Hitch Extender

[_1nobby]

I bought a 14" hitch extender today as I was in a tight spot a couple of weeks ago and almost took out a tail light:)

Turns out....the extender REDUCES tongue and tow weight by 50%.

Makes sense....but I didn't even consider those physics

So....back it goes.

[Huntindog]

jaycocreek wrote:

You cannot use a hitch extender with WD.

So untrue!

For the purpose of clarity and disclosure, it is mostly true.
There are a couple of special ones out there that can do it.... But those are not what most think of in relation to this subject.

[Huntindog]

Jay Coe wrote:
I thought the point of those 18 pages in Ron's thread was to get away from saying it redistributes tongue weight because it actually redistributes the load FORCES and that it's the use of the word "weight" that causes all the confusion.

Your sentence "it does NOT equalize weight" misstates the nomenclatures. It's LOAD equalizing hitch.

Perhaps Load Distributing Hitch would be the best of both worlds?

Call it whatever you want. All I KNOW, is that when WD is engaged, there WILL be more weight on the TVs front axle, and there WILL be more weight on the TTs axles, and at the same time there WILL be less weight on the TVs rear axles.
This can, and has been proved on scales.

You can pick a nit over the words all you want, but this is what happens

[jaycocreek]

You cannot use a hitch extender with WD.

So untrue!

[BarneyS]

OK, you win.

[Jay_Coe]

I thought the point of those 18 pages in Ron's thread was to get away from saying it redistributes tongue weight because it actually redistributes the load FORCES and that it's the use of the word "weight" that causes all the confusion.

Your sentence "it does NOT equalize weight" misstates the nomenclatures. It's LOAD equalizing hitch.

Perhaps Load Distributing Hitch would be the best of both worlds?

[BarneyS]

Jay Coe wrote:

I had the time, so I read. I remember decades ago as a young man long before I ever owned a TT hearing the hitch referred to as a load equalizing hitch. Would that not be more accurate terminology than weight distributing hitch? And wouldn't that be less confusing right from the get-go? Why did that term go out of fashion?

In my opinion, the term "weight distributing hitch" is much more accurate than the old "load equalizing hitch" because it does re-distribute the tongue weight forces to the front of the truck and back to the trailer axles. It does NOT equalize the weight. It restores the weight lost from the front axle when the trailer is hooked up to the ball and in the process it also puts some of that weight on to the trailer axles because of the downward pull of the chains located at the ends of the WD bars. That amount is not the same as the amount put back on the front therefore it is not "equalized".

Just like a teetertotter, if you put weight behind the fulcrum you will raise the other end. In this case the trucks rear axle is the fulcrum and the WD hitch puts back the weight taken off the front axle when you hook up your trailer.

Actually, I suspect the term "equalizing hitch" came about because it used to be that you tried to make the truck (or car in those days) settle evenly front and back by using the hitch. That is not the case now though. The goal now is to restore all or part of the weight lost off the front axle of the tow vehicle and let the rear of the tow vehicle take care of itself.

The reason this change came about is because hitch testing determined that the old way contributed to understeer or oversteer in many cases and could lead to vehicles going out of control and crashing. This resulted in new hitch testing procedures and ratings for hitches.
Barney

[Jay_Coe]

SoundGuy wrote:

#1nobby wrote:
If, say, you attach your trailer and the rear of your truck sags....the WD will bring it back up providing the correct weight transfer.....then what does the self leveling suspension do, if not the same thing?

No, not the same thing at all. Self leveling will make the truck look pretty and does help with carrying junk in the back of the truck when not towing but doesn't do a thing when towing as it doesn't transfer any weight back to the front steer axle as does weight distribution, which BTW also transfers some hitch weight back to the trailer's axle(s). Someday when you have the time you might want to wade through the Ron Gratz Thread - How Weight Distribution Works.

I had the time, so I read. I remember decades ago as a young man long before I ever owned a TT hearing the hitch referred to as a load equalizing hitch. Would that not be more accurate terminology than weight distributing hitch? And wouldn't that be less confusing right from the get-go? Why did that term go out of fashion?

[_1nobby]

profdant139 wrote:
Nobby, is that Razor Hitch infinitely adjustable? In other words, are there set positions, or can the hitch move anywhere along that shaft?

Inch at a time. There is a lock facing forward....once unlocked it pulls out a 3/4 round pin.
This pin fits in the predetermined holes that are spaced about 1 inch apart.It can also be flipped if you need higher....and I don't think there are any load restrictions when flipped.

[profdant139]

Nobby, is that Razor Hitch infinitely adjustable? In other words, are there set positions, or can the hitch move anywhere along that shaft?

[_1nobby]

Just to add more fuel to the simmering fire....I replaced my adjustable hitch with a new one.

As it turns out....the old one was only good for 5000 lbs and 500 lbs tongue weight.

New one is 10000 and 1000 tongue weight.

[SoundGuy]

#1nobby wrote:
If, say, you attach your trailer and the rear of your truck sags....the WD will bring it back up providing the correct weight transfer.....then what does the self leveling suspension do, if not the same thing?

No, not the same thing at all. Self leveling will make the truck look pretty and does help with carrying junk in the back of the truck when not towing but doesn't do a thing when towing as it doesn't transfer any weight back to the front steer axle as does weight distribution, which BTW also transfers some hitch weight back to the trailer's axle(s). Someday when you have the time you might want to wade through the Ron Gratz Thread - How Weight Distribution Works.

[jaycocreek]

Truck campers use WD hitches with extensions all the time if your hitch is up to it...

This is my 18"Reese solid bar extension that list weights for WD use.

[Huntindog]

#1nobby wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:
Air bags would fix that but of course won't transfer any weight back to the truck's front steer axle as will any weight distribution system.

I get the theory behind the WD hitch but I guess I'm not understanding it properly.

If, say, you attach your trailer and the rear of your truck sags....the WD will bring it back up providing the correct weight transfer.....then what does the self leveling suspension do, if not the same thing?

At the end of the day....all the trailer weight is still attached to your hitch point.

With WD the ball becomes a fulcrum. When lift (tension) is applied to the ends of the bars, it pries the weight forward, to the TVs front wheels.
This effect is real... It can be measured on a scale. Engage the WD, and the weight goes up on the front TV axles, and on the TT axles, while it goes down on the TVs rear axle.

[Yosemite_Sam1]

#1nobby wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:
Air bags would fix that but of course won't transfer any weight back to the truck's front steer axle as will any weight distribution system.

I get the theory behind the WD hitch but I guess I'm not understanding it properly.

If, say, you attach your trailer and the rear of your truck sags....the WD will bring it back up providing the correct weight transfer.....then what does the self leveling suspension do, if not the same thing?

At the end of the day....all the trailer weight is still attached to your hitch point.

Maybe not exactly.

First, there are 3 points of contact with the WD from just 1.

And the fact that it corrected a sag, it only means that the two massive bars provided a lift to the trailer. These two bars are snugly fit into the hitch adapter acting like an inverted hitch & ball.