Originally Posted by M3Armand

So to check my understanding, the "weight distribution hitch" is made to shift the weight OF THE TRAILER...towards the front axle or rear axle OF THE TRAILER. i.e. - your wheel barrow analogy (which helped a lot, btw if my understanding is now correct). Correct

I think the thing that's been throwing me off is when people refer to "vehicle" vs. "trailer" vs. "X5". For example, Karlbalmer states "may be that it transfers too much weight to the rear of the veh." I guess in this case, "veh." means "trailer". No, he meant the X5, but he had it backwards

When Houston says, "A weight distributing hitch transfers weight away from the rear axle. Some is transfered to the front axle of the vehicle and some to the trailer axles. You were told right, wsanchez, they are safer." Absolutely correct.

I assume he means "A weight distributing hitch transfers weight away from the rear axle OF THE TRAILER. No, he means the rear axle of the X5 Some is transferred to the front axle OF THE X5 and some to the trailer axles..." So this one doesn't make sense in that how the hell does it transfer weight to the front axle of the X5? By lifting the back of the X5, applying a torque load that pushes down on the front axle of the X5 and pulls up on the rear axle of the X5. Houston...we have a problem... (sorry, I couldn't resist!).