Calculator
Weight Distribution Hitch Calculator
A weight-distribution hitch (WDH) levels the rig and puts steering weight back on the front axle. The industry rule of thumb: you want one above 5,000 lb of trailer or 500 lb of tongue weight — and many receivers only reach their full rating with one.
Enter a loaded trailer weight to check.
What a WDH actually does
Tongue weight presses the back of your tow vehicle down and lifts the front — lighter steering, worse braking, headlights in the trees. A WDH uses spring bars to redistribute part of that tongue load onto the tow vehicle's front axle and the trailer's axles. The tongue weight doesn't disappear (it still counts against payload), but the rig sits level and handles the way it should. Full guide: weight-distribution hitches.
The with-WDH receiver rating
Look at the label on your receiver: Class III and IV hitches typically publish two ratings — for example, a Class III receiver caps at 8,000 lb weight-carrying but 12,000 lb with weight distribution. If your trailer falls between the two numbers, a WDH isn't optional — it's what makes the setup legal for your receiver. All classes: hitch classes I–V.
Matching a WDH to your trailer
WDH systems are rated by tongue weight. Pick one whose spring-bar range brackets your actual loaded tongue weight (measure it — tongue weight calculator) with the bars sized so your load sits mid-range: bars that are too stiff make the trailer hop, too soft and they can't level the rig. And a WDH is a bumper-pull device — gooseneck and 5th-wheel rigs load the truck bed directly and don't use one.
Not sure the whole rig is inside its limits? The towing calculator checks tow rating, GCWR, payload, and hitch class together.
Guidance for planning; hitch and vehicle manuals win. Some vehicles (and some surge-brake trailers) limit or prohibit WDH use — check both manuals. See the disclaimer.