25B25RT Trip ready tongue/hitch weight - Fiberglass RV
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Old 10-09-2020, 05:18 PM   #1
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Name: Ed
Trailer: Bigfoot 25 RT
Colorado
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25B25RT Trip ready tongue/hitch weight

The marketing literature says that the average hitch weight is 610#

Buying a new tow vehicle.

I'm looking for the real world, trip ready tongue weight. I'm guessing it's much more than 610#.

Thank you:

Ed
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Old 10-09-2020, 05:44 PM   #2
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I think you are correct.
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Old 10-09-2020, 06:36 PM   #3
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Expect around 1,000. Our RQ model with front storage box is 1200#. Not much in storage box either. Go to the CAT scales.
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Old 10-09-2020, 07:18 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Olive View Post
Expect around 1,000. Our RQ model with front storage box is 1200#. Not much in storage box either. Go to the CAT scales.
Don't have it yet. On order.
I'm shopping for a new TV.

Management doesn't want a pickup truck so that leaves SUV's.

The Ford Expedition with the max tow package if rated to tow 9,300# with a WDH with a max tongue weight of 930#.

It's just me, but I like to leave myself a 10% safety margin which means a max tongue weight of just over 800# stretched to 850#.

Trailer on a diet? Travel with minimum water?
I have a Sherline tongue weight scale I used on the previous trailer to keep the weight where I wanted it.

The GVWR of the trailer is 7,500# so it should never weigh more than that with from 10% to 15% on the tongue.

I wonder if 750# to 850# is achievable.
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Old 10-10-2020, 04:32 AM   #5
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Name: Bruce & Kathryn
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Trailer weighs right at 7,000#. You should be fine with a weight distribution hitch. Mine tows very well. Good luck,
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Old 10-10-2020, 05:56 AM   #6
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We towed our 28’ Bigfoot Silver Cloud for four years with our 2010 Ford Expedition with max towing package. Very similar setup to what you are describing. Big hills will always be an issue since the Expedition doesn’t have the power of a 3/4 ton truck, but plan to just travel a bit more slowly at times. Also, you can make your towing life much more pleasant by investing $3000 more in the ProPride WDH/anti-sway hitch. We have had ours for 4 years and wouldn’t tow a big trailer without it.
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Old 10-10-2020, 02:36 PM   #7
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I have a 25RQ with cargo box. Just installed 4 lithium batteries well ahead of the axles. I am loading the trailer now and hope to go camping in about 2 weeks or so. Fully loaded I expect my tongue weight to be between 1100 and 1500 lbs when I take it to the scales before we hit the road. I keep changing what I carry in the cargo box, so I won't know exactly how much it weights until the day before we leave and I weigh it.

Last year I pull it with a 2011 Tundra 4x4 with 5.7L engine. It pulled ok, but not great. With a camper shell and a bed slide the payload capacity was maxed out. Also I wanted a bit more confidence in going down hill, so we bought a RAM 2500 diesel 4x4 crew cab with a camper shell.

I use a Blue Ox Sway Pro and it does a very good job. The trailer pulls so well I sometimes don't even bother to hook it up however.

I had a 17' Casita prior to the BF. The BF pulls and stops much better than the Casita, which was half the weight. I had an Andersen WDH on it. The Blue Ox is a much better system.
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Old 10-10-2020, 02:50 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rzrbrn View Post
Fully loaded I expect my tongue weight to be between 1100 and 1500 lbs when I take it to the scales before we hit the road. I keep changing what I carry in the cargo box, so I won't know exactly how much it weights until the day before we leave and I weigh it.

Given the GVWR of the trailer of 7,500#, the scale weight of the trailer will be interesting.
Please let us know the trailer weight.

Just got an e-mail reply from Trailer World, Denver; one of the biggest Bigfoot dealers in the US. They said if I properly balance the load, and leave my collection of Lodge cast iron cookware at home, I should see a tongue weight between 700 and 750#. I have no cargo box.

Thanks

Ed
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Old 10-10-2020, 04:41 PM   #9
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I suggest you look at Trailer Weights in the Real World for true weights. Discount the outliers (600 and 1,420) and it's closer to 1,000. That leaves you 750, 900, and 12,000. Our 25RQ had a tongue weight between 950-1,000 and we didn't have a front storage box. Do you really want to play the weight game because you purchased an inadequate tow vehicle. A weight distribution hitch can just mask a problem, until it's too late. I sincerely doubt 750-850#'s is realistic. I'd figure 1,000#'s minimum. A Ford Expedition configured correctly should be just fine, but I said "configured correctly." You're on the edge with a standard Expedition.

We used a Blue Ox WDH hitch and loved it. We'd had Equalizer hitches in the past, but tired of the constant squeaking.

Enjoy,

Perry
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Old 10-10-2020, 06:24 PM   #10
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Trailer: 2007 Bigfoot 25b25rq
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We tow our Bigfoot with an F150. The short answer is that an F150 will do it, but an F250 is the more appropriate tow rig. Our trailer is ~6500 lb loaded, the truck tow capacity is listed at 8700, yet I am basically maxed on both truck axles. (By the way--did you know that there is no agreed upon standard for determining truck tow capacity?) Tongue weight is not your only concern.

Our tongue weight is around 900 lb, but after setting up the equalizer hitch the truck is only experiencing an extra 600 lb of downward force, so the 600 lb number isn't totally unrealistic. Of course this will increase with a tongue box, the amount of fresh water, etc., so I think the quoted number of 700-750 lb is in the same ballpark. I think part of the issue is that not everyone measures the tongue weight the same way. I compared my axle weights for the truck alone with the axle weights with the trailer attached, and there was only a 600 lb difference. I'm not sure if this is the correct way to measure tongue weight, but those are the numbers. If you put the jack on the scale the scale reading will fluctuate significantly with small changes in the height of the tongue.

Anyhow, my next truck will be an F250. With a 5.4L V8, 3.73 axle, I'm still down to 45 mph on mountain passes. My trip over the North Cascades this summer caused my passenger side exhaust manifold to warp. Worst vehicle repair of my life...

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Old 10-10-2020, 08:35 PM   #11
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Trailer: Bigfoot 25 RT
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The Expedition we’re thinking about has the max tow package.
Class 4 hitch
GCWR 15,500#
Max trailer weight. 9,200#. 920# on the hitch. I will use my Sherline tongue weight scale to balance the trailer load.
Payload varies somewhat based on the model but is in the 1,600# range.

We are a one car family and simply don’t want a truck as our daily driver. 90% around home, 10% towing.

Equalizer WDH system to be used.

No decision yet, but this is looking like our best option.
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Old 10-10-2020, 09:17 PM   #12
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I'm sure that will work--I have towed a fair amount with a truck that is very similar, but the Bigfoot is right at the top end of what my truck can tow. Your GCWR is only 600 lb more than mine and your max trailer weight is only 500 lb. more than my truck. You will be under weight for those, and probably under the 920 lb tongue weight, but if you pack the trailer and truck with much cargo I predict you will be at the max. on your individual truck axles. Some like to stay under those numbers, while others have claimed that they have far exceeded them with no problem. I think that Ford claiming my truck has an 8700 lb tow capacity is deceptive when a 6500 lb trailer maxes out both truck axles. My point is don't take the 9200 lb tow rating too seriously.

Your truck will have a different engine and transmission than my 2005 F150, which may help when pulling up mountain passes.

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Old 10-11-2020, 02:53 AM   #13
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All comments are truly appreciated.
In the perfect world in which I do not live, I would get an E-450.

Looks like the Excursion will be our compromise tow vehicle.
Drive slowly as I always do, measure my weights, leave the Lodge cast iron cookware at home.

Thanks

Ed
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Old 10-11-2020, 08:10 AM   #14
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Tongue weights are just that. A measurement of the tongue at the ball WITHOUT a WDH.

A WDH will transfer some weight back to the camper axle, but most weight is transferred to the front tug axle. Airbags do next to nothing to transfer weight to the front axle, they just mask a bad situation. Been there, done that!

To keep your tongue weight down I'd eliminate the front box, go with 20# LP tanks, and put either AGM's or Lithium inside the camper.

As I mentioned before, after having a few Equalizer WDH's in the past, going to a Blue Ox was like moving from the 19th to the 21'st Century!

Enjoy,

Perry
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Old 10-11-2020, 12:56 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Perryb67 View Post
Tongue weights are just that. A measurement of the tongue at the ball WITHOUT a WDH.

A WDH will transfer some weight back to the camper axle, but most weight is transferred to the front tug axle. Airbags do next to nothing to transfer weight to the front axle, they just mask a bad situation. Been there, done that!

To keep your tongue weight down I'd eliminate the front box, go with 20# LP tanks, and put either AGM's or Lithium inside the camper.

As I mentioned before, after having a few Equalizer WDH's in the past, going to a Blue Ox was like moving from the 19th to the 21'st Century!

Enjoy,

Perry
No box.
2 AGM’s inside
Use the tongue weight scale before every trip.

I won’t win the race to the summit of Vail Pass, but I’ll get there.
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Old 10-15-2020, 06:37 AM   #16
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Post Andersen

Has anyone used the Andersen WDH? I just picked up my Bigfoot 25rt and they put on the Equalizer hitch. It is LOUD and it is HEAVY. Also in my opinion it’s contrary to deal with. In other words... I hate it.
2021 Bigfoot 25rt with front box.
2019 F-150 with tow pkg.
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Old 10-15-2020, 07:14 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by Tony192 View Post
Has anyone used the Andersen WDH? I just picked up my Bigfoot 25rt and they put on the Equalizer hitch. It is LOUD and it is HEAVY. Also in my opinion it’s contrary to deal with. In other words... I hate it.
2021 Bigfoot 25rt with front box.
2019 F-150 with tow pkg.
We had an Andersen WDH for our Cougar that weighed over 5,500#'s with a tongue weight of 700#'s. You really had to compress those elastomers to get the truck level. After many calls to Andersen they admitted their hitch is better suited to smaller trailers. Plus, from the extreme cranking on the chains, that was needed to level the truck, we ruined the plastic in the hitch, but they did send us a new hitch.

Then despite all the cranking and setting it up exactly as Andersen recommended, we had two sway situations.

Not impressed with the Andersen with a larger trailer. The Andersen may work well for smaller trailers, but with a trailer with higher tongue weights I recommend looking elsewhere.

The Blue Ox we had on our Bigfoot 25RQ is the easiest WDH to setup we've ever owned, is a little lighter than the Equalizer (we've had a couple of Equalizers), doesn't get your hands all dirty, and doesn't squeal like an old boar, startling everyone in the campground.

Oh, and it doesn't matter what hitch you get install a Andersen Greaseless Hardball. At $14.99 its a steal, and you no longer have to deal with a greasy ball.

Enjoy,

Perry
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Old 10-15-2020, 07:36 AM   #18
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Tony you maybe should start a new thread for questions that appear to be a new topic. That said I had an Andersen on a Casita that was marginal at best. I now have a Blue Ox on my very heavily loaded Big Foot 25RQ w storage box in front (which increases the length from 25’ to about 28’). The BF pulls so much better than the Casita I sometimes don’t hook the Blue Ox up, but am sure to connect when going to the mountains or where very high winds are expected. Just added insurance. Also Camco levelers work much better than Andersen levelers on tandem trailers.
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Old 10-15-2020, 10:54 AM   #19
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Thank you, I will try to start a new one if I can figure out how.
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Old 10-15-2020, 11:28 AM   #20
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Thank you, I will try to start a new one if I can figure out how.

Click on Forums. Select the appropriate subject thread. Click on that. Top left of the page, you will see New Thread ( or something like that ). Click on that and go.
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