Tongue Weight Rating
Hello, We are buying a trailer for our daughter and son-in-law. They now have a Ford Expedition with 8,900# tow rating. 80% of that is 7,120#, but they should stay below 7,000# loaded (5,500 to 6...
Forum Discussion
waynec1957 wrote:Yes. The tongue weight percentage is determined by the of the mass of the trailer and where the center of gravity is located relative to the coupler and the axles.
In other words, if I’m reading this right, the raw weight (downward force) of the tongue on the portable scales is not the same as the actual weight (downward force) on the ball with the WDH engaged.
So…am I still within the recommended TW range for safe towing?
You do not change the mass of the trailer or move the location of the CG when weight distribution is applied. Therefore, the TW and TW% does not change.
If your WDH applies a load of 1200# to each WD bar, a load of 2400# will be pulling down on the A-Frame. Approximately 2100# will be carried on the ball and 300# transferred to the TT's axles.
The 2100# increases the downward force on the ball but it does not change the TW or the TW%.
The good news is that the front ends of the WD bars are pushing upward with a total force of 2400#, so the net vertical load on the hitch head is reduced by 300#.
Ron
