The structure of the trailer itself including all running gear should come in at about 15-1600 lbs, based on the recorded weights of all the materials I have bought to date. I'm expecting a finished weight of 2000lbs with the RTT and kitchen installed. From there, I don't see myself bringing more than 500lbs of gear, giving a total weight of 2500lbs. The absolute maximum weight, based on the axle, is 3500lbs. This would only be achieved when motorcycles are loaded, and it would never be used "off-road" for any distance when loaded like that.
I do not have a published GCVWR for the truck, but I do have the GVWR and Trailer weights. The trailer at 3500lbs will be well under the 7700lb tow rating of the truck. In fact, the off-road weight rating is 2200lbs. If I reach 2500lbs, I'm not too concerned. The key point here is that I will have minimal weight IN the truck. There is no roof rack, no cargo system, etc. The only thing in the truck will be people, recovery gear, some comfort items, and survival items. That is the precise reason I decided to build the trailer. To get the weight of the camping gear OUT of the truck.
I draw a comparison here to the AT Horizon, because AT is sort of a benchmark. It weighs 1100lbs empty, to my ~1600lbs. So mine is about 50% heavier. The D2 has a curb weight of 4700lbs, compared to a 3200lbs TJ. So, the two setups scale well.
Some people seem to be basing their impression of the trailer on flawed perceptions. Yes, it's large. But the construction is very efficient. It's all within one structure. There are no boxes, or bolted on fenders. Those are inefficient usages of weight and space. A bolted on fender has more wind resistance than a fleetside, and yet you lose all the storage space in front and behind the wheel. It's also not as large as some think. All of the interior pictures use a wide angle lens which fisheyes the image a bit. The trailer has the same track width as the truck, and it will be the same height with the RTT installed. The box is only 90" long.
There's also been some criticisizm of the CG. Again, based on flawed perceptions. My CG is ~42" just based on a simple calculation assuming the box is of uniform weight. In fact, the CG will be even lower, since frame weighs much more than the roof. Using the same technique to estimate the CG of a Horizon, I get 39". That's based on the typical 35" tire size, with 24" of ground clearance. I chose to stick with 29" tires, and 18" ground clearance. The trailer is taller than a Horizon, but the frame is also 6" lower. That's why the CG isn't too high. Further, my water tank is tucked into the frame, not standing up on the tongue, and various other things like that that keep the weight down. It's also important to note that my track width is 6" wider.
The intent of the trailer is not to load it full of gear. It is designed to be a combination of a "teardrop" style living quarters, combined with an RTT and additional storage. My wife and I will sleep in the RTT, the kids will sleep in the body of the trailer. There's a huge space that will be their room, and contain nothing more than clothing and toys. The other side will have a permanently configured kitchen for quick setup, like on the back of a teardrop. Again, this takes up a lot of space, but not as much weight as one would think based on the size.
How do you find torsion axles destructive? I have found them to ride much smoother than any leaf spring. In hindsight, I probably should have done leafs because they are rugged and reliable. But I'll give these shot. I have an idea to fix the reliability problem they have.
How does the hitch configuration "encourage" high tongue weight? The tongue weight has a large leverage on the rear axle, true. But I do not plan to have a lot of tonque weight. My experience shows me that you don't need tons of tongue weight with a relatively light trailer. A tongue weight of 200lbs won't be a big problem. Yes, it subtracts from the cargo weight of the truck, but as I said earlier, I don't intend to carry much in the truck.
I completely understand the issues of weight and pulling the trailer around off-road. I've already mentioned the scale of this trailer and D2 compared to a Horizon and TJ. But, I should also point out that I do not intend to be doing any radical trails with it. It's more of a "basecamp" setup. The trailer was a huge compromise because it needed to fill so many roles. Off-road camping, support for Enduro events (carrying motorcycles), as well as a nice family camping platform that will also get used in campgrounds. The goal was quick deployment of camp, lots of warm and dry space for a family of 4, the ability to carry a dirtbike on the tongue, space for other bulky and light items like a portable toilet, etc.
I appreciate your questions, and hope my response is not interpreted to be defensive. I'm just responding to questions and comments I've seen in various places. A lot of thought went into this design. It's different, and it is larger than what's been done before. My truck is not a radical build, and likewise I don't intend to drag this trailer though radical trails. I just want something that can withstand rough roads, and go on somethign like a class 2 trail. Then setup camp, and tackle the 3+ trails with an empty truck. If I do want to go camping at the end of a class 3 trail, then I'll simply leave the trailer home, and use the lightweight gear I already have.
I'll just attach another picture from a different angle so the scale of it can be better sensed. It looks pretty wide back there, but the track width is the same as the truck.