Rear end droop when hitched...

[Labswine]

So, yesterday someone on Facebook asked for the receiver height (the bottom of it) on a stock Overland with the trailer package.

Well, it's 18 1/2".

So, today, I hitched up my trailer, 27' hitch to bumper, to get ready for a trip and just outta curiosity measured the receiver bottom height. It's 16". That's a 2 1/2" drop. This is also with my WDH hooked up. I'm guessing that's not too bad. NO air bags either.

Now, my trailer is around 5,300 lbs totally loaded but I didn't fill the 36 gallon fresh water tank so that drops about 300 lbs so we're looking at around 5,000 lbs. Unloaded weight is 4,700 lbs. Unloaded hitch weight is 430 lbs so loaded I'd guess what? 500 lbs? Still within the limits.

Anyone else measure theirs unhitched, then hitched?

Curious as to what you get. Please list approximate trailer size, weight, and at least brochure tongue weight.

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[brianinca]

4,700 empty trailer and 430 lb hitch weight doesn't compute, you should have at LEAST 10% (I aim for 12%) of trailer weight on the hitch. Don't trust the datasheet, go get it weighed. Edit to add: THROW BROCHURE AWAY

I haven't measured absolute drop on either trailer we have, for the big one with the WDH the issue is relative balance front to rear. If you have the ass squatting, your front tires are unloaded, which compromises steering and braking. If your truck is dead level hooked up, then your WDH is doing its job and life is good. It may look weird, because the rake is gone, but that's why a normal pickup stance unloaded has a rake.

Edit to add: 24' dual axle travel trailer, 6000 lb with 4 gal in black tank, 30 gal in fresh, 720 lb hitch, 20 lb over limit (found out a few months ago).

For my new Jeep trailer, it's light enough the Sumo springs take care of it, so I've still got my Firestone's on the shelf. Pintle mounts don't do WDH.

 

[Snake Eyes]

4,700 empty trailer and 430 lb hitch weight doesn't compute, you should have at LEAST 10% (I aim for 12%) of trailer weight on the hitch. Don't trust the datasheet, go get it weighed. Edit to add: THROW BROCHURE AWAY

I haven't measured absolute drop on either trailer we have, for the big one with the WDH the issue is relative balance front to rear. If you have the ass squatting, your front tires are unloaded, which compromises steering and braking. If your truck is dead level hooked up, then your WDH is doing its job and life is good. It may look weird, because the rake is gone, but that's why a normal pickup stance unloaded has a rake.

Edit to add: 24' dual axle travel trailer, 6000 lb with 4 gal in black tank, 30 gal in fresh, 720 lb hitch, 20 lb over limit (found out a few months ago).

For my new Jeep trailer, it's light enough the Sumo springs take care of it, so I've still got my Firestone's on the shelf. Pintle mounts don't do WDH.

Agree. Get weighed for proper tongue weight. Guessing in that area is a bad idea as too little or too much can hurt you.

 

[Free2roam]

Damn I was thinking you were all carrying around your ball and chains with ya. Reason for the droop. Sorry had to ad a little humor.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

4,700 empty trailer and 430 lb hitch weight doesn't compute, you should have at LEAST 10% (I aim for 12%) of trailer weight on the hitch. Don't trust the datasheet, go get it weighed. Edit to add: THROW BROCHURE AWAY

I haven't measured absolute drop on either trailer we have, for the big one with the WDH the issue is relative balance front to rear. If you have the ass squatting, your front tires are unloaded, which compromises steering and braking. If your truck is dead level hooked up, then your WDH is doing its job and life is good. It may look weird, because the rake is gone, but that's why a normal pickup stance unloaded has a rake.

Edit to add: 24' dual axle travel trailer, 6000 lb with 4 gal in black tank, 30 gal in fresh, 720 lb hitch, 20 lb over limit (found out a few months ago).

For my new Jeep trailer, it's light enough the Sumo springs take care of it, so I've still got my Firestone's on the shelf. Pintle mounts don't do WDH.

I posted snippets from a couple of trailer sites that said 8%-15%.
The low end depends on the weight of the trailer. The rule is generically applied though to all trailers.
I have been trying to find the one site that told of the different percentage for a light trailer vs. a heavy one (over xxx pounds) but can't find the link again.
I did find the links I had that say 9%, though. But people love simple numbers, and the forums out there are filled with 10-15 even though some real experts will contradict that.
I've run 8% on car haulers and done fine - some depends on the distance of the front axle to the hitch, where the axles are under the trailer, too.

I'll see if I can find the snippets I posted here a month or so ago - 8% was their low- I think it was an Aussie site.

Here's one that says experts say 9-15%


ow to Measure Tongue Weight | MrTruck.com - Weigh Safehttps://www.weigh-safe.com › Blog
Dec 15, 2014 — Weigh Safe – as well as most experts agree – that an acceptable tongue weight for any trailer is somewhere between 9 to 15 percent of the gross ...
That's a company that makes hitch parts and scales.

From another site -

Most trailer manufacturers and towing experts recommend that trailers should be loaded in way that around 9 to 15 percent of the gross trailer weight is ...

and still another says "it's not that simple - a lot depends on axle spacing, how the weight is distributed in or on the trailer........" among other things.

Many are worded "should not exceed" which suggests in some cases, it could be too much.
-------------
Pickup Trucks 101: What You Need to Know Before Hitching
Jan 29, 2010 — It shouldn't exceed 10 to 15 percent of the trailer's weight for a conventional

---------

Subaru says -
Ascent Owner's Manual states: "Ensure that the trailer tongue load is from 8 to 11 percent of the total trailer weight......"

--------
The problem is that the internet is where copy and paste happens - someone latched onto the 10-15% and it stuck - even etrailer is often guilty of copying text from another site and using that as their answer, and I've seen it the other way around, too.

What I've found over the years is that there's an 8% bottom and a 15% top, and where you are ideal varies with the trailer design, how it's loaded - is it high or low in the trailer, is it even in the trailer, where are the axles and more.
I've towed with almost 15% tongue weight behind my Chevy and it sucked. I mean it was nasty. I've towed with 9-10% and been totally fine with 0 sway.
That's with MY trailers. YMMV

 

[Tokolosh]

So, yesterday someone on Facebook asked for the receiver height (the bottom of it) on a stock Overland with the trailer package.

Well, it's 18 1/2".

So, today, I hitched up my trailer, 27' hitch to bumper, to get ready for a trip and just outta curiosity measured the receiver bottom height. It's 16". That's a 2 1/2" drop. This is also with my WDH hooked up. I'm guessing that's not too bad. NO air bags either.

Now, my trailer is around 5,300 lbs totally loaded but I didn't fill the 36 gallon fresh water tank so that drops about 300 lbs so we're looking at around 5,000 lbs. Unloaded weight is 4,700 lbs. Unloaded hitch weight is 430 lbs so loaded I'd guess what? 500 lbs? Still within the limits.

Anyone else measure theirs unhitched, then hitched?

Curious as to what you get. Please list approximate trailer size, weight, and at least brochure tongue weight.

If you are dropping 2.5" at the hitch you may need to adjust the WDH. Check your front end on the Jeep. The way I learned is to measure the height of your front wheel well when unhitched, then measure again when hitched. Your front well shouldn't be more than 1/2" to 1" higher.

 

[azmojave]

https://timbren.com/i-30498029-timbren-ses-suspension-enhancement-system-sku-jrgd-rear-kit.html

 

[Labswine]

If you are dropping 2.5" at the hitch you may need to adjust the WDH. Check your front end on the Jeep. The way I learned is to measure the height of your front wheel well when unhitched, then measure again when hitched. Your front well shouldn't be more than 1/2" to 1" higher.

My Jeep is actually visually level with the trailer hitched and the WDH/sway bar engaged. I have the BluOx WDH. So it's the bars and a chain on the cams to hook it up. I have three links showing below the cams so they're tight. Without the trailer attached, you can see the rear is higher than the front end (the rake is it were).

I just did a weekend trip (my Birthday ) to Chincoteague, VA and back. 175 miles each way. It was windy and I had zero issues with sway and zero issues with steering. The front end felt just as planted as if I wasn't towing anything.

This setup works very well (for me). So, I'm thinking that I'm probably at that 10% level of tongue weight. 500 lbs tongue weight for a 5,000 lb trailer.

Mind you, it'd probably be slightly more if I filled the fresh water tank (36 gallons = ~290 lbs) but also, that tank sits right over the twin axles so I can't really see it making a significant contribution to tongue weight, just overall trailer weight.

 

[jt_southwest]

Using a WDH, you should be able to get back to within an inch of drop. You may need to adjust your hitch.

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