Best (and quickest) Weight Distribution Hitch plus a towing question

[Fraslin]

Hello - had a couple questions. We have an R1S and currently tow a 16' Airstream Bambi with no issues and no WDH. We are looking to upgrade and looking at the Airstream Pottery Barn edition.

1. I think we are right at the limit of the R1S with a Pottery Barn but wanted another opinion on the maths:
   1. R1S - 7700 towing capacity
   2. Pottery Barn - Maximum Trailer Capacity GVWR 7600; Unit Base Weight with LP and Batteries 6,825; Tongue Weight 925; net carrying capacity 775
   3. Would work to reduce the tongue weight a bit. Would be 2 adults (400 lbs total) and we travel pretty - no grills and things like that.
2. What WDH is the quickest to disengage for charging? Was looking at the Andersen and it also seems the lightest

Thanks for any thoughts!

Sponsored

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

Hey there! I love the air streams! Tongue weight is a little high at 925. Recommended max tongue weight for R1S is 810 lbs so it looks like your tongue weight is about 13.6% of the dry weight of your trailer.

As far as towing, if you take the GVWR of the R1S and subtract off the curb weight the amount that's left is what you can safely carry (includes stuff, people, and tongue weight) before exceeding the safety limits of the vehicle.

Some quick back of napkin math gives me the following numbers based on the 2024 R1S:

Curb: 7,068
GVWR: 8,532

=Payload 1,464

Now, Rivian says not to put more than 810 lbs on the tongue but if you put 925 lbs on the tongue that means you only have 539 lbs left for people and stuff before the vehicles safety limits are exceeded.

Me personally I wouldn't exceed the 810 lbs limit on the tongue due to the shorter wheelbase of the R1S (safety) and warranty concerns. Anything over 5,000 lbs Rivian recommends a WDH.

Aside from the listed tongue weight its important to know what the actual tongue weight is. If your trailers is not level or loaded properly this can result in more weight being on the tongue or less weight on the tongue and more weight toward the rear of the trailer (not good).

If your going to try and get the weight down, I highly recommend something like a weigh safe hitch. With something like this you know your safe every time you hook up.

https://amzn.to/47GtQ47

With all that said, please come back and post whatever you decide to do...I love seeing these things towing travel trailers

 

[Foobar]

Additional FYI - Rivians rated towing capacity is based on having a WDH. Otherwise it gets de-rated by half.

I pull a 25FBT Trade Wind which is right around 8K with my gear and use the Equalizer WDH which Airstream recommended and installed for me. I can decouple or decouple in a few minutes just by lowering the tongue jack to ease the friction bar tension.

I used to have a T@B 400 before that and used the Andersen WDH - same concept but used chains instead of bars. Both were relatively easy to work with but the bars of the Equalizer are simpler to manage in my humble opinion. It is a heavier package though.

I’ve heard the Blue Ox has some inherent risks if you aren’t careful with the chain tensioning and the Pro-Pride Stinger can be a pain in the butt to line up properly if you don’t know what you’re doing.

 

[Ralph]

Hey there! I love the air streams! Tongue weight is a little high at 925. Recommended max tongue weight for R1S is 810 lbs so it looks like your tongue weight is about 13.6% of the dry weight of your trailer.

As far as towing, if you take the GVWR of the R1S and subtract off the curb weight the amount that's left is what you can safely carry (includes stuff, people, and tongue weight) before exceeding the safety limits of the vehicle.

Some quick back of napkin math gives me the following numbers based on the 2024 R1S:

Curb: 7,068
GVWR: 8,532

=Payload 1,464

Now, Rivian says not to put more than 810 lbs on the tongue but if you put 925 lbs on the tongue that means you only have 539 lbs left for people and stuff before the vehicles safety limits are exceeded.

Me personally I wouldn't exceed the 810 lbs limit on the tongue due to the shorter wheelbase of the R1S (safety) and warranty concerns. Anything over 5,000 lbs Rivian recommends a WDH.

Aside from the listed tongue weight its important to know what the actual tongue weight is. If your trailers is not level or loaded properly this can result in more weight being on the tongue or less weight on the tongue and more weight toward the rear of the trailer (not good).

If your going to try and get the weight down, I highly recommend something like a weigh safe hitch. With something like this you know your safe every time you hook up.

https://amzn.to/47GtQ47

With all that said, please come back and post whatever you decide to do...I love seeing these things towing travel trailers

And I believe you have to add the weight of the WDH?

 

[Zoidz]

Something to consider regarding tongue weight that you may be aware of, but is worth mentioning. The tongue weight rating is more about vehicle handling safety dynamics than mechanical failure. The hitch won't break off at 1500 or 2000 lbs (apparently unlike a CT, lol).

The concern is that as a function of vehicle wheelbase, the weight on the hitch acts as a fulcrum around the rear axle and reduces the weight on the front wheels, affecting steering. If that happens on a wet, bumpy road going around a corner, ugly things can happen as the bouncing reduces weight on the front wheels, even with a properly loaded trailer within weight specs. I've experienced it a few times with trailers that were under the limits, no accidents, but it's scary.

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

Something to consider regarding tongue weight that you may be aware of, but is worth mentioning. The tongue weight rating is more about vehicle handling safety dynamics than mechanical failure. The hitch won't break off at 1500 or 2000 lbs (apparently unlike a CT, lol).

The concern is that as a function of vehicle wheelbase, the weight on the hitch acts as a fulcrum around the rear axle and reduces the weight on the front wheels, affecting steering. If that happens on a wet, bumpy road going around a corner, ugly things can happen as the bouncing reduces weight on the front wheels, even with a properly loaded trailer within weight specs. I've experienced it a few times with trailers that were under the limits, no accidents, but it's scary.

This is very true, a good weight distribution system will transfer some of that load back up to the front axle.

Good video from weigh safe

 

[logan]

<snip>

I’ve heard the Blue Ox has some inherent risks if you aren’t careful with the chain tensioning and the Pro-Pride Stinger can be a pain in the butt to line up properly if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Interesting. It's possible but I'll add the additional data point that I've used the blue ox for years on many trips with the R1T and our previous truck. I have not had any scary moments. Once you lift it high enough the sway bars loosen up and it is easy to hook or unhook. I think the slight bending of the sway bars is mainly what controls the tension on the chains. I just stick with the number of links that Airstream told me when they sold me the blue ox.

I try not to unhook when we charge but sometimes it is just easier and we are also considering an upgrade to a larger one with an office so it may be inevitable at that point. It's not so bad but eats some time. Walkie talkies and two people make it pretty quick.

 

[SwampNut]

Would work to reduce the tongue weight a bit.

Are you aware of the very high danger of low relative tongue weight? Be sure you actually either measure this or estimate it well.

I've used a few different weight distribution hitches, including some high dollar aluminum thing. In the end, my overall favorite is a cheap basic one that I've used for years on lesser trucks. It takes a while to install and adjust with precision the first time, but is fast on/off after that.

https://www.reese-hitches.com/products/Husky_Round_Bar_Weight_Distribution_Kit___1_200_lbs,31423

 

[SwampNut]

I just realized...with our self-adjusting suspension, how do you do the initial adjustment? Can you tell the Rivian to not self level?

 

[logan]

I just realized...with our self-adjusting suspension, how do you do the initial adjustment? Can you tell the Rivian to not self level?

I got airstream to do it for me to make sure it was correct. It's been a while now but my old truck was closer to the R1T's high setting, they eye balled it, moved the drop two holes, and then after it settled we ended up moving it back one hole. There was no adjustment on the wdh side. Just the hitch drop. FWIW.

(Edit: I think the wdh number of links to notch, for my blue ox, is just dependent on the geometry of the trailer install and not dependent on the tow vehicle.)

 

[SwampNut]

I got airstream to do it for me to make sure it was correct. It's been a while now but my old truck was closer to the R1T's high setting, they eye balled it, moved the drop two holes, and then after it settled we ended up moving it back one hole. There was no adjustment on the wdh side. Just the hitch drop. FWIW.

(Edit: I think the wdh number of links to notch, for my blue ox, is just dependent on the geometry of the trailer install and not dependent on the tow vehicle.)

Right, so the process is to make an estimate, and put the trailer on, and measure the front bumper versus rear bumper. Adjust and measure, repeat. But the Rivian self-levels as you put the trailer down. So do we just do an estimate? There's no way to actually MEASURE the proper tension?

 

[Fraslin]

Are you aware of the very high danger of low relative tongue weight? Be sure you actually either measure this or estimate it well.

Yes - I wouldn't reduce it too much.

I had to do something similar when I was towing our Bambi with a Model Y. Would not be anything too much but an easy way to cut weight is to only have one propane tank filled. I have never needed 2 full propane tanks. More drastic would be moving the batteries back, we had to do that in order to tow with a Model Y.

The Pottery Barn model should be ok as the Bed and storage under it is all in the rear of the trailer so should be pretty well balanced (but will weigh it all to be sure).

Thanks for the discussion here - super helpful.

 

[logan]

Right, so the process is to make an estimate, and put the trailer on, and measure the front bumper versus rear bumper. Adjust and measure, repeat. But the Rivian self-levels as you put the trailer down. So do we just do an estimate? There's no way to actually MEASURE the proper tension?

I am definitely not an expert but I think the WDH is tensioned properly on its side and that I think they told me as long as it rides level (as in truck and trailer perfectly level) after adjustments it should be good. There was several short drives to check. I don't think it is as precise as you are thinking, in general, and perhaps the R1T is just a bit more forgiving and so being in the right range for medium is fine. Even with my old truck the process was the same. There were no direct tension measurements. Just visual and drive checks.

 

[logan]

I am definitely not an expert but I think the WDH is tensioned properly on its side and that I think they told me as long as it rides level (as in truck and trailer perfectly level) after adjustments it should be good. There was several short drives to check. I don't think it is as precise as you are thinking, in general, and perhaps the R1T is just a bit more forgiving and so being in the right range for medium is fine. Even with my old truck the process was the same. There were no direct tension measurements. Just visual and drive checks.

I mean it did look better in middle of the bracket of the 3 settings we tried. There are only a few holes on the hitch drop. I dunno.

 

[SwampNut]

and perhaps the R1T is just a bit more forgiving and so being in the right range for medium is fine.

It's certainly way more forgiving since it has the auto ride height. This does NOT fix the base problem of transferring weight from the rear to the front. That's why you do the bumper height measurements. You really can't measure tension. By measuring bumper height, you assure a perfect 50/50 weight transfer.

Sponsored