YOke

Ok,

I know someone out there is an expert at physics or an engineer or ....smarter than me...

I'm new to towing, I plan on buying a Travel Trailer soon. I have a Sahara 4dr and these are the things I know.....

...3500 lb tow limit
...350 lb tongue limit
116" wheelbase allowing for a 21 ft trailer
frontal limit of 32sq ft.
GCVW of 8029lbs.

I already know I will be UNDER 3500 lbs with the trailer, and I will be UNDER the combined weight of 8000lbs as well...so....

Now, my question is, with the Equal-i-zer Hitch, which is a weight distributing hitch and sway control system...their website defines its function as "equally distributing the tongue weight to all the axles..".front, rear and trailer..does this mean, if the trailer I am considering has a tongue weight of 400 and the hitch itself weighs 50 lbs...does using this hitch make my ACTUAL tongue weight (400 + 50 / 3 =) 150 lbs? 3 being the number of axles the weight is distributed to?

Please, don't guess, if you know for sure, post, but don't guess....

Yoke

drschem

I can't answer your question directly - but aren't those hitches adjustable? You could make your hitch weight negative if you have the stays tight enough. My father has that type of hitch on a car hauler and sometimes has to loosen the stays if he is going through a dip because it can actually pick your back tires off of the ground.

YOke

Yes, they are adjustable. I don't own one yet, but am hoping to 'adjust' my 450 lb tongue wt to something under the 350 limit. The online directions really doesn't give a formula for how much it can be reduced....

YOke

ColdBrew

unfortunately that is not how weight distribution hitches work. If the max vehicle tongue weight is 350, that is rated at a level trailer load. Most vehicle manufactures actually require a weight distribution hitch to meet the max towing loads.

A weight distribution hitch is always a good idea for towing and keeping a trailer from swaying but it does not in any way increase the towing capacity of a vehicle.

Now having said that, there is a huge factor of safety in max towing loads typically, I have done a lot worse than going over a tongue weight by 50 lbs on vehicles. It will all depend in how you tow, where you tow and what conditions you will tow in. I would not want to overload my hitch for interstate driving or where roads are in poor conditions, any place that will put cyclic or heavy loads on your hitch.

YOke

[QUOTE=ColdBrew;1520411]unfortunately that is not how weight distribution hitches work. If the max vehicle tongue weight is 350, that is rated at a level trailer load. Most vehicle manufactures actually require a weight distribution hitch to meet the max towing loads.

A weight distribution hitch is always a good idea for towing and keeping a trailer from swaying but it does not in any way increase the towing capacity of a vehicle. QUOTE]

Ok, I guess I'm still confused by your response. Thank you for taking the time to reply.

I'm not trying to increase my tongue weight limit above 350, I'm trying to determine if a trailer with a stated tongue weight of 400 is hooked onto my jeep WITH a weight distribution hitch, does that actually lower the weight at the tongue below the 350 limit. The way I understand it, it will distribute the weight forward and back.

I know I can figure it out by towing the trailer to a truck scale, and doing a series of weights on each axle, but I'd like to know for sure before I BUY the dumb thing.

Is there anyone out there who HAS gone to a scale and figured out their actual tongue weight?

ColdBrew

Sorry if I was confusing, I will try a little better.

The rated tongue weight of your trailer is at a level setting.

the term weight distribution hitch is deceiving in that it makes you think, as you asked earlier, that you are spreading the tongue weight of the trailer across the tow vehicle and the trailer, where in reality you are just putting it back to where it is supposed to be by ensuring the tow vehicle and the trailer are both level. This is why you will not find any information on how to recalculate the tongue weight.

In saying that, if the jeep is rated to handle a 350 lb tongue weight, and the trailer has a tongue weight of 400, you have overloaded the hitch beyond its specified limits, even with a weight distribution hitch.

ColdBrew

Here is a very good explanation of how a weight distribution hitch actually works:

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...d/14265335.cfm

I hope that helps.

mjolnir

ColdBrew answered perfectly and I agree completely

YOke

I guess I just don't buy that. The Jeep Owners manual even says that the use of the WDH will allow for heavier loads. Not loads over the limit, just loads closer to 3500...


...so...my question still remains...is there anyone out there who has a WDH that has taken it to a scale and calculated their real tongue weight and found it to be different (lighter) from the tongue weight stated on the sticker from the trailer?

Yoke

YOke

I replied too soon....im looking at the link now Cold...thanks...

YOke