RV Weight Distribution: Where is the Weight Going?

[@luvRVing]

And so I started watching KYD forever ago and quickly became a KYD addict(I seek therapy every Sunday night at 8pm🤣🤣) I literally am so addicted that I fell for this RVing thing hook line and sinker. Although we were RVing here and there already, I couldn't wait to get into a trailer from our pop up and then my ultimate dream was to buy a fifth wheel (and a truck that could tow it) and retire. Start small, start now. I did, and now I am 8.5 DAYS until retirement, we just bought a Rockwood 374BH(just in case some of the kids want to tag along 🤞🤞) and I tow it with a 2022 F350 lariat (ordered and built to pull a fifth wheel). So basically what I want to say is THANK YOU guys and your family. Thank you for the idea and inspiration, years of motivation because now I am the point of what watching all those dreams come to fruition. And all the while, following KYD. Can't wait to follow along with you guys this season WHILST I AM ✨✨🎉🎉🎇🎇🧨RETIRED🎉🎉🎊🎊🎆🎆🧨🧨🎈🎈. Ok, I 'll sit back down.🤣

[@Livin_inRVA]

Mark, I thought I was going to be bored with the technical explanations ; but I found myself riveted like watching William Peterson in CSI. Fascinating analysis. Can’t wait to use a CAT scale. Well, first I have to convince the wife to buy an RV!(grin). Trish, you are more patient than my wife would ever be in this type of situation. See ya next week!

[@18elleinad]

Congratulations! God bless and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

[@PSC9634]

Mark: "Aren't you curious?" Trish: "No." Hilarious!

[@lynnmariec]

When she smacked her own face. I knew exactly how she felt at that moment 😂😂

[@kristinaschmit8009]

I feel ya Trish.

[@ChristianCareerJoy]

I loved Trish’s quick reply too!

[@stana2z]

Finally! This video needs to be Mandatory viewing before buying ANY RV. Motorized, 5th wheel, or TT. So simple when you can see all the numbers. The airing up “penalty” and the “Get more truck” was great!

[@badgerpa9]

Air bags alone often just add weight to the rear axle, most distribution setups level the truck and distribute weight more evenly, if you have air bags filled and distribution it will often push weight to the front and trailer instead of leveling and distributing the weight. The air bags do not allow the distribution to work, also if your truck rear suspension even without air bags is designed for a lot more weight than you have on the rear axle the distribution can push weight to the front and trailer as the rear suspension doesn't move much. You had the rear axle of the truck to solid with the air bags inflated and the distribution bar to tight flexing your frame, which you should get that fixed. A good weight distribution will help level and control sway on a truck that is carrying weight close to the designed weight. If you are over capacity on your trucks rear axles you can push weight off it with distribution, it will go to the front and trailer. It can help with payload if you set it right, but you should really get the right truck so you do not need to worry about payload. If your payload is 2K and you are in the 1200 to 2K range a distribution sway system can help, if your payload is 4K and you are only at 1200 the distribution can push weight off the rear axle which you do not want, you need to loosen it so it is tight enough to help with sway but not removing weight from the rear axle.

[@randypetty3066]

Great summary. I have an f350 diesel DRW pulling a very small 5th wheel (10k) with 1.5k pin load - too light to really engage the suspension for ride softening. I have added ballast weight (250lb) to the very tail end of the bed to better engage suspension and it does help the ride, hopefully softening impact from the pin box into the camper frame. I have air bags but keep them very low pressure (20 psi) as increasing air stiffens the suspension and also raises bed height.

[@kevinthomas8025]

From a former truck driver, who's life revolved around weight distribution I was totally into this video. I've already shared the video to some friends that are new into towing. Great video Marc and Trish

[@UnstoppableMorgan]

THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO!! 6 months into living in my travel trailer and doing this alone with zero experience, this is exactly what I needed to learn. Gracias amigos!

[@travelswiththetiny]

Awesome that you got a travel trailer!

[@gregisabel907]

Can I just say, i absolutely LOVE watching your channel? You both are so much fun to watch. This episode was very interesting, and I am an engineer, so I understand everything you have done. What I love about this episode is you showed your explanation of weight distribution to everyone watching your channel. I hope one day to meet you both just to say hello and tell you in person how much I appreciate what you do. god bless and happy travels.

[@janetstewart6977]

Alright……love when you sneak Trish’s nickname into the vlog 😂 “ The Cats Meow “ 👍❤️

[@sirjasonakana]

I think he chose “the CATs meow because of the CAT scale episode😂😂

[@ChrisD-kl3ty]

​@@sirjasonakanadidn't even get that till now. 😂

[@JCMercyGrace]

I giggle at all the different names he gives Trish on his phone. Silly Man!

[@randallsaunders8927]

Marc I love it when you talk Weight Distribution. On the start of this Baseball Road Trip I kept my WDH where the dealer set it. By the second stop I moved it up a notch and found a lot of difference in handling especially going through South Dakota with the wind going every which way. Thank you for the information that you provide even though your not an engineer .

[@garycooke5802]

I started watching the channel from the beginning over the weekend. Was super fun and oh my how your overall video skills have developed. Not intended as a slight...you've just shown how much I have to learn!

[@KeepYourDaydream]

Be careful back there! I can't watch anything before SN5 :)

[@dcurleyifa]

OK officially blew my head off, it’s 01.44 am in the UK and I am watching you doing numbers, madness 👍🏻👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@luvRVing]

I can't believe you just kept me here for 15mins running over CAT scales 🤣🤣 and YES I was absolutely entertained. My wife is very thankful we don't have a scale near us...I'd be on that thing EVERY trip.

[@earlhunt2815]

Oh my goodness, Trish's retort to you was exactly how my wife always 😊responded when I explained anything technical to her. When Trish said zero I laughed out loud.

[@neilevenden3481]

We have moved into our retirement house, and one thing I noticed right away was the way the driveway met the road. We will NOT hook up our system until after we have left our property. We have found a nice spot to do that, just a couple of kilometers (yes, we are Canadian) from our house, right before we go onto the highway. Your recent video discussing Weight Distribution System and challenges that some face with their frames, has got me thinking. The idea of learning how to quickly apply the trailer brakes is a good idea. I will practice that. We recently changed our tow vehicle and are still fine tuning the system. Thanks for all the information.

[@wannabefulltimers]

That was such a geeked out fun video and I loved every minute!! I use the bars with minimal force because I don’t need distribution, but I do like them for sway control. Trish’s commentary is gold😂 reminds me of my wife

[@ogaddcb]

One of the most informative activities I have utilized with the current truck/tow behind rig I have is the Escapees SmartWeigh program. This will give you weight per tire of your tow vehicle and your trailer. With the inflation charts that are available for the tires, now I know exactly what air pressers to run in each 4 of the tow vehicle tires and each of the 4 trailer tires. My buddy was shocked at how much weight difference there was on his 5th wheel for the kitchen side.

[@Kentucky4runner]

It’s not unnecessary if it’s something you want to know. Knowledge is information. Information lets us make good decisions. Get all the info you want-all it does is help you, and help us 😎😎

[@fitfifties]

just FYI, I pulled a TT for several years and found that the anti-sway system (Equalizer) worked much better when the rear air bags were barely inflated. The sway bars need the tension, down pressure, on them to work properly. Also found that our anti-sway minimized the dip at the hitch point, this was mentioned in the Equalizer instructional DVD. Liked your video.

[@Kevin-ex2yb]

Such a fun video that made me while really talking so important concepts for towing. Thank you guys for being you. We are 3 years into being RV owners and 2 years into having a tiny RV rental side hustle all because of you and your message to start where you are.

[@TheBurnsStuff]

Listen, Marc nerding out over cat scales is entertaining and informative. Seeing Trish react to it, well, that's entertaining all in its own lol.

[@michaelbissen1946]

I pull with a GMC 2500 HD 4x4. I do not use load leveling bars. Pull level and fine. I have no issues. Thanks for the video. Great info!!!

[@BrohamerT]

Hi. I'm Tom. And I'm a Cat Scale addict. Not sure if you're aware, but you do not need to enter the CAT Scale ID number unless the app displays the wrong location. The app gives you the location, which it displays right above where you would enter the ID if it doesn't match. It uses your phone's location and pre-populates that information. Just a timesaving tip.

[@mathdj01]

It all makes sense. You can move weight based off weight distribution set up. FYI, air bags don't move weight, torsion bars at the hitch move weight.

[@shiftfocus1]

This can’t be emphasized enough. Airbags don’t shift weight, and may well hide a problem. Use them with caution.

[@DavidEBerry]

I appreciate your focus on immediate actions for a trailer sway event-to the point of practicing so there is some 'muscle memory.' Well done!

[@keykeypr8292]

Great to see you guys laughing together about things. Being able to laugh with each other is so important to healthy relationships. Mark, glad you were able to scratch that CAT itch. You know you are going to have to do this all over again when/if you sort out the whole weight-distribution-bar thing.

[@nickkonwerski6576]

Marc - I've learned so much from you guys and really appreciate it. This is a topic as a very new RV'r I've been obsessing over. I finally visited the CAT scales yesterday with my 1 ton Diesel pickup (approx 12K GVWR), and 7300 GVWR Travel Trailer. I went in the direction of over trucking my trailer for safety when entering into this after research. I've not been using the weight distribution bars I have because I've felt that it towed quite well without them and I don't enjoy the process of putting them on and listening to the noise they create. The internet says generally if your trailer GVWR is just over 50% of of your vehicle GVWR you would benefit from WD which would put me in that camp of benefitting. My numbers on the scale yesterday confirmed that I am within all my limits, axles, GVWR, etc. without WD. In fact a point I did not realize until watching your video is that WD would probably add weight to my trailer axle which isn't necessarily going to benefit me with my lower cargo limits on my particular trailer. I've not weighed with the WD bars to prove, but my current distribution without WD is 4620 steer, 5020 drive, and 6300 trailer. Doing a reweigh with the truck I've learned my tongue weight is 940 right in the sweet spot. I feel like I'm truly okay without, but is there something I'm missing that I should concern myself with using the bars? It looks like you are in a similar situation and also not using them. Putting tension on the trailer frame with the bars if not needed seems risky. Thanks in advance if you are able to respond! You guys are THE BEST!

[@michaelchamberlin6821]

The absolute best RV Family channel there is your entertainment value is through the roof I love you all and I look forward to your weekly videos. Thank You for all you do ! Mike

[@JLTravels]

Trish cracks me up … working very hard to enjoy the CAT SCALE exercise 😅

[@rickrichardson5329]

I don't know now if I need weight distribution or not but I did enjoy going over the scales and seeing the differences. Thanks for the info

[@kevrobin45]

1st time commenter, long time viewer. Have watched each season and all the ones in between. Just so happened to leave out on a trip and watched your video on a stop. So I weighed my rig and then made an adjustment on the hitch and moved 120lbs to the front tires and 140 to the trailer and it rides so much better. Thank you Marc!!

[@KeepYourDaydream]

Good to hear from you. Glad you're here.

[@davidtriplett3057]

I’m so totally on Team Marc when it comes to being preoccupied with weights and balance on my rig. I get it!

[@christinafinley5383]

Tricia....you are my people! When Marc said, do you ever wonder? I said NO at the screen at the exact same moment! Nope....I am never curious about those things...tell me it is safe, check that box, and lets move forward to the fun part! Please.

[@randypetty3066]

One added bonus of air bags is leveling when in an overnight spot and not unhooking. I have used airbags when I need some adjustment on the tongue for leveling. It is also quicker and quieter in the early morning to readjust air bags than running tongue jacks if departing early and tying to be as quiet as possible.

[@djjerrymouse]

I am so happy we found your channel😀 You guys are so inspiring. We went to our first RV dealership last week. We have a lot of catching up to do you have been on so long. Thanks for sharing!!!

[@djjerrymouse]

We are fairly new to your channel and are trying to catch up. We just watched your videos from Lake Tahoe. I think it was Season 3. We love you guys❤️ Thanks so much for all you do. We feel we are right there with you. I just bought your course a week or so ago and I really like it.

[@DavidLaFerney]

We have a pretty similar setup- F350 + 27’ (9000 lb gvw for the camper) AS classic. We have air bags and weight distribution. The air allows you to adjust ride height independently of weight distribution. All other things being equal adding air (raising the height at the hitch) reduces the pre-load on the weight distribution hitch. You can really tell by loading/unloading the WDH with the lever bar. Anyway with low preload and level ride height we have excellent towing stability in all conditions. Before we got the setup all sorted out wind - even just from passing semis was quite noticeable. Also bounce from bad bridge transitions and whoop-de-does like the west end of hwy 160 near Grand Canyon - they dampen out much quicker now. It’s worth the effort to sort it all out.

[@garryhammond3117]

Very interesting take on all aspects of what happens to the weight while employing different common practices. I too have airbags and a WD hitch with my GMC 1500 and a 27' TT. I have noted much that you describe, but never went through the scale 4 or 5 times. - Thanks to Trish for putting up with this super scientific video! - Cheers!

[@Electrified_14]

I have a fifth wheel Camper. One thing i learned was to make sure i was in park, and not holding the brakes. I held the brake one time and my axle on my truck was almost 400 over normal. Was the brake force. At the time i didn't know this and all most had a panic attack. Now I always try to pull on the scale to the same spot, (front rear axle pad split is right next to me when i open the door.) Put it in park, wait 20 seconds for any wobbled settle, and i always note if i have water , or my atv, or something different than normal.

[@occasionalrv]

I had a bet with my wife that you would be overweight on either the truck or trailer. Clearly I lost that bet. On our last trip we were filling up the truck and I saw a CAT Scale. Got all excited and went over for some weight therapy. Made my wife stay with the trailer when I unhitched to weigh the truck by itself. She loves KYD so now she does not think I’m crazy. We have a Ford F250 gasser towing a Flying Cloud 27FBQ with an AirSafe hitch and an Equalizer WD set up. Adjusted the set up a few times during our last trip and believe that we’re very close. More CAT Scales on the next trip. Also picked up a tongue weight scale. 800lbs empty, have not yet weighed her loaded. Every Sunday evening my wife asks when the KYD video will drop. You guys bring a lot of joy into our lives.

[@phyllissmith1105]

We were traveling in Oregon and Oregon has free scales along their highways. We have a 30' Airstream also, and of course, we stopped and weighed a couple of times. It's just good to know where you stand on weight distribution and if you are overloaded.

[@JohnnyLawBMC]

I didn't know OR scales were free. Awesome info!

[@timothyswatzell221]

Great video and thanks for making it. Really nice to see the numbers and you did a great job at it. Keep up the great work and be safe

[@DAKOTANSHELBY]

Marc, you changed your route from Michigan to Wisconsin based on your route map of last week. Last week you were taking a ferry across Lake Michigan to avoid Gary, IN and Chicago. Now your route map of today shows you taking the White knuckle route around Chicago. I use to work there, but now live in West Michigan just minutes from your friends in Grand Haven. I avoid driving around the bottom of the lake at all costs. Good luck to you and Trish.

[@KeepYourDaydream]

Google did that. I can only add 10 locations. We might take the SS Badger, but the recent quote was $600 😳 I think we paid $380 last time.

[@jvogel431]

Love this video. It is very serious and important information and you, as always, present it in a fun and engaging way. I have a passion for CAT scales too. When your WDH is dialed in correctly, it makes a huge difference in the towing experience and safety. I’m wearing my KYD t-shirt now!

[@AlexisMedeiros]

Appreciate the editing skills. Very detail oriented

[@tyb3938]

Had sway happen towing a small boat and a car hauler with a 3/4 ton naked ball and it can happen so quick not sure you can get to trailer brakes switch quick enough. Mountain pass winds can come out of no where. We have towed our 27FB around 30k miles and just now measured our tongue weight. I had guessed 1k but measured 1275 pounds with ProPride. ProPride recommended 1400 bars, after 15k miles I decided those were too harsh on our rig and changed to 1000 bars. Our 3/4 can handle the weight but 1300 at the rear is a touch much so will see if we can shift weight in rig back till we get closer to 1000 pounds tongue. We adjust our weight bars till steering feels planted, 3/4 ton front barely moves up or down as you clearly show so measurements can be a bit of guesswork

[@pcbeachouse]

From a random find a few years ago to a regular weekly viewer, you guys have entertained and educated. Even your recommendations are soft and not salesy - pretty refreshing, really. Living in Canada, there are few CAT scales, luckily there’s one at a truck stop about five minutes from home 👏👏👏! I did the comparison test acouple of years ago with my first diesel/5th wheel setup and found numbers were not ‘as advertised’ by the so called pros. I made my own adjustments as per vehicle specs and found a better towing experience. This was a fun review! And much more entertaining than my bumbling with the phone calculator, lol. Oh, as an aside, Mark, I just love you sharing all the names of endearment you have for Trish. It’s adorable. You guys make me laugh a lot. Good travels and hope to see you sometime.

[@Camperfanatic01]

I have a 34’ camper and while I have the Equalizer E4 hooked up and use it with every tow, I found the dealer had it set up with a lot of tension. I backed it off quite a bit and find with my truck, a 24 f250 I have zero sway with it set that way. I do want to invest in some airbags to help level just a tad more. Great video as always.

[@Lotoja-x20]

I didn’t hear you mention in the video or read in the comments the levels of all your tanks. I have the same trailer and pull it with a Chevrolet 2500. With a full OEM fuel tank, 75% black and 20% fresh. It makes a noticeable difference on truck GVWR, if you’re close to the maximum. I never use to dump black before towing if we were parked for a while, the road movement helps with black tank issues. Now I pay more attention to tank levels when towing.

[@greatbay6593]

Trish mentioned at the end of the video they were headed home to pack up, so I assume they were dry.

[@malifestro3319]

With a half ton, one reason for getting as much weight back onto the front axle as possible is because it is already quite light in comparison to a 1 ton truck with a diesel engine. Exactly what you inferred in the video. Great video showing exactly what happens when you tweak the WDH too.

[@realeddie_b]

Interesting finding, perhaps you don’t need to put that much undo stress on the Airstream frame, lower the amount of tension on the distribution bars enough to help the sway. Additionally as you raise and lower your air bags it is going to affect the weight distribution bar tension. See ya next week.

[@michaelcampbell9900]

This was the most intense opening of any KYD video. The music, the narration, all of it.

[@tjyoung4211]

Totally agree. WDH just isn’t necessary when towing with a 3/4 ton or 1 ton diesel and is absolutely putting too much tension on the frame of the Airstream. We tow our 2019 FC27FB on the ball. Zero issues. Tows like a dream behind our 2022 RAM 3500 Cummins Diesel SRW.

[@Starbreaker666]

Can't competely agree with you. We tow with a new '24 2500HD Silverado and still use a WDH. I do keep the bars looser, but feel the help with sway and leveling is more important. Our trailer is only 6000lbs, too.

[@4RXLA]

I have always used W/D because it levels out the porpoising that happens without it. I have always towed with a 3/4 ton Ford pickup and the tongue weight on my trailer is 900 pounds. I imagine a helper spring or airbags would help, but I’ve found that the 1000lb bars with 4 chain links of tension gives the most comfortable ride and keeps the front of the truck pretty level.

[@blessidunion]

So glad you made this video. After seeing the damage the weight distribution hitch did to your airstream I quit using mine. I drive a 2016 F250 Lariat 6.7 pulling an East to West 2600 KRB 30 ft travel trailer. The truck is a beast with a Ranch Hand bull nose on the front adding even more weight to the front end. A lot of truck for the rig but I’ll take it. I just drove from my home in the Fort Myers area to Austin Texas and I-10 is a nightmare as you get closer to Houston but all went great.

[@jorjimaco5331]

In AUS we add the tongue weight to the vehicles total weight. Then subtract that weight from the trailer. But our total combined weight doesn’t change on the tow vehicle. That’s why the American trucks don’t have pay load they need. Thats why we do gross vehicle upgrade (f250) So we can tow trailer and the whole family (4) with all the toys in the tray. Add another 10k for the extra set up at least.

[@davidi3733]

Cat Scale Sunday what an informational episode that was super fun.... One More time for fun on the scale.... Enjoy the week KYD Family

[@MsSunstoned]

I appreciated every minute of that one. I love the numbers & thanks for the lesson. I feel like I learned something. Thanks.

[@davidtriplett3057]

One other point to consider when using air bags in combination with WDH. If your WDH is set up for a level and balanced load without air in the bags, then adding air to the bags will change the height of the hitch, hence the angular relationship of the spring bars to their supports on the trailer frame. As the hitch goes up the tension in the spring bars decreases, diminishing the weight distribution effect. My best understanding is that spring bar tension should be set to desired values at the intended ride height. Air bags are then used to re-level the truck and trailer combination to match that ride height as tongue and truck weights vary. My GMC 2500 Duramax has bags, but I never use them since I got the WDH tuned in right. (WDH is required in my rig based on receiver load rating.)

[@jasonwohlgemuth4826]

Great video Marc. Nobody has done this. Some really important information here. Thanks!

[@snorkfire]

Thanks! That was interesting…and fun😉

[@sterlingwoodard6528]

As always, excellent and informative video. I especially appreciated learning about the CAT app...anything I can do to avoid speaking with someone over the intercom is great. We have a ProPride on our 27 International FB and recently changed TV to a RAM 2500 with Cummins so the discussion around the need for WD was good to consider. We just returned from a 3100-mile trip from Texas to South Dakota and played around with the amount of tension we put on the WD bars. Due to the much heavier truck with diesel, I see that we can definitely use a lot less tension on the bars versus our previous Sequoia. However, when we had a 21MPH crosswind on I-90, I could feel its impact (slight push) in the rear and instead of using trailer brakes, just added more tension, and that resolved the wind effect. Moving forward, we will just run with lighter tension on the bars until the tow experience suggests that we need more. Lastly, we do not have airbags on our setup but the new TV.

[@MS4323]

Great information! Can’t wait to find the Cat Scales and evaluate our setup. Thanks for your thoroughness.

[@stevengrey1948]

This is such a cool video! The data is very valuable. It looks like weight distribution is also putting stress on your trailer's frame transfering weight to the front of the truck and to the back of the trailer, and that is evident in you not being able to get access to the hatch behind the propane tanks.

[@TomSpurlock]

After Seattle this year, consider going down the Washington/Oregon/Calif coast on hwy 101. There's lots to see and do, with gorgeous coastlines. Avenue of the Giants will blow you away in N Calif. It's a 20 mile scenic byway of monster sized redwoods with hikes along the way that feels like a movie set. Bucket list POI.

[@KeepYourDaydream]

We did Avenue of the Giants in an earlier season. I agree with you. Some of USA's most stunning coast.

[@tjyoung4211]

By the way the Trish face palm and snore when you explained your plans for the CAT scale was the best!

[@bogopogo]

I'm from Minnesota - so I'm excited to see what you choose to see and highlight in the North Star state! 😎

[@joedonbaker1673]

Mark, I found that video very informative. Thank you!

[@jorobson1]

We live in Australia. We have a lot of people towing big van's with small double cab utes (pick up). We have a 3500kgs van (loaded with 200 litres of water). We used to tow with a 200 series diesel landcruiser but have just recently upgraded to a 2500 silverado. Oh boy the difference is huge. We now no longer have the tail wagging the dog. At the end of the day it is straight physics. Mass rules!

[@greenbergjoshua]

What a great episode with a useful run down on figuring out weights and WDH! Trish's enthusiasm seemed very similar to my wife's when i get all excited about comparing measurements and vehicle weights! LOL

[@brettelizabethspore]

Very interesting seeing the difference it makes even on a big ole diesel. It makes it clear what a difference it could make on my tiny little Tacoma. Can hardly wait to see where you’re going in my home state (WA) this time around 🎉

[@JohnHarte-b4x]

Thanks Marc! At a Walmart in Harvre, Mt. waiting for my wife (LOL). Remember what you mentioned in a video I got out and searched the ground and found 2 sheet metals screw near my trailer tire😮. Those 5 minutes might have saved the day.

[@RobertMurray-b1e]

Interesting video!! I have never been through a scale as I knew I was always within my limits. That being said, my current trailer is a single axle and I have less than 1000 ccc. I’m considering running it through the scales just to make sure it is not overloaded. I’m not worried about the truck as it’s a 1/2 ton with air adjusting suspension. I do (even though the dealer said it was overkill) use wdh and sway bar.

[@GregPrince-io1cb]

Mark you need to split your trailer axles on separate scales... need to know if front or rear axle is heavier or equally distributed.

[@MondoLotman]

The measure of trusted advisors, people will even watch 15min of Mark and his Cat Scales. And enjoy it! Yall are the best! Excited that we are planning our Empty Nest RV life. Super Duty and AirStream shopping and about to start bugging Ronnie and Tera!

[@lesathornton]

Happy Sunday everyone

[@LindaHoward-o9h]

I commnented many videos ago that you should visit Door County. I see it's on your travel map. Please make sure you visit ALL of Door County, especially Northern Door. We highly recommend you stay at Wagon Trail campground near Rowley's Bay on the Lake Michigan side. You won't be disappointed! We're up here now, and we told Tim and Kathy (the owners) about you and your youtube channel, and there's a possibility you will be traveling up this way. What do you think your ETA to Door County will be? We'll be back up here camping in July and again in Septmeber. It's a 5 hour hour drive for us from Dubuque, Iowa. It would be great to meet you!

[@ramonapuckett3059]

Ok, Trish, I’m with you on this one. Bless Mark’s heart 😂❤

[@0mattellis0]

This is funny. I always go thru public truck weigh stations to check my vehicle and trailer weights. My laughs at me too. But I find it "settling" when I know what we have to deal with. :)

[@tonycathyhickman2512]

Great, informative video. Something every RV owner should watch.

[@janine36]

When do we get to see the progress on the Florida house? I always love the contradictory reactions of you and Trish when you do the CAT scale.

[@bettyjorodgers8552]

Interesting. Thanks. Blessings

[@Augiebracerofam]

Great information. So distribution bars are coming off as they are not helpful for your configuration. You got an pass for extra “Cat Scale weight”. Thank you for sharing and have a great day.

[@patriciam5092]

Happy wedding Anniversary to you Trish and Mark. God Blesses you both always.🎉❤

[@KennyLeduc]

Been watching a lot of your videos and really appreciate the insight you share with your viewers. When I saw the title popup, it caught my eye because I really wanted to see your spin on the idea of weight distribution. We have been towing a 30ft 5th wheel for 26 years, on our 4th truck now, a new 2023 Superduty with the diesel. Of course with a 5th wheel, tongue weight is what it is, only to be managed by what else is in the bed of your truck and how you might load the trailer. Point is, with a 3/4 or 1 ton truck, the rear of the truck doesn't sag to much with a much greater tongue weight than what is placed on it by a pull trailer. We are thinking of downsizing and are looking hard at the Airstreams. My concern is a weight dist, hitch does nothing for sway control, thats for a sway bar if needed. Looking at your weigh in's, the hitch didn't seem to change the weights across the board by what I would think is a significant amount, except for increasing the weight on your trailer axles decreasing your gvwr carrying capacity which is low to begin with on Airstreams compared to other brands. My concern/worry would be how much stress your placing on the tongue/framework of your Airstream? You mentioned several times and showed you can't open the battery box with tension on the hitch? This for me would be a red flag flexing the frame on a unit that has a bit of history with front end frame/body separation adding undue stress on the trailer. Would like to hear your thoughts on this, as I am currently thinking if we make the switch, I don't feel we will be adding a weight dist. hitch to the equation. Looking forward to your response, thanks in advance!

[@justinm1150]

from what i have been told by many weight distrubution bars put way more stress on the RV frame but i drove semi and also goose necks not alot of bumper pulls

[@omaralanis22]

What a coincidence . I was doing adjustments to our WD hitch this weekend as well. We r getting ready to go to The Tetons and Yellowstone all the way from south TX. Have a great summer !

[@juanitasellshouses]

It looks like you're going through greater Cincinnati area... 1) I highly recommend Winton Woods Campground. Walking paths all along the lake. Some full hookups. Rent paddle boats. 2) Be sure to get Skyline chili while there!! No trip to Cinti is complete without it!

[@jimk5145]

If I were playing on the CAT scale, I would have weighed the two truck axles without the trailer to see where the 1200# tongue weight landed. I suspect (from my statics class) that when the front end lifted 3/4", a bit of the truck weight transfersd to the back axle giving more than the expected additional 1200#.

[@CampgroundViews]

I wish more rv dealerships would play this video to perspective customers there is so much great content in this thanks guys!

[@usmcshepherdE9]

Been watching you all for years and love your channel and content. We've watched all the different RV's you have experience with and have been wondering what you find so great about the Airstreams. They look like wonderful units and certainly a quality trailer, but with smaller capacities and lacking the modern conveniences of auto-leveling and the like I was just curious if you could comment a little more about the airstream vs other modern RV options? We have had a Lance Travel Trailer, Jayco Pinnacle 5th wheel, multiple Lance and Arctic Fox truck campers and our current rig is a Outdoors RV Glacier Peak 5th wheel...which we love but am always looking at others like yourself to see if we are missing something. Thanks in advance.

[@jeffsteele1295]

Loved the video thanks for sharing. We are in Washington State now about 1/2 mile from Canada on the west coast.

[@erniesavinsky3806]

Oh my god, at least you mentioned the trailer brake safety tip for sway twice. A heat gun will also verify wheel load measured after driving. I like my Blue Ox Sway Pro with adjustment with chains like you used to use. Set it and measure hitch height till trailer and truck ore within 1/2 of level and your good to go. Correct sway setting is critical for our cheap single axle trailer. See U Tube for how to measure tongue weight with bathroom scale and fulcrum lever.

[@carsonstrom6966]

This is what I was looking for just got a 34’ travel trailer this weekend hooked to my f250 and got the curt 15l 4p hitch (overkill but looks nice) should be here in a few days I’ve been geeking out over the numbers I’m a truck driver by trade so I’m always looking at axle weights and gross weights

[@REALTOR8888]

Love this video. Very useful info. I downloaded the app. THANK YOU KYD!

[@kenttalcott8428]

I appreciate your CAT Scale addiction and the importance of staying within appropriate weight parameters and optimizing weight distribution. It is critically important and often neglected by many folks traveling with an RV. Thank you for showing everyone how easy, AND FUN, it can be to visit the CAT Scales! I appreciate your advice to practice using the manual brake lever from time to time to familiarize ourselves with the location and process. This advice could be a lifesaver. I too consider WD bars to be a crude device and have concerns about the stress placed into the frame of the travel trailer over time. However, if you are considering traveling without weight distribution bars it is important to recognize the potential limitation of your ability to recognize and address trailer sway in a timely fashion. I am heading off topic for the video but WD bars have more than one purpose. In watching dash cam catastrophic sway events, the process usually starts with 2-3 gentle sways over 2-3 seconds that may not feel much different than a wind gust. Those subtle sways quickly crescendo to a point of no return over the course of an additional 2-3 seconds. My guess is drivers of those vehicles would have 4-6 seconds to recognize the sway and apply brakes to effectively avoid catastrophe. Pretty short period of time. Brake application beyond that time may no longer be effective. Again, this is all speculation. However, if one is driving with "Highway Hypnosis", which everyone has experienced more than we would like to admit, how likely are we to accurately differentiate trailer sway from a simple wind gust, reach for the trailer brake and allow time for the brakes to apply the "anchoring" effect we need to resolve the sway? I think it is something to factor into the discussion of weighing the pro's and con's of using and adjusting WD bars. A whole other topic. Thanks for the informative video and kudos to the "Cat's Meow" for pretending to share your enthusiasm for the CAT Scales. She did not roll her eyes or anything. Those are some seriously good spousal skills!!!

[@theresakelbratowski1834]

I can’t believe you made that fun to watch. I enjoyed it and learned something. Who knew?

[@Itsahick]

I really enjoyed this episode. I like how you did multiple towing setups to see if they made a difference. It confirms what i suspected, that most 3/4 ton diesels do not need a WDH unless towing a rather large camper. So are you still going to use the WDH with the airstream? seems like more of a pain than it is worth and could cause damage like it did with your last airstream.

[@KeepYourDaydream]

I liked how it towed with just the ball, but needed to confirm the numbers were good before doing it. WD also may be a good tool for those that need to reduce the tongue weight and wanted to go through the steps.

[@hailster]

This was an interesting video and it was great to see how the WDH changes the numbers. Now you have me curious on my setup so I may need to swing by a truck stop and check the weights with and without WDH. I just looked it up and there a a small truck stop with a Cat Scale that is only a 3 mile drive.

[@Skyline-Imaging]

@keepyourdaydream Mark and Trish, like many of your other followers, I thoroughly enjoy your channel and look forward to Sundays for the new video! I see you have planned out your next trip and it seems you will be passing through our little part of the world (SW Washington State) towards the end of your journey. Do you enjoy meeting your subscribers along the way? It would be nice to meet you both if that is a possibility? I understand if it's just not possible as well. Keep doing what you do, I have gleaned much good information from your posts. This year we plan to double our trips, some to familiar places and some to new. Safe travels... Steve Pack

[@Dbgolfnski]

Another great video. The best line was near the end when, after weighing 3-4 times, Trish says something like, ‘then we went home and loaded up the trailer for our trip.” Maybe weigh the Airstream after she’s loaded? :-)

[@SMButler]

Marc, thanks for taking us through the scales with you. I need to do that with my rig -- I've been telling myself that for 2 yrs now! Not so intimidated now. BTW, cold air weighs more than warm/hot air. Need to do this episode again in the middle of winter. I do have two 50 amp hook-ups at my place just NE of Battle Ground, WA. If you need an overnight in the area just reach out to me.