Weight Distribution Hitch Question

[Redbug]

I also use a WD hitch when carrying a heavy load. I also replaced the factory hitch on my truck with a heavier duty one like HighBeam did.

Here's a thread about WD hitches I posted several years ago, (my...has time flown by), about setting one up.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...7-about-weight-distribution-hitches-pics.html

 

[radioman]

All good points here, the thing is many people don't use WD simply because they dont see "A" fatal result of not using one after trying to tow what they think the vehicle is designed for according to manual. All they see is that they got from point a to point b without a problem.

My whole take on this is that the designs of vehicles has changed over the years to cut costs and engineers knows this but this exact changes and what to think about hasn't trickled down to us general public and the manual writers.

Simply put- WD definitely helps in regards to safety and allows vehicle to be less stressed in certain points on the frame for longevity over the years. its all about physics and since I am not that great at physics to figure out how the engineers designed my towing vehicle- I am simply putting my faith in the equipment we have available to use so why not us it?

 

[Gary Fowler]

Yes, they slide in from the side.

Aaron Z

Depends on the length of the trailer. My 20 foot with dovetail slides in from the rear.

 

[RandyT]

Something you all need to take under advisement is no matter what changes you make to your towing rigs. IE, upgraded hitch, air bags, load/leveling springs, it does not change the manufacturer specs for the vehicle, and it you are involved in an accident the police, insurance company, and everybody else is going to go by manufacturer specs, and you will get nailed hard.

If you vehicle manufacturer rated the truck at 500/5000 without WD, and 1000/10400 with WDH, that is what the specs are and you cannot change them.

I was reading about a guy out east someplace that had a new gmc 3500hd ( 600/6000 rating with out WD) pulling a 10000# trailer with a skid steer on it without WD and was involved in an accident and between the police, lawsuits it ended up costing him over a million dollars and bankrupted his company.

 

[aczlan]

Something you all need to take under advisement is no matter what changes you make to your towing rigs. IE, upgraded hitch, air bags, load/leveling springs, it does not change the manufacturer specs for the vehicle, and it you are involved in an accident the police, insurance company, and everybody else is going to go by manufacturer specs, and you will get nailed hard.
If you vehicle manufacturer rated the truck at 500/5000 without WD, and 1000/10400 with WDH, that is what the specs are and you cannot change them.

True. Another reason to go with a Ford , they don't list a with/without WD towing capacity for the truck, just max axle/vehicle weights and a rating for the stock receiver.

Aaron Z

 

[downslope]

Well, that's more or less my point: that the rear axle's weight rating is probably not the limiting factor in the vehicle's towing capacity. But just hypothetically, my vehicle's GVWR is 9000 lbs. It's curb weight is 6813 lbs. That leaves 2187 lbs of capacity before GVWR is exceeded. If we assume 100% of that is tongue weight from a trailer, that's an 8748-14,580 lb gooseneck trailer (25%-15% trailer weight on the tongue) or a 21,870-14,580 lb bumper pull trailer (15%-10% trailer weight on the tongue). So we can see that GVWR is not the sole limitation on trailer size. GCWR kicks in before GVWR is exceeded in some cases. But GAWR is never even approached.

Joshua,
I think your calculations are fine for the gooseneck example but you could be off by quite a bit for the receiver type hitch. Since the ball on the receiver is some distance behind the rear axle there will be a lever effect, and if you have 1,400 lbs on the ball it will exert a lot more than 1,400 lbs on the axle and tires. Also, the 1,400 lbs on the ball will cause the front end of the truck to be lightened and the weight that's taken off the front end will also be transfered to the rear axle and the tires.

At least 1400#. It depends on the distance between the axle and the hitch.

Too many variables to say. How much weight is in the bed? How many people are in the cab? Which spring package?
It could be ok, or it could be a problem.

Aaron Z

Aaron Z,
My question wasn't trying to nit-pick this down to the last pound of weight that you could put on a receiver ball. It's often said that with a gooseneck at 15%-25% it's pretty easy to exceed GVW or axle or tire capacities, especially with a SRW truck.

I was just wondering if the same thing can happen as easily on a 3/4 or 1-ton SRW with receiver hitch when you don't use WD. I realize that a crew-cab would probably be worse that a standard cab, not all wheelbases and overhang are exactly the same and obviously if you have bags of cement in the bed and put your kids and in-laws in the cab you may not be able to tow anything at all.

 

[newbury]

True. Another reason to go with a Ford , they don't list a with/without WD towing capacity for the truck, just max axle/vehicle weights and a rating for the stock receiver.

Aaron Z

On my 2002 Ford with a factory installed hitch receiver it is printed on the label 12,500 lbs with weight distribution, 5,000 lbs without.

 

[aczlan]

On my 2002 Ford with a factory installed hitch receiver it is printed on the label 12,500 lbs with weight distribution, 5,000 lbs without.

But you can get another (heavier) receiver to make your only restrictions the axle weights and the GVW/GCWR rating (cant do that on a Chevrolet/GMC from what has been shared on this thread).
For example (assuming that you have a 2002 F250 or F350):
Here is one that will allow 1800# of tongue weight and 18,000# of trailer weight without WD: CURT Manufacturing | CURT Manufacturing - CURT Trailer Hitch #15601
Here is another which will allow 2000# of tongue weight without WD (2500# with WD) and 18,000# of trailer weight: Reese Titan Class V, 2-1/2 inch Receiver Hitch 45297

Aaron Z

 

[newbury]

But you can get another (heavier) receiver to make your only restrictions the axle weights and the GVW/GCWR rating (cant do that on a Chevrolet/GMC from what has been shared on this thread).
For example (assuming that you have a 2002 F250 or F350):
Here is one that will allow 1800# of tongue weight and 18,000# of trailer weight without WD: CURT Manufacturing | CURT Manufacturing - CURT Trailer Hitch #15601
Here is another which will allow 2000# of tongue weight without WD (2500# with WD) and 18,000# of trailer weight: Reese Titan Class V, 2-1/2 inch Receiver Hitch 45297

Aaron Z

But my listed GCWR is only 20,000lbs

 

[aczlan]

But my listed GCWR is only 20,000lbs

They also have other hitches which have lower ratings which would allow you to hit your GCWR without requiring a WD setup.

Aaron Z