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
LarryJM wrote:Larry, I think the basic source of our difference of opinion is your belief that "---the spring bars must redistribute this wt. plus the tongue wt.---".
---I realize in my view this wt. added behind the rear axle doesn't count lb for lb as additional TW, but the equilivant wt. at the point of the ball that would result in the same off loading of the front axle of the TV is what in my view should be considered "additional" tongue wt and this "additional" tongue wt. only shows up in a WDH configuration because the spring bars must redistribute this wt. plus the tongue wt. just from the trailer so that the TV returns to its pre "additional" wt. behind the rear axle wt or height and that after that behind the rear axle cargo (including the wt. of the WDH/Sway system) is added.
If you put a 200# load 18" behind the rear axle, it'll cause about 25# to be removed from the front axle.
Now, if you have a 200# driver and nothing else ahead of the rear axle, that 200# driver will cause at least 100# to be added to the front axle.
From a realistic point of view, the 200# behind the rear axle simply is acting to counter a small portion of the load which driver, passengers, and other cargo will add to the front axle.
The load behind the rear axle is not going to raise the front end above the height at which it would be if the TV were unloaded.
As far as I am concerned, any TV cargo behind the rear axle does not need to be redistributed because it should have been in/on the TV when the unhitched height/load was measured.
Ron
