Ron Gratz
full time RVer
Senior Member
Joined: 12/27/2003
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I'm not sure if either of these have been defined in the ORF, so I'm going to propose definitions.
Tongue Weight: That portion of the TT weight which is carried on the ball coupler as opposed to that carried on the axles.
Hitch Load: The vertical force exerted by the hitch head on the TV's receiver.
If the weight of the hitch assembly is neglected, tongue weight is numerically equivalent to hitch load when there are no forces other than the TT's weight acting on the TT. If there are other vertical forces acting, then the values will be different.
An example of other forces are those imposed on the TT by a WD bar tensioner. Another example is the rare, but real, case of a second trailer being towed behind a TT; in which case the hitch load of the second trailer would affect the hitch load of the TT.
Tongue weight, as a percentage of total TT weight, is a measure of the relative location of the TT's center of gravity. When WD bars are tensioned, the tongue weight does not change. WD hitch users should not be concerned that their TT's stability will be diminished due to the load transfer created by the hitch.
When WD bars are tensioned, the hitch load does change because some of the downward force exerted by the tensioners on the TT's A-frame is transferred to the TT's axles. The hitch load is reduced by the same amount.
For an example of how a WD hitch might affect the TV and TT axle loads, see Weight Distribution (WD) Hitch --- How it "Distributes".
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