Towing newbie

[ynvmygp]

I am looking at a travel trailer that has a tongue weight of 520lbs. It appears the Telly had a max tongue weight of 500.

I talked to the salesperson at my RV dealership and she stated that the tongue weight did not matter as much as I am getting a weight distribution hitch.

Can anyone confirm that, or is she just trying to make a sale?

All of my research states the tongue weight should be under the limit (obviously, I think).

 

[2020Telly]

Weight distribution will not truly lower the tongue weight. You should not exceed the maximum specs.

In general, you probably want a travel trailer that is somewhere around 20'-22'. Shorter (unless it's an ultra lightweight) or longer will mean you have a higher dry hitch weight which is the amount of weight at the tongue of the vehicle. The length of the trailer, number of axles, and lighter weight construction will help determine how much weight is distributed on the trailer and that will lower the hitch weight. But a weight distribution hitch is meant to distribute the tongue weight off the rear axle to improve braking and handling, it is not meant to increase the towing specs.

The number of travel trailers under 5,000 lbs with a hitch weight under 500 lbs is limited which may be why the 2023 Kia Telluride has a tow package that is bumped up just a little to 5,500 lbs but if Kia didn't change the tongue weight to 550 lbs, I'm not sure that it's going to increase the options for travel trailers much.

 

[2020Telly]

Here's a list I compiled that is about 2 years old in case it helps you look for some examples:


I was looking for a minimum of a 5-6 person sleeper with a low hitch weight for an SUV with a tongue weight of under 500 lbs. The good news is that manufacturers of newer models are always finding ways to use lighter and stronger materials. Remember that dry hitch weight means no cargo, no water and no propane. All things that have weight that will go into the trailer should be considered when you are calculating the max towing weight.

 

[2020Telly]

I should say that technically the salesperson is not wrong. The weight gets distributed so it has to go somewhere and you might be able to lower the actual measured dry hitch weight by 50lbs. But if you are starting above spec already that is going to be a very tricky thing to manage and you are already going to be pushing the limits of the towing vehicle. Other than driving home from a dealership the first time, no one ever tows a travel trailer with nothing in it and no passengers or cargo in the towing vehicle on vacation. If you are serious about a towing vehicle that is regularly going to generate a tongue weight over 500 lbs, then a mid-sized SUV might not be the right towing vehicle. You might need to go to a truck or full-sized SUV until EVs come out as mid-sized SUVs with enough torque, towing power and range to tow safely. The best I've seen for a unibody 7-passenger mid-sized non-luxury SUV is the towing package on the Nissan Pathfinder that allows for up to 6,000 lbs and up to 600 lbs tongue weight.