WD Hitches

Anyone know why the WD hitch companys want you to estimate cargo in the bed on their sizing tools? I’m specifically referring to Eqilizer brand. The cargo weight would count against TV payload only as far as I know, not applied to hitch/tongue weight.

The weight of the WD hitch also counts against payload according to most on the info Ive seen although I’ve also seen some people suggesting this weight should be considered part of the gross trailer weight only. Anyone have the facts on this?

Thanks again, great forum!

 

I always think of it like this, with no trailer where would you count anything attached or loaded in your truck? I’d count it against my truck payload. Most places I’ve seen/read about this is that the WD hitch goes towards payload, anything in the trailer and the trailer itself would go towards tongue weight and anything in the truck would go towards payload.

 

But tongue weight also goes against payload.

 

My guess is because a WD hitch is designed to distribute the weight between front and rear axle, if you get a hitch calculated for empty bed then you fill your bed up with whatever then that changes the weight over both axles (front less and rear more) which would make that hitch not do the job correctly.

 

Exactly. Either way it isn’t going to be much of a difference between a 70lb hitch added to payload or added to trailer weight and doing 15% of trailer weight added to payload. And any cargo in the trailer is added to tongue weight, and any cargo in the truck is added to payload. And tongue weight is added to payload.

 

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-2-steps-weight-distribution-size.aspx

here is an excellent article to help answer your questions.

 

Short answer, any weight behind the rear axle takes weight off the front axle. This weight should count towards your tongue weight even though it is not technically from the trailer tongue.