Thank you for the feedback and questions.
I'd like to hear more about my expectations on how much weight should be restored to the steer axle, from the WDH. According to the manufacturer, BlueOx, I should not be losing weight on the steer axle and instead the steer axle should go up in weight once i'm all hooked up. Is that not accurate?
Unloaded with nothing in tow my steer axle is 4780, but loses 300lbs with a 1/2 a loaded camper attached. Its even less once i load up gear, which is when the issues begin. The issues are I start pushing the 7000lbs rear axle weight limit (6800lbs, on drive axle, at my last trip to the scales with a loaded camper). Its not all tongue weight, however, its weight transferring from the front of my vehicle to the rear axle. This is clear and can be confirmed by doing the math.
I do note that the WDH does a better job of distributing weight, the more nose down, my trailer is ( or rather, the lower my ball height is, the less weight i lose on the steer axle), doing a 5" nose dive (19" from frame to ground in front and 24" from frame to ground in rear of trailer), i loose only 150ish lbs of steer axle - but i dont want to travel nose down - so i've compromised - truck sits dead level, camper does a 3" nose dive - not too bad.
I do understand that Northwood intends a heavy toy to be used by my toy is only 380ish lbs. I bring a Suzuki DR650 - its not a big heavy side by side, but it is my 'toy' and it fits the need for how I camp/travel/explore. I also keep the toy tank full of fuel, which is a bit more weight (supposed to be 40 gals of fuel, but from day one, having an empty tank it only took 27 gallons of fuel, so i'd say max 30gal capable fill capacity), so it helps some.
My truck is the 3500 SRW, 2018, but the receiver is only rated for only 1500lbs tongue weight and 13000 lbs towing capacity. pic attached of the label on the hitch. i can grab better pics tomorrow, for those interested, in where the receiver connects to the frame and to the BUMPER.
Here is a link to the pic of the label - hope this works.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/MCnhG3bPk715bhSd9
In a post above someone asked which chain link my tow bars were on, and there was some comment to possibly tighten up the links. I will warn you caution on going past link 10. A tech at blue ox also advised me to go up to link 11 and 12, which is the max where only 1/2 a link is between the bar and the trailer bracket - i did, and guess what - it worked better, it rode super rough, but weight properly distributed weight (and rode in this configuration for over 15,000 miles) BUT two things happened - the bolts holding the trailer bracket sheered on one side, one day when making a sharp reverse turn, also, after time, the bars became permanently bent/bowed - Blue Ox support has been great, they replaced the bars, bolts and brackets and advised that they do not recommend going past link 11 and using 10 as the max recommend link. I only realized that my bars were bowed a week ago, and the replacement bars just came in this week. I towed with them this weekend - having non bowed bars fixed the front-to-rear push-pull i was experiencing, while towing. :thumbsup: - way better towing experience.
Here is a pic of a good place to keep your chain links:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2jQZnpLMuM5tnmTd6
Here is a pic of bow'd bars from using link 12 - it doesnt look like much but made a big difference in the way the camper towed. the bowed bars created a push-pull effect - enough to make your neck tired on just a 3 hour tow. - however blueox did say they should not have bowed and that the these must not have been heat treated properly.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/86isv6mEeHR1xJiM6
Anyway, I'm strongly considering changing the factory receiver since it is over weight. Fully loaded my TW of the trailer is right at 2000lbs, and the front end of the truck gets light - steering changes, really bouncy front end - which is why i'm wanting my WDH to do a better job of distributing weight. Honestly, its probably just to much weight for a SRW truck *shrug* i wouldn't have bought the camper had i known the TW would be so much - there is a sticker on the camper somewhere, manufacture states the average tongue weight is 1640lbs. dunno how they came up with that - maybe an empty camper with only a side by side in the back and a full tank of fuel in the toy tank?
I do not use a receiver reducer. the shank is full size 2 1/2" or whatever it is. its the size up from the 2".
If and when i do change the factory receiver, i will re-weigh and report back - just for kicks and giggles.
or i could just get a motorcycle carrier for the front of the truck and hang the bike off the front! ha!
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