Question from Ron Gratz post in a sticky

[Bobbo]

I have been studying Ron Gratz's example of the 2000 pound lift WDH, in the sticky on this forum, and have a question.

If the tow vehicle has, say, an 1800 pound payload rating, and loaded for camping WITHOUT a WDH you are carrying 1600 pounds of payload, including tongue weight. That means you are 200 pounds below your payload rating.

Now, you add Ron's WDH that shifts 300 pounds to the TT axles. Does that mean you are now 500 pounds below your payload rating?

Thanks,

Bobbo

[Bobbo]

I don't have either the truck or the trailer yet. (Trailer should be here this week, dealer is delivering since I sold him my other truck, and Ford estimates a June 7 delivery of the truck.) These are mythical numbers I am using to try to understand the concepts. I like to have a thorough grounding in something before I jump in with both feet.

The 900 pound tongue weight is from 15 percent of the 6,000 pound GVWR of the trailer.

The 400 pounds of passengers is close to what DW and I weigh.

The 200 pounds is about 10 percent over what A.R.E. says their topper weighs.

The 1800 pounds is from another thread where someone has a similar setup that has a 1900 pound payload.

[myredracer]

I've read posts more than a few times from the WDH experts around here that if you are having to play with the numbers like that, you are too tight and need a bigger truck or smaller TT. But then, some say it doesn't matter if you're over a little or a lot because the numbers are artificially low due to lawyers... To me, being too close on capacity can result in being slow uphill, slow to accelerate, more wear & tear, etc. BTDT with a previous TT and an F150 and it's not fun.

Where is the 1800 lb figure from? Are you the mythical 150 lb driver per the manufacturer's definition of payload and is it really included or not? The WDH will add another 100 lbs +/_. Will you be towing with one or more full holding tanks and what would that do to TW? Going on just short local trips or long road trips and flat roads or in mountains?

If it were me, I'd load your truck up with everything for a camping trip plus DW, pets, groceries, full tank of fuel, etc. and go through a scale and compare it to the GVWR and then you'll be able to make a more informed decision. (Esp. if you have added anything.) The payload figure on our door pillar sticker is way off what the actual is after going through a scale.

Are you planning to replace the Class C and go to a truck and TT and have no experience with a TT?

[Bobbo]

Let me see if I have this straight.

The WDH moving weight, say 300 pounds, to the TT axle does NOT let you put extra weight on the tongue of the trailer. However, it DOES let you add some more weight to the cab or bed of the truck.

Example: Truck with payload of 1800 pounds has 400 pounds of passengers, 900 pounds of pin weight, 200 pound cap, 150 pounds of "other stuff" leaves 150 pounds of payload. Moving 300 pounds to trailer axle ups that to 450 pounds of payload, as long as it is not tongue weight on the hitch.

Am I right?

[lbrjet]

Your right drsteve a WDH doesn't change the TW, but it does move some of that TW off of the truck and onto the trailer axles. The bottom line is what the tow vehicle axles weigh after hitching up the WDH.

[drsteve]

The WD bars move load from the truck's rear axle to the truck's front axle and the trailer axle. What it does not do is change the tongue weight. All of the tongue weight is still there, and counts for hitch and receiver load purposes.

[punomatic]

If any weight is shifted to the trailer axles, it HAS to lighten the load on the truck. The WD hitch neither adds nor subtracts weight from the rig. It just redistributes it. That's what Weight Distribution hitch means. Perhaps, they should have called it a Weight REdistribution hitch.

[Bobbo]

OK, that is 2 for it is still on the truck, and 2 for it is shifted to the trailer, off the truck.

Do we have a tie breaker?

[lbrjet]

Any weight moved to the trailer axles is weight no longer on the truck.

[owenssailor]

When I weigh my rig after putting on the WD bars the trailer axles are weighing 100 lb more than before the truck front is 200 lb heavier and the rear is 300 lb lighter.

My truck in total on the scales weighs 100 lb less than it did with no WD.

Therefore I am 100 lb further below he payload rating of the TV.

That 100 lb is now on the trailer axles.

[Lwiddis]

Shifts TV rear axel weight to TV front axel and back to TT axels but the weight doesn't disappear.

[Terryallan]

No. It is still there, and counted on the truck. All the tongue weight is still on the ball in one form or other.