Do Weight Distribution Hitches Add To The Tongue Weight

Updated 05/20/2024 | Published 05/17/2024

Question:

I have a trailer that has a dry weight of 4000 lb including fresh water and water heater. Manufacturer says the hitch weight is 426 lb. My hitch weight on my vehicle rating is 500 lbs. Ill be adding somewhere around 95 lb when installing a WDH. We want to travel to Alaska but were not sure if the vehicle would tow comfortably. Should I upgrade my vehicle?

asked by: John

Expert Reply:

Hey John,

With weight distribution hitches we actually don't include the weight of the hitch itself into the tongue weight on the hitch because it's leveraging the weight through the frame to distribute it to the front axle. It's best to stay under 80-85% of your towing capacity to give yourself a buffer so upgrading the tow vehicle to something with a higher capacity might be the safest option depending on how heavy the trailer is once fully loaded.

If upgrading to a higher capacity vehicle isn't an option then a weight distribution hitch and some jounce springs can help distribute the weight and improve your handling to maintain a safe and comfortable ride. If you need help picking out a weight distribution hitch then I'll need to know the fully loaded tongue weight of the trailer. If you'd like to look into suspension upgrades for your tow vehicle then I'll just need to know the year/make/model of the vehicle.

expert reply by: Kevin C