Towing weight question

[hcooperrn]

I have an Agfinity Coop near me that has an outside scale for measuring their fertilizer sales, and they are kind enough to leave it on after business hours. It may not be certified, but even if off by a couple hundred pounds, close enough for me.

I weighed my truck (Ram 1500) on the way to pick up the boat, and then with the boat hooked up (Z3, no fuel or gear in this example), and did the math like this:
--Truck alone
Front axle 3280
Both axles 6200
Rear axle 2800
--Truck with boat connected
Front axle 3100
Both truck axles 6640
Truck and boat total 12900
Boat and truck rear axle 9700
Boat axles 6220

So doing the math, it was off by about 40 pounds somewhere, but I got:
--Front end lightened by 180 pounds
--Tongue weight 440 pounds (light due to empty fuel tank)
--Total boat weight 6700 pounds (will be just over 7000 when full of fuel)

[JohnnieMo]

That sounds exactly correct. I had very similar results with my Z1 and my Avalanche. I would assume a fertilizer scale would be very exact. Weight is money for them.

My boat was 5700 dry and up to 7000 loaded. I wouldn't short change your ability to add weight on a vacation

[NICKYPOO]

My local trailer shop let me borrow their tongue weight scale. It's just a small unit that sits under the tongue. You set it at the correct height for your trailer, drop the tongue on it on it simply gives you the weight. I'm sure any trailer shop worth its salt has one. For reference, my '00 22i on a SportBoats trailer came in at 565#.

It's nice to see the manufacturers finally stepping up their hitch setups. They used to be totally inadequate for these giant wake machines. Once I got a truck camper, I had to upgrade my hitch on my '04 Duramax. At the recommendation of my trailer guy (who happened to be a friend), I went with the Reese Titan class V. With the camper on, I need to run a Class V extension box so that I can tow the boat as well. He welded the hitch and some Torquelift camper tiedowns to the frame. He also put air bags in the rear. The whole setup has been bulletproof and well worth the money. It handles great and doesn't do anything unexpected. By the numbers it's overbuilt for my needs but he explained that going down the road is way different that just sitting in a parking lot. The dynamic loads imposed on the set up while actually underway are way more extreme. So while you may be within your limits, bouncing down the highway can easily push you in and out of your limits at any time. The reason you overbuilt is so that you stay within your limits under those dynamic loads.

[gman]

Thegerman618
that is one heavy load for a 24ve. that trailer and how many axles are you using and what is your tire size?

[Germaine Marine]

After towing boats too and from and all over the place I can tell you this...... If purchasing a new boat I would have any boat over 21feet come with a trailer that is set up for a 2-5/16 ball. The difference is astounding....

[UNSTUCK]

Is it possible to just swap out a surge brake actuator that has a 2" ball with one that has a 2 5/16" ball, or is there more to it than that? I guess there would have to be to make much of a difference.

[freeheel4life]

Unstuck,
UFP makes the A-160 which is a 2 5/16" they do two versions, one with a 3" drop and one with no drop. Believe the only option would be to cut old one off the tongue and weld on. They have some bolt ons in 2" but believe for larger size it's weld on only.
Elevated
What is your argument/positive points for going 2 5/16??

[Germaine Marine]

My boat sat on a spare trailer we had at the dealership because mine wasnt done which was a 2" ball. So I had some time on it. The increase in tracking and stability across the board to me was so great vs the 2" that I would never own another boat and trailer on anything less.

Get that baby moving or in big winds and its straight as an arrow.

I also use a sold hitch vs a hollow and that has a ton do do with reducing that dreaded hop.

[freeheel4life]

Assuming you meant the spare trailer was a 2 5/16" ya??
I guess besides the obvious max weight benefits between the two, I don't know how a larger ball would result in better tracking. Besides a larger surface area between ball and receiver that would increase friction I don't really see how ball size would effect tracking or especially stability. Was the spare trailer a Boatmate?? Leafs or torsions. I'm not disagreeing, just not getting it from a physics standpoint how a larger chunk of steel hanging off your *** results in said benefits.

[Germaine Marine]

the spare was a 2" ball my trailer I ordered was a 2 5-16.

I dont know physics but I know this much. I tow every day in the 5-7K pound range. My equipment is all on a 2 5/16 ball and it all tows great.

I have towed a ton of boats mostly on 2 inch balls, most tow like ****. My trailer came on a 2 5/16 and guess what... It towed like a dream.

If i were to hedge a bet I would say that my z3 is on the top end of the spectrum of being too much for a 2 inch ball, putting it now on a bigger ball which means a bigger tongue etc has a positive effect in the tracking department.

Bigger ball bigger pivot point, more friction yes but more surface area to handle that weight.

Both trailers boatmates and both identical aside from the tongues

[freeheel4life]

Right on. Did your new trailer come with the UFP hitch?? Have only seen them on larger cuddy cabin boats and we service a 25' Malibu sunscape that has one as well(constantly seems to be at our shop). I know that the best 2" balls max out at 8k so I certainly see nothing wrong with going to a 2 5/16". Especially if you are towing a 23' boat full of fuel and gear. Would much rather be overspecd than on the line. The one I'm still curious about is if anyone has tried using RV style weight distribution hitches. I'm thinking that it's probably impossible as they normally mount to wishbone on campers and boat trailers have a much longer box tube tongue instead of a wishbone that meets up at tongue. I certainly know that they make a huge difference for me on my half ton with a 27' camper.

[hcooperrn]

There are adapters you can buy to adapt a pole tongue to accept weight-distribution, here's one. I'm doing fine with the stock airbags on my 1/2ton, don't really know that WD would improve much, on top of having to disconnect it every time I get to the lake and want to launch.

There are also plenty of 2" balls that go to 10k plus, I'm using one on my Class IV setup with my Z3. Agree that bigger is better, 2 5/16" would help, as would stepping up to a 3/4 ton truck

Most of my towing experience comes from my farm days, so always a bit biased toward towing carefully over having all the bells and whistles (WD, electric-over-hydraulic, etc are nice-to-haves, can be safe without as well). Just throwing in my 2 cents.

[.NOBODY]

My 06 24Ve Full of fuel, with Lead bags, and gear, on a custom sport boat trailer is 8022lbs. Was surprised to find the tongue weight was right at 10% believe it was 820lbs.

How Toledo Batman! I have a RZ4, with about the equivalent lead weight but in with 6 jumbo batteries. I was always curious and thought it had to be up there. Now I need to go weigh mine to see if I can out do your 24VE. (joking)