[ZekenSpider]

Originally Posted by Denny_A

....in knots thinking about all the permutations and combinations.

How about the weight in the TV load area. Plus the shank of the WDH. Should both be considered? What's a poor camper to do.

Denny_A

Denny (if I may be so bold to assume such familiarity)

I have been reviewing many older posts as I research my planned Table of Actual TM weights and came across your post.

If I understand the physics of a WDH, the weight of a WDH (shank,ball and spring bars) is carried by the TV. The weight of the spring bar tension chains is (are) carried by the Trailer. In other words, before the trailer tongue is dropped onto the ball, the TV has already settled to carry the majority of the WDH weight. Adding more load to the TV causes it to drop more and this total drop is what has to be lifted by the spring bars (until the trailer tongue weight is placed on the ball).

If you could grab the ends of the spring bars and pull up (to level the TV without the trailer attached) you would experience the force necessary to lift just the TV and it's load to level. Then drop the trailer tongue onto the ball and lift again. The new force is what is placed on the trailer tongue when the spring bars are tensioned to make the TV/trailer combination level. The only new force that is added is the trailer tongue weight.

I vote for your possibility #2 as being the closest although the 2/3 distribution is not exact. Before it is possible to know the exact weight distribution, a more complex calculation is needed. The attached article gives a good explanation of that process.

Jerry