Is The Weight Of A Weight Distribution Hitch Factored Into Tongue Weight Or Truck Payload?

Updated 01/08/2026 | Published 01/06/2026

Question:

Always confused about whether to add the weight of my wdh to the tongue weight or to truck payload. My wdh is heavy, 75 lbs or so for the ball mount that slides into truck hitch receiver. If I buy this scale, how should I read results? With wdh or without? Thanks, want to purchase but unsure how to read results. A fan of trailer.

asked by: Tony

Expert Reply:

Hey Tony, great question, and you are definitely not alone, this is one of the most confusing parts of towing. The weight of your weight distribution hitch, including the shank and ball mount that slide into the receiver, counts against your truck’s payload, not the trailer’s tongue weight rating. Since that hitch weight is carried by the truck itself, it needs to be included when you are calculating how much payload you have left.

When using the Big Truck Big RV Tongue Weight Scale for Trailers # BTBRV004, you will want to measure tongue weight without the WD hitch installed. That gives you the true downward force from the trailer coupler only, which is the number you use to verify you are within the trailer’s tongue weight range and the hitch’s rating. Once you know that number, you can then factor the weight of the WD hitch separately into your truck’s payload calculation.

Which WDH are you using? What trailer is it?

expert reply by: Jesse M

Big Truck Big RV Tongue Weight Scale for Trailers
(click to enlarge)

Tony

1/8/2026

Thanks for the reply, It's an Equalizer wdh on a 19' Airstream Bambi.

Jesse M.

1/8/2026

@Tony Nice! That's a slick little camper! The tongue weight scale will work great for that. By far the easiest way to get an accurate tongue weight reading. Safe travels!