Trying to understand payload

Ok. So I raaan over to learn a bit about weight distributors. Sure would be helpful to have a diagram. So far the only thing I think I understand is that we want the weight on the front axle to be nearly the same as on the rear axle of the tow vehicle and about the same on the trailer axle. 1/3, 1/3, 1/3. Right? I just don't understand the gadget. I need a picture.

Ah ha! I think I had one of those on this trailer. I didn't sell it with the truck. I think it detached and is in the storage. Could I used the same one on a Tundra that I used on the Ram?

Not quite. When you hook a trailer to the back of your truck it acts like a lever. The tongue weight pushing down on the rear of the truck will reduce weight off the front axle of the truck. The idea of a weight distributing hitch is to return some or all of that lost weight back onto the front axle. For example if your tongue weight added 1000lbs to the trucks rear axle it could displace 200lbs off of your trucks front axle causing the steering to become light and control difficulty. Your aim is not to split the 1000lbs over the front and rear axles but to return some or all of the displaced 200lbs back onto the front. Some manufacturers say to return the front axle to the unhitched weight, others like Ford, say to return only 50% of the weight.

See here for diagrams/ explanation.

While leveraging some of the weight back onto the front axle you will also transfer a portion of the tongue weight back onto the trailers axles as well. Every truck, trailer and hitch combo will be different but rough estimates would have 60% added to the trucks rear axle while 20% gets returned to the trucks front axle and the other 20% gets distributed back onto the trailers axles.

If the hitch head is height adjustable (most are) you should be able to use it with another truck.