Weight Distribution Hitch

[jcanavera]

A friend has just bought a new Ridgeline and plans to tow a small Airstream trailer. He states that the manual says that Honda does not recommend use of weight distribution hitch. I'm trying to figure out what Honda is attempting to state. Is it the fact that the OEM receiver has issues where the after market receiver does not....or is there something else we need to know here. Supposedly the receiver is rated for 600 lbs. dead weight. The trailer's hitch weight is 540 lbs. I've never seen an automaker not recommend using a weight distribution hitch.

Jack

[Webwader]

The manual states that they do not recommend a weight distributing hitch because "an improperly adjusted weight distributing hitch may reduce handling, stability and braking performance." If they actually need a weight distributing hitch, there is a good probability that they are also exceeding the recommended towing weight.

[Whaleya]

A weight distributing hitch will put some of the tongue weight on the front tires. In doing so there are unusual forces that act on the frame of a truck as well as on the hitch and hitch mounting points.

In order to use a weight distributing hitch you need a truck that was engineered to handle the stresses.

I have had other trucks where a weight distributing hitch was a no-no.

[blconnection]

My thinking is that the Honda concern with a Weight Distributing hitch is not with the strength of the frame but the load capacity of the front end.

The Ridgeline is rated for a FRONT GAWR = 3105 lbs. Given the weight ratio of 58/42 on a base weight of 4500 LBS puts a normal load on the front of 4500*0.58 = 2610LBS leaving 495 LBS of load for the front end.

If you were using 500LBS of tongue weight and transfered half to the front 250LBS you would only have a remaining weight capacity on the front end of 245LBS but a remaining truck capacity of 10088-4500-5000 = 588 LBS.

Assuming you put passengers of 300LBS total in the front and 250LBS in the rear. My guess is that 60% of the front seat load and 40% of the rear seat load get put on the front axle with this I have added 300*0.6 + 250*0.4 = 280LBS.

I have followed all of the rules (including correctly setting up the weight Distributing hitch) and have overloaded the front axle by 35LBS.

I reconize that this is a extreme example but that is what Honda has to do to apply maximum numbers. If I had setup the weight distibuting incorrectly and put another 100LBS onto the front axle I am thinking that I would be in a area of concern for handling being 130ish LBS over the GAWR of the front axle while pulling a 5000LB trailer.

Even this post and math is a little tedious my bet is that many on this forum did not make it this far. My guess is that Honda was not comfortble with the general public being able to deal with this complexity and took the easy out and does not recommend weight distributing hitches.

[fredridge]

Originally Posted by blconnection

Even this post and math is a little tedious my bet is that many on this forum did not make it this far. .

I made it. And good info

[Webwader]

If you were using 500LBS of tongue weight and transfered half to the front 250LBS you would only have a remaining weight capacity on the front end of 245LBS but a remaining truck capacity of 10088-4500-5000 = 588 LBS.

If you only have 500 lb of tongue weight, why would you want a weight distributing hitch in the first place? The rear end sag is minimal and the rear axle still has less load than the front. My tongue load is 400 lb and the drop at the hitch ball is 1 3/16".

[5S Dude]

Originally Posted by Webwader

If you only have 500 lb of tongue weight, why would you want a weight distributing hitch in the first place? The rear end sag is minimal and the rear axle still has less load than the front. My tongue load is 400 lb and the drop at the hitch ball is 1 3/16".

Hi Web,

It's so great that we have you here to pick yer brain because I know you yank around a fairly large tent trailer. Cindy and I are contemplating getting a Forest River “Shamrock” or “Wildwood Roo” 21SS which is 21 feet long, has a 353 lbs tongue weight and is 3498lbs dry. Providing I don’t let her load to much stuff, (Yeah Right!) do you think I need a weight distributing hitch? The sales guy looked it up in the book and it stated the Ridgeline could pull an additional 1000 lbs. with this setup which looked like twin torsion bars hooked to the tongue with chains, and another model looked like twin leaf springs on either side. He went on to say it would help stablize the trailer in high cross winds and help reduce dragging the hitch exiting driveways. Your thoughts are so greatly appreciated. Not that I’m thinking of yanking around anything that’s 6000 lbs………Thanks.

[Webwader]

The sales guy looked it up in the book and it stated the Ridgeline could pull an additional 1000 lbs. with this setup which looked like twin torsion bars hooked to the tongue with chains, and another model looked like twin leaf springs on either side.

Ah, sales guys, aren't they the greatest? A WDH will not increase the GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) of any vehicle. A WDH transfers some of the load on the hitch ball to the trailer axle. It is used to reduce sag on the tow vehicle and to reduce the weight on the rear axle, which may be overloaded. Within the towing limits of the RL, neither one of these is an issue.

Cindy and I are contemplating getting a Forest River “Shamrock” or “Wildwood Roo” 21SS which is 21 feet long, has a 353 lbs tongue weight and is 3498lbs dry.

You should be alright with this setup, but it will probably weigh more than you think. Keep in mind that the 3498 lb is dry weight with no accessories such as A/C, etc. Then you have to add the weight of any water in the fresh and grey water tanks, the water in the water heater (usually 6 gal), the propane and whatever gear you put in the trailer. That will probably put you in the 4000+ range, but well under the 5000 lb. limit. If you are hauling anything in the bed, that is included in the 5000 lb.
As an example, our folding trailer's dry weight is listed as 2995 lb. With A/C, propane, water in the water heater and our gear, the trailer weighs right at 3500 lb. That is with the fresh water tank empty and no grey water.

[blconnection]

I understand you questioning the need for a Weight Distributing Hitch on the Ridgeline for trailer's under 5000 lbs. My guess is that most would not go for the expense and time for this case. I do know that some think that independent suspension and front wheel drive are "helped" with some weight distribution and others have there own reasons.

For the purpose of this post in part I was just answering the basic question. The other part is just my trying to get into the heads of the Ridgeline designers a little. It is curious why they would not recommend a weight distributing hitch and it would have been nice of them to provide their reasons. So it makes me curious. I do like making the posts to generate some conversations and get other ideas and thoughts.

[blconnection]

I did not think that the 5000 lbs trailer limit included weight in the bed?