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Swing out hitch carriers and tongue weight ?


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I read somewhere that the maximum tongue weight for my new 2019 Transit Connect Passenger XLT long wheelbase is 200 pounds

How is that figured?

Is it based on the suspensions ability to handle the load, or the frames ability to handle the load of the hitch ?

Is it based on "while moving" or "at rest"?

 

We're in the planning stages of a "weekender" mini RV build and a swing away cargo carrier is a key component

If the tongue weight is based on "while moving" - when the swing away arm will be folded tight, then we can load closer to the 200#s. If it's calculated based on being parked then some extremely complicated math is going to have to be done to figure out what the tongue weight is when the arm is swung out (like a long lever)

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It's not the suspension.  I suspect its the hitch itself.  The factory hitch has the receiver welded to a plate that fits behind the bumper cover.  (If you crawl under the bumper with a flashlight, you can see it)  As a result, I suspect that the receiver can only support 200 pounds without bending the plate or breaking the weld.  Kurt sells an aftermarket hitch for the TC with a 500 pound tongue weight limit that mounts below the bumper and is much stronger.  However, you would have to remove your factory hitch which is a pain.  There's a lot of pics and info on hitches in this forum if you look around.

 

You may want to consider a small luggage trailer instead of a hitch carrier.  Then you could go a big or small as you need.

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I left off a very important piece of information - it is NOT a factory hitch

I'll be adding an aftermarket Curt class III hitch 

The rating on the Curt tongue is 525 lbs

 

So now looking at it I realize I did not ask the question correctly

 

Is the tongue weight still 200 lbs even though I have a 525 lb class III hitch attached - in other words, is it based on the suspension capabilities ?

 

Still not sure how the math works for the swing out arm

 

Edited by Sudsy
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Ford says the TC is rated to tow 2000 Lbs. The standard tongue weight for a 2000 Lb trailer  is 10%   as a result they say 200 Lbs on the tongue.   I am sure that there lawyers tell them to stay quiet on cargo carriers and bike racks.

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Don's correct, none of us really know. There is much more to this calculation than just the weight on the tongue. Vehicle engineers decided to use a Class 1 hitch on this vehicle, 2000 tow and 200 tongue weights so the vehicle can safely drive in a wide variety of conditions,  including the total vehicle weight and cargo, passengers and so on. It will affect the handling of the vehicle, especially if it's overloaded. Speaking of hitches and tongue weights, they are designed to handle much more than their rating. Imagine driving over a bump, the tongue gets light going up and much heavier coming back down. Hitches are designed to support that. The resulting weight can be 2 times more than the actual 200 pounds, depending on the conditions, which again are widely varied. The Curt hitch is Class 3, but putting 500 pounds on the tongue behind the rear wheels will definitely make the front end light especially if you add cargo in the back. Do what you like, but be careful.

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I forgot to mention probably the most important aspect -braking. Say some hotshot pulls in front of you and hits the brakes, forcing you to brake hard and/or swerve to avoid them, is often the result of a jack-knifed trailer, especially a trailer without trailer brakes which most of the small trailers do not have. The more weight you are towing, the worse this scenario is.

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No towing

 

My only worry is 3 days worth of camping firewood on the cargo rack and a 2 hour drive in traffic in NJ, that's the only time there will be enough weight to concern me (I've no idea what that would weigh)

 

I'll also occasionally be carrying a live well with 20 to 25 gallons of seawater, 212 lbs max, but that will not entail any distance driving at all, 5 miles on 35 mph roads would be max and I'll be driving extremely carefully

 

Most of the time it will have one nights worth of firewood,, a grill, shovel.......... dirtier stuff that we won't want inside, not a lot of weight.

Edited by Sudsy
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If  you are limiting the use to what you say  you will not have any issues if you do nothing.  The trouble you would get into with the fire wood is being arrested for transporting the fire wood with out  a permit.

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In CA, there is talk of taxing drinking water.

 

3 days ago - California Gov. Gavin Newsom revealed new details of his plans to charge water customers in the state a new tax to fund safe drinking water for ...
Jan 10, 2019 - Tackling what promises to be a controversial issue, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a tax on drinking water Thursday to help disadvantaged ...
Feb 7, 2019 - Californians with unhealthy drinking water pleaded for help from lawmakers this week but opposition quickly developed to Gov.
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 The New Jersey Division of Parks & Forestry discourages visitors from bringing firewood into New Jersey State Parks.  "

Brilliant ! They don't sell or provide firewood at Worthington State Park, where my fishing club is camping in a month, so lot of good that request is going to do.

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 3/27/2019 at 3:12 AM, Fifty150 said:

Might as well tell you that although camp fires are not prohibited, you are not allowed to pollute the air with smoke, and will be cited for the smoke.

 

They just passed a law in the state that there is no smoking on any public property - so in other words sitting around the campfire with a good cigar is now illegal in NJ

I hate this nanny state

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