Distributing hitch

[1963tradewin]

Will a distributing hitch take away some tonge weight or does it just level everything?

[moosetags]

A weight distributing hitch system does not change the trailer's tongue weight; it transfers some of that weight to the tow vehicle's front axle.

Brian

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by 1963tradewin

Will a distributing hitch take away some tonge weight or does it just level everything?

A proper rated load equalizing hitch, properly installed, and properly adjusted, will transfer 1/3 of the tongue weight back to the trailer axle/axles, and 2/3 to the tow vehicle.

If everything is correct, 1/4 of the 2/3 will be transfered to each tow vehicle wheel.

Assuming a 900 pound tongue weight, 300 pounds goes back the the axle/axles, and 600 pounds goes to the tow vehicle, of which 150 pounds goes to each wheel.

Andy

[1963tradewin]

Very good thanks for the insight Andy.

[SteveH]

Andy's statements are correct, for some tow vehicles.

If everything is correct, 1/4 of the 2/3 will be transfered to each tow vehicle wheel.

However for a truck, most manufacturers specify that the rear axle carry all of the tongue weight (it's in the vehicle owner's manual). So, that given and the WD hitch adjusted correctly, there would be no added weight on the front axle of a truck when the trailer is attached and the WD hitch adjusted correctly, but there would also be no weight reducton on the front axle either.

[dwightdi]

I guess the manufacturer of that particular truck thinks the weight should be on the back wheels. I do not know where they got that opinion. W/D systems can not accomplish what they are saying. It is a engineering fact. If you follow Reese and other manufacturers suggestions the portion of the tongue weight that will be redistribute will fall approximately equally between the front and rear wheels of the truck. This gives a little more downward force on the front wheels which help you steer the truck better and decreases the downward force on the rear wheel that would have occurred if you did not use a W/d hitch. To more easily understand it:take the example to the extreme to recognize the ill effects. If a very heavy trailer were put on the hitch ball and the lever arm between the wheels and the overhung hitch ball thereby lifted the front wheels off the ground. Would that be bad?

[SteveH]

Weight-Distributing Hitches and Weight Carrying Hitches:

"When using a weight-distributing hitch, the hitch must be adjusted so the distance (front wheel fender opening to ground) remains the same both before and after coupling the trailer to the tow vehicle."

This clearly indicates the manufacturer does not want added tongue weight to be applied to the front axle of the truck, and coincides with instructions illustrated elsewhere in the owners manual about the loading of the truck needing to be directly above the rear axle.

This has been discussed several times before, and trucks are built to carry loads differently than passenger vehicles.

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by dwightdi

. . . To more easily understand it:take the example to the extreme to recognize the ill effects. If a very heavy trailer were put on the hitch ball and the lever arm between the wheels and the overhung hitch ball thereby lifted the front wheels off the ground. Would that be bad?

When I read Steve's post, I understood it to mean that the lever arm would reduce the weight on the front axle, and the WD hitch should be set to restore that weight to it's previous load. I don't see anything wrong with that.

If the tongue weight is 800 lbs, it will show up as about 1100 lbs on the rear axle and -300 lbs on the front. Using the WD bars to adjust it to 650 lbs on the rear and netzero on the front just make good sense. For a truck.

[richinny]

diesel trucks are well loaded on the front axle, sometimes very close to the limits and they are often heavily sprung.

steveh, i'd like to know what your front axle weighs and what it is rated for.

thanks

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by richinny

steveh, i'd like to know what your front axle weighs and what it is rated for.

thanks

richinny,

I only have weights from when we were towing our 23' on a trip to Alaska, summer '08, and my front axle weight on that trip was 3330 pounds loaded, trailer in tow, with my wife, the dog, and I in the truck. Rear axle was 3570, and trailer axles was 4475.

The rating for the front axle is 3600 pounds, and rear axle rating is 3900 pounds.

Our current trailer, an '01 25' Excella, and new hitch, a ProPride, I calculate has added about 410 pounds to the tongue weight. This, compared to the 570 tongue weight of the '75 23'.

I am very close, if not at, the load limit of the tow vehicle. My next tow vehicle will be a 3/4 ton truck, and maybe a Diesel.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by SteveH

Weight-Distributing Hitches and Weight Carrying Hitches:

"When using a weight-distributing hitch, the hitch must be adjusted so the distance (front wheel fender opening to ground) remains the same both before and after coupling the trailer to the tow vehicle."

Am I rong?

I read that statement as.....

Adjust your bars. If you don't, you won't have enough steering weight.

palin & smilpe

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Am I rong?

I read that statement as.....

Adjust your bars. If you don't, you won't have enough steering weight.

palin & smilpe

Amen, big time.

Or is it, Aemn bg tme?

Andy

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Am I rong?

I read that statement as.....

Adjust your bars. If you don't, you won't have enough steering weight.

palin & smilpe

What it means is, adjust the bars so you have the same weight on the front axle after hitching the trailer, as you had before hitching the trailer. Or, you could say, the vehicle manufacturer wants all the tongue weight to be carried by the rear axle, and none by the front axle, the same as they specify for all loads in the truck. i.e., the weight should be carried by the rear axle.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by SteveH

What it means is, adjust the bars so you have the same weight on the front axle after hitching the trailer, as you had before hitching the trailer. Or, you could say, the vehicle manufacturer wants all the tongue weight to be carried by the rear axle, and none by the front axle, the same as they specify for all loads in the truck. i.e., the weight should be carried by the rear axle.

Wrong.

If what you say is the case, what good are the torsion bars?

Trucks are not immune from Physics.

Andy

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Wrong.

If what you say is the case, what good are the torsion bars?

Trucks are not immune from Physics.

Andy

No, trucks are NOT immune to physics. The torsion bars move to tongue weight foward as you tighten them. In theory, you can even move all the tongue weight to the front axle...remember the old hitch add that had a front wheel drive toronado towing an Airstream and had no wheels on the back???

What you should do with a truck towing a travel trailer is, tighten the bars until you move the tongue weight off the rear bumper, moving it foward enough to transfer it to the rear axle, and no farther foward.

Simple, huh?

[silverleeper]

Originally Posted by SteveH

Weight-Distributing Hitches and Weight Carrying Hitches:

"When using a weight-distributing hitch, the hitch must be adjusted so the distance (front wheel fender opening to ground) remains the same both before and after coupling the trailer to the tow vehicle."

This clearly indicates the manufacturer does not want added tongue weight to be applied to the front axle of the truck, and coincides with instructions illustrated elsewhere in the owners manual about the loading of the truck needing to be directly above the rear axle.

This has been discussed several times before, and trucks are built to carry loads differently than passenger vehicles.

Andy, As you have stated in the past one rule does not apply for every W/D setup. SteveH is simply stating what his manual says. This works for SteveH and in his point of view is not "wrong".

Without W/D bars he can not make sure the "distance (front wheel fender opening to ground) remains the same both before and after coupling the trailer to the tow vehicle."

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Wrong.

If what you say is the case, what good are the torsion bars?

Trucks are not immune from Physics.

Andy

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by SteveH

What you should do with a truck towing a travel trailer is, tighten the bars until you move the tongue weight off the rear bumper, moving it foward enough to transfer it to the rear axle, and no farther foward.

Simple, huh?

If you lift the weight off the rear bumper, it must go someplace.

As you lift the rear bumper, you are taking weight off of the rear axle.

Andy

[richinny]

thank you steveh.

yes, not much reserve there.

my novice thoughts are:

use the WD hitch to replace the weight taken off the front when the trailer tongue is loaded onto the ball without overloading the front axle.

or

even better.......... get the tow veh. to squat evenly. again, do this without overloading either axle. this evens out the load and keeps the front alignment angles from changing.

[2airishuman]

everytime this thread heading rolls by...

i see "disturbing hitch" as the title message.

and some of the replies have headed that direction...

moose, markd' and rc' have condensed nicely.

while steveH is solving HIS issues too...

but the o.p. hasn't responded.

and MY guess is the question has an ISSUE behind it that goes beyond ALL but moose's reply....

Originally Posted by 1963tradewin

Will a distributing hitch take away some tonge weight or does it just level everything?

hi todd !

1. w/d doesn't LEVEL everything...

((the draw bar DROP is largely responsible for leveling the trailer))

2. and the w/d hitch doesn't TAKE AWAY some tongue weight...

((it redistributes the EFFECTs of that tongue mass along the the tv frame and trailer frame, INTO the ground contact))

and generally the goal with w/d gear is 2 RESTORE the steering axle load 2 the UNhitched value, approximately.

but TENSIONING the w/d bars generates FORCES (at the hitch/ball/A frame) way beyond the actual tongue weight.

and there are LONG threads that pick apart this concept in great detail.
______________

but WHY exactly are U asking about WHAT a w/d hitch does to the tongue mass?

?is it because YOUR rebuild is headed toward a HEAVIER tongue...

perhaps heavier than originally spec'd or heavier than the tv is meant to carry?

or something along this line?
___________

w/d bars and hitches DO NOT lighten the tongue mass.

they don't make tongue weight disappear or CHANGE the ratings of the A frame, or other connected bits.

and they don't reduce the payload added by the trailer tongue 2 the towing vehicle,

while shifting around the EFFECT of that payload on the STEERING and DRIVE axles of the tv.

the tongue will weigh WHATEVER it weighs when ON the tongue jack LEVEL and un hitched.

with SOME regular variation based on LP tank levels, water in the trailer tanks, cargo and so on.

and the HITCH APPARATUS will add to that figure (or more correctly ADD payload on the TV)
_________

so perhaps U might share WHY this issue is important now

and HOW understanding the answer will impact your rebuild, or towing issues.

this might get you better info that APPLIES to your DISTURBING situation...
__________

cheers
2air'

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

If you lift the weight off the rear bumper, it must go someplace.

As you lift the rear bumper, you are taking weight off of the rear axle.

Andy

Actually, that is not right, or as you would say, WRONG.

You need to understand physics yourself. You need to think of the tow vehicle as a lever, and the rear axle as the fulcrum, and the tongue weight, as the weight. The weight lowers the bumper, using the rear axle as the fulcrum to raise the front, or take weight off the front axle.

As you tighten the weight distribution bars you move that tongue weight foward on the tow vehicle, and a small amount of the tongue weight goes back on the trailer, but for the sake of this discussion, lets just concentrate on the TV.. The tighter you make the bars, the farther you move the weight foward.

If you simply return the front of the TV to it's original height before hitching the trailer, you have then moved the tongue weight directly above the rear axle. If you move the weight far enough foward, the front of the TV will go down, and then you have put at least some of the tongue weight on the front axle, which is not desirable on a truck.

I'm sure if you have all of the "experience" you profess to, you've seen TV and trailer conbinations where the tow vehicle is too high in the rear, and too low in the front, which is a simple situation of having the WD bars too tight.

Too tight bars is also dangerous, as it removes traction from the rear axle of the TV which without sway control, can actually cause a jack-knife.

I will say this from experience....if you are having traction problems when accelerating with your rig, and having a tendency to spin the rear tires, you have the WD bars too tight, and the tongue weight moved too far foward, no matter what tow vehicle you are driving.