Weight distribution hitch

[JoeR]

What is so special about a weight distribution hitch? Is it made to level the trailer and vehicle so there is not too much weight on the tongue? If that is the case, couldn't I simply adjust the height of the hitch on the trailer?

Yesterday, I took my Kubota L5030 HSTC to do some work for a friend. Loaded it up on my 18' equipment trailer and I thought there was too much tongue weight, although the box blad was on the end of the trailer so I did not have much room to work with. I considered adjusting my hitch on the trailer, but I was only going 10 miles. Anyway, I did learn that I want a larger towing vehicle like a Ford F250 or bigger. The Ford Expedition with tow package did a fine job, but I don't know if I would want to tow my tractor for any long distances with that vehicle.

Joe

 

[ronjhall]

I would bet that your Expedition requires a WD Hitch to pull your L5030HSTC on a trailer. The WD transfers the excess weight on the ball to the front wheels. Did you notice the rear-end of Expedition dip in the rear when applying trailer brakes or going over a bump in the road. The WD Hitch will eliminate this dipping and make your Expedition handle much better.

 

[George2615]

Adjusting height of your hitch should only be done initially to make sure trailer is sitting level when empty. After you load your trailer a weight distribution hitch evenly distributes that weight to the front and rear of the tow vehicle. The difference is especially visible on a tow vehicle that doesn't have a factory tow suspension pkg. Trailer tongue weight should be around 10-15% of the total load on the trailer. On some tow vehicles the 10-15% of trailer tongue weight will make the back end squat real low. Towing this way will result in handling problems such as lightness of the front end, steering, swaying and fishtailing. A WD hitch transfers the weight from being mainly on the rear to both axles on the towing vehicle.

 

[Bird]

Joe, if you've never used a weight distributing hitch, it's a little hard to describe adequately with words. Heavy tongue weights help the stability and handling of trailers, but there's a limit to the amount of tongue weight you can apply to the back end of your towing vehicle. The weight distributing hitch allows you to transfer part of the tongue weight back to the trailer wheels and to the front wheels of the towing vehicle. They are adjustable, and 30-40 years ago, one of the manufacturers ads featured a front wheel drive car (Old Toronado) hooked up to a trailer with the rear wheels missing from the car. Go by a trailer hitch or RV dealer and look at them and you'll understand better how they work.

 

[kentrodngun]

Not to digress too much, but does anyone have an easy way to measure tongue weight? When I load up the tractor & certain attachments on my 20' trailer, it barely fits and I've got no forward or backward "wiggle room". I often wonder what my tongue weight is in this situation and don't quite know how to measure it.

 

[Highbeam]

I measure tongue weight at closed weigh stations. I have actually unhitched and measured the weights on each axle when hitched and when unhitched to determine the right position for the tractor.

The WD hitch is great to make the whole tractor trailer assembly move as one. Your headlights will point true and the bumps will be softer. They are very complicated devices and have been the subject of many fireside chats but they are a very simple to use device once set up correctly.

Once you tow with one, you will have a hard time going back. Especially when you have overloaded a vehicle such as a 5030 on an expedition.

 

[Iowachild]

I once read a description of a WD hitch system where they used a wheel barrow analogy to show how the bars actually pick-up the rear of the towing vehicle.

 

[JoeR]

I am understanding now. Looks like I should have one if I am going to be towing the 5030 around.

Are they easy to install or do you need a pro to do it?


Joe

 

[Highbeam]

It's not that a professional is required but to get it installed and adjusted correctly will require someone with an understanding and experience in these things. I have seen several that were installed improperly and not doing any good for the tow vehicle. There are several great articles written on setup in the RV arena.

I have even had an RV dealer tell me I didn't need the WD bars because the load didn't sag my rear end too much. That's not the point, and he was a bozo.

 

[LeadPoison]

I have used one for years. My grandfather owned a welding shop and manufactured trailers out of it as well. He always made sure to teach us the proper trailering setups. On our 20 foot trailer we load 7000 pounds of tractor on it. After those bars are torqued up and we set the sway control we can roll at 70 mph straight as an arrow. Pulls like a dream with a 2500 diesel.