What Weight Safe Weight Distribution to Use for 11,300 lbs GVWR Trailer

Question:

I am considering buying the Weigh Safe WDS. I know they have a middle weight and heavy weight model. My travel trailer is 38ft long with UVW of 9,443lbs - hitch weight of 1,100lbs - GVWR of 11,295lbs and my truck has a GVWR of 10,000lbs. Which one of the Weigh Safe systems would you recommend?

asked by: Vernon H

Expert Reply:

Hey Vernon, great to hear from you again!

For your trailer that has a GVWR of 11,295 lbs I actually recommend stepping up one level and going with the 18.5K # WS49MR which has the same 6" drop and fits a 2-1/2" hitch receiver like the 12.5K # WS59MR you were looking at.

Here's why:

Wight distribution systems (WDS) are designed to help with tongue weight (TW) so, contrary to popular belief, you'll actually choose a WDS based off of your TW as opposed to the GVWR. Since a properly loaded trailer will have a TW that's 10-15% the weight of the fully loaded trailer, this means you're looking at a possible TW range of 1,130 lbs - 1,694 lbs. The 18.5K system I recommend has a max TW of 1.8K so you won't be as restricted in how you load your trailer up.

Hopefully this helps clear things up. Using WDS can be a bit complicated when it comes to TW ranges and such. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

expert reply by: Jon G

Vernon H.

2/14/2025

Thank You Jon G for answering all my questions about the Weigh Safe WDH. I ordered the WS49MR and received it one day later on February 13, 2025. I look forward to setting it up and using it this spring. I will write a review once I've used it for a while.