Bumper generator tray

Dengle, you're right about the weight stuff.

I moved all my tools, tent, chairs, and ladder to the SUV to get the tongue weight down to 500. About the only things left in my storage area are the plastic levelling blocks, the jack crank, and the coax cable for my cell antenna. Nothing under the bed except a couple pair of hiking boots. The weight is in the water, batteries, propane, and 8 inch mattress.

Re the generator, if your Sherline tells you you're getting heavier than you want to be on the tongue, maybe sell the Westinghouse genny on CL and get a dual fuel or convertible one that won't stink up your SUV. It would be a shame to have to give up on boondocking or camping in undeveloped state and federal campgrounds. Just a thought.....

'zactly

Dengle, before adding a generator and rack on the tongue you should get the tongue weight of what you have already. That should include full propane and water in the fresh water tank if you plan to carry that. With water in my fwt and water heater, a single full propane cylinder, and my (very heavy) dual batteries, I had to remove everything heavy from my storage compartment and shift other supplies rearward to get my tongue weight down to 500 lbs, which is my Hilanders max.

Your Grand Cherokee is probably rated for 620 lbs (most are set at 10% of max trailer weight) but check your manual.

Almost all the generator and rack weight is going to get added to the tongue weight so once you have your current tongue weight you can calculate about where you'd end up

Your wdh doesn't change any of your max vehicle ratings, but it needs to be able to the loads put on it, which includes both the trailer tongue and stuff it's lifting in the back of the Jeep, so I think 600 lbs is going to wind up being a bit too light for what you are considering. But wait and see what your tongue weight is.

There are a couple of ways to get your tongue weight. One is to buy a tongue scale, Sherline makes the one mist folks here use. Or you can go through a public scale, once with and once without the trailer, and subtract the Jeep total weight from the second weighing from the combined weight of the Jeeps two axles (trailer axle not on the scale) from the first run. Be sure your wdh is untensioned or it will throw off your measurements. Leave it on the Jeep for the second run, and put the bars in the back of the Jeep.

On other caution. While the weakest place on the trailer frame is just behind the axle, the second weakest is right about where the a frame attaches to the frame rails. It's not as close there so you have some headroom, but adding extra load at that point, whether batteries, water, generator, or yanking down on the frame with the wdh bars all add up and at some point that will become a problem area too. Basically rpods are lightly constructed trailers and there's no real good place to add heavy stuff to them without having issues.

Stromberg-Carlsen Trailer Tray is a good option for the smaller generators. Not so for the larger ones. They are too big and heavy to lift up to there.

offgrid: Thanks for reply. Yes, I know a cookie sheet. I now recall you converting your generator to propane. Forgot about that post. I cannot do with my Westinghouse iGen2600 received as gift. Re my gasoline question: I thought about a one gallon, quality metal can mounted next to the single battery on the tongue. Strapped securely, I don't see a problem. I'm in a dilemma where to put the generator. Not on the rear bumper for sure. Comments?