4johnsonsandadog wrote:
Yes, the WD hitch was on during the weighing - if the TW is now 600 because of the WD hitch, is that still too low, still possibly causing fish tailing? Or is it fine, now that you know the weight was distributed?
The answer is a qualified yes. If the WD hitch was on an over-tensioned (as you describe), it is likely that the tongue weight of the trailer will end up showing that it is in the safe range of 10-15% (as mentioned before, empty trailers usually fall in this range, so it probably will).
That said, you have to also note that this is going to adversely effect the GVWR of the TV. At the initial weighing, there was only 700 pounds left for family and gear. By reducing the torsion on the set-up, more of the tongue weight will be on the TV, which will result in lowering that number even more. If you transfer 200 pounds from the trailer axles back to the TV axles, for example, your 700 is now 500.
As discussed earlier, the simple truth is that there is very little chance that trailer is going to stay within the published ratings of the Excursion. The numbers you are sharing are displaying that truth very quickly. Whether or not that is a problem is an argument for others who are more mechanical than I am, and a decision that only your friends can make.
Good luck!
