Calculating weight distribution requirements?

[icanon]

Hi everyone 🙂 First post and excited!!!

Wondering how do you calculate what WD is required for your rig? Say for example the TT (loaded) tongue weight of 950lbs do you add the weight of your WD/Sway to the tongue weight of the TT? So 950bs + 40lbs (WD/Sway) = 990lbs therefore I need a WD capacity of at least 1,000? Am I correct or am I doing it all wrong?

Also does a vehicle with 4 corner air suspension (self leveling) make any difference to the equation?

Thanks for your input.

[atwowheelguy]

icanon wrote:

kennyzzz wrote:
some reading for you, hope it helps.
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/25572537.cfm

ps it helps if you tell what you tow with.
ps # just trying to help

Thanks I'm reading this link now.
Towing with a Dodge Ram Laramie 1500 Quad cab 5.7 Hemi with 3.92 diff. with 4 corner air suspension. My new trailer in which I'll be picking up this spring is a Kodiak 290BHSL with a unloaded TT of 6,005lbs and a TW of 781 lbs.

Assuming I load it to the max load of 1,500lbs therefore I'll be around 7,500lbs but the TW is were I'm trying to respect to a max of 960. After reading many blogs and forums about whether or not to install a WD and/or Sway control has me wondering what route to go? I believe and my thoughts that there is no harm in installing a system like equalizer only to benefit if there is any, any problems that can occur out on the road.

Thanks for the reply. Will update my signature to reflect my rig 🙂

What is the Ram receiver hitch rated for? The one on my F150 is only rated for 1050 lbs. If your tongue weight is over 500 lbs., you need a WD hitch.

[icanon]

Thank you all for the warm welcome and replies. I feel comfortable here and welcomed.

[jerem0621]

BarneyS wrote:
Welcome to the forums! 🙂

Your signature will only appear once on each page. After the first post on a page you will not see it on next posts on the same page. On the next page, if you make another post, it will appear again.
Barney

Thanks for that tidbit. I've always wondered how that worked...never thought to ask though. Lol

[BarneyS]

Welcome to the forums! 🙂

Your signature will only appear once on each page. After the first post on a page you will not see it on next posts on the same page. On the next page, if you make another post, it will appear again.
Barney

[Need-A-Vacation]

Welcome!

I would suggest a 1200lb wd bar rating. Chance are you will be pushing 1000lbs, if not more with a dry tw of 781lbs. It adds up very quickly!

Not familiar with the Blue Ox, but the Equal-I-Zer 4way is a great hitch system! Also consider the Reese Dual Cam or SC models.

[handye9]

icanon wrote:
Thanks Handye9

Nice little video. Now which one Equalizer or Blue Oz? :h. 🙂

Both good hitches. Kind of like debating Ford, Chevy, and Dodge. I would recommend the Blue Ox, only because I have one. Folks with the Equalizer, would probably vote for them.

Since you are so close to possibly going over 1000 lbs on the tongue, I would recommend a hitch rated for the next size up. I don't know the sizes on Equalizer. Blue Ox jumps from 1000 to 1500 lbs.

My tongue weight fluctuates between 950 and 1100 lbs, depending on how the trailer is loaded. Particularly, the fresh water tank. I have the Blue Ox rated for 1500 lb.

[icanon]

Does anyone know why signature is not appearing? It only appears on my first post!

[icanon]

Thanks Handye9

Nice little video. Now which one Equalizer or Blue Oz? :h. 🙂

[handye9]

icanon wrote:
Assuming I load it to the max load of 1,500lbs therefore I'll be around 7,500lbs but the TW is were I'm trying to respect to a max of 960. After reading many blogs and forums about whether or not to install a WD and/or Sway control has me wondering what route to go? I believe and my thoughts that there is no harm in installing a system like equalizer only to benefit if there is any, any problems that can occur out on the road.

Thanks for the reply. Will update my signature to reflect my rig 🙂

Due to weight and size of your trailer, you do need WD hitch and sway control. When you hang that tongue weight on the back of your truck, it will add weight to your rear axle, and take weight off your front axle. The primary job of a WD hitch is to restore some (or all) of that weight, back to the front axle. Your air suspension system, makes the body of the truck and front of the trailer look level, gives you a false sense of security, but, it restores little to no weight back to the front axle.

If your tow vehicle is too lite on the front axle, even the slightest hand movement (subconscious or not) will move the front wheels back and forth and cause the trailer to sway.

Also, take a look at the hitch receiver on the truck. It will have two weight ratings stamped on it. One rating is a dead weight rating (without WD) the other (much higher) is with a WD hitch. You will most likely see that 950 lbs is far above the dead weight rating on your receiver.

Here is a link to a video, showing installation of a BlueOx Swaypro WD hitch. One of the first steps is to disable air suspension system.

[icanon]

kennyzzz wrote:
some reading for you, hope it helps.
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/25572537.cfm

ps it helps if you tell what you tow with.
ps # just trying to help

Thanks I'm reading this link now.
Towing with a Dodge Ram Laramie 1500 Quad cab 5.7 Hemi with 3.92 diff. with 4 corner air suspension. My new trailer in which I'll be picking up this spring is a Kodiak 290BHSL with a unloaded TT of 6,005lbs and a TW of 781 lbs.

Assuming I load it to the max load of 1,500lbs therefore I'll be around 7,500lbs but the TW is were I'm trying to respect to a max of 960. After reading many blogs and forums about whether or not to install a WD and/or Sway control has me wondering what route to go? I believe and my thoughts that there is no harm in installing a system like equalizer only to benefit if there is any, any problems that can occur out on the road.

Thanks for the reply. Will update my signature to reflect my rig 🙂

[kennyzzz]

some reading for you, hope it helps.
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/25572537.cfm

ps it helps if you tell what you tow with.
ps # just trying to help