Drew_K wrote:
The Open Range web site lists the unloaded hitch weight as 1,290 pounds (pretty heavy) with an empty weight of 7,760 pounds (16.6% weight on tongue). The WD hitches I've seen come in 1,500 or 1,700 pound capacities. I'm leaning towards buying the 1,700 pound model because I imagine I'll add more than 200 pounds of tongue weight once the TT is loaded up with propane, batteries, and other stuff. Plus, I'd rather not push the 1,500 pound model to its limits.
Even if the tongue weight does reach 1500#, you need to consider how much load you will be restoring to the front axle via the WDH.
For your TV, Ford specifies that only about 50% of the load removed from the front axle via tongue weight should be restored via application of WD.
If you follow Ford's specification, you will load the WD bars to only about 50% of the load required for 100% load restoration.
Since WD bars are rated assuming at least 100% restoration (and probably considerably more), you would not come anywhere near reaching the capacity of the 1500# bars.
Equal-I-zer considers 50% front axle load restoration to be an acceptable amount of load transfer.
If you do plan to use only 50% front axle load restoration, I think it would be very interesting for you to ask Equal-I-zer if your 1000# bars could be used with a 1500# tongue weigh and 50% FALR.
Ron
