Exceeding Tongue Weight

[Tscottok]

Hey MTC,

First, I want to say that it's never a good idea to exceed manufacturer ratings. These are made by engineers through serious testing, many of them written in blood, keep you/others safe on the road, and limits personal liability.


That being said, how important is tongue weight, and can you do something about it?

I love the KZ Escape e17 hatch. It comes in exactly at 4,000 GVWR (I know, super heavy for the Mav), but the "hatch" design makes it have a heavy tongue weight of 520 lbs.

From what I understand, if you're under your maximum weight ratings, trailer sway is primarily caused by weight distribution; either too heavy up front or in the back (obviously, we're leaving out all the other sway caused by wind/road/etc.). Too much rear weight introduces instability in the system (issues compensating lateral weight movement). Weight at the front (tongue) mainly hurts the stability/capabilities of the tow vehicle and not so much the trailer. You'll see squat, issues breaking, problems maneuvering and emergency steering. These are similar to what a heavy loaded truck will do, but much worse with a heavy, swaying trailer.

Since I planned on towing in my truck, I put a lot of rear suspension upgrades: air lift bags, timbren SES rubber springs, front/rear anti-sway bars (more details). I also have a Weigh Safe hitch that shows the real hitch weight when attached to the trailer.

My plan is to monitor the actual hitch weight when loading up the trailer, then rely on the aftermarket parts above to limit the impact of the trailer (assuming I might exceed my ratings).


Those who tow a lot, am I a fool considering this trailer?

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[ndmiller]

Quick google

If you don't have enough weight on the trailer tongue, the trailer may be prone to swaying from side to side, making it difficult to control. Conversely, if you have too much weight exerted on the hitch ball, the force could overload the rear tires of the tow vehicle and push the rear end of the vehicle around.

Yes that trailer would be a foolish option especially since other sane options exist. But it's your risk to take.

 

[The Real Maverick]

I have for decades had 15% trailer weight on the ball. Never had a single instance of sway. Ever.

10% should be the MINIMUM not maximum. 15% may be ideal for most cases. But disclaimer: every case is unique.

 

[todd92]

Your setup has 13% tongue weight which is ideal, not 'heavy'. There is no max tongue weight, unless there's a sticker on the hitch. Generally though, above 500 lbs should have a WDH, but your right there. Your exceeding neither the max towing or payload, so the only issue would be too much sag which you've already added all the tools to counteract. You're at the limit, not over, so give it a try. FWIW, sway bars have nothing to do with trailer sway.

 

[SVTRIDE]

There is no max tongue weight, unless there's a sticker on the hitch. Generally though, above 500 lbs should have a WDH, but your right there.

Disagree.
See Page 40 of Ford’s publication 2024 FORD RV and Trailer Towing Guide.
Probably same for prior MYs. I have no TW sticker on my hitch receiver but below info is applicable.
https://www.globalowneraem.ford.com...523-Ford-2024-RVTTGuide-Ev7-NS-Remediated.pdf

 

[todd92]

Then your way over.

 

[realshelby]

Don't overlook the fact that the Maverick is a unibody vehicle. Which is just fine....up to a point. Compared to the much thicker steel of a body on frame vehicle, the "hitch" mounts to much thinner sheet metal. Too much stress can too easily tweak that metal compared to a more rigid traditional frame. While I may push toward the listed limit on tongue weight....I would NOT feel good going to it or over.
In some towing specs ( possibly the "J" standards used by Ford) there is also a spec on how long your hitch ball is set from the hitch face. Go over that and the "rated" tongue weight gets lower.

 

[SLJ]

Typically as a guide, max tongue weight when you can't find it is 10% of max towing weight. So a 4K tow package would typically have a 400 pound max tongue weight. You should never tow with too much tongue weight and never tow with less than 10% of the trailer's weight on the tongue. I prefer a little more than 10%. If you can't stay within those parameters don't do it. Towing with less than 10% on the tongue can lead to trailer sway and then you're screwed at highway speeds. Towing above the max tongue weight can lead to suspension damage and/or loss of control. Still there will be idiots out there that say you can do it.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

Are you planning on putting anything in this "max weight" trailer?...

 

[Johnny maverick]

Im not saying I did but I know guy that tows way more than that with his maverick. It hauls it ok. Just get ready for single digit mpg.

 

[Tscottok]

Thanks for all the input!

Honestly, I don't think this trailer is worth it. Even if I'm able to deal with the hitch/trailer weight, it's going to be nerve racking to tow, and struggle with any kind of weight.


Any recommendations on another trailer?

I think the Sun-lite 16BH looks really cool!
weights: 3500 GVWR, 2500 dry, 150 hitch

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