Okay, bear with me here, this might be ridiculous but I had a lot of time while driving on our last trip and came up with a few thoughts about the ProPride as it relates to payload numbers.
The image referenced in the next section is not my current truck, but it still illustrates the hitch configuration.
The entire 3p system weighs in at 195lbs according to the data given to me by the manufacturer. Since most of the hitch stays attached to the trailer (see green and blue highlights in the image) minus the 46lb "stinger" (see red highlight in image), when you weigh it via a CAT scale, that number is being included in the weight of the trailer thus counting against your available trailer payload. However once you hook up to the truck the whole hitch system becomes one piece (red and green highlights in the image lock together to create one solid piece) similar to a regular WDH with the trailer coupler sitting on the ball of the hitch. At this point the truck is bearing the majority of the 195lbs. The only weight being carried by the trailer frame itself is the weight distribution jacks and the frame bracket for maybe a total of 25 lbs (see blue highlight in image). Measuring like this would be akin to leaving your WDH attached to the ball of your trailer while weighing your rig.
This has led me to the opinion that the majority of the hitch weight should not count against trailer payload, rather truck payload.
My thinking is that this method of weighing the trailer is throwing off my actual tongue weight as well as my available trailer payload. Ideally you'd disconnect from the hitch at the ball and weigh the truck with the stinger, yoke, and hitch head attached to get your truck weight. Then hook up and measure your total weight as normal. This would be the same way I measured when I had the blue ox. However this is not practical with the 3p since a lot of the hardware does not easily disconnect from the trailer tongue and has to be achieved using some math.
Hitch weight included in CAT truck weight: 46lbs
Hitch weight included in CAT trailer weight: 149lbs
Estimated weight of WD jacks & frame bracket: 25lbs
Actual hitch weight carried by truck: 170lbs
My thinking is that I should add 124lbs to my drive axle weight as presented on the CAT scale ticket for the truck ONLY weight. This in turn should fix the rest of the calculations down the line and give me the proper weight as seen at the ball of the hitch as well as the proper weight of the trailer. See my weight data tables below. A is before the drive axle correction and B is after the correction. I know my rig was over the GVWR when it was weighed, but you can see the difference this correction makes.
This probably seems like a massive amount of overthinking for a relative small amount of difference. However with the payload of the Imagine 2800BH being tight as it is it was worth considering and I obviously had too much time on my hands. Sometimes my analytical side gets the better of me.
Anyhow, feel free to correct my thinking if I’m missing something about how all of this works. I’m interested in hearing other’s opinions. Hopefully this can help someone out in the future who’s wondering how the weight of the 3p will affect their truck/trailer payload numbers.
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