Stromberg Carlson CC-255 Trailer Tray, Anybody have one?

[TurnThePage]

I've been looking at these for quite a while. I'm interested in putting my generator on the tongue of the trailer, but am a little concerned about the additional weight. My gen weights about 120 lbs, this tray weighs around 60-65 lbs. My whole trailer weighs around 6000 lbs and has a 6000 lb gvwr. I'm not sure what the tongue currently weighs but the trailer is well balanced and tows true. It's probably in the 750 lb neighborhood. It seems doable, but...

So, does anybody have one? What are your impressions?

[DesertTracker]

I have the Stromberg Carlson tray on my Keystone of about the same weight with a Champion 3100 invertor gen mounted on it. It works great. Strangely, adding the approximately 150 lbs of the genny and rack only added about 90 lbs to the tongue weight. No noticeable difference to any characteristics of towing or handling or WDH setup. I bolted the generator to the rack, and have been to a historically theft prone campground (Emma Wood in Ventura) and no issues. I removed the wheels and used angles on the axles and bolted through the front 'feet'. I had to remove some plastic cover and put it back to do the feet, a pain in the rear, but it stays there all the time under its cover unless being used. Like anything, if someone really wants it, they could get it. I would like to add a removable exhaust extension similar to the MH setup, but haven't gotten around to it yet and without front window don't have to have it. I do have to pump out the old oil with a hand pump when I change it since the drain is next to the trailer, but that only happens a couple of times a year.
I think the rack is a lot of money for what you get, but it fits and holds the genny, so it makes it worth it to me.

[JBarca]

HI TurnThePage,

Wow, that Champion is a heavy bugger. That is more like a drag then a lift.

Fleetwood going under, ah yes. I can relate, Sunline (my brand trailer) went out in Nov 2006. One of the first ones to go out and not come back.

Good luck with your situation. This is not easy. Carrying bikes and generators can be a problem. In my case it was bikes. I built a bike rack for the tongue to carry 2 adult bikes, but my A frame is 6" channel iron and I have a 10,000# GVWR camper. I'm at 1,600# loaded TW and a 1 ton truck to handle it. 105# is the bikes and rack. But I can put a bike up there 1 at a time.

Thanks

John

[TurnThePage]

Good advice, JBarca. I do indeed need to get actual weights before I consider this. My trailer was manufactured by Fleetwood, which is history. I've compared it to much larger, longer versions of the same brand, and it compares well as far as frame/tongue construction. I think the weak spot on my unit is the 3000 lb axles. Several years after mine was manufactured, they did indeed lighten up the whole package. My generator is a Champion 3400, 112 lbs before fueling. I would hoist it up there while standing on the tailgate of the truck. I may not do it at all, I'm just exploring ways to free up space/weight in the bed of the truck.

[JBarca]

TurnThePage wrote:

My gen weights about 120 lbs, this tray weighs around 60-65 lbs. My whole trailer weighs around 6000 lbs and has a 6000 lb gvwr. I'm not sure what the tongue currently weighs but the trailer is well balanced and tows true. It's probably in the 750 lb neighborhood. It seems doable, but...

I looked up one of those trays. Like this at Camping world http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/trailer-tray-a-frame-cargo-carrier/70918

What size generator do you have? 120# is no small generator. Holy cow... A Honda Eu3000 which is beastly, only weighs 75#. My Honda EU2000 I lift in and out of the truck bed but even that is about all I would want to lift in and out.

Since it is your genny and it weighs 120# I'm assuming you have figured out how to lift it that high onto that tray up above the top of the LP tanks.

If you can get past that, with the light weight of steel they make in TT A frames now a days, I would be concerned about WD forces with the added weight on a light weight camper of 6,000# GVWR. Adding 185# of genny and rack to hold it on the A frame could mean you need heavier WD bars. Some of these smaller campers have a hard time with heavy rated WD bars even if your loaded TW is less then the WD bar.

Before you mount, I would recommend you scale the loaded tongue weight where you are now, add the 185# to it and this will tell you the WD bar needed. You can only buy certain sizes. This may put you into a 1,200# WD bar. Then call the TT manufacture and make sure that your trailer frame will allow WD hitch bars that large. Going up and over high up RR crossings and other up's and overs along with compound angle turns can create very high WD forces on the inside turn WD bar & A frame rail. Those high force can result in twisting the A frame rail and or the camper frame header to the point of failure over time.

Hope this helps

John

[keymastr]

Moving that weight further behind the trucks rear axle will increase the effect it has on payload and may overwhelm your WD system. Going from 750 pounds of TW to over 900 will mean you will need to re-adjust your hitch.

I agree with going to the scales first to see where you are. If your TW truly is 750 and the trailer total weight is 6000 then adding that much to your TW would put you at about 15% which should be great.

It all comes down to whether or not you have the cargo capacity in the truck. Moving the generator to the tongue means it is still mostly carried by the truck and by adding the cargo carrier you may actually be carrying more weight by the truck, not less. I would keep the genny in the bed and not go to all the work for little or no gain if removing weight from the cargo capacity is your goal.

[bobndot]

Two things you have be to aware of before you make your final decision to do this or not.
1. Be careful adding weight to a TT tongue.
There are many posts on various forums regarding cracked or broken frames.

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/24501434/print/true.cfm


2. When 'YOU' fabricate, (adding racks to carry things on the outside of a vehicle) 'Your' liability should not be overlooked, just be aware that this is also your baby if this rack cracks and breaks . You can do a search on "failure to secure your load on the outside of a vehicle while traveling on a public highway".

Carrying something 100# in the trucks bed is relatively safe and wont crack the trailer. Carry the gen in front of the rear axle in the trucks bed where it affects the trucks payload but not the TW.

[drsteve]

TurnThePage wrote:
Well, the generator normally rides in the bed of the truck. I'm trying to free that part up. So, ultimately that would be less payload on the truck, but more load on the hitch. I was concerned about loading/unloading the generator too, until it occurred to me that I could simply stand on the tailgate of the truck to wrestle the generator up and down. I guess I was just worried about overloading the tongue. Not likely I suppose. 🙂

Tongue weight counts against the truck's payload. You are removing weight from the bed and putting it on the tongue, where some will be carried by the trailer and some by the TV. When you account for the added weight of the tray, you may just about break even.

[TurnThePage]

Well, the generator normally rides in the bed of the truck. I'm trying to free that part up. So, ultimately that would be less payload on the truck, but more load on the hitch. I was concerned about loading/unloading the generator too, until it occurred to me that I could simply stand on the tailgate of the truck to wrestle the generator up and down. I guess I was just worried about overloading the tongue. Not likely I suppose. 🙂

[bobndot]

Adding that much weight to the TW is going eat some of the trucks payload.
Watch rear tire rating .
I would take another trip to the scales to see how it would affect the front wheel weight transfer.

It's not the easiest place to get to to remove the generator to take it on/off. I would make sure it clears the gas tanks for refilling.
I would never run it in that location, fumes/noise/vibration transferred to the TT frame.
I keep my genny in the trucks bed and lock it down when I run it there .