cargo weight distribution

[danimal53]

TT newb, go easy on me 🙂

So I know the TT cargo weight should be distributed roughly 60/40, 60% of weight in front of the axle, 40% behind, for safer towing and balance. Is it safe to assume the TT dry weight is distributed this way? Also, as long as you stay under the GVWR of the TT, you could easily achieve this ration by putting an appropriate amount of freshwater in the tank when towing, correct?

The reason I ask is our first trip, I noticed some jerkiness at low speeds, stop/go traffic getting to the highway. It was partially the intensity of my brake controller, which I had to dial in. I also noticed a very slight inverted v shape between the TT and TV, where the tongue was actually a bit high. I figured this was due to improper cargo weight distribution, so I adjusted. Still didn't completely solve it however.

I have an E2 WD hitch that the dealer sold and installed. They gave me 10,000lb bars, which I now realize is way too much (TT is only 3700lb max) and is maybe raising the coupler too much.

So, which is it? Cargo weight needs to come forward more (or add water to tank) or should I go back to the dealer and get different WD bars? or have them adjust my hitch? or some combination?

[rbpru]

If I had a question about the WD hitch for my TT and did not trust the dealer, I believe I would contact the manufacturer.

As for distributing the load balace within the TT as suggested in the manual, I put the food in the pantry, the clothes in the closet, the spare tire on the back and all the remaining stuff in the cargo hold up front.

I do not see where there are too many options when loading my TT.

[danimal53]

well, went back to the dealer today, boy was that fun!

2 service guys immediately said "we installed this?!?!" all puzzled like. not only was it way overrated, but the brackets were too high putting extreme tension on the bars. they dropped the brackets down a hole, which took a lot of tension off the bars, and said "should be all set..."

well, i was a little suspicious, so i took it for a little test drive, some bumpy areas, around an abandoned nearby parking lot. sure that got rid of the "rigidness" of the ride, but it also basically made the hitch useless for weight distribution. i kind of noticed i was seeing a lot more of the hood from the drivers seat, indicating im tipped back!
sure enough, got it, took a few steps back to get a good view, and my TV ass was sagging quite a bit!

back to the dealer (kinda pissed at this point, but at least i was only a couple blocks away) and basically demanded the 6,000lb bars. was sick of hearing "ive been doing these like this for blablablabla" so they switched the bars, and wow, TV was nice and level, TT was level, ride was much much smoother for the 40+ miles home!

5 different guys at the dealer said "they figure if you ever want to upgrade your trailer you wont need a new hitch..."

if im upgrading, that means new TV, new TT, probably a minimum of 35k for the 2, and a $500 hitch is what i should be concerned with?

moral: do your research, don't let them talk you up. as i said to them, i want the right hitch for what i have now, not for what i might get sometime in the future. if i want to upgrade, ill upgrade TT, TV and hitch all at once!

[danimal53]

Having too heavy a rating on spring bars can damage the TT frame in some cases. It can also make for a stiffer and more uncomfortable ride. 3700 lbs is the dry weight or GVWR? Without detail, if the dry weight is 3700 lbs, I'd guess the actual weight of your TT fully loaded and ready for a camping trip would be in the order of 5,000 - 5,500 lbs. (should not exceed the GVWR). Tongue wt. is normally in the 10-15% range with 12-13% being about average. Should never ever be less than 10%. If you were to use 13% at 5500 lbs, your bars should be rated based on a tongue wt. of .13 x 500 = 715 lbs. It looks like 800 lb bars would be the correct size. You could go to a scale to get your actual tongue wt. but I think the result would suggest 800 lb bars anyway.

If the 3700 lbs is GVWR, then the tongue wt. is going to be more like 481 lbs and the bars would likely want to be rated at 600 lbs. If so, the 1,000 lb. bars are grossly oversized.

I would go back to the dealer and insist on a 800/8,000 lb rated E2 WDH or 600/6000 as applicable.

The TT should sit level or slightly nose down when the WDH is sized and set up correctly. Tire pressure is another important factor. The best thing you can do is go to the towing forum and read up on all the info. on installing and setting up a WDH and anything else that is a factor.

Hope this isn't too harsh. 😄 But do go back to the dealer and be harsh with them. :M


2900lbs is the dry weight, 3700 is GVWR. I will call the dealer and "express my frustration" appropriately. They did measure TV height and all that (i watched them install) but I hadn't realized being way oversized on the bars was such a potential problem. The E2 is a friction sway control type hitch, so there are no chains to be adjusted, just the angle of the ball. Thanks for the tips everyone, e2 does have a 600/6000 bar rating, seems like this would be much more appropriate.

[myredracer]

duplicate

[myredracer]

danimal53 wrote:

So I know the TT cargo weight should be distributed roughly 60/40, 60% of weight in front of the axle, 40% behind, for safer towing and balance.

You don't use a ratio split like 60/40 to size or adjust anything. You need to size your WDH based on actual tongue weight.

danimal53 wrote:

I have an E2 WD hitch that the dealer sold and installed.

Never expect a dealer to install the right WDH or adjust it correctly. They can really mess these things up and even send folks away in an unsafe situation. Learn yourself how WDHs get sized and adjusted and that way you will know it's done right and also understand better how these work. Excellent info. in the towing forum. Adjusting the angle of the hitch head and setting it up for the right number of chain links is as simple as measuring before and after front fender heights.

danimal53 wrote:

They gave me 10,000lb bars, which I now realize is way too much (TT is only 3700lb max) and is maybe raising the coupler too much.

danimal53 wrote:

So I know the TT cargo weight should be distributed roughly 60/40, 60% of weight in front of the axle, 40% behind, for safer towing and balance.

You don't use a ratio split like 60/40 to size or adjust anything. A WDH gets sized based on actual tongue weight, or sometimes on calculated/estimated tongue weight.

danimal53 wrote:

I have an E2 WD hitch that the dealer sold and installed.

Never expect a dealer to install the right WDH or adjust it correctly. They can really mess these things up and even send folks away in an unsafe situation. Learn yourself how WDHs get sized and adjusted and that way you will know it's done right and also understand better how these work. Excellent info. in the towing forum. Adjusting the angle of the hitch head and setting it up for the right number of chain links is as simple as measuring before and after front fender heights.

danimal53 wrote:

They gave me 10,000lb bars, which I now realize is way too much (TT is only 3700lb max) and is maybe raising the coupler too much.

Having too heavy a rating on spring bars can damage the TT frame in some cases. It can also make for a stiffer and more uncomfortable ride. 3700 lbs is the dry weight or GVWR? Without detail, if the dry weight is 3700 lbs, I'd guess the actual weight of your TT fully loaded and ready for a camping trip would be in the order of 5,000 - 5,500 lbs. (should not exceed the GVWR). Tongue wt. is normally in the 10-15% range with 12-13% being about average. Should never ever be less than 10%. If you were to use 13% at 5500 lbs, your bars should be rated based on a tongue wt. of .13 x 500 = 715 lbs. It looks like 800 lb bars would be the correct size. You could go to a scale to get your actual tongue wt. but I think the result would suggest 800 lb bars anyway.

If the 3700 lbs is GVWR, then the tongue wt. is going to be more like 481 lbs and the bars would likely want to be rated at 600 lbs. If so, the 1,000 lb. bars are grossly oversized.

I would go back to the dealer and insist on a 800/8,000 lb rated E2 WDH or 600/6000 as applicable.

The TT should sit level or slightly nose down when the WDH is sized and set up correctly. Tire pressure is another important factor. The best thing you can do is go to the towing forum and read up on all the info. on installing and setting up a WDH and anything else that is a factor.

Hope this isn't too harsh. 😄 But do go back to the dealer and be harsh with them. :M

[Huntindog]

First things first. Get the right sized hitch, then work on dialing it in... Although oversizing is reccommended by some here, as thay are looking to grow into it with their next TT... It is not the way to go.. The right size is the right size. If you wear size 10 shoes... Buy size 10 shoes.

Your hitch is so oversized that it is futile to even atempt to make it work right.

[BigSkyTrailer_G]

Guess I'd at least ask them about it, so in a courtroom, you can say you asked them about it...

I Googled "too much WD" and read this: “Insufficient weight distribution is obviously undesirable. Too much weight distribution is also detrimental. With too much weight distribution the rear tires of the tow vehicle can lose traction allowing the trailer to push or pull the back of the tow vehicle around creating a possible "jack knife" scenario. Too much weight distribution can also overload the hitch, receiver, or trailer frame/coupler.”

[danimal53]

BigSkyTrailer Guy wrote:
Just a side note about your 10000 lb WD bars. The shop that installed my WD hitch let me know that they once had to work on a hitch that was so oversized that it actually buckled and bent the trailer frame at the tongue. that's a lot of downward force!

so I should consider getting lesser bars? kind of annoyed at my dealer at this point, they obviously know the TT weight so should have given me appropriate bars...

[BigSkyTrailer_G]

Just a side note about your 10000 lb WD bars. The shop that installed my WD hitch let me know that they once had to work on a hitch that was so oversized that it actually buckled and bent the trailer frame at the tongue. that's a lot of downward force!

[danimal53]

Dakota98 wrote:
Proper tongue weight should be between 10-15% of total loaded trailer weight.

Also, it sounds like the ball should be dropped down one hole.

Did the dealer have the TV, when the hitch was installed.

yes, the dealer installed and setup the WDH for my TV, showed me how to install/remove myself as well. All seemed find that first ride home, but this first trip out, with cargo in the trailer, was definitely bouncy.

i was not expecting the same ride with my TV when not towing, but i figured i should be able to smooth it out some. maybe ill try dropping the ball down a notch.

[nevadanick]

Its a balancing act.

[Oaklevel]

Welcome to the forum.

Sounds more like the hitch set up needs adjusting and the brake controller. The trailer with the weight dist hitch should set level. I doubt your cargo is going to change the ride. Do not expect you set up to ride as well as the tow vehicle alone. 🙂

Enjoy !!!!!

[Dakota98]

Proper tongue weight should be between 10-15% of total loaded trailer weight.

Also, it sounds like the ball should be dropped down one hole.

Did the dealer have the TV, when the hitch was installed.