Weight Distributing Hitches

TriciaR1970 wrote:
Find these weights:

Truck GVWR - 8200 Max Payload - 2390

GVWR will not change whether vehicle is 2 wheel drive, 4 wheel drive, with or without tow package, etc.

The actual weight of the vehicle will change, depending on options / accessories added by the manufacturer, dealer, or customer.

Max payload is based on a stripped down 2 wheel drive. Anything added to vehicle weight, will decrease available payload, pound for pound.

Truck GCWR - 15400 (not sure what this one means?)

This is max weight for truck and trailer combined.

Truck actual weight - would this be with cargo? In our case 2 adults, 2 large dogs (soon to be 3) and a 300lb wheelchair and lift Approx 1100 additional allowing for additional dog and weight of the lift and wheelchair.

Scale weight with full fuel, cargo and passengers, would be best. Subtract that weight from GVWR (8200). What you have left is available payload for WD hitch and tongue weight.

So if you take the 2390 max payload and subtract the 1100 of us/dogs/wc that leaves 1290 for tongue weight (am I doing this right?)

No. You are assuming you still have the 2390 max payload available. Your tow package took some of that. Any other options / accessories added by you, the dealer, or Ford, took some of that. The WD hitch will take 100 lbs of that.

Trailer gross weight (UVW plus cargo capacity)6544 unloaded and Max Cargo weight of 2408

That adds up to 8352 gross weight for trailer.

So if the trailer was at max capacity (which it will not be as we are light packers and never travel with tanks full) the tongue weight for this trailer should still be under the available payload I have - correct?

Only you, can answer that. After you know what your actual weight and available payload is.

Anyway thank you for making me do this exercise it has made me a bit more confident that my truck can in fact handle this camper.

You may, or may not, have a false sense of security. You'll know more when you have actual weights to work with. Average camping load (dishes, pots and pans, bedding, tools, spare parts, fishing gear, groceries, water, chairs, etc) is about 1000 lbs. It adds up fast. Loaded for camping, your trailer will be about 7500 lbs. Your tongue weight will be about 900 lbs. We should all do this exercise. I was surprised when I did mine.


I am inquiring about a re manufactured Hensley hitch right now. I don't mind paying a bit more for safety and ease of use. And since my current hitch is extremely heavy and anything heavier duty will be well heavier I love that the hitch stays with the camper and not the truck.

This thread has been super informative and I had never even heard of the Hensley Arrow Hitch so thank you all so much for your time, your consideration and your vast knowledge! Will have to let you know what we end up with.