Q. When using an equalizing hitch, do you still add the full weight at the trailer hitch to the gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr) of the towing vehicle?
— R.R., El Segundo, California
A. An equalizing hitch doesn’t remove any weight. As its name suggests, its job is to distribute the hitch weight equally between the tow rig’s front and rear axles. This creates an equal-loading situation where the trailer’s hitch isn’t bearing down on the rear axle only and, via leverage, removing weight from the front axle. Yes, the hitch weight still counts toward the load carried by the tow vehicle, so its gvwr is still affected.
— J.J.
Jeff Johnston, TL consulting editor, started RVing at age 6. During his more than 20 years as a writer/photographer, he has worked for Truckin’ and Four Wheeler magazines before joining TL’s technical staff in 1985. Johnston also has produced an award-winning travel video and TV commercials.
