PERFECTED THROUGH RIGOROUS TESTING
Handcrafted for Performance
Camper Test, January 2023.
During the winter of 2023, Bill Boyd tested the WDT909 with his 2019 Dodge Ram and Northernlite slide-in camper. He conducted the test through a variety of conditions and visited a weigh station to ensure full regulatory compliance.
Test Specifications
For this test, we modified the length of the hitch shank by six inches. Clearance was adequate to clear the rear of the camper with minor elevation changes. We traveled to a nearby government weight station to weigh the unit and axle weights. These were the weights recorded without the WDT909:
The Test
Given the very icy roads, conditions were ideal for testing control and stability. Upon arriving at the weigh station, Bill stated he noticed a substantial improvement in handling and a smoother ride (decreased bucking). With some minor adjusting, due to the camper being loaded when setting the WDT909, we didn’t have the unladed receiver-to-ground height, which is how we would set the shank position.
These were the results of the weight transfer with the truck’s airbags deflated:
- Front axle with WDT909 deactivated: OEM GAWR 2,495 kg; Actual 1,980 kg; Difference 515 kg under
- Front axle with WDT909 activated: 2,180 kg; Difference 315 kg under
- Rear axle with WDT909 deactivated: OEM GAWR 3,176 kg; Actual 3,470 kg; Difference 294 kg over
- Rear axle with WDT909 activated: 2,870; Difference 306 kg under
- WDT909 deactivated: OEM GVW 909 kg; Actual 210 kg
- WDT909 activated: 520 kg; Difference 389 kg under
Conclusion of Test Results
Due to the load position and OEM specifications, we removed more than 294kg from the overloaded rear axle to the front axle and increased the front axle by 200kg – balancing out the unit’s axle weights to increase stability, braking, headlight aim, and comfort. We also transferred 310kg to the WDT909. Our calculations to add additional weight without exceeding OEM on the truck and WDT909 yielded an additional 50kg to the front axle, 30kg to the rear axle, and 70kg to the WDT909. Essentially, this increased cargo capacity legally and in compliance with OEM by 1,658lbs/754kg.
The testing informed our design, allowing us to change some geometrics to allow more weight transfer to the WDT909 – maximizing the utilization of the additional 389kg. Even though we were only 173lbs/79kg over the OEM GVW, the fact remains that we were 547lbs/294kg over on the rear axle. We could attempt to place the excess weight in the cab area towards the front, but how much weight would be placed on the front axle?
We were confident that the patented design did what it claimed to do and would yield many advantages to light-duty truck operators.
In Bill’s Words
I first learned of the Weight Distributing Trailer, also known as the WDT909, and its inventor/builder Laurie Stross from an article I read in Truck Camper Magazine. I also read the magazine’s reader reactions to the article as well as Laurie’s responses to their concerns. I had been looking for a way to bring my Ram 3500 long box, SRW, and a Northern Lite 10-2 into compliance regarding axle weights and GVWR, so I thought this was an option worth investigating.
REad More
In the fall of 2022, on our way home to Alberta from a trip to Ontario, we arranged to meet Laurie in Edmonton and have a look at one of his trailers. We met at his shop and were immediately impressed with Laurie’s knowledge of the issues faced by many truck camper owners regarding overloading. The WDT909 seemed to be an answer to several of the load-related problems we were experiencing.
The device is designed to move weight from the rear axle (most often the one that’s
overloaded) to both the front axle and to the WDT 909 itself. In addition, it solves the level ride situation most often addressed with airbags. However, airbags only lift the rear end of the truck and do nothing to relieve the overload that is often on the rear axle under heavy loads. The weight distributing trailer offered so much more, and we were impressed by Laurie’s commitment to quality, safety, and engineering excellence.
We arranged to meet later in the fall to try the WDT909 with the loaded camper on the truck and to meet at the scales near our house to determine what it could do for us. We first weighed the front and rear axles of the truck and camper combination without the WDT909 hooked up, and then with the
trailer connected. The WDT909 did exactly what it was designed to do, and the difference was dramatic. We found that without the WDT909 being activated, but with the airbags filled, the truck sat level. However, my unit was about 1,500 pounds light on the steering axle and 1,200 pounds
over on the rear axle. We were also about 950 pounds over the GVW as per OEM specifications.
The WDT909’s control valve and ECM weren’t completed by our departure date of August 28, 2023, but Laurie mentioned that although it wouldn’t be at 100% efficiency it would still be safe for our trip. He also mentioned some things to monitors.
Working at only about 60 % of the trailer’s efficiency, we did manage to bring down our axle weights within compliance but we were still over our GVW by 475 pounds. We then took the combination for a drive on the highway with the trailer still hooked up, and this experience is what sealed the deal! We felt a very significant improvement in ride quality, especially regarding what I call “bucking,” which is a very annoying detriment to enjoying the drive! This led to our decision to purchase a WDT909 before we left for our 10 week trip to the east coast that summer and fall of 2023.
Our experience on this trip confirmed that we made the right decision. The trailer performed perfectly over 15,500 kilometres and did everything we hoped it would. In addition, we discovered that it made a vast improvement in handling heavy crosswinds and rut-tracked highways – wonderful and unexpected benefits!
The other unexpected experience was how excited people were along the way. At every fuel stop and campground, people came up to us to find out about this amazing invention. “What is it?” “Is it certified for highway use?” “Where did we get it?” “How do we get one?” These were the most common
questions. We also had quite a few drivers follow us at close quarters while they tried to figure it out and, one even waited in his car so he could talk to us after we returned from shopping and lunch.
Laurie has the WDT909 back at his facility in Edmonton for the updates he promised. He said if we were impressed with the way it was on our trip, we would be very impressed with the updated version. We look forward to our next trip, to Alaska.
– Bill Boyd