When you’re towing something much heavier or lighter than usual, you’ll need to adjust your weight distribution hitch. Fortunately, adjusting a weight distribution hitch for safe towing is fairly straightforward. But if you need more guidance on connecting your hitch in the first place, check out this article on how to hitch up a weight distribution hitch.
Now, let’s get into how to adjust your hitch.
The Initial Measurement and Installation Phase
During the initial installation of a hitch like the CURT TruTrack system, you’ll take several measurements to establish a baseline. That baseline will help you determine how to adjust your hitch to transfer more or less weight to your tow vehicle’s front axle.
Find Your Hitch’s Setup Table
Your weight distribution hitch comes with a technical manual that includes a setup table. In that table, you’ll find a simple formula to help you calculate the acceptable range of measurements when adjusting your weight distribution hitch.
Your hitch’s setup table is critical when calculating whether or not you’re ready to tow your travel trailer safely. If, for some reason, you misplaced your manual, consult your hitch manufacturer’s website to find the setup table for your hitch model.
Take an Initial Measurement
Take your initial measurement with your trailer and tow vehicle disconnected. At your tow vehicle’s front tire (driver’s side), measure the distance from the ground through the axle’s center and up to the arch of the wheel well. Record your measurement.
Attach Your Trailer and Re-Measure
Now, lower the tongue weight of the trailer onto the hitch and latch the coupler. Don’t connect your weight distribution hitch yet, but go back and take a new measurement at the same spot on your tow vehicle. Your second measurement should be higher as the weight of your trailer takes some of the weight off your tow vehicle’s front axle.
The difference between these two measurements is what your weight distribution hitch will eventually correct. This also helps you avoid exceeding your gross axle weight ratings (GAWR) or other important trailer weight ratings.
Adjusting your weight distribution hitch should reduce the difference between your two measurements by at least half. In some cases, you’ll be able to level your setup and return to your initial measurement.
Technician Tip: Consult your technical setup table to abide by the acceptable ranges for your specific hitch model. Always go by the book here. You should follow whatever the manual advises.
How To Adjust A Weight Distribution Hitch
If your travel trailer is outside the acceptable measurement range, you can adjust the number of links in the lift chains or the tilt of the ball mount head—sometimes, you’ll need to do both.
How To Adjust the Lift Chains on a Weight Distribution Hitch
Your first adjustment point is to reduce or increase the number of links in the lift chains that connect the yoke hooks to the spring bars. This is the most logical place to start. You can make adjustments with the trailer still coupled to your tow vehicle.
When these lift chains engage the spring bar arms, they create an upward force. That force redistributes the hitch weight to the front axle of the tow vehicle. The number of chain links between the spring bars and the bracket yoke hooks determines the amount of upward force applied by the weight distribution system.
Fewer chain links create more upward force, while more chain links reduce the amount of upward force in the system. That said, most hitches require a minimum of five chain links for even leveling (again, read your specific hitch manual to confirm this).
The number of chain links on both chains should always be equal.
In some cases, adjusting the length of your lift chains will get your measurements within your manual’s acceptable range, so measure again before you make changes to your hitch’s second adjustment point.
To make the adjustment, you will need to start by raising the tongue of your trailer while it is still connected to your vehicle. Every hitch will have a different parameter for how much you raise the tongue to make adjustments, so go back to your manual here.
Once you’ve raised the tongue, remove the pin brackets and swing the yoke hooks down with your slide handle. Adjust the number of chain links evenly on both sides before using the handle to flip the yoke hooks back up and secure them with their pins. Then you can lower the tongue.
How To Adjust The Tilt of the Ball Mount Head on a Weight Distribution Hitch
If adjusting the lift chains isn’t enough to get your measurements where they need to be, your second adjustment point is the tilt of the ball mount head. To do this, place blocks on both sides of your trailer’s wheels and safely detach the spring bars and lift chains before uncoupling your trailer from your tow vehicle.
With your tow vehicle safely out of the way, pull the pin on the hitch head. With it removed from your tow vehicle, loosen the top bolt of the hitch head assembly. Once it’s loose, adjust the tilt of the ball mount head by adding or removing washers on the spacer rod.
Adding washers increases the tilt and transfers more weight to the front axle of your tow vehicle (reducing the distance from the ground to the bottom of the wheel well). Removing washers has the opposite effect (decreasing tilt and transferring less weight to the front axle).
Re-Attach and Re-Measure
Once you’ve made adjustments at either of these two points, you’ll need to re-measure. For the latter, that will require you to first couple the trailer and tow the vehicle and then reattach the spring bars and lift chains.
Once this is done, take another set of measurements. If necessary, refer to the formulas in your hitch’s technical manual to see if you’re within its acceptable range. If you don’t get it right the first time, repeat until your measurements are within that range.
Conclusion
Please remember that coupling and uncoupling your trailer can be the most dangerous part of adjusting a weight distribution hitch. Always ensure you are safely chocked so your trailer’s wheels don’t shift or roll when you detach from your tow vehicle.
If you’re having any technical issues with your trailer or your hitch, please don’t hesitate to reach out or stop by your local Camping World.
Hi Tucker, I bought a 2024 Rockwood Ultra Lite 2606 on November 9, 2024 at CW in Anthony, Texas. They put a Curt TruTrack 4P WDH #17500. When we got home, I took the setup direct to the cat scale. Here are the numbers: 2960lb steering, 3920lb drive and 6140lb trailer. I thought my front axle is too light. Our first trip over thanksgiving, after loading it up, went to cat scale, weighed 3x and the numbers were alarming.
TV only 3320lb steering and 2780 drive. 6100 gross (TV is 2023 ford f150 XLT eb super crew 4×4 with max tow package)
TV and TT hitch not connected. 2860 steer, 4320 drive and 6300 trailer 13480lb gross
TV and TT hitch connected. 2980 steer, 4140 drive and 6360 trailer. 13480 gross.
There is no sag, both TV and TT sit level. Will adding washers to tilt hitch out more move more weight back to steer axle? Or just take it back to CW, show them the numbers and have them adjust?
Hi Mark!
When properly adjusted, we should see the numbers and driving characteristics of the TV be very close to what they are when driving without the trailer attached. A WD hitch isn’t designed to completely and radically change the weight on the front and rear axles, but to move the trailer loads close to what they were when unloaded. The last set of numbers and description of the level attitude of the vehicles indicates that, in all likelihood, the hitch is set up properly and accurately.
The numbers measured when loaded for a trip showed very little weight on the drive axle (3320 F/2780R), indicating the potential for improper loading of the trailer. We recommend 60% of cargo weight forward of the axle, with the remaining 40% aft when loading cargo in the trailer, but these weights as measured indicate they were loaded closer 20-30%F/70-80%R instead. This improper loading technique will lower the rear of the trailer while lifting the tongue and drive axle, while simultaneously overloading the steering axle.
This lifting force at the hitch and coupler is the opposite of the downward force the WD system is designed to overcome. We have a video and an article on safe loading tips here: https://blog.campingworld.com/learn-to-rv/how-to-safely-load-your-travel-trailer/
Your numbers when towing the empty tailer were good and only looked alarming once the trailer was loaded. Adjusting the number of shims serves two purposes: to present the best ball angle when under load, and to alter the angle of the spring bars to apply more or less tension. Since you haven’t reported issues connecting and disconnecting, and since the weights with an unloaded trailer were good and the two vehicles were perfectly level, no hitch adjustments are advisable based on the provided data.
Hope this helps!
Tilting the ball towards the trailer puts more weight on the front axle, did I read that correctly?
Hi Steve,
It’s notable that each WDH model can differ, so your owner’s manual will be your best resource for recommended adjustment procedures.
That being said, the angle adjustment is to maintain the proper pitch of the ball and hitch head assembly when the tow vehicle and trailer are at their connected travel height. The result is ease of hitching and unhitching with less binding, and the ability to fine tune the amount of weight distribution. The chains or brackets, sometimes referred to as saddles for the torsion spring bars, are also adjustable, but in large increments.
Since most models have the torsion spring bars UNDER the hitch head, tilting the head TOWARDS the tow vehicle will raise the other end of the bar and closer to the saddle thereby reducing the amount of weight transferred. Conversely, tilting the head AWAY from the tow vehicle will move the ends of the bars down and away from the saddles resulting in more pressure to the assembly when they are secured into the saddles and more weight transferred to the front axle.
Hope this helps!
When hooking up my trailer this spring, on the drivers side I hooked the chain on the second link. I could not hook the passengers side at all. The first link was about one inch short from placing it on the bracket before I would have raised it up. Any ideas why. I towed the trailer with the same truck last year. Thanks Mike
Hi Brent!
I always drop my trailer onto the hitch ball, secure it, and then use the tongue jack to lift it roughly 3-4 inches before installing the bars. This is what allows me to adjust the number of chain links (i.e. the amount of tension on the bars). For reference, I’m working with a Haul Master system that’s similar in design (but maybe not exact) to this one from Fastway: https://www.campingworld.com/fastway-connect-weight-distribution-hitch-120377.html?cgid=weight-distribution-hitches-2
My system recommended jacking up the tongue when installing the bars, so I’d also consult your owner’s manual for the best practices depending on the make and model of your weight distribution system.
I hope that helps!
Hi Tucker
Should one have to jack up the tongue of the trailer every time in order to get the appropriate number of links or just the first time when setting it up?
At home before I leave for a trip I can get the appropriate number of links but often at a campsite I have to settle for one link less, meaning less tension.
Thanks
Brent
Hi Michael!
It’s a little tough to say without seeing your vehicle(s). In the past, I’ve had issues when either my truck or trailer weren’t close to level (from side to side). So, you may consider moving your trailer to a more level location and trying again. Another thing you might look at is whether you’re jacking up the tongue of your trailer enough to make the chain connection. Depending on your location, it can be helpful to use leveling blocks to raise the tongue enough to connect your weight distribution hitch. Hope this helps and please reach out with any further questions!