When looking at the overall combined weight for the “coupled”, “leveled with airbags”, and “weight distribution” setups - the resulting totals were 11,695, 11,715, and 11,720 lbs. The difference in these numbers is attributed to the precision and accuracy of the wheel scales that we used and is within 0.2%. Being within 0.2% when the precision/accuracy errors of 8 different scales are added together is quite good - especially for our purposes in this demonstration of general principles. Admittedly however, there are some typos and a mistake in the numbers shown which do account for some discrepancies. One of the mistakes is with the baseline trailer axles number which then carries through in the math throughout the video. With the trailer uncoupled we used an additional scale under the jack when measuring the tongue and axle weights. There is a conversion that then needs to be done to get the exact weight at the hitch ball coupler location. We used the converted (actual) tongue weight of 1000 lbs. in the video but forgot to use the converted axle weight. So, the uncoupled or baseline trailer axle number given is 70 lbs. less than the actual. Also, we didn’t add the weight of the spring bars (35 lbs.) to the uncoupled total. With these two corrections the “uncoupled” combined weight should have been 11,690, only 5 pounds different from the “coupled” combined total. The additional discrepancy is due to the precision and inaccuracy of that tongue weight scale that we used. At minute 12:17 in the video - the correct increases to the trailer axles should be 295 lbs. for weight distribution (instead of 365) and 55 lbs. for the airbags (instead of 125). For the airbags, that trailer axle difference should theoretically be zero when leveled. The reason it’s not is due to the trailer not being at the exact same level/angle and the scale precision/accuracy. As the trailer tips down in front then the front axle of the trailer will take a slight bit more load from the tongue weight. In the weight distribution example, some of that weight difference would also be from the trailer angle and scales then also some from spring bar weight. The majority (~250 lbs.) is from the forces of the bars on the trailer for weight distribution. In spite of some unfortunate presentation mistakes in the video, those errors only affect the magnitude of the effects which will be different for each towing setup anyway. The general principles remain the same - 1) Even though airbags are good for vehicle leveling and ride comfort, they do not distribute weight off the rear axle back to the front axle nor achieve all the towing benefits that come with weight distribution and its inherent sway control 2) Weight distribution increases front axle weight for improved steering and handling and also alleviates the weight and stress on the rear axle of the tow vehicle 3) Because weight distribution also levels the vehicles, airbags usually are not necessary when using a weight distributing hitch. Final note, airbags or auto-leveling can be used with weight distribution to improve ride comfort if desired or if auto-leveling cannot be disabled on the vehicle. Keep in mind that increasing airbag pressure or auto-leveling after setting the hitch will decrease weight distribution. Measure the amount of weight distribution after leveling the vehicle and adjust the hitch as needed to maintain the appropriate amount of weight distribution. Refer to the following video for more tips on adjusting your hitch when using airbags or auto-leveling in conjunction with weight distribution - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/o9BiotRyztLYo58.html.

@FastwayTrailer yes, i have found the same, thx

I’m thinking of getting airbags for my 1500 Sierra but I have one question, when not towing do those airbags running on 5 psi make your ride quality worse? I’ve heard the ride quality is very bouncy when not towing.

No it’s actually better

What PSI do you run in your bags?

I’ve discovered the air bags and WD hitch working boy together works great together. Now I have upgraded the braking on my truck on all 4 wheels and on the trailer brakes.

I used both and it worked great.

Thank you so much for the comment, especially the great advice on getting the proper pressure in the air bags for the best ride and the caution about carrying the full load, as we get a lot of questions about the air bag inflation in the comments here. Thanks for watching, and please, feel free to weigh in again anytime!

I was just gonna ask if you used both how that makes a difference if you use the airbags with the weight distribution hitch what does that do you know the guys should do a video on that as well.

Good video, you addressed each system but you never addressed using the two together I have an F250 that doesn't have overloads and I'm using airbags as overloads I'm planning on towing a trailer with a slide in camper on my truck can I or should I use weight distribution and airbags?

Great suggestion!

Would love to see this!

I also use both, my father used both.

I was curious of this as well. Did you setup the bags first then the WDH? Thanks

@@josephbrockman5715 I had bags first for the weight I carry in work tools so every trailer over a certain weight needs by law for distribution set on the trailer just like tow mirrors are law for length .. like ol' boy said best of both worlds.. I still need to dial in the distribution bars torsion then dial in the bags ...

This is kind of a complex principle to explain, but we’ll do our best. You are correct that in theory it is possible to overload the trailer axles when using a weight distribution hitch, and that it is more likely to happen with a smaller trailer having a lower gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). However, this could only happen in practice if the weight distribution hitch has been set up to be over-adjusted. In this scenario, the hitch would have to be set up in such a way that enough weight is being lifted off of the rear axle of the tow vehicle that the portion of this weight NOT being therefore carried by the front axle of the tow vehicle, when added to the trailer’s gross vehicle weight (GVW) would cause it to exceed the axle rating. For example: a trailer with a GVWR of 3,000 lb, loaded close to capacity at 2,900 lb, with the hitch adjusted in such a way that it is lifting 600 lb from the rear axle of the tow vehicle, where 400 lb of this weight is then carried by the front axle of the tow vehicle, and 200 lb is carried by the trailer’s axle. In this case, the GVW of the trailer at 3,100 lb would exceed the GVWR of 3,000 lb. You can see by the example that this would be a difficult and unlikely scenario to achieve, though it is possible to achieve. Thank you for watching, and for the thought provoking comment! We’re glad it was helpful for you.

Exactly, great video but I would like to know if air bags would help coupled with the weight distribution hitch.

The more you use the air bags to raise the rear the more load it takes off the weight distribution hitch. Therefore, it reduces weight on the front axle and increases weight on the rear axle. Check out this follow up video for more numbers and details - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/o9BiotRyztLYo58.html.

@@jasonh2832 properly set up, the wd, then yes you could finish off the leveling with air suspension, however this will require a different set up of the wd. It will need to be about one link tighter. Your weight distribution will be the same, you'll loose that 1/4" squat, and the ride will be smoother. I'm a proponent of using both. Along with Timbren stops to smooth out hard bumps, and reduce roll. And don't forget good trailer brakes too.

That’s what I said

@@jasonh2832 I have both airbags and e2 distribution hitch, my question is what should my airbag pressure be before I setup my e2 hitch?

Thanks for the compliment +Matt Bergstrom.

Glad to help!

Thanks +Wayne Powell! Glad it was helpful.

The thanks goes to all who made this possible. Again a very educating video. facts are facts.

Thanks for watching, and thanks for the comment!

Tell us what you really think! I think the answer to this question is really....It depends on what you are towing and what you are towing it with.

Glad it was helpful!

Glad it was helpful!

You're welcome! We're glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!

Love this response! Haha!

I was just thinking this. Would have been nice to have seen the WDH set up and then use the airbags to get back to the optimal ride height. What would that have done to the weight distribution according to the scales. Oh well!

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

Thanks for your response! We don't normally recommend using both air bags and a weight distribution hitch together. The air bags can counteract the weight transfer that the WDH is giving. Using air bags to raise up the back end of the tow vehicle will decrease the amount of tension placed on the hitch, which determines how much weight distribution and sway control you will get. So, raising the rear of the tow vehicle to eliminate squat will reduce sway control.

We're in the process of making a video on that right now! Subscribe to see it when it's ready!

FastwayTrailer Excellent

NOICE!!!! I am waiting on THAT video. I have always towed with WD, but now that I have bags, I wonder how I would need to setup my truck to use both and keep the truck level as it is empty.

Jl Bush yes both together

I have both and would also like to see results of both together!

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

Glad it was helpful!

Glad this video helped!!

That's awesome! Thanks for watching!

Glad you like it! Thanks for watching! We've got a new video about auto leveling suspension and weight distribution coming soon!

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

Thank you!

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you and thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching!

Glad it was helpful!

No problem 👍

You're welcome! We are happy to help! Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching!

Ive heard with bags getting frames bent cause they mount in a 6 inch space vs the springs mounting say 3ft away from each mount on the frame. Also if you look at big rigs they have bags in one place but the axle mounts to an arm for the bags and still has its other end 2 ft away

Great suggestion!

Thanks for watching!

+armstronglance, Thanks! Glad they are helpful.

He's great! Thanks for watching!

Thank you Marks Alot And, you're welcome!

You're welcome!

Thanks +caraboose We're glad you liked it!

Thanks for the comment. Towing with both is a great way to go. We have received the request for a video covering this from a number of people. It is a video that we are working on, and hope to have released soon. Our advice is to set the air bags to the pressure you want to tow with. Then, set up and adjust your weight distribution hitch to get good weight distribution. You may need to make minor adjustments to one or the other, or both, to get it dialed in. Remember that adding air to the air bags after setting up the hitch will usually reduce the amount of weight distribution, and removing air will usually increase the amount of weight distribution.

I just got back from a CAT scale and performed this experiment with my setup. My tow vehicle was a 6000 lb Tundra and my 32' trailer was 7000 lb. My base front axle weight unloaded was 3360 lbs and it dropped down to 2980 lbs (-380 lbs) loaded without WD. My base front axle weight was 3200 lbs with the WD bars engaged and 5 psi in my air bags. With the air bags at 20 psi, the front axle weight decreased to 3160 lbs (-40 lbs). With the air bags at 35 psi, the front decreased to 3140 lbs (-60 lbs). I took these weights with a half tank of gas and I was the only passenger. I am going to go back sometime with a fuel tank of gas with the family loaded up. Just remember that the more pressure you have in your airbags, the less tension there will be on your WDH's spring bars. Everyone's setup will be unique, but I'd thought I'd share mine. @FastwayTrailer What's a good target weight to distribute back to the front axle? At least 50 percent of the difference between the unloaded base weight and loaded weight w/o WD? I was able to achieve 58% at 5 psi and 47% at 20 psi.

Thanks for your fantastic comment. Thanks for sharing your real life numbers with us. The ideal target for weight distribution for a specific setup is a hard thing to state definitively because there are so many different factors in play, such as tow vehicle size, suspension type, spring rate, trailer weight and suspension, distances between axles and hitch ball, etc. As a general rule, we recommend getting at least 50% (halfway) back to the unloaded baseline. Therefore, in your example above, your vehicle went from 3,360 lb on the front axle to 2,980 lb (-380 lb) with the trailer coupled. Halfway back would be at least 3,170 lb (3,360 - 380/2) on the front axle. Best case would be to get 100% of the weight back. We would consider a front axle weight anywhere between 3,170 lb and 3,360 lb good weight distribution. As such, if you are towing with 5 psi you would be in the good weight distribution range. If you are towing with 20 psi, you should consider making an adjustment to your hitch to increase the amount of weight distribution it is providing. There are some cases where getting 100% back is not realistic. This is sometimes the case when you have a longer heavy duty pickup with very stiff suspension. In this situation, getting at least 50% back is good, and somewhere between 65% and 75% back is ideal.

@@FastwayTrailer Thanks for the reply. I think I have a good starting point. Camper and truck were partially loaded during this weigh in. I still have to add the family and gas which should add another 500 lbs to the truck. I'm curious to see how much more of the weight is distributed to the front with more weight in the truck. I'm also hoping I have more adjustability to the air bags with the truck fully loaded.

You’re welcome. Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on things. We expect that you will see pretty much the same thing, even with the added weight in the truck. That added weight will increase the baseline axle weights, but when you add the trailer, you will still counter-balance out about the same weight. You should see a very similar increase at the rear axle, and decrease at the front axle. Of course, adding weight to the trailer will change things a bit too. Let us know what you find. Good luck and safe towing!

Glad it was helpful!

Glad it was helpful!

elektronen Thanks for the compliment, and for sharing your experience with us!

Thank you! Thanks for watching!

Thanks Steve Bryant! Glad it was helpful.

Thanks for watching! Glad you found it interesting.

Thanks for the comment, and thanks for watching!

I can definitely see that

Glad it was helpful!

Glad I could help!

Glad it was helpful!

@@FastwayTrailer Just like your products - helpful!

Glad we could help! We're filming a new video this week to help recap and go over some auto-leveling setups as well!

Thanks, Mike!

Thanks for the idea!

Awesome, thanks for sharing!

With 1,100 and 900 plus other cargo people, are you exceeding GVWR?

Airbags not smart, take WDH to dealer for install, then CAT scale, you don’t know proper install because rear sag not relevant, front axel rise is, once WDH on should bring rise down 50%, airbags make worse because increases drive axel weight

Thanks Bernard Woods! It is our hope that having access to good towing information helps people make informed decisions to keep themselves, their families, and their equipment safe. Thanks for watching!

You are welcome! Thanks for watching.

Thanks for watching!

Thank you for sharing your great experiences with us! This is a fantastic example of how to correctly use both weight distribution and air bags together to improve the safety, comfort and ease of towing. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

As I watched this video I was wondering about exactly this. Great to know that they can be used together and how.

@@merpius, we're happy to help! Thanks for watching!

Thanks +Haviz, glad you found it useful.

Thanks for watching, good luck finding a trailer!

Awesome! Best of luck!

Thank you!

Next time we'll have to include using both at the same time in a future video!

I was wondering the same thing.

From what I read, using bags along with WDS diminishes the benefits of the WDS both from sway and weight distribution perspectives. I can't explain why or if it's even true, but that's what I read.

Totally agree

Chris Dean, Thanks for the comment. Having both would be a great setup. Good luck!