payload and WD hitch clarification
With four sons and a wife in a Nissan Armada with 1450 payload, tongue weight becomes a factor pretty quick. We're in the market for a camper that'll sleep all of us. What I believe I understand: ...
Forum Discussion
What Gdetrailer said !!
Your WD hicth might transfer 100 lbs back to the trailer axles, but, the weight of the WD hitch also takes a (near 100 lb) bite out of your payload.
I don't know if there is a calculation that will give you a percentange you could count on, because, there are so many types / brands of WD hitches, so many different tow vehicles, and they are individually adjusted to the end user's truck / trailer combination. Every one is different.
I used CAT scale weights to determine the amounts of weight transfer. I hit the scales twice in one week, same truck and trailer, with two different hitches, and got different amounts of weight transfer.
I think your best option is to determine how much payload you have available for tongue weight. Decide on an amount of that weight, you want to hold back for a safety margin, and shop for a trailer that will meet your sleeping requirements, and fit your payload requirement.
Some numbers you could use for estimating the trailer weight:
Average tongue weight is 12 - 13%
Average camping load (pots aand pans, dishes, bedding / linens, camp chairs,
BBQ, water, and groceries) is about 10 - 1200 lbs. If you buy a 4000 lb dry weight trailer, it will be near 5200 lbs, loaded.
If you know your available payload, divide it by .13. That will give you a ballpark figure of what loaded trailer weight will have the tongue weight near your available payload.
Your WD hicth might transfer 100 lbs back to the trailer axles, but, the weight of the WD hitch also takes a (near 100 lb) bite out of your payload.
I don't know if there is a calculation that will give you a percentange you could count on, because, there are so many types / brands of WD hitches, so many different tow vehicles, and they are individually adjusted to the end user's truck / trailer combination. Every one is different.
I used CAT scale weights to determine the amounts of weight transfer. I hit the scales twice in one week, same truck and trailer, with two different hitches, and got different amounts of weight transfer.
I think your best option is to determine how much payload you have available for tongue weight. Decide on an amount of that weight, you want to hold back for a safety margin, and shop for a trailer that will meet your sleeping requirements, and fit your payload requirement.
Some numbers you could use for estimating the trailer weight:
Average tongue weight is 12 - 13%
Average camping load (pots aand pans, dishes, bedding / linens, camp chairs,
BBQ, water, and groceries) is about 10 - 1200 lbs. If you buy a 4000 lb dry weight trailer, it will be near 5200 lbs, loaded.
If you know your available payload, divide it by .13. That will give you a ballpark figure of what loaded trailer weight will have the tongue weight near your available payload.
