Tongue Weight vs. WDH sizing... don't forget the TV loading!

[rickst29]

We have lots of posts which emphasize, rightly, that TM's 'tongue weight' figures are for totally empty trailers without air conditioners... or water in the tanks, or clothes, or food, or anything.

But, I don't see any posts which cover the other factor in sizing your WDH bars: the additional luggage which you put in the TV, behind the rear axle. This counts too! The WDH needs to bend/re-distribute that load away from the rear axle and back towards the front axle of the TV, just like it needs to redistribute the Tongue weight.

Here's an example, based on my stuff:

(Factor 1) 2619 unloaded tongue weight = 351 lbs (TM web site). -->plus<--

(Factor 2) Trailer load: 1400 lbs Gross Weight for water, battery, A/C, clothing, and etc. present on the Trailer but not counted in the TM "Dry Weight". The toungue weight should be increased by about 13% * 1400 lbs gross = 182 lbs. -->plus<--

(Factor 3) All the heavy tools and luggage I've loaded into the back of the 4Runner. Roughly speaking, count everything placed behind the center of the rear axle at 100%. For me, typically about 200 lbs more. This weight doesn't appear on the hitch tongue, it's all on the rear axle... which ain't where you want it, that's why you're using a WDH.

Total: 733 lbs with the 4Runner stuff considered, not the 533 lbs which you get by counting only the tongue weight after loading up the trailer. See the problem? In my case, 750 lb bars would be a very marginal choice, possibly subject to $$$ replacement if I hit a few bad potholes.