neu wrote:



Thank you, that's valuable advice, and I'll definitely take it into consideration.

However, I still have doubts about your statement that the manufacturer has provided an incorrect weight. One of their main tasks is to distribute everything evenly in the trailer, so that the weight is balanced on both sides of the axis. There's quite a bit of furniture located behind the axis in my trailer, and I don't think it's a coincidence - everything has been calculated and thought through. Even if the manufacturer doesn't take into account the weight of the propane cylinder and battery, I can easily detach them and load them into the trunk of my car.

You're a bit off with your calculations: 13% of my trailer's weight is less than 500 pounds, and to be precise, it's 477 pounds. As far as I understand, the tongue weight should be in the range of 10-15% of the trailer's weight. 10% of 3675 lbs is exactly 367 lbs. So, it looks like I just need to keep it within the range of 367-440 lbs to stay within the allowed limit for my car. As I understand it, I can always put something heavy in the back of the trailer (like a bottle of water, for example) to adjust the weight and keep the tongue weight within the desired range.

According to the sticker on my driver's door, my car's carrying capacity is 480 kg (1058 lbs), but I'm not quite sure why we need to consider the carrying capacity of my car. What does it have to do with this equation?

Reisender wrote:



Howdy. The hitch weight counts against the carrying capacity of your car. So if you are allowed 1058 pounds and the hitch weight is 500 pounds you have 558 pounds left for passengers and stuff in your car.

Avoid loading things at the rear of your trailer to lighten tongue weight as it acts like a pendulum and can cause sway and instability. Rather load heavy things close to the axle so the trailer axle carry’s the weight.

Hope that helps.

neu wrote:



Thank you, now everything has fallen into place inside my head. Now I understand that the specifications of my car actually cover the hitch weight of my trailer, two passengers, and a bit of luggage. That's all I need. Thank you very much once again for your detailed answers.

Reisender wrote:

Absolutely. Hence the recommendation to weigh everything. But in my experience single axle trailers with batteries on the front and large front storage compartments can result in overly heavy hitch weights. It’s just something to keep an eye on. In North America they recommend 10 to 15 percent whereas in Europe they recommend 6 to 10 percent for hitch weight. (We have a European designed trailer but built in the US). Best to try and pack over or close to the axle. Many European designs have things like fridges, batteries and storage areas as well as water tanks on or around the axle. Works out well and loading the trailer has less of an affect on the hitch weight. Ours is like that. Our hitch weight actually is slightly less when fully loaded although still at that 10 percent mark.

The absolute worst thing I see is these cargo racks on the rear end of trailers. Horrible idea.

valhalla360 wrote:



Take the euro numbers with a big grain of salt. Physics aren't different in Europe. I've seen articles where countries are trying to phase out bumper pull trailers due to safety issues. Plus much more common that they are placed in permanent sites. MH are the standard if moving around.

The OP really should take it to the local CAT Scale loaded for a trip and get real numbers. He's probably in spec but right at the max. He could easily be over, especially if he looks at payload.

Reisender wrote:



Absolutely. Hence the recommendation to weigh everything. But in my experience single axle trailers with batteries on the front and large front storage compartments can result in overly heavy hitch weights. It’s just something to keep an eye on. In North America they recommend 10 to 15 percent whereas in Europe they recommend 6 to 10 percent for hitch weight. (We have a European designed trailer but built in the US). Best to try and pack over or close to the axle. Many European designs have things like fridges, batteries and storage areas as well as water tanks on or around the axle. Works out well and loading the trailer has less of an affect on the hitch weight. Ours is like that. Our hitch weight actually is slightly less when fully loaded although still at that 10 percent mark.

The absolute worst thing I see is these cargo racks on the rear end of trailers. Horrible idea.

nickthehunter wrote:

Did your Audi come with the 4 pin electrical pigtail connector or a 7 pin?

neu wrote:

Now I'm a bit confused by the numbers you provided as an example I just watched a video that emphasized not to let the trailer tongue weight drop below 10%, otherwise there's a very high risk of getting into a fishtail situation. At the same time, you say that in Europe it is NOT ALLOWED to exceed 10% for safe driving. So which of these statements is correct?