Does (the stuff on) Your Tongue Stick Out?

[Frederick L. Simson]

My Fiber Stream has only about 7% of the Total Weight (2620 lbs) as Tongue Weight (200 lbs). I carry "stuff" inside in tote bins, on the floor as far forward as possible. Other "stuff" is carried in the large compartment under the Right Bunk that has a large exterior baggage door. My Battery compartment is under that bunk with it's own exterior access door.

I have never experienced a sway problem. I assume that the reason is the Fiber Stream's double axles. I have a friction anti-sway bar, but I don't use it unless I expect to be driving under high wind conditions.




I have a 2nd Group 27 Battery in a portable battery box. I use it only during boondocking to supply the 400-watt inverter that powers up my old cathode-ray-tube TV/VCR. Yes, I'm a Neanderthal, but if it ain't broke, don't spend any money fixing it. I would like to permanently mount this box on the tongue, and wire it in parallel with the house battery.




The rub is: where? The propane tanks are where they are now because of interference with the Weight Distribution Hitch spring arm chain hook assemblies. Usually, the tanks are placed closer to the body. I had to cut the propane cover to allow the hooks to hinge up. If I move the tanks back, closer to the body, I would have to elevate them so they will be above the WDH assemblies and not interfere, and I could mount the 2nd Battery Box in front of them.

It would be easier to move the tanks forward, closer to the jack, and place the 2nd Battery box behind them. However, the double tanks would now overhang the sides of the hitch. Would that interfere with turning? Or not? Would it look weird? Or better?

What about my frame? Would it hold up to the added weight?

[Per Walthinsen]

I'm measuring a tongue weight of just under 10%. Sidewinder jack, twin propane tanks, breakaway switch stuff, and 2 battery boxes. However, the batteries are inside the trailer, so one battery box contains sewer hoses, the other stabilizing jacks. Not much weight, and not much to pilfer either.

No tendency to sway so far, tracking is excellent.

I hope your frame is sturdier than it looks. Makes me cringe a bit.

[Brian B-P]

Like Frederick, I have the placement of stuff on the tongue compromised to accommodate a weight-distribution (WD) system... but I don't have a WD hitch. Boler seems to have placed the double propane tank bracket way forward - and hanging off both sides - to keep the likely area of WD brackets free. The battery is thus behind the propane tanks.

This is the setup which Frederick is contemplating. To answer his questions:

• yes, it intereferes with tight turns, limiting moves in restricted areas and even damaging my bumper when I misjudge;
• I think it looks a little weird, but I don't really care.

I would like to change this setup, but it has not made it to the top of my priority list yet, and I am aware that accommodating a WD system may be important to the next owner (old eggs never die, they just get adopted).

Tongue weight with two full "20 pound" propane tanks and Group 24 battery is about 10% of the 2400 lb empty weight, and I maintain that fraction as I load up to about 3000 lb total.


And Per... the Fiber Stream frame isn't sturdy (as Frederick as explained in the past). It makes me cringe every time it's mentioned, but seems to be - in my opinion - one of the very few questionable features of the Fiber Stream.

[Gina D.]

I have 2 jacks on mine.

The single bar WDH I have sits sideways and the bar comes dangerously close to a jack knife if I have to cut hard when backing in that direction. It overhangs the frame by about 9 inches.

I have thought of a two piece arm, chopping the end of the overhang and fashioning a longer arm when needed, like the levers/pumping arms on bottle jacks.

If you remember the bumper of the Element, you will remember the dents in it from making contact with the handle on the swing up jack. It only hung out about 6 inches.

I personally would keep everything within the "Zone" of the triangle as much as possible.

[Frederick L. Simson]

I hope your frame is sturdier than it looks. [b]Makes me cringe a bit.

And Per... the Fiber Stream frame isn't sturdy (as Frederick as explained in the past). [b]It makes me cringe every time it's mentioned, but seems to be - in my opinion - one of the very few questionable features of the Fiber Stream.

Like yawning, [b]cringing is contagious!

In a perfect world, I would be doing a complete frame-off rebuild, but I have neither the time nor the funding for such a project.

My present set-up is a compromise, that may serve well enough to continue. At least until Santa brings me that Big Foot 25B21RB that I want.