Tongue Weight Rating

Ron Gratz wrote:
I've never seen any literature saying that load can be added to a receiver, but cannot be subtracted from a receiver.

You are considering only the loads which are added by tongue weight and WDH weight.
I am considering those loads and the load which is removed from the receiver via application of WD.

Application of WD does not reduce the tongue weight but, as far as vertical load on the receiver is concerned, it has the same effect as reducing the tongue weight.
If you want to say that "tongue weight" (as opposed to actual tongue weight) is equal to actual tongue weight plus the weight of the WDH minus load transferred to the TT, that's a matter of definition.
However, your "tongue weight", for any practical application of WD, still is going to be less than the actual tongue weight.

Ron

Ron,
I love your summary of WD. If I understand you correctly, the entire concept of tongue weight is not terribly relevant in a WD calculation. What we care about is the downward force on the hitch which may include the hitch weight. More correctly, we are really looking at the force applied at that point as it acts on the two fulcrums (TT wheels and TV rear axle). The WDH is on the truck side of all this, but it is still adding weight to the receiver. If you weigh the trailer and weigh the tongue, the WDH is not included. But when you way the TV it should include the bars and WDH weight.

If this is correct, the calculation that the TV manufacturer makes does not consider the weight of the WDH since it does not contribute to the tongue weight of the trailer, but does add to the weight of the TV. Am I finally getting it?