How Does a Weight Distribution System Increase the Tongue Weight Rating of a Trailer Hitch
Question:
I recently bought the hidden hitch class III trailer hitch for a 2006 honda odyssey. I would like to understand how the weight distribution system increases both the tongue weight and gross towing capacities. From the pictures, it appears as if the hitch is the same, and the trailer tongue is already rated at 5000 lbs, so I struggle to understand how this device makes the hitch stronger when all its doing is grabbing the trailer some number of inches down the frame rails.
asked by: Bob
Expert Reply:
You ask a very good question.
A weight distribution (WD) system that is properly tuned for the trailer weight and correctly installed will move some of the trailer tongue weight (TW) off the hitch and shift it forward to the tow vehicle's front axle. The hitch ball essentially becomes a pivot point - like the wheel of a wheel barrow when you lift the barrow's two handles.
With some of the TW shifted forward, a hitch then can, in many instances, handle more weight from the trailer tongue. When a WD hitch is installed properly the tow vehicle's front wheels will have more weight on them and their steering and braking performance will be more like it is when no trailer is hitched. Please note that a hitch MUST be specifically rated for use with a WD system; not all hitches can. The hitch safety sticker will indicate this.
The hitch you referenced, Draw-Tite Class III # 75270, carries a normal towing capacity of 4500-lbs, which increase to 5000-lbs when a WD system is employed. However, its TW rating does not increase and stays at 675-lbs. As for your Odyssey you will need to review its owner's manual or speak to your local dealership to confirm its maximum towing capacity.
Selecting a properly-tuned system requires that you know your trailer's fully-loaded ready-to-tow tongue weight. The linked article offers several methods to measure tongue weight (TW) including the scale # e99044. To the loaded trailer's measured TW you need to add the weight of anything in the truck that sits behind the rear axle, such as filled gas cans or a toolbox. Once you know this total effective tongue weight you can select a WD system.
The key is to choose a system such that your total effective TW falls in the middle of the system's operating range. A WD hitch rated too low will not give you the desired weight redistribution to the truck's front axles; and one rated too high can result in jumpy and erratic handling.
I included a link to our main page for WD systems and I will be happy to help you select a suitable system if you'd care to advise your trailer's measured TW.
Products Referenced in This Question
etrailer Tongue Weight Scale for Campers and Utility Trailers - 2,000-lb Capacity
- Tongue Weight Scale
- Analog Scale
- 2000 lbs
- etrailer
more information >
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"
- Trailer Hitch
- Custom Fit Hitch
- Class III
- 675 lbs TW
- 4500 lbs GTW
- 5000 lbs WD GTW
- 2 Inch Hitch
- 675 lbs WD TW
- Visible Cross Tube
- Draw-Tite
more information >
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