with 1200# capacity (O/L is slightly less), gives 600# leftover payload.

Practically speaking, most people with travel trailers have 2-4, maybe 5 people in the cab, so that takes up most of the leftover payload capacity.

That's why the rates are different among the models.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Luckily most with a travel trailer/camper will have a WDH so won't have that just hanging on the tongue. That helps spread things out.

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