I would get the ball height set correctly first. To gain tongue weight you would have to "loosen" the bars , less strain on the bars means less weight shifted to the steer axle on the TV and axels on the RV. Just changing the ball height might solve all of your problems but a little more tongue weight might help also. Each time that you travel you may have weights loaded different in the RV and thus will change the tongue weight, this has always been the tricky spot when traveling with an RV. Try to get an idea of what goes into the RV each time you camp , clothes , food , toys or whatever you take each time and then you can account for the extras that are brought along sometimes , extra clothes , water more food,,,,. I have found when traveling with a TT that it is hard to have the same ride every time we traveled, I have even stopped along the road and adjusted the hitch for a better ride, easily done with my old Reese hitch and chains.

Brian

As Country Campers mentioned, you need to get the ball height set correctly first, as the geometry will affect how the weights are distributed. In brief, you are missing the key information for determining proper set up on the WDH. You need to know the weight on the TV axles without the trailer attached. Without those weights, you can get good adjustment with careful measurement the front height of the TV in both hitched and unhitched configurations.

To help you understand some of the info from the CAT scale:

Weighs #2 and #3 are most useful since the TV configuration is the same. Based on the difference in steer axle weights between #3 and #2 we know the WDH was adding 260 lbs to the steer axle. What we don't know is how much the trailer was taking off of the steer axle without the WDH. Ideally, you will want to get your hitch set to return the steer axle to nearly the same weight as it was without the trailer connected.

You're assumption that the trailer gross weight is 6875 is a good one since you don't have the unladen TV weight to calculate it. But... where was the Sherline scale when you weighed the tongue? Was it under the hitch socket, or was it under the tongue jack? If it was under the tongue jack then the load at the ball and socket (the load on the TV) will be less than 675 lbs.

That's about all that I see in the weights to comment on. You really need that unladen TV weight to draw conclusions.

But what I would do that this point is get the ball height so the trailer is level when hitched. Load the trailer as ready for travel. Then make front fender measurements on the TV with the the trailer unhitched. Then repeat those measurements with the trailer connected with no WD engaged. Then engage the WD and repeat the measurements. Make adjustments as necessary to bring the front fender height as close as possible back to the measurement you got with the trailer unhitched. AND, you want it to be no less than 1/2 way back. (So, at least 1/2 way back and as close to all the way back as possible). Once this is done, reweigh on the CAT scale.

I hope this helps.

Bob

Under the hitch socket

It's actually the other way. It's LESS if you measure at the jack, it's MORE if you measure at the socket.

Ok. what's the point of the measurement with the trailer connected and no WD engaged? (They don't seemed to be used in your adjustment recommendation)


I should have a 2nd opportunity to hit a CAT scale this October, we started planning a trip last night that is on the other part of the state from me. Also, I'll be making the trip solo, so I can futz longer with the scale.

After my earlier post I realized that I may be confused on the comment about your hitch height. So just to make sure I am on track with you, set your hitch (ball) height with the truck and trailer disconnected. Make sure the trailer is level front to back and measure the height to the hitch socket. Then measure the height of the ball with the TV disconnected and level, and adjust the ball height to be as close as possible to the height of the hitch socket.

To answer your question about the height measurements, here is a hypothetical example.

With the TV disconnected, measure the height of the front fender. (I measure mine directly vertical through the front axle on both sides and average them) Let's say the measurement is 35"

With the TV and trailer connected, but NO WD, take the same measurement. It should be higher. Let's say it is 36" (you need this measurement to be sure you are getting enough WD)

Now connect up the WD and take the measurement again. The height should be less than 36" but more than 35". Ideally you want to add WD until it is at least 1/2 way or more back to the original unloaded measurement which would be 35 1/2" to 35". The closer to 35" the better.

Having said all that, your owner's manual may provide a method for setting up a WD hitch and if it does, I would default to that method. But if it does not provide one, the method I outlined above is pretty universal and will get you going.

Finally, I can't explain why your weight measurement at the hitch socket is more than at the tongue jack. That is counterintuitive to me. The system is basically a class I lever with the fulcrum mid-point between the axles. the further you get from the fulcrum, the less downward force should be exerted.

I hope this is helpful!

Bob

Yeah, I mis-remembered the directions. You are right

Here's the directions from the scale:
https://sherline.com/wp-content/uplo...2_2021_web.pdf

The specific call out in the manual is this:
Note for Math Pros and Perfectionists: For the ultimate in accuracy, note the actual difference in weights and calculate the ratio by dividing the full hitch weight by the weight at the tongue jack. Example: Wt. at hitch = 950 lb. Wt. at jack = 1000 lb. 950 ÷ 1000 = .95 Future measurements at the jack multiplied by .95 will yield the actual weight at the hitch itself.

I've done that. That's how I got into the nose low position. I'm going to raise the hitch one setting (which is about 1-2inches) so that the trailer is level when hitched, and the WD bars are connected.

Okay... if you set the ball height to the hitch height with the TV and trailer disconnected, then when you hitch them up with no WD engaged, and the trailer nose goes low, that is perfectly normal.

Then when you engage the WD bars, if the trailer nose is still low, you are not getting enough weight distribution and you need to increase that. With adequate weight distribution, you should be able to return the connected truck and trailer to a nearly level position without raising the ball height.

Anyway, sounds like you have a plan, and about the best I can say is to experiment with it.

Good Luck!

Bob

mpking I agree with most of what is stated above with a couple of caveats. Not knowing how your vehicle sits when empty, level, nose low etc. I am going to say how I set up our rig. When unloaded our f-150 sits with the nose about 2.5 inches lower than the rear as measured at the wheel well. When following the Blue-Ox instructions I have it said to set the ball so it is bout 2 inches above the top of the hitch socket on the trailer when level with truck unloaded. The "when level" is relative to the ground. I made the mistake years ago of leveling a trailer then wondering why nothing worked out, seems the ground was not level even though it looked that way, measuring from the frame front to back solved that issue, it is hard to find level ground, driveways etc.
When the trailer is loaded and hooked up, no bars, the truck settles about 3.25 inches. With the bars engaged the rear of the truck comes up about .5 inches so total squat is about 2.75 inches and the truck is level front to back with both fender wells at 37.25 inches which is .25 inch higher on the front from empty. Set up this way I still have about 5.5 inches to the bump stops on the rear axel and have never bottomed out on bumps. With the bars set the front axel weighs the same as it does with the truck loaded with the DW, dog and full fuel. the rear axel is up about 900 lbs. Each vehicle will like a different set up for sure. We got rid of the Blue-Ox chains and cams and replaced those with the Strap-Tek system and what a world of difference. I can now set the tension on the bars for any loading and road conditions. We also use the 1,500 bars and the ride is good. The trailer sits about .65 inches low when ready to travel. On our last trip with a big load our 2600RB was 6700 lbs. on the axels and the truck was 6650. My math puts the tongue at about 965 lbs. for the last trip.

Good luck

Dave

Finally had another opportunity to hit up the CAT scales. Now with the truck alone!

Little different than the previous weigh.
Driver only (no passengers). 50% gas. Trailer had a little less "stuff" in it (no clothes, but we have them both infront and behind the axle, so that's a wash), but I was carring full fresh water tank (42ish gallons)

1: 50% gas, bars engage

2. 50% gas, Bars disengaged


3. 50% gas, truck only




So estimated tongue weight is (TV Bars DISENGAGED #2 (6980)) - (Unladen Truck #3 (6120)) = 860 (Did I do the right numbers?)

So anyways, the actual question.
Having an almost EQUAL number on the steer axle with the BARS and just the truck alone means I have the WD hitch properly set (for this particular loading)?

Yes. To me, number 1 looks like a pretty good set up.

Yes. 860# would be the load added to the TV. (i.e. Tongue Wgt) Trailer gross wgt from #2 = 7260# Therefore, 860# = 11.8% of GTW. That is within the recommended 10%-15% range.

Bob