Trailer weight distribution

[xtn]

It should be pointed out that weight distribution hitches do not reduce the actual tongue weight. Only rebalancing the trailer can do that. Rather, the WD hitch causes some of the load to be transferred to the front axle of the towing vehicle instead of having it all ride on the rear axle.

This is helpful for improving the handling and braking of the towing vehicle, but does not compensate for the poor dynamics of an improperly loaded trailer.

xtn

 

[bcp]

A couple of articles:

HowStuffWorks "How Towing Weight Distribution Systems Work"

Popular Mechanics - Google Books

 

[bcp]

You can take ALL the weight off the rear axle with a WD hitch.

Look at this commercial at 14 to 16 seconds and 41 to 45 seconds.

Bruce

 

[joshuabardwell]

This is helpful for improving the handling and braking of the towing vehicle, but does not compensate for the poor dynamics of an improperly loaded trailer.

100% true. It may also be the case that WD systems affect how the weight on the hitch is distributed across the bolts holding the hitch to the frame, in a way that is relevant to structural integrity. This is important because when people focus on ride dynamics, they think they can compensate for the lack of a WD system with e.g. airbags on the rear axle, or what have you. "The truck rides fine," they say, "so what do I need a WD system for?" At least one member on TBN has reported that his hitch literally broke off mid-tow because it was loaded without a WD system. This is, of course, rare, but it's a failure mode that can't be ignored.

 

[jeffsw6]

On the receiver hitch it states 7500 trailer weight and 1000 lb tongue weight.

It's not unusual for a truck itself to have a much higher tow rating than the factory-installed hitch receiver. I took the factory one off my 97 Dodge 2500 and replaced with a Curt 15K/1500 for this reason.

I still don't think you have any W/D worries since you say your truck handles fine with the trailer hooked up. If the rig steers and brakes well and everything is within the mfr weight ratings, then why make changes?

 

[wolfpack2]

I have yet to see a WD hitch on anything except a vehicle pulling a camper or boat in which the vehicle was undersized to tow.

See the attached pitures of my equipment tilt deck with a WD setup. Now you can't say your have never seen one.

It does help when towing near 12K, even with my F350 (rated at 12.5K with a WD setup).

 

[dstig1]

A WD setup has a couple components to it. There is a special shank that goes in the receiver. You need to buy a heavy enough rated ball for it too. Then there are the bars and the brackets. The brackets get permanently mounted to the trailer. Most just bolt on so you could theoretically move them from one trailer to another, but that would be a major pain and you'd be better off getting extra brackets if you were doing that. The bars are the part that is most noticeable. They slip into a bracket in the shank and then attach to the brackets on the trailer. Mine uses a short pipe as a lever to snap up the trailer brackets. Then you put a safety pin in them to keep them from accidentally popping open.

I use that shank all the time, so it is always there. The extra work is the bars, which really only take an extra minute or two to install. You get the ball lined up and connected first, then put the bars in, hook them to the trailer brackets and snap them up.

Optionally you can also add anti sway control. That is the extra thing you see in wolfpack's first photo (the gray bar along side the trailer A-frame tongue that says Draw-tite on it)). I don't have one and never see any sway at all. I can see with campers that have big side cross-sections it might make more sense for control in crosswinds, but I suspect it is not needed for most equipment trailer use. That would take some additional time to connect if you had one.

It sounds like your receiver is rated fine for what you are doing. That is good to know. In my case I needed to do something to get within the specs, and I elected to go WD. I don't think it makes life any easier, it just puts me well within my receivers limits, so I am safe and stable. A bigger receiver would have been a bit easier in the long run as there would be no bars to mess with, but it isn't that hard to do.

 

[Mikeeemo]

The company that my son works for had a receiver failure today. A GMC 3500 with a 10k trailer. Too much tongue weight, ripped the hitch out of the frame.

Been warning him about this very situation, I hated to be right.

Everyone on TBN wants to save our brothers & sisters from having life threating situations.

His coworker got lucky, no one hurt, no wreck.

A large group of us have studied this subject to death.

Most of us have found the hitch rating information misleading. The small print about using a WD setup is often worn away.

In most cases a receiver on a pickup truck is rated to 1000 lb / 10000 lb tow WITH a WD setup.

There are a few available that will handle it without the WD, please be sure that yours is.

Also, most ball mounts are only rated to 5000-7500 lb. the 10k ones are solid iron and use a ball with a 1 1/4 shank.

I have witnessed a trailer separate from a truck. The driver of the car it hit, was lucky, it could have killed him.

All we are doing is sharing our knowledge and experience(s).

Respectfully,

Mike

 

[jejeosborne]

Getting back to the original issue of tongue weight I will try to determine if I'm overloaded or not. For me it was an appearence issue as I stated I hate to see a truck squatted down with a load. Mine wasn't that bad. I just like to see the truck level out nicely.

What you are describing is not an appearance issue. More importantly, your sagging truck is a safety issue that is easily corrected with, you guessed it, a WD hitch. It will level your truck, fixing you appearance issue, place some of the load on your front tires of your truck which will shorten stopping distance, direct your headlights out of the eyes of oncoming traffic, load your hitch more evenly across all attaching bolts, and reduce sway potential. For $150 used or $250 new, a cheap investment for all.
Jeff

 

[JPRambo]

I have a 2003 silverado 1500. I have two WD hitches. I have two trailers, a camper and a car/utility trailer. The trailer tonges are at different heights as compared to the truck rear bumper. When I had just one hitch I would have to readjust the WD for the trailer I was pulling that day. (what a big pita).
The hitch will also help to control the levelness of the truck with a load in the bed. I use the car/utility trailer for my B7100 and a large load in the bed and have no problems with the truck to stop very quickly in emergency cases.