WD Hitch Weight % Transferred

Ron Gratz wrote:

Campin LI wrote:
I understand what you are trying to do. You have to realize that your weight distribution hitch has it's own weight. The weight of the hitch is about the same (give or take) as the weight that will be transferred to the trailer axles once setup. Therefore, in my opinion, there is no substantial gain in truck capacity to your train of thought.---

A typical WDH probably weighs less than 100#, while load transfers to the TT can exceed 300#.
IMO, neither the weight of the WDH nor the amount of load transfer to the TT should be ignored.

IMO, a proper load analysis procedure should include the actual or estimated weight of the WDH as TV cargo.
The TV's unhitched GVW should include the weight of TV, occupants, added equipment, cargo, and the WDH.
Then, the TV's GVWR minus the GVW gives the maximum vertical load which can be imposed on the hitch.

Example:

If the TV's GVW (including weight of WDH) is 6200# and the GVWR is 7000#, you have 800# remaining for vertical load on hitch.
A 1000# TW, with 200# transferred to TT's axles, will exert 800# on the hitch.

If you don't include the 100# weight of WDH in the TV's GVW, the GVW will be 6100#, and you will have 900# remaining for combined weight of WDH plus vertical load exerted on the hitch.
The result is the same -- you can still have 800# exerted on the hitch. And that means you can still have 1000# of TW if 200# is transferred to the TT's axles.

If you ignore both the weight of the WDH and the load transfer to the TT, you'll incorrectly calculate an allowable "tongue weight" of 900#.

At a TW% of 12.5%, the difference between an allowable TW of 900# and 1000# means an increase in allowable TT weight of 800#.

Ron

I understand what you are saying, but my assumption is that the OP's question is simpler and based on estimation (he does not have a trailer) and the question appears to relate to payload capacity of his existing truck (how much tongue weight can he carry), not how much the trailer weighs. I still believe that as far as estimation goes, the amount of weight theoretically transferred to the trailer axles by use of a WDH is "about" the same as the weight of the WDH itself (which counts as payload capacity). If the OP ignores both factors, he will know "about" how much tongue weight he can handle. After all, he is going by brochure weights anyway so even though the "actual" amount of weight transferred to the trailer axle is likely more than the weight of the WDH, as far as estimating goes, not accounting for that weight helps in dealing with actual tongue weight which will likely increase every year because we keep adding more and more stuff into our trailers year after year anyway:)

To clarify, my guess is that the OP is looking to figure out how much tongue weight he can handle in his truck and wants to right off some of that tongue weight as transferred to the trailer axles using a WDH so that he can carry more tongue weight. My guess (assumption using fictitious numbers)is that he is looking at a trailer with say 900 lbs tongue weight but only has 700 lbs available in the truck. That being said if 200 lbs is transferred to the trailer axles, he is thinking he is good to go. All I am saying is that if this is how he is looking at the issue, the weight of the WDH sort of cancels out the transferred weight and the tongue weight is exactly what it is. If I'm assuming his intention wrong then disregard what I wrote.