Hit the Scales with the 1500

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billyw

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It would be impossible for the front axle to weigh more after a trailer is hooked up, than before. Think about it. Just the truck sitting there by itself, the only way to get the front to weigh more (besides adding more weight over the front axle) would be to lift up on the rear end. Now, I don’t know of any weight distribution hitch that will get your trailer set up with a negative tongue weight.
Weight distributing hitches do indeed lift at the fulcrum point, causing weight (that would otherwise be resting on the hitch/rear truck axle) to be distributed to the front axle as well as back on to the trailer's axle(s).
 

Roll Tide Ram

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Spent a couple hours at the scales yesterday.

My Ram is a ‘14 5.7 8sp w 3.21 gears. I’m using an equalizer 4pt hitch, towing a FR Cherokee 274dbh. I have the airlift 1k bags set to 20lbs, LT 10 ply tires at 70psi, Hellwig rear sway bar, oem brake controller and tow mirrors.

Weighed in 4 times total. Camper was 6900lbs total loaded accept for food, approx 10gallons of water in for bathroom breaks. I didn’t take the family with me so I threw 4x60lb sand bags on the back floor to make up for their weight. Payload for my truck is 1470, and obviously 6900lbs total max gross.

Happy and satisfied with the results.

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Very good post. Thanks for explaining everything. I am in the market for a Grey Wolf toy hauler for a golf cart. I kind of wish I had went with a 2500 so I could get a toy hauler for my Ranger Crew, but at some point you have to quit spending. RV dealers keep trying to tell my 1500 can pull a heavier camper, but I thing he just wants to sell what he has.
 
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911ems

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If the steer axle only increased by 20 lbs, I don't think the Equal-I-zer is set up correctly. JMHO

On edit, it looks like it actually decreased by 20 lbs. Definitely NOT set up right.

Incorrect, the hitch IS set up correctly. I did not post the pic of the weight slip of the camper hooked up but without wdh bars activated. You return the weight that the camper takes away from the steer axle with the wdh system.


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911ems

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Thanks for the great comments. We towed for 10 hours yesterday from Ohio to Gatlinburg. Several decent hills and cross winds of 15-20mph. The truck handled well, very well. It did do a little bit of shift hunting when we were driving straight into the wind, but that’s expected. I did not use cruise control once we got into the hills and the truck performed very well and felt great at 65 and sometimes 70ish going down the hills.

The hitch is perfectly dialed in. Yes I could feel the camper behind me, but at no point did I feel the camper was driving my truck, I felt that I was always leading the camper. It moved when I moved, and being passed me semi trucks was unnoticeable 90% of the time. Equalizer for the win!

I’m happy with the 3.21 gears, up the steep long grades the truck would hold 4th gear at 4K rpms and maintain 68mph and trans temps held at 198-203.

Yes 3.92 are better, yes a 2500 is better. But I’m an advocate for building a truck for use and doing minor improvements to help stability of the system. It all starts with buying at TT that is correctly sized for the tow vehicle.


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mfifield01

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I agree, the hitch is setup well. My only concern is that the hitch (tongue) weight seems a little low, but I didn't see a slip without WDH setup. I have a similar setup (camper is 5900lbs). I was able to put all but 40 lbs back on the front axle.
 
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911ems

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I agree, the hitch is setup well. My only concern is that the hitch (tongue) weight seems a little low, but I didn't see a slip without WDH setup. I have a similar setup (camper is 5900lbs). I was able to put all but 40 lbs back on the front axle.

Tongue weight is 820, so right at 12%. All the weight plus 20lbs was put back on the front while still having 800 loaded on the rear axle. Loved the way it towed!


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Riccochet

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Looks like it's dialed in pretty good.

Have to remember, without WDH you are taking load off the steer axles. The point of WDH is to put load back on the steer axles, as close to unloaded as possible, while also transferring load back to the trailer axles. You should see those two differences removed from the drive axle.

With my ProPride I'm seeing about 20 lbs more on the steer axle and about 30% transferred to the trailer axle. The right setup makes all the difference.
 

Sweetee

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This has been a very interesting thread. I know Ram recommends a WDH for certain trailer weights. However, I tow so seldomly and need some advice. I have a V6 CC Laramie with a Leer topper. The truck(wet) weighs about 5900 lbs. When I tow, I use my 7x14 cargo trailer (tandem axle) that is licensed for 6000 lbs. The most the trailer has ever weighed loaded has been 4200 lbs. and that is with my VW Bug inside or the time I helped my daughter move. I would estimate my TW to be about 500 lbs. There wasn't much squat and the truck handled the loads very nicely. Do I really need to invest in a WDH?
 

clay282

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That's a good question... I actually don't think I've ever seen someone with a cargo trailer use a WDH or maybe I haven't been looking. Cargo is easily shifted and weight can be moved on or off the tongue to adjust things. A Camper is different because there's a fixed weight that doesn't change and cargo doesn't vary a lot from trip to trip. I just assumed everyone eyeballed it like me.

When I used my open cargo trailer with the Kia Sorento I had, it would squat bad! I would move the cargo backwards or forwards to get a little squat so I didn't get trailer sway. I just eyeballed it. The RAM is different story because it can handle so much more. But I just eyeball it like the Kia. Granted, I don't get the same squat, but I try to put some weight on the hitch.
 

VernDiesel

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Ram & the other 4 recommend a WDH for trailer loads over 5k. Most important for TT/TH/enclosed front trailer with some fixed front weight and that push air.
 
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911ems

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This has been a very interesting thread. I know Ram recommends a WDH for certain trailer weights. However, I tow so seldomly and need some advice. I have a V6 CC Laramie with a Leer topper. The truck(wet) weighs about 5900 lbs. When I tow, I use my 7x14 cargo trailer (tandem axle) that is licensed for 6000 lbs. The most the trailer has ever weighed loaded has been 4200 lbs. and that is with my VW Bug inside or the time I helped my daughter move. I would estimate my TW to be about 500 lbs. There wasn't much squat and the truck handled the loads very nicely. Do I really need to invest in a WDH?

My short answer is no. I’ve hauled my neighbors enclosed trailer a couple times that was 4-5k loaded with construction materials. The trailer sits so low compared to my camper, plus it’s only 16’ long. So center of gravity is substantially better, plus wind will not affect it nearly as much. My neighbor tows it daily, but never really has to go above 55mph. I personally don’t see the use for one on the enclosed trailers I’ve hauled, but it wouldn’t hurt either.


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