Travel trailer / tow vehicle combo question

[Firetraveler]

Looking at a possible purchase and any input from the group

Trailer is a Grand Design xls 22 rbe
4997 dry weight
498 hitch weight
6500 gvrw
26 ft long

Looking to pull it with

2018 Ford Expedition
3.5 v6 EcoBoost
9200 lb towing capacity

Looks to me to be well within safety specs
What would also be the best hitch for this do you all think


Thanks for any help

[Mickeyfan0805]

Firetraveler wrote:
OP here

Just to update everyone we have decided against this tow setup. I appreciate all of the help, and we are going to a light weight 5th wheel and 3/4 ton truck.

I feel the expy could pull the trailer but no room left over.



Safe travels everyone

An extraordinarily reasonable conclusion found amidst a bunch of crazy antics. Well done and good luck!

[Grit_dog]

Ha, OP got so tired of the bickering he bought a completely different setup!!
Lol

[drsteve]

BarneyS wrote:
I give up! I'm done with this one.
Barney

X2

[Firetraveler]

OP here

Just to update everyone we have decided against this tow setup. I appreciate all of the help, and we are going to a light weight 5th wheel and 3/4 ton truck.

I feel the expy could pull the trailer but no room left over.



Safe travels everyone

[BarneyS]

I give up! I'm done with this one.
Barney

[Huntindog]

valhalla360 wrote:

rjstractor wrote:

Yet another important factor is that if the WD hitch is adjusted correctly, the entire hitch weight is not carried by the vehicle alone- a portion of that hitch weight is transferred back onto the trailer axles.

This is incorrect.

A WD hitch does not transfer weight to the trailer axles.

What it does do is shift some of the hitch weight from the rear axle to the front axle.

Ummm. Run your rig across the scales. Get axle by axle weights, with and without WD.

Then get back to us.

[valhalla360]

BarneyS wrote:
Valhalla,
What do you think happens when you draw up the chains and apply WD to the hitch? Do they not pull down on the A frame? If so, where does that "pulling down" force go if not back to the trailer axles?

As I said, the Hitch Weight is the combined result of the two forces. It's already accounted for.

In addition you posted:
There is an upward force on the socket the ball goes into and and a downward force there the bar is connect at the back of the "A" frame. The addition of those two forces (subtraction in reality) is the hitch weight as the result is the force pushing down on the truck. . (my bold)

The thing you are forgetting in your description is you are not accounting for the force (weight) leveraged off of the front axle when the trailer tongue is dropped on the ball. Where do you think that weight goes?
Barney

The leverage from a non-WD hitch transfers weight from the front axle to the rear axle of the truck. It doesn't transfer to or away from the trailer.

Where you are getting confused is WD Hitches typically carry higher hitch weights...of course if you increase the hitch weight, it takes load off the trailer axles (all else being the same).

[BarneyS]

Valhalla,
What do you think happens when you draw up the chains and apply WD to the hitch? Do they not pull down on the A frame? If so, where does that "pulling down" force go if not back to the trailer axles?

In addition you posted:
There is an upward force on the socket the ball goes into and and a downward force there the bar is connect at the back of the "A" frame. The addition of those two forces (subtraction in reality) is the hitch weight as the result is the force pushing down on the truck. . (my bold)

The thing you are forgetting in your description is you are not accounting for the force (weight) leveraged off of the front axle when the trailer tongue is dropped on the ball. Where do you think that weight goes?
Barney

[valhalla360]

BarneyS wrote:
Valhalla,
You really need to study that linked sticky thread carefully! Your last statement is completely wrong.
Barney

No you need to read my comment.

If the hitch weight is unchanged, the weight on the trailer wheels is unchanged.

[drsteve]

BarneyS wrote:
Valhalla,
You really need to study that linked sticky thread carefully!
Barney

Lots of people know how to set up their WD hitch, and how to dial it in so it works perfectly. But few understand the actual physics behind it.

[BarneyS]

Valhalla,
You really need to study that linked sticky thread carefully! Your last statement is completely wrong.
Barney

[valhalla360]

SoundGuy wrote:

rjstractor wrote:
Yet another important factor is that if the WD hitch is adjusted correctly, the entire hitch weight is not carried by the vehicle alone- a portion of that hitch weight is transferred back onto the trailer axles.

valhalla360 wrote:
This is incorrect.

A WD hitch does not transfer weight to the trailer axles.

What it does do is shift some of the hitch weight from the rear axle to the front axle.

Sorry to say but you are incorrect - a properly sized and adjusted weight distribution hitch does transfer some weight to the TV front steer axle plus some back to the trailer's axle(s). Weight Distribution 101. 😉

How WD Really Works

You are playing at semantics that really aren't true.

There is an upward force on the socket the ball goes into and and a downward force there the bar is connect at the back of the "A" frame. The addition of those two forces (subtraction in reality) is the hitch weight as the result is the force pushing down on the truck.

The weight on the trailer axles must be equal to the weight of trailer minus the hitch weight...which is what the truck sees as additional payload.

For the same hitch weight, the trailer axles will see the same load (in a static condition) with or without WD.

[BarneyS]

I'm not the moderator of this forum. Was just making a comment. 😉
Barney

[drsteve]

BarneyS wrote:
Lets not get into a semantics discussion. Although nobody but the poster above mentioned the term "tongue weight" I think most know what all of you mean.
Barney

What, we can't have 17 pages of head scratching, arguing, defining terms, and posts quoting 12 other comments???

Okay, you're the moderator... It's all covered in the sticky anyway. 🙂