I’ve been a mechanic for over 40 years now ,five of which were spent in a custom hitch shop, and I will say this you’re absolutely correct I often see people removing critical tongue weight with these devices.
Exactly. A lot of people seem to believe that WD hitches always improve your towing setup. But they only improve it if there's excessive rear sag resulting in too much tongue weight which also pulls the front of the truck up resulting in not enough weight on the front tires. Putting a WD hitch on a setup that doesn't need it forces the opposite problem which is equally as dangerous: not enough weight on the drive tires and too much weight up front. It's very simple to use a CAT scale to determine tongue weight and if it's over 15% of the weight of the trailer, you need a WD hitch. If you don't have enough weight distribution, it is called Under Distribution, and can cause loss of steering and braking control. If you have too much weight distribution, it is called Over Distribution, and can cause brake and axle fatigue and failure.
You should ALWAYS use a WDH if you’re towing over 4000 lb and experience more than 2” of rear sag and 1” of front rise. Period. Proper adjustment is the key.
Oh so they don’t have it setup correctly, if you follow the manual you won’t loose weight on the hitch rather the angle your towing at it keeps your truck in line with the trailer it doesn’t remove weight that is physically impossible, you just made that up
@@FateUnboundwrong sag isn’t what it’s all about it’s a long empty box all trailers sway you could pull it with a tractor trailer and it won’t matter the rvs still sway
One factor I have not heard mentioned in your (or anyone else's) videos about towing and weight ratings is the actual hitch (not the ball or shank) rating itself. I climbed under my pickup to look at my hitch (the part permanently attached to my truck) and found it had two weight ratings, depending on whether or not weight distribution was being used: Without weight distribution a max of 5000 lb towing and max 500 tongue weight With weight distribution a max of 11000 lb towing and max 1100 tongue weight I realized that without weight distribution the trailer I am planning on buying can, once loaded, exceed the safe maximum rating for my actual hitch. Your truck is burlier than mine, so it likely has a stronger hitch than mine (you could climb under and look to verify). But I thought it worth mentioning this often-overlooked but important weight rating.
He could but he won't cuz I could prove him wrong He's an engineer, can't teach one of them anything. Yep y'all brought to you by grammarless sounds stupid yeah not using a weight distribution hitch sounds stupid too.
@@whatdoyouthinktodd hey don’t lump all of us engineers into that. I have towed since I was a kid and WDhitches and sway control are super nice and the only time you should undo is when you are off road or need the better maneuvering of now sway bars.
@@jakemedley7423 well sir I am very sorry to lump you in with the group so there is at least one engineer that is not hard-headed You should be think by everyone that has to deal with a normal engineer and a daily basis Thank you for your service any engineering world and I'm not joking and I'm not bashing you one little bit truly thank you for being someone who actually can think and take others seriously. Sorry there's no grammar in this I'm speaking into my phone and I do not have the time to do so.
You used to have to hand crank cars to start them and in the 1960's air conditioning in cars was an expensive option. We have come a long way. My weight distribution hitch is wonderful for towing my 7,000#, 27' Lance with my Silverado 2500. Absolutely no sway on the highway. Solid and stable. I wanted to see just how the rig performed without the bars on the hitch, so I tried it. It was like night vs day. The hitch makes an amazing difference. The hitch was expertly installed by my dealer and dialed-in for my truck. My trailer and truck are perfectly level when towing with it. To each his own, but as for me, I'll go with the technology. BTW, I love your channel.
Our 30 ft, ‘07 Wildwood Sport LE , has a dry weight of 7480#. When we get our tow vehicle we will be putting a WDH on it as we will be over 8k# for sure. Maybe closer to 9k. D.
Also be sure to check your vehicles manufacture's towing guides, for example Ford recommends for the F-150 a weight distribution hitch, any time the tongue weight is over 500lbs
easy way to do this. go to a scale get your axle weights with the trailer and without. just because your truck is sitting level does not mean you have not shifted axle weight off the steering axle. a common misconception is with air bags they make the tow vehicle sit level yes, but actually transfer weight off the steering axles. was something I have argued against but the video proved me wrong. Fastway trailer does an excellent video with actual scales to prove this. the video is entitled the difference between using weight distribution and air bags to level your load. I like their video it shows the whole process they use so its not just hearsay. this obviously does not apply to 5th wheels since their load sits directly on the axle.
Good info, as a former transporter for many camper manufacturers the rule of thumb was if your camper is 30' or longer we had to use our distribution hitch.
As you suggested i took my 25ft lite BP down the highway at 70mph with a crew cab f250 shortbed with no issues and found it handled great and I didnt feel the loss of turn radius and issues with backing up with a WD hitch was worth the added cost and headache. Thanks for the great info!
I agree that not every travel trailer/truck combo needs a weight distribution hitch, but I think that most all would benefit from one. That said... love you guys. Always great info. Keep on truckin!
We had a weight distribution hitch with our travel trailer and loved it. We had a front bed with 40 gallons of water storage underneath it (320 lbs) and a rear bathroom with two 40 gallon wastewater tanks (Grey & Black). Just imagine how much tongue weight "Change" we had between Going and Returning. I had 2 Completely different settings on the Spring Bars depending on whether that 320 lbs of water was on the Tongue or behind the rear axle. Then there were the two 30 lb. Propane tanks on the tongue. When I took 400 lbs off of the Tongue and Placed 320 lbs on the very back of the Trailer behind the Axle it was a Game Changer. I don't have any Issues with my current setup. 7,000 pounds of truck and a 650 pound flatbed trailer for 2 Dirt Bikes.
I chose to get a Blue Ox WD hitch on the basis of 'just in case'. Saved me a lot of time researching and testing to figure out if I really needed it. What I did NOT want is to learn a hard lesson in the middle of nowhere. I put it in the insurance expense category.
You are right. We had a 2000 version of your truck Duramax, 2500HD Crew cab Short bed. We towed a 25BH without any issues at all. We now pull a 21QB about like yours with a Mercedes ML400. No ifs ands or buts, It needs a load leveler. I tried it without and it was a handful. Now, even in wind my Curt makes it drive as though it was on rails. As you said, different rigs, different requirements.
I agree that you can get away with pulling that size of a trailer with a 3/4 ton truck without a WD hitch. But I have a feeling they have not tried a WD hitch to see the difference it makes even with that truck and trailer combo. There are weight distribution hitches out there, like the Andersen WD/Anti-Sway hitch, that does not reduce the turning radius at all and that hitch is super easy to hook up. I had a 2020 Wolf Pup 16FQ TT which weight about 3500 lb with my gear in it and I thought I could get away with not using the WD hitch behind my 2019 Silverado which has a 7200 lb GVWR.... but after a couple unpleasant experiences pulling that TT in moderate wind I quickly realize that I wanted a WD hitch. WD hitches just makes such a big difference and towing much less stressful.
My Silverado rating from Chevrolet states I don’t need a WDH for my 5000-5500 pound travel trailer fully loaded and I’ve stopped using one. Detect NO difference.
I agree, I have a 18 ft travel trailer with a 2018 Ford F350 4x4 diesel no problems towing. But with my 27 ft toy hauler which is heavy, definitely need weight distribution hitch. When I get near campsite and need to turn sharp I remove sway bars. Not needed for low speed turns.
@@bradbain1099 It would also be problematic if you get into an accident, even if the accident isnt necessarily the result of the trailer configuration. If you're not adhering to manufacturers specifications, your insurance company may not be required to cover you.
@@ColeTowsley If your insurance doesn't pay when you screw up, what's the point of having insurance? You realize every day they pay for damages caused by reckless driving, speeding, running red lights, driving drunk, and 100s of other questionable actions. Why would exceeding towing recommendations be any different?
@@bradbain1099 operating outside a specific legal area and exceeding manufacturers recommended operating limitations are entirely different, and in many cases participating in illegal activity resulting in an accident WILL void your coverage. Depending on your policy restrictions, you might be surprised what your insurance company will fail to cover.
It’s all about tongue weight. A weight distribution hitch can be used with or without sway control, it is, as you mentioned, designed to distribute your hitch load across all axles. You missed two items, what is the rating of the receiver hitch, they are often rated with and without a distribution hitch (usually 1000/10,000 or 1200/12,000), and what is the capacity of the drop hitch? That capacity is different than the rating of the hitch ball. Your trailer is 5400lbs loaded, your hitch weight should be around 10% or around 540lbs which is well under the 1000lb capacity that your receiver should be rated for without a distribution hitch, so you definitely are safe and don’t require one. Everything else you included is great info, this is just more food for thought. Love your videos, keep up the great work. Also, I am sorry for your loss, and hope that you able to enjoy this time with your family. Stay safe!!
You hit the nail on the head; "Do your own research" ! I am not disagreeing with your 4 points about needing a WD hitch but I'd also add; It doesn't hurt to take the extra measures for unforeseen circumstances that can avoid trouble. Although I may not "require" a WD hitch I use one and air bags. I feel a lot more at ease with my towing experience. I have ~40+ years of experience and have had blowouts, bearings burnout, sudden stops and high cross winds, snow .... It's just inexpensive assurance & insurance for me.
Another issue is litigation in the event there is an accident. A lawyer might pick you apart. I have an F350 4x4 and my trailer is is also 24'. I use a ProPride. I am sure I could tow without weight distribution but want the piece of mind.
@@RV_with_Noni_and_Beard I do not believe so. The air bags reduce the 'porpoising' when crossing wavy roads and large bumps. The WDH is transferring weight to the front end of the truck and axles of the trailer. I'm taking little to no additional weight off the coupler with the bags, the WDH is doing that . Made a good improvement in making the leverage point a lot more firm. I am NOT using them in lieu of the WDH as some people are attempting. They DO NOT replace a WDH.
@@RV_with_Noni_and_Beard Just as an FYI ... I did go to a State scales this weekend. Weighed each axle (both truck and trailer) with WDH & without. Airbags inflated to 35#'s. Weight is being transferred as it should be. You'd be defying the principals of physics if it didn't. The Nov. 2020 issue of "TrailerLife" page 34 has an article on it as well.
Great insight, I appreciate all of the information you provide. I'll point out that the tongue weight, as a percent of the trailer weight has a huge impact on stability. Most travel trailers are designed so that at least 10% is on the tongue. Don't do anything that would make the tongue weight less than 10%. I towed boats, as part of my job for a number of years. Basically, the more tongue weight you have, the more stable the rig will be in terms of sway. Sway control is not a substitute for adequate tongue weight. I think you provided good guidance as to when an equalizing hitch is needed.
Love your videos...thanks for all the great content. Since you actually asked us to do so, I do have to clarify a few things. 1. You said a WD setup can limit turning radius but I have to point out that is only with old-school chain/bar setups. Most WD hitches today use slide bars. I have a Fastway E2 and it does not limit turns at all. 2. You mentioned your truck experiences no sag at all with your given tongue weight. By looking at the side view in your video, I can clearly see sag. It's not a lot but it's there. I guess the question is what is the difference when your trailer weight is not on your ball and when it is? I'm sure it drops at least a few inches since most trucks are raked from the factory. Along the same lines, there are those who experience sag and correct it solely with airbags instead of a WD hitch thinking that since it's level that they're safe. It's good to be level but "level" doesn't equal "safe". Science shows that when you correct "level" using only airbags, you can actually take even more weight off the front axle making it even more prone to sway, and loss of braking and steering control. 3. The real test would be to weigh the front of your vehicle (one or both front tires) without your trailer and then with it. If you experience little or no weight reduction, then a WD hitch won't be advantageous. If you see weight reduction on the front tires, then a WD setup would help even if your truck appears level. 4. You mentioned WD hitches take longer to connect. Ours might add 1 minute to the time to connect. So, you're correct but the time required is very negligible. 5. You are correct in that you probably don't need one for your setup but you should also note that it still has benefits that are valuable even if you can get by without it. For instance, I wear my seatbelt every day even though I've never been in a serious car crash. So the logic that I don't need to wear one because I've been driving for 35 years and never really felt a need for it isn't logical...just like the unforeseen future emergency you might have to make one day when the difference between a close call and a terrible accident is a $300 WD hitch. I guess what I'm saying is that just because you can get by without one doesn't mean it wouldn't be better and safer with one. We all care about you guys very much and always want to see you being as safe as possible. 6. Okay, I just want to finish by reiterating I love your videos. Even though I've been camping for many years, I always enjoy seeing what others are doing and am always learning from others experiences. I've learned a great deal from your experiences and insight since you've had your channel. Please stay safe and keep the great content coming. Have a great day!
We just got the Andersen WD hitch system. Will we have limited turning? What would happen if I try to do a 90 degree turn? I'm having trouble finding the answers... Thanks in advance.
was going to leave a post but you said it already. i have been towing for over 25 years and there is definitely a added benefit to using weight distribution even on light loads where you don't really need it but it just makes the towing experience that much better. I have not invested in the new TruTrack style that is a combination of distribution and sway control, I use the Curt round bar 15k setup an all my trailers and have no issue with tight turns at all and since i know my setup it literally only ads a few seconds to hook it up. This setup i prefer over the oldest trunnion style just because i find it to be smoother and less noise but any type is definitely worth the investment specially if your towing all the time. Another good addition is air bags if needed to level a load out and to help minimize bounce. 2 things i always have when towing to make my experience the best that it can be. Just like my firearms, better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.
I feel much safer with my weight distribution hitch on my 6500 lbs dry trailer, it takes 5 more minutes hooking up, but I feel safer and it handles better, my two cents! Most manufacturers suggest it because you probably need it. From a Ford Towing Guide : CLASS IV EXTRA-HEAVY-DUTY • Over 5,000-lbs. gross trailer weight • Most applications require a conventional weight-distributing Cheers
Glad you’re saving a couple hundred dollars and minute amount time to post this information. I had to reply here because I absolutely agree with these responses. You don’t need it until you need it. Why is it so difficult to use a a safe hitch? Do you stay well below highway speeds? Do you exceed the speed limit? I’ve driven trailers, RV’s, and trucks for over 30 years. They all sway and at higher speeds its more dangerous. Yes, do your research and don’t believe this video. Mitigate risk, wear a helmet, click your seatbelt, and use a safe hitch. The costs are negligible to the benefits.
I’ve been driving a big rig for twenty two years. You have just been lucky so far. High winds have blown big trucks right off the road. Hopefully you’ll never have to say, I really wish we would have gotten a sway bar setup.
I pull a small light 17 foot travel trailer. By using a weight distribution hitch with a relatively large truck, I am actually overloading the single axle of the trailer by forcing it to carry some of the weight of the larger truck.
Even with no sag or rear squatting of the tow vehicle you may still experience a porpoising effect while towing. For those that don’t know what that feels like, it’s like when you’re in a boat and you feel rocking front to back after going over a wave. It can definitely get you feeling a little motion sickness after a while. The weight distribution hitch helps tremendously with that effect.
@@davidcoulter7671 I’ve been using a wdh for 10 to 15 times since I went from a half ton F-150 to a Ram 3500 srw with a heavy “as in lbs Diesel engine block. “. I had some porpoising from concrete to bridge to concrete joints. But with all the proper settings of these items: 1. Height of trailer front 21.5” back 21.5”. 2. Height of truck front back before trailer weight and after to within 1/2 inch. Of previous measurements. As stated in directions. This last trip from Huntsville through Houston to Galveston TEXAS was like on a ocean.
Like a small boat in the ocean. I removed wdh bars for return trip and was able to go over 70 mph over these uneven road transitions flawlessly. No sway at all either partly because of a 4door longbed 1 ton truck. If I were in windy conditions I would pull over and put them on for the friction of the ox round bar. No chain wdh. Safety chains of course.
I agree each to their own. I personally use torsion bars with out sway control when pulling heavy trailers. They make the truck and trailer ride as one unit. Don't have much bucking when going over(example) bridge joints. If the example you gave of the truck still saging with torsion bars, means that they didn't know how to properly adjust them or they had entirely too much for the bars or the truck. A side note...you can transfer too much weight off the rear axle also by NOT having correct torsion bar adjustment. Another part of the equation is proper trailer load weight distribution, very important for maintaining control and ride. Another part that is overlooked is tongue weight, not just gross trailer weight. Even the tongue of the trailer has the max weight stamped on it. Don't just go by your weight rating of the ball, but also the hitch shank weight rating (what the ball is mounted on). Some are hollow square tubes and others are solid with different weight ratings. Good material. Keep the vids comming
Excellent points.... the weight of the trailer is one issue.... how that weight is distributed in the trailer is another. Shifting weight rearward to lower tongue weight is a big negative and will result in loss of control and major sway issues.
I am in the same camp. I have a 3500 Silverado Duramax long bed/crew cab, I tow a 6.5k lbs 28 foot camper. Obviously my truck can pull this camper without a WD setup, but I find it helps with the 'bucking' or whatever you wish to call it. IMO this causes a lot of torque on the camper frame as well as causing all the items inside the camper to move about more. I think there is more to the story than do you need one or not based solely on truck/camper combo.
Great video much appreciated I am getting a newer and lighter camper and I wasn't sure if I needed one the dealer said they would just wait and see if I needed one since it was under 3000lbs unloaded and I wasn't sure about their advice
I worked with Torklift on my setup. I have 6.0L GMC ext short bed with a 1/2ton camper I haul, and I tow a flatbed trailer with a Jeep and camping gear on it. Torklift also said with my setup I did not need a weight distribution hitch. They also said that if i was going to have a weight distribution hitch I would need a different one depending on the load on my flat bed trailer. They also said that most people buy the wrong distribution hitch anyway. There is a science to it and only works if you are towing the same load every time. I have multiple different trailers. They said with the class 5 hitch and extension and the truck I have it is more than enough to haul my trailer safely. I have since put on 10K miles travelling all through Utah up and down the Rockies with no issues whatsoever. Like you I have no sag, and I do have compensating air bags. Thanks for putting yourself out there beyond popular belief.
Thanks David, the sticker on my one ton ford van states a weight distribution hitch is required for trailers over 5,000 pounds. While I’m sure I don’t need it, that might come into play in an accident while towing. Insurance companies will try to get out of paying a claim if they can. Worst yet being on a witness stand and offering that even though your vehicle and trailer specs require a WDH you determined that you didn’t need it. Not going to fly with a jury. Please follow all OEM requirements or risk financial liability.
He said do your own research to determine what you need. His truck doesnt have that same manufacturer requirement as yours. So your point is moot. He said not everyone needs WD, based on truck and trailer, etc. You are claiming he still does need one because your truck does, and implying that he is wrong and irresponsible. You need one, he doesn't.
Most new trailers come with weight distribution hitches which have many advantages over a bare hitch including tire wear, trailer dipping and lateral stability.
We have been pulling our 27ft camper for 15 years. We have pulled it without a sway bar and with. Have to say that the sway bar reduced the sway immensely. But everyone should do what works fir them.
Do you NEED one? No. Does GM (Chevy & GMC) require a weight distribution hitch system for any trailer over 5,000 lbs? Yes. Can you? Yes. Should you? No.
Also-2015 Chevy Silverado toungue weight limit is 500 lbs w/o, 1200 lbs with a WDH. I'm looking at it right in the owners manual. Ignore these limits and get in an accident, your insurance is worthless.
Not all are integral, a lot of newer ones are however and would not require sway also. In situations where WD is not required, you can still get sway control that can be beneficial.
Interesting and informative. I have owned two used RV/truck combos: an Airstream / Suburban. and Casita/F150. I asked each owner to sell me the truck that had been used to pull each RV . I made it clear I didn't want the trailer without the truck. They reluctantly agreed. I went this route because I was flying blind. I knew nothing about hitches, etc. It worked out for me., never had a problem. Not a bad way to go if you have no experience. All this info is engineering science. David, you and Roe are the best. Being from Indiana doesn't hurt either.
Just purchased a 4600 lb+ Grey Wolf Cherokee. We opte to use our 2004 Envoy XUV XLT (89K miles) as the tow vehicle m(rated 6400 lbs), and purchased an Equal-i-zer 10000 unit. I also replaced the air bags on the Envoy's suspension a couple years ago, and last week installed new struts and shocks and bump stops. With the Equalizer and air bags, I do not even feel the trailer back behind us. It just pulls like a dream and keeps level all the time. Thanks for the info. Oh yea, the Equal-I-zer does interfere at all with the turning radius.
Pulling an 18' teardrop with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Factory tow package on the jeep, the only thing we added was a sway bar. Since our Jeep's tow package came from the factory, our vehicle once the ignition is on, will level (use of air bags in the rear suspension), giving us a nice level ride. We have been told by many that our 18' weighing 3100 doesn't require a sway bar, but for us it's a peace of mind. Of course we have electronic trailer brake setup as well and have never had an issue and we've pulled ours for almost 20k miles. Good video, very informative.
IMO you would be happy with something like the Andersen where it's basically no extra work to hitch and un-hitch, but it's there for you when things get hairy and that sway you've never experienced suddenly decides to make an appearance. Doesn't affect turning radius. Doesn't need to be unhooked to reverse. It's really no pain at all.
You're not going to be able to tell this guy anything. He's a pro and knows everything about it because he's been pulling a travel trailer for 3 years. I've got a 3/4 ton pickup as well and it could easily handle my travel trailer but I'm not an idiot so I use a weight distribution hitch. And I guarantee That's a straight fucking lie that he's never experienced trailer sway even in high winds. I also want to know what the reason is he needs to blur out his license plate. Does he think somebody's going to get his personal information because they see his license plate on a RUclips video?
This guy is an idiot. He has super powerful portable speakers (like nightclub speakers) that he takes out in to the woods to scare animals with. That, right there, tells you everything you need to know about his decision making skills.
You’re the first person that says you don’t need a WDH for every trailer in all circumstances. I read about people with 2021 3500 Sierras towing a 5,000 pound trailer that insist on WDH. Doesn’t make sense to me
I just watched a video with someone using the sway bar when pulling a keystone Springdale and their frame broke. Long story short neither lipert who built the frame nor keystone would pay for the repair despite exhausted efforts but gieco their insurance company did. The sway bar was said to have caused it. Thank you for sharing. You are a wise young man.
I tow a 16 ft cargo trailer to RV conversion that weighs about 6500 lbs with a long bed crew cab 4x4 2017 Cummins Ram 3500 with rear air bags for leveling. I absolutely do not need a weight distribution hitch. The truck has a 100 gallon diesel fuel tank and a 100 gallon fresh water tank in the front/middle of the bed that adds about 2000 lbs to the truck weight. I have towed over 30,000 miles with this setup with no problems. There is a video online that shows a guy who had just bought his new trailer that day and was using a weight distribution hitch. Like we all do often, he slowed down to go through a construction zone, and the stress on the frame caused by the weight distribution hitch buckled the main frame beams! Not only was the new RV undrivable, but the manufacturer and dealer didn't want to help him in any way. They put the blame on the weight distribution hitch.
I don't NEED: a distribution hitch, air bags, or sway control. But... the handling, and peace of mind they bring, are quite nice. The ride quality is drastically improved, especially in high wind and or mountains. Been towing for 20+ years, currently a 36ft trailer with a RAM 2500 Cummins.
I have a 2005 2500 HD Duramax, my travel trailer weighs 6k lbs. I pulled my TT one time without a weight distribution hitch and it didn’t seem too bad. But Using the weight distribution hitch made a huge difference I will always use it. I was blown away with how big of a difference it was.
I have similar setup as you. I have pulled with and without WDH on my 7K trailer. Having the bars on certainly makes a difference. Pulling without is certainly doable.
Just watched this today and this is excellent information! Most people who have WDH systems are also running too much pressure on the weight system too. Many people follow instructions from the manufacturer for general use but don't really tune their setup for their rig. We had an 31ft, 10300lb Airstream we towed with a Chevy 1500 that was more than rated for that weight (on both GCWR and Payload). It had some sag, and so we used a WDH to level but I only adjusted it to remove just enough of the sag to make it work properly and no more. This is critical because WDH's can overload a trailer frame and cause it to bend or crack. One other note is that people often refer to hearsay "rules" when it comes to loading a hitch on a trailer. There is a misconception that the weight on a trailer tongue should be at least 10% or more of the trailer's weight. When in fact, the trailer manufacturer sets the hitch weight amount as a "rating". Meaning this is what your hitch weight should be, not more, not less. This concept goes completely against what many people think and why they tend to overload their trucks because they load their trailer excessively forward causing too much weight on the tongue which causes them to use a WDH when they actually didn't need one. Why? Because they should have loaded their trailer to match tongue weight *RATING*, and not followed the myth of weighting their trailer excessively forward. This is especially important with exceptionally light trailers which take large payloads like toy haulers. A toy hauler is designed to have a large load in the garage. This load ***removes weight*** from the tongue if properly loaded. Until there is a proper load in the "garage" there could possibly be too much weight on the tongue especially with the kitchen and bedroom forward of the axles. As an example of how wrong people think about tongue weights, there is a very popular RUclipsr who goes to dealer lots on a regular basis to review RVs. In one of his reviews he went around reading the tongue weight **Rating** on a trailer and the got a trailer tongue scale and weighed the actual weight of the tongue of the empty trailer. He then made the extrapolation that some tongue weights are higher and that you should plan on your tongue weight to be higher than the stated rating. Again, the mistake he made is that it's NOT AN ACTUAL WEIGHT. It's an actual RATING. This means if a trailer weighs heavy on the tongue when empty then it's expected, based on where the cargo is, that once you load the trailer that the tongue weight will become lighter as is the case with a toy hauler. The reason this myth has formed: We don't weigh our trailer tongues loaded (or properly!). Therefore we have no idea how to balance our trailers. So we have excessive sag because we have overloaded the tongue and then we add a WDH to put a band-aid on the real problem: Improper trailer balancing. The basic principle of loading a trailer is this: A trailer is loaded properly when loaded at the maximum weight rating of the trailer yet the actual tongue weight is loaded no more than the weight rating listed for that tongue. Left, right, front, to back, the trailer should be loaded correctly to the appropriate weight ratings. Any unequal loading will cause trailer sway. Truckers know this. Movers know this. RVers are insanely dumb in this area and we need to get this one right. Fixing this one misconception could help an awful lot of people eliminate their WDH and have a better and safer towing experience overall.
One easy way to weigh a tongue weight is to go to a CAT scale and unhook the trailer from the truck (chock it!) and have the tongue on one scale and the wheels on another scale. The tongue jack does throw off the weight slightly vs weight sitting on the ball, but this is enough to know how close you are. If your trailer is excessively over the tongue rating, the trailer is overloaded to the front and will tend to sway or worse, will attempt to jack-knife in an emergency even with a WDH installed.
The weight rating engraved on the top of the ball is for the ball only. The ball mount carries its own rating. Both need to exceed the requirements. It would be interesting for you to pull that trailer with an equalizer hitch for a period of time to seee if you notice a difference. I have basically the same truck without the long bed and a similar trailer and can most definitely tell the difference. I think you are right that it is the lomg bed that allows the setup to work for you.
Glad to hear its working for you. I've got a one ton truck and RAM recommends ("requires" in fact, according to the manual) weight distribution even when towing a relatively low weight trailer (versus the capacity of the truck which is nearly 3x the weight) like ours under 8k lbs.....ie a similar ratio to your 2500 truck versus your lighter trailer. Is it possible to go without? Sure. Especially on these bigger trucks. One can also go without a seatbelt, and it is fine and safe for years.....until that one day that it isn’t. Or, as my insurance agent says, Were you following the manufacturer instructions? No? Well then your culpability just increased....and we’ll pay your claim, then drop your coverage. The rules may be written by lawyers but it’s lawyers you’ll deal with when in an accident or worse. But the best way to evaluate is a weight station, to see how much weight is being removed from the front axle by hooking up the trailer. For example: The more weight lost, the less control one retains.
I’m in the same situation. 1 ton Ram, 8000ish lb 32’ trailer. I use a WDH too. Short bed single. Really makes a difference, but I usually tow short distances without it.
I also have a Ram 3500 mega cab, towing a 28' bunkhouse that weighs about 7500 lbs. fully loaded. I do not use weight distribution. Just drop it on the ball and go. So far it has been very stable and easy to tow.
D.J. I would hardly call an 8000 lb. camper a "relatively low weight trailer." An 8000 lb. camper with a 1200-1400 lb. tongue weight is a substantially large load and when you cross that threshhold you probably do need weight distribution. Mine is 7500 loaded so legally I'm good and under 8000 by a decent margin. If it weighed another 500 pounds more that's probably going to make the difference between not needing it and needing it. The engineers who wrote the manual probably got it right.
I have a Ram 2500 w/a Cummins TD, & a 6500 # trailer for 5 years. I had to tow it to the dealer & I only had a ball hitch. I towed it 35 miles on a major US interstate and it was fine. No sway, no dip. Every other time, I used a WD hitch. Why? Because there were no problems at all, and I’ve towed the trailer across the country multiple times. I’d rather have that security even though I might not need it. This is a great channel, I enjoy listening to your insights.
I agree in your case. Your truck can easily handle that trailer. I was pushing my half ton suv with 6500lb trailer. The weight distribution hitch was essential. Bottom line: know your numbers.
@@FateUnbound weight distribution, no. Sway control, yes. After my 1/2 died our travel trailer, we upgraded to a 3/4 ton truck. I had a good conversation with the tow truck operator, and he pulls travel trailers as well. He said he would always use sway control even with a 3/4 ton truck no matter what for safety. Said he tows trucks and trailers everyday with axle failure or other significant issues, and when you experience an issue like this you will 200% want sway control, or else you have no control even with 3/4 ton. It’s not for the regular tow days, it’s for when things don’t go as planned 👍
Yes you can pull it and safely get down the road. There are benefits to ride quality and sway on a really windy day. I run with one because I like the way it rides hooked up smooth as butter. But they are expensive for the good ones like equalizer hitch. Judge your application know your weight and make a good choice if needed, and yes spend the money if needed. Btw: I run a 2015 2500hd leveled suspension with 7300 pound 32 foot trailer. Thus why I use one aswell to help keep my front end planted after a leveling kit.
With all of the righteous lurkers out there, It took guts to post this video and in many ways, I agree with your logic. WD and Anti-Sway are two different topics and maybe touching on each would have given more food for thought. One final comment. Capitalizing "WE" instead of "DON'T" would emphasize your point differently! Safe Travels.
Don’t necessarily agree or disagree. Something like a boat trailer ( not tandem) or any utility trailer will sway at certain speeds etc. what changes is distribution of weight forward on trailer. Don’t necessarily disagree again but not everyone has a 3/4 ton 23 ft trailer.
This is one thing I failed to mention in the video, that a WD hitch will tie the truck and trailer together and greatly reduce bounce at the hitch point. Excellent point Brian 👍 -David
@@FateUnbound I agree with your reasoning for not needing one, but if you ever change your mind (like if you get that 4WD truck you want) I also recommend the Anderson for a trailer your size. They work pretty well. Not the best for amount of weight transferred but good enough for smaller trailers, no bounce, light, simple, quiet, clean, quick and easy on/off, can back up, good sway control...
I'm with Brian, everything you hate about WDH's in your video other than cost is negated by the Anderson. I absolutely love my Anderson WDH. Easy on and off (if I even take it off). Can back up with it take TIGHT turns. And weights so little (less than 15lbs).
We also have a single axle trailer (4500 lbs GVWR) and tow with an F250 (10,000 lbs GVWR). It tows well, but I do notice more bounce, so I am considering adding the Andersen WDH to help with bounce.
If you are experiencing Bounce it could be as simple as Shocks. You should run a little stiffer shock on your truck for towing. And check the condition of the shocks on your trailer if it is equipped with them. Towing will shorten your shock life on your truck faster than most people realize 👍
Good info. Towing KZ 2303 with GMC Savana 1500. Ball mount just clears trailer at max elevation. Never needed a sway bar, even with strong crosswinds. Have some sag. Per your advice, backing-off on the spring pressure of the WDH. As you mentioned, I take it off when maneuvering in tight campgrounds.
Thank you for this explanation with great graphic to help me see this better. We just upgraded our sagging 1500 for a 2500 and just reconfigured our WDH yesterday. We could probably get by without but, since we have it, put it on our new setup. I agree you probably don't need one but our 26 ft has more surface area so we will go with it.
I am with you 100%!! I always use a sway control bar, but not a weight distribution hitch. Our trailer is small and the tow vehicle has adequate suspension to tow level and proper. No need for the extra work at all. I tow a 2017 Coachmen Clipper 17FQ with a 2015 Ford Explorer Sport with tow package. Tows level and solid.
Our dealer actually said we don't need a WDH, and I basically agree. It's an '06 Tundra crew cab (still strong) with 6500 pounds towing capacity hooked up to a Rockwood Geo Pro 19FD (4100 pounds max) with a tongue weight of about 400 pounds. It seems to tow just fine without a WDH, but having had one on previous RV's, I tend to want one for sway control more than weight management, so I'm looking at the Andersen brand WDH because the hitch assembly weighs much less than the typical WDH and the connect / disconnect is easier.
Thanks for the video - I'm getting a new trailer on a new truck as well. (Silverado 1500 Duramax 3.0 with Winnebago Micro Minnie 1800BH) Previously on a 17' hybrid and Tacoma and obviously weight distribution systems. I might hold off and test the trailer once I get it...
Good video, That white F 250 in your video had too much weight in the bed which was the problem. That Bullet trailer is not that heavy. You are 100 % correct about the weight distribution hitch. But as you mentioned your truck is a long bed 3/4 ton. The vast majority of trucks are short bed 1/2 tons. I pull a 24 ft. trailer with my short bed 1/2 ton crew cab. In my case the Equalizer hitch I have makes a world of difference. keep the content coming
Excellent, educational video! As others have already stated in the comments I would also add: Check all your axel weights at a certified scale Make sure your tongue weight is falling in the 10-15% of trailer weight Make sure the manufacture isn’t recommending a WDH after a certain trailer/tongue weight And lastly I would do a measurement from ground to top of rear wheel well before and after hitching to see how much sag is really occurring Keep up the great videos!!!
This is correct. Our F350 doesn't need distribution hitch. I was told I needed it, and it almost cost us dearly as trailer swayed all over the place with too little tongue weight.
This is the exact issue I'm trying to let people know about. On heavy duty trucks towing lighter trailers, weight distribution will cause the rear tires to not have enough weight on them which will create sway and an unsafe situation. Too many people think weight distribution is needed if a trailer is over a certain weight regardless of the specifications of the truck that is towing it.
I am pickup my camper this weekend and I am new at this. I think I have a close tow setup you have (my camper is shorter). My camper is a Keystone Springdale 1750RD and I have a 2005 Chevy 2500HD. I don't think I need a distribution hitch, but I've had people tell me I do. But watching your video I think I'm going to try it with out.
I was a professional driver over 30 years now retired. Now doing the RVing thing for 13 years. He is absolutely right. I don’t use sways bars. My truck is the right size and weight classification to pull my trailer which is proper for my size of pickup. No issues what so ever. If you have the proper tow vehicle for your trailer you’re good to go. This pickups have these big engines to tow , but you can’t drop all that heavy ball weight right on the back end. That’s why they make fifth wheels. For the heavier trailers to put the weight where it belongs. They don’t have sways bars because they’re situated properly on the truck like a big rig.
Last summer my wife and I were headed home from a trip and while climbing a hill which had an extra lane for trucks. As I was Passing a Truck the driver suddenly swerved into our lane forcing me into the Median. Without Sway control I don't know if I would have been able to keep control. Good luck if you ever experience a similar situation.
weight distribution systems can handle tight turns, you just have to ditch the swap control bars once you get to the camp site. Then it behaves just like a regular ball hitch setup.
A rule I discovered a long time ago was the wheelbase rule. It was basically as such. 110" of wheelbase can tow 20 feet of trailer without WD/Sway control. You add 4" to the wheelbase for every foot of trailer. So, for a 26 foot trailer, you should have at least 134" of wheelbase which should be within the rating of your long bed truck :-)... Given most truck's wheelbase would dictate the any trailer over about 24' would need WD/Anti-Sway....
According to this I can tow a 31.5 ft trailer with my F250 bumper pull. And my other truck I can tow bumper pull a 41.5 ft trailer but then again my other trucks a 92 Kodiak crew cab C7500
3 years? Hmmm I’ve pulled very heavy weights for 36 years. I think that makes me more qualified? By your own analogy If you have this equipment, USE IT! Sway may not happen, but when it starts, it exasperates itself! Once it reaches a certain point, hang on for life! I’ve witnessed dozens of ruined vacations because of your assessment!
I agree. Why wait until you get a sway? Why put on a seat belt? I've been driving for over 3 years and no accident. I can tell you, you don't need a seat belt. Thats what he sounds like.
We needed the sway control ($35) on our old 4200 lb trailer way more than the $300 massive weight distribution hitch I had bought. Even with weight distribution, over 45MPH, the trailer fishtailed like crazy. Part of this may have been the queen bed tube that hung in the back end of the trailer. I put on the sway control and all was good. The only other headache we had was being passed by a faster moving RV, bus or tractor trailer. It felt like we were being sucked into them. Moving away didn’t help and was often dangerous because you could over compensate snd by the time you felt it, they were usually already going by, so just hold the wheel straight and wait for you but to relax.
Good info Dave. You also have dual axle RV. Dual axles are more stable than a single axle. We use a weight distribution hitch and they are a pain to couple and uncouple, this may be why some people don’t use them when they really should be.
A lot of people have issues hooking up a WD hitch because they don't know the proper way to do it. My replacement for my popup was a 5th wheel because I was one of those ignorant of the proper procedure and did not want to get hurt dealing with the bars. Then one day a friend of mine and I hitched up his cousin's trailer for him. When it came time to install the bars, we proceeded in the normal incorrect fashion. His cousin gave us an education that day. Now I tow a 26 foot trailer using a Reese Straight line setup. As long as I am straight with the trailer, I can hook up the bars without using the piece of pipe that came with the hitch for use with the snap up brackets. If you're first inclination is to tell me I don't have the hitch set up properly, let me tell you that if I used the improper procedure I previously used, I would not be able to get enough leverage with that pipe. If all of this is mysterious to you, just ask me why I have a 4000 pound rated tongue jack on my trailer when my tongue weight is never more than 1300 pounds and why the normal capacity of most power tongue jacks on the market is 3500 pounds when a tongue weight that exceeds 1800 pounds is almost nonexistent.
I've been part of the camper life for over six years, and know that you're correct. I do have a removable hydraulic sway system. Only time that I use it is in ice and snow. Did have to spend the money to upgrade my truck suspension, but is way worth it. Don't recommend helper springs, made that mistake. Like driving a tank. Be careful out there, and maybe I'll see you around.
One note, a trunnion style weight distribution hitch (without chains) does not reduce your turning radius. The spring bars slide along the brackets they are resting on.
David, Excellent narrative, spot on. I too do not need a weight distribution or sway control on our 06 Ram 2500. I have rear air bags that level the vehicle and after 200,000 towing miles on this Ram it has, with the trailers I have towed, been the remedy. Of course each trailer has a different character and may need the sway & load equipment. I hate to see those swayback RV's traveling down the interstate. Like you say, Owners need to do their research.
One of these days you will come out the other side of an overpass and catch a cross wind that will turn you sideways. The only thing that saved me was anti sway!
When I bought my trailer I brought it in to the dealer to weigh my trailer and put a hitch on it they did it professionally. It pulls like a dream with a sway control bar.
Finally a video that "follows the science". I see wdhs on heavy duty trucks and wonder if they just did it for the noise and hassle or if it was necessary.
Fantastic video. We have already planned on getting a WDH for our truck. I am however glad to see that you are informing people that not everyone needs one! You have a hell of a tow vehicle I’m jealous
Thank you, finally someone said it. I have a 2018 Ram srw 3500 Cummins, I pull a 7k travel trailer with 700 lbs tongue weight. I don't run my wd hitch, I don't need anymore weight on the front axle with that diesel, and 700 lbs on hitch just makes it ride better, even levels it out a bit. I've never had sway problems even on windy overpasses. Just my experience.
You must get a WDH or you will crash and everything will burn to the ground and your insurance company won’t cover it. 1500 or 3500 dually they all need a WDH.
I towed with a 2019 gmc 2500HD duramax crew cab and 6.5 ft bed. We towed a 26 ft long, loaded about 5500 pounds with no sway control and no WDH and had no problems. No sway and no sag on the truck.
Not all WD hitches have sway control. Sway control requires friction, so hitches like the Equalizer have it built in. Otherwise you need to add a sway controller. I'm always surprised to see WD hitches only on RV's, never on horse trailers, motorcycle trailers, flat beds with bulldozers, boat trailers, etc.
I use a WD hitch on my flatbed and horse trailer. Why? Because I only had a ram 1500 when I bought them and the factory hitch is rated at 5,000/500 (trailer weight/tongue weight) weight carrying but rated at 10,000/1,000 weight distributing. My trailers regularly weigh around 7,500 pounds. I don't use it on my f250 with class 5 hitch though. I'm probably the only guy that actually pays attention to the weight limits. Most people just go buy a stinger and ball from Walmart rated at 5,000# and hitch up a 7,500 pound trailer. Seriously. I've seen idiots hauling mini excavators on a 5,000# rated Walmart hitch.
Ball mount drop/rise does not affect vehicle sag. It only affects whether or not the trailer is level. Also it helps weight distribution if the ball on your truck is as near the bumper as is practical.
I have a Ram 1500 short bed with the 5.7 Hemi and I tow a 27ft Arctic Fox on a regular basis. I’ve never had a problem due mainly to loading my trailer correctly and paying attention.
I would add a note, just because you’re level does not mean you have distributed the weight properly which will help you avoid sway. But you are spot on, do your research and check your tow Vehicles numbers as well as the trailer and don’t exceed them, I’d stay at least 10 to 15% under for safety
Very detailed video, helpful to see a concrete example of when you wouldn't need one. And providing information for someone to determine for themselves.
Never go against the manufacturer's recommendations. And, most (not all) will recommend using a weight-distribution hitch when towing over 5000 lbs. Even the eTrailers link hints at this. But, check with your owner's manual to find out what your limits are.
Lol, you have almost the same set up. I have a 2017 gmc denali 2500 hd with the big Duramax, but I have 37" tires with a 6.5" lift, and a 2019 springdale 3030 bh trailer. Good video, thanks for clearing a few things up.
I think you are spot on. Your wheelbase, truck weight and camper specs seem to all jive. WDH should not be needed. IMO everyone should use some form of sway control. Its cheap insurance. I just went to a F250 and probably dont need the WDH anymore but with the EQ WDH its all in one so i still use it. The nice part about the EQ is it doesn't need to be removed. to back up. Good video. Thanks
When in the army 70 to 72, Rosie and I went from fort to fort with everything we own in a 1966 Mustang. ( 66 mustang, written by me on burlington bill You Tube) Shortly following my service we purchased a pop-up (tent camper). After two of these units we researched and talked with lots of RVers and decided on a fifth wheel. I think now we are on our 6th unit and have never regretted our choice. Everyone has to decide what is best for them, but the fifth wheel is great for us. We have logged many miles from Maine to California to Alaska and down to the Padre Islands in Texas ( cue my song Can't get there from here). We are now in our 70's and just ordered a new truck to keep us going for years to come. I like your channel. Keep up the good work. Maybe see you on the road sometime. Check out my music!
i think you missed one key thing that alot of people over look. some class 3 hitches may be rated at 10000 lbs but that is only while using weight distribution. it may only be 5000lbs without weight distribution. just cause the truck can pull it don't mean the 6 bolts holding the hitch on will.
Excellent video! You had me at turning radius however you lost me on cost as this is a safety feature of which cost and actual lives saved will far outweigh (ha, ha) the cost...Love the disclaimers because it's so true about your own research. The biggest thing for me has been getting level and it made a night and day difference. I actually got an adjustable ball mount inexpensively which really helped as even though my calculations seemed right they were off...if I didn't have the adjustable mount then I would be going back and forth. What I didn't realize until I got the mount is the weight rating (why is this one so much less than the others?!!) lucky for me it was the right one anyway. What you fail to mention which I understand is EXTREMELY important - the weight on the ball itself. Meaning even after you are level if you don't have enough weight on the ball - usually only an issue for smaller light weight trailers - then you could have trouble with sway. In the end wouldn't the safety issue be enough to sway (ha, ha) you to buy a weight distribution hitch? Even if you didn't technically need it there might be a benefit to having it for extreme situations you run into...you think?
Great information video!:You hit all the key points. When people buy a travel trailer or truck to pull it with, it's extremely important to do a thorough research on all the weight of the truck and trailer to see if one needs a weight distribution system put on. David and Jenni y'all have the perfect set-up. no distribution system needed. A important thing for people to know is watch your speed when towing. If the trailer started to sway when one is going to fast, it would to late to slow down because the trailer or truck would have done flipped. Y'all due a super job on speed control. Take care and God Bless You Both.
Good video... I currently don't use a WD hitch, but my trailer is light. I do have a friction sway control bar. If I ever upgraded to a larger trailer I think I would consider a WD hitch.
How do you deal with trailer bouce? Without the weight distribution hitch, we experience bounce over bumps, even though the truck and trailer are level
I would make sure that your Shocks on your Truck and Trailer are in good condition. If you are running Stock Shocks on your truck you might need a little stiffer shock. Just something to check first 👍
1. Have your vehicle inspected for all towing weights. 2. Have your towing gear in your vehicle repaired. 3. Get the tow wires brakes on your vehicle repaired. 4. Remember to check the weight of your hitch and ball are part of the weight of the tow tongue weight. 5. Subtract that weight from the load of the rest and you have remaining weight distribution needed if that.
I think the getaway is, when the combination of truck cargo and trailer doesn’t exceed GCWR and GVWR, if there is a significant sag, use WD; if you experience sway, use sway control.
![[DRAGON BALL LEGENDS REVEALS ＆ STUFF] LEGENDS FESTIVAL 2024 Special Edition Part 1](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mV5bGIswTtQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I’ve been a mechanic for over 40 years now ,five of which were spent in a custom hitch shop, and I will say this you’re absolutely correct I often see people removing critical tongue weight with these devices.
Exactly. A lot of people seem to believe that WD hitches always improve your towing setup. But they only improve it if there's excessive rear sag resulting in too much tongue weight which also pulls the front of the truck up resulting in not enough weight on the front tires. Putting a WD hitch on a setup that doesn't need it forces the opposite problem which is equally as dangerous: not enough weight on the drive tires and too much weight up front. It's very simple to use a CAT scale to determine tongue weight and if it's over 15% of the weight of the trailer, you need a WD hitch.
If you don't have enough weight distribution, it is called Under Distribution, and can cause loss of steering and braking control. If you have too much weight distribution, it is called Over Distribution, and can cause brake and axle fatigue and failure.
You should ALWAYS use a WDH if you’re towing over 4000 lb and experience more than 2” of rear sag and 1” of front rise. Period. Proper adjustment is the key.
Oh so they don’t have it setup correctly, if you follow the manual you won’t loose weight on the hitch rather the angle your towing at it keeps your truck in line with the trailer it doesn’t remove weight that is physically impossible, you just made that up
@@FateUnboundwrong sag isn’t what it’s all about it’s a long empty box all trailers sway you could pull it with a tractor trailer and it won’t matter the rvs still sway
One factor I have not heard mentioned in your (or anyone else's) videos about towing and weight ratings is the actual hitch (not the ball or shank) rating itself. I climbed under my pickup to look at my hitch (the part permanently attached to my truck) and found it had two weight ratings, depending on whether or not weight distribution was being used:
Without weight distribution a max of 5000 lb towing and max 500 tongue weight
With weight distribution a max of 11000 lb towing and max 1100 tongue weight
I realized that without weight distribution the trailer I am planning on buying can, once loaded, exceed the safe maximum rating for my actual hitch.
Your truck is burlier than mine, so it likely has a stronger hitch than mine (you could climb under and look to verify). But I thought it worth mentioning this often-overlooked but important weight rating.
He could but he won't cuz I could prove him wrong He's an engineer, can't teach one of them anything. Yep y'all brought to you by grammarless sounds stupid yeah not using a weight distribution hitch sounds stupid too.
@@whatdoyouthinktodd hey don’t lump all of us engineers into that. I have towed since I was a kid and WDhitches and sway control are super nice and the only time you should undo is when you are off road or need the better maneuvering of now sway bars.
@@jakemedley7423 well sir I am very sorry to lump you in with the group so there is at least one engineer that is not hard-headed You should be think by everyone that has to deal with a normal engineer and a daily basis Thank you for your service any engineering world and I'm not joking and I'm not bashing you one little bit truly thank you for being someone who actually can think and take others seriously. Sorry there's no grammar in this I'm speaking into my phone and I do not have the time to do so.
The hitch receiver is what is usually bolted to your frame. The hitch goes INTO that receiver.
The ford towing guide is very clear in the limits with and without WD. An accident without the manufacturer guidance can lead to some liability.
You used to have to hand crank cars to start them and in the 1960's air conditioning in cars was an expensive option. We have come a long way. My weight distribution hitch is wonderful for towing my 7,000#, 27' Lance with my Silverado 2500. Absolutely no sway on the highway. Solid and stable. I wanted to see just how the rig performed without the bars on the hitch, so I tried it. It was like night vs day. The hitch makes an amazing difference. The hitch was expertly installed by my dealer and dialed-in for my truck. My trailer and truck are perfectly level when towing with it. To each his own, but as for me, I'll go with the technology. BTW, I love your channel.
Totally agree. I don’t think every rig NEEDS one, but I think most all would BENEFIT from one.
Our 30 ft, ‘07 Wildwood Sport LE , has a dry weight of 7480#. When we get our tow vehicle we will be putting a WDH on it as we will be over 8k# for sure. Maybe closer to 9k.
D.
WD hitches are just bandaids. Get the proper sized tow vehicle.
Sounds expensive and cumbersome , no thanks.
Also be sure to check your vehicles manufacture's towing guides, for example Ford recommends for the F-150 a weight distribution hitch, any time the tongue weight is over 500lbs
easy way to do this.
go to a scale get your axle weights with the trailer and without.
just because your truck is sitting level does not mean you have not shifted axle weight off the steering axle. a common misconception is with air bags they make the tow vehicle sit level yes, but actually transfer weight off the steering axles. was something I have argued against but the video proved me wrong.
Fastway trailer does an excellent video with actual scales to prove this.
the video is entitled
the difference between using weight distribution and air bags to level your load.
I like their video it shows the whole process they use so its not just hearsay.
this obviously does not apply to 5th wheels since their load sits directly on the axle.
Good info, as a former transporter for many camper manufacturers the rule of thumb was if your camper is 30' or longer we had to use our distribution hitch.
As you suggested i took my 25ft lite BP down the highway at 70mph with a crew cab f250 shortbed with no issues and found it handled great and I didnt feel the loss of turn radius and issues with backing up with a WD hitch was worth the added cost and headache. Thanks for the great info!
I agree that not every travel trailer/truck combo needs a weight distribution hitch, but I think that most all would benefit from one. That said... love you guys. Always great info. Keep on truckin!
If it doesn't fold your frame.
We had a weight distribution hitch with our travel trailer and loved it. We had a front bed with 40 gallons of water storage underneath it (320 lbs) and a rear bathroom with two 40 gallon wastewater tanks (Grey & Black). Just imagine how much tongue weight "Change" we had between Going and Returning. I had 2 Completely different settings on the Spring Bars depending on whether that 320 lbs of water was on the Tongue or behind the rear axle. Then there were the two 30 lb. Propane tanks on the tongue. When I took 400 lbs off of the Tongue and Placed 320 lbs on the very back of the Trailer behind the Axle it was a Game Changer. I don't have any Issues with my current setup. 7,000 pounds of truck and a 650 pound flatbed trailer for 2 Dirt Bikes.
I chose to get a Blue Ox WD hitch on the basis of 'just in case'.
Saved me a lot of time researching and testing to figure out if I really needed it. What I did NOT want is to learn a hard lesson in the middle of nowhere.
I put it in the insurance expense category.
You are right. We had a 2000 version of your truck Duramax, 2500HD Crew cab Short bed. We towed a 25BH without any issues at all. We now pull a 21QB about like yours with a Mercedes ML400. No ifs ands or buts, It needs a load leveler. I tried it without and it was a handful. Now, even in wind my Curt makes it drive as though it was on rails. As you said, different rigs, different requirements.
I agree that you can get away with pulling that size of a trailer with a 3/4 ton truck without a WD hitch.
But I have a feeling they have not tried a WD hitch to see the difference it makes even with that truck and trailer combo. There are weight distribution hitches out there, like the Andersen WD/Anti-Sway hitch, that does not reduce the turning radius at all and that hitch is super easy to hook up.
I had a 2020 Wolf Pup 16FQ TT which weight about 3500 lb with my gear in it and I thought I could get away with not using the WD hitch behind my 2019 Silverado which has a 7200 lb GVWR.... but after a couple unpleasant experiences pulling that TT in moderate wind I quickly realize that I wanted a WD hitch. WD hitches just makes such a big difference and towing much less stressful.
My Silverado rating from Chevrolet states I don’t need a WDH for my 5000-5500 pound travel trailer fully loaded and I’ve stopped using one. Detect NO difference.
I agree, I have a 18 ft travel trailer with a 2018 Ford F350 4x4 diesel no problems towing. But with my 27 ft toy hauler which is heavy, definitely need weight distribution hitch. When I get near campsite and need to turn sharp I remove sway bars. Not needed for low speed turns.
A 5th reason to use a WD hitch, My owners manual states any trailer over 5,000 lbs requires a WD hitch or warranty is void.
Wouldn't you leave the trailer at home when taking the truck to the dealer for repair?
So if he's out of town and needs to stop by a dealer for a emergency warranty repair, he's just supposed to drop the trailer at a random parking lot?
@@bradbain1099 It would also be problematic if you get into an accident, even if the accident isnt necessarily the result of the trailer configuration. If you're not adhering to manufacturers specifications, your insurance company may not be required to cover you.
@@ColeTowsley If your insurance doesn't pay when you screw up, what's the point of having insurance? You realize every day they pay for damages caused by reckless driving, speeding, running red lights, driving drunk, and 100s of other questionable actions. Why would exceeding towing recommendations be any different?
@@bradbain1099 operating outside a specific legal area and exceeding manufacturers recommended operating limitations are entirely different, and in many cases participating in illegal activity resulting in an accident WILL void your coverage. Depending on your policy restrictions, you might be surprised what your insurance company will fail to cover.
It’s all about tongue weight. A weight distribution hitch can be used with or without sway control, it is, as you mentioned, designed to distribute your hitch load across all axles. You missed two items, what is the rating of the receiver hitch, they are often rated with and without a distribution hitch (usually 1000/10,000 or 1200/12,000), and what is the capacity of the drop hitch? That capacity is different than the rating of the hitch ball. Your trailer is 5400lbs loaded, your hitch weight should be around 10% or around 540lbs which is well under the 1000lb capacity that your receiver should be rated for without a distribution hitch, so you definitely are safe and don’t require one. Everything else you included is great info, this is just more food for thought. Love your videos, keep up the great work. Also, I am sorry for your loss, and hope that you able to enjoy this time with your family. Stay safe!!
His truck if he has the factory hitch on it is only rated for 500lbs and going off the empty weights for his trailer the tongue weight is 515lbs.
You hit the nail on the head; "Do your own research" ! I am not disagreeing with your 4 points about needing a WD hitch but I'd also add; It doesn't hurt to take the extra measures for unforeseen circumstances that can avoid trouble. Although I may not "require" a WD hitch I use one and air bags. I feel a lot more at ease with my towing experience. I have ~40+ years of experience and have had blowouts, bearings burnout, sudden stops and high cross winds, snow .... It's just inexpensive assurance & insurance for me.
Another issue is litigation in the event there is an accident. A lawyer might pick you apart. I have an F350 4x4 and my trailer is is also 24'. I use a ProPride. I am sure I could tow without weight distribution but want the piece of mind.
Combining a WDH and air bags is usually a terrible idea. The air bags end up cancelling out the weight dustribution.
@@RV_with_Noni_and_Beard I do not believe so. The air bags reduce the 'porpoising' when crossing wavy roads and large bumps. The WDH is transferring weight to the front end of the truck and axles of the trailer. I'm taking little to no additional weight off the coupler with the bags, the WDH is doing that . Made a good improvement in making the leverage point a lot more firm. I am NOT using them in lieu of the WDH as some people are attempting. They DO NOT replace a WDH.
@@herb7877 go to a scale and measure. Just do it.
@@RV_with_Noni_and_Beard Just as an FYI ... I did go to a State scales this weekend. Weighed each axle (both truck and trailer) with WDH & without. Airbags inflated to 35#'s. Weight is being transferred as it should be. You'd be defying the principals of physics if it didn't. The Nov. 2020 issue of "TrailerLife" page 34 has an article on it as well.
Great insight, I appreciate all of the information you provide. I'll point out that the tongue weight, as a percent of the trailer weight has a huge impact on stability. Most travel trailers are designed so that at least 10% is on the tongue. Don't do anything that would make the tongue weight less than 10%. I towed boats, as part of my job for a number of years. Basically, the more tongue weight you have, the more stable the rig will be in terms of sway. Sway control is not a substitute for adequate tongue weight. I think you provided good guidance as to when an equalizing hitch is needed.
Love your videos...thanks for all the great content. Since you actually asked us to do so, I do have to clarify a few things.
1. You said a WD setup can limit turning radius but I have to point out that is only with old-school chain/bar setups. Most WD hitches today use slide bars. I have a Fastway E2 and it does not limit turns at all.
2. You mentioned your truck experiences no sag at all with your given tongue weight. By looking at the side view in your video, I can clearly see sag. It's not a lot but it's there. I guess the question is what is the difference when your trailer weight is not on your ball and when it is? I'm sure it drops at least a few inches since most trucks are raked from the factory. Along the same lines, there are those who experience sag and correct it solely with airbags instead of a WD hitch thinking that since it's level that they're safe. It's good to be level but "level" doesn't equal "safe". Science shows that when you correct "level" using only airbags, you can actually take even more weight off the front axle making it even more prone to sway, and loss of braking and steering control.
3. The real test would be to weigh the front of your vehicle (one or both front tires) without your trailer and then with it. If you experience little or no weight reduction, then a WD hitch won't be advantageous. If you see weight reduction on the front tires, then a WD setup would help even if your truck appears level.
4. You mentioned WD hitches take longer to connect. Ours might add 1 minute to the time to connect. So, you're correct but the time required is very negligible.
5. You are correct in that you probably don't need one for your setup but you should also note that it still has benefits that are valuable even if you can get by without it. For instance, I wear my seatbelt every day even though I've never been in a serious car crash. So the logic that I don't need to wear one because I've been driving for 35 years and never really felt a need for it isn't logical...just like the unforeseen future emergency you might have to make one day when the difference between a close call and a terrible accident is a $300 WD hitch. I guess what I'm saying is that just because you can get by without one doesn't mean it wouldn't be better and safer with one. We all care about you guys very much and always want to see you being as safe as possible.
6. Okay, I just want to finish by reiterating I love your videos. Even though I've been camping for many years, I always enjoy seeing what others are doing and am always learning from others experiences. I've learned a great deal from your experiences and insight since you've had your channel. Please stay safe and keep the great content coming. Have a great day!
We just got the Andersen WD hitch system. Will we have limited turning? What would happen if I try to do a 90 degree turn? I'm having trouble finding the answers... Thanks in advance.
@@kathleenvitello6233 the design of that setup has no turning limits.
The trailer will hit the truck before you even get to 90°.
Remember, WD is for going down the road. Remove It before backing into tight spaces. If you want tight maneuvering, consider a fifth wheel.
was going to leave a post but you said it already. i have been towing for over 25 years and there is definitely a added benefit to using weight distribution even on light loads where you don't really need it but it just makes the towing experience that much better. I have not invested in the new TruTrack style that is a combination of distribution and sway control, I use the Curt round bar 15k setup an all my trailers and have no issue with tight turns at all and since i know my setup it literally only ads a few seconds to hook it up. This setup i prefer over the oldest trunnion style just because i find it to be smoother and less noise but any type is definitely worth the investment specially if your towing all the time. Another good addition is air bags if needed to level a load out and to help minimize bounce. 2 things i always have when towing to make my experience the best that it can be. Just like my firearms, better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.
I feel much safer with my weight distribution hitch on my 6500 lbs dry trailer, it takes 5 more minutes hooking up, but I feel safer and it handles better, my two cents! Most manufacturers suggest it because you probably need it. From a Ford Towing Guide :
CLASS IV
EXTRA-HEAVY-DUTY
• Over 5,000-lbs. gross trailer weight
• Most applications require a conventional weight-distributing
Cheers
A weight-distribution hitch is definitely safer! Most people who wear seatbelts never need them, right? But that one time it saves your life...
Glad you’re saving a couple hundred dollars and minute amount time to post this information. I had to reply here because I absolutely agree with these responses. You don’t need it until you need it. Why is it so difficult to use a a safe hitch? Do you stay well below highway speeds? Do you exceed the speed limit? I’ve driven trailers, RV’s, and trucks for over 30 years. They all sway and at higher speeds its more dangerous. Yes, do your research and don’t believe this video. Mitigate risk, wear a helmet, click your seatbelt, and use a safe hitch. The costs are negligible to the benefits.
agree totally..
Ty for the information now I know what to look for on a f-150 . Waiting for the 2024 to come out
I’ve been driving a big rig for twenty two years. You have just been lucky so far. High winds have blown big trucks right off the road. Hopefully you’ll never have to say, I really wish we would have gotten a sway bar setup.
I pull a small light 17 foot travel trailer. By using a weight distribution hitch with a relatively large truck, I am actually overloading the single axle of the trailer by forcing it to carry some of the weight of the larger truck.
Even with no sag or rear squatting of the tow vehicle you may still experience a porpoising effect while towing. For those that don’t know what that feels like, it’s like when you’re in a boat and you feel rocking front to back after going over a wave. It can definitely get you feeling a little motion sickness after a while. The weight distribution hitch helps tremendously with that effect.
This is the only reason that I use a WDH.
@@davidcoulter7671 I’ve been using a wdh for 10 to 15 times since I went from a half ton F-150 to a Ram 3500 srw with a heavy “as in lbs Diesel engine block. “. I had some porpoising from concrete to bridge to concrete joints. But with all the proper settings of these items:
1. Height of trailer front 21.5” back 21.5”.
2. Height of truck front back before trailer weight and after to within 1/2 inch. Of previous measurements. As stated in directions.
This last trip from Huntsville through Houston to Galveston TEXAS was like on a ocean.
Like a small boat in the ocean. I removed wdh bars for return trip and was able to go over 70 mph over these uneven road transitions flawlessly. No sway at all either partly because of a 4door longbed 1 ton truck. If I were in windy conditions I would pull over and put them on for the friction of the ox round bar. No chain wdh. Safety chains of course.
Finally, a voice of reason. Excellent presentation, well done snd informative. Thank you.
I agree each to their own. I personally use torsion bars with out sway control when pulling heavy trailers. They make the truck and trailer ride as one unit. Don't have much bucking when going over(example) bridge joints. If the example you gave of the truck still saging with torsion bars, means that they didn't know how to properly adjust them or they had entirely too much for the bars or the truck. A side note...you can transfer too much weight off the rear axle also by NOT having correct torsion bar adjustment.
Another part of the equation is proper trailer load weight distribution, very important for maintaining control and ride. Another part that is overlooked is tongue weight, not just gross trailer weight. Even the tongue of the trailer has the max weight stamped on it.
Don't just go by your weight rating of the ball, but also the hitch shank weight rating (what the ball is mounted on). Some are hollow square tubes and others are solid with different weight ratings.
Good material. Keep the vids comming
Excellent points.... the weight of the trailer is one issue.... how that weight is distributed in the trailer is another. Shifting weight rearward to lower tongue weight is a big negative and will result in loss of control and major sway issues.
I am in the same camp. I have a 3500 Silverado Duramax long bed/crew cab, I tow a 6.5k lbs 28 foot camper. Obviously my truck can pull this camper without a WD setup, but I find it helps with the 'bucking' or whatever you wish to call it. IMO this causes a lot of torque on the camper frame as well as causing all the items inside the camper to move about more. I think there is more to the story than do you need one or not based solely on truck/camper combo.
Great video much appreciated I am getting a newer and lighter camper and I wasn't sure if I needed one the dealer said they would just wait and see if I needed one since it was under 3000lbs unloaded and I wasn't sure about their advice
I worked with Torklift on my setup. I have 6.0L GMC ext short bed with a 1/2ton camper I haul, and I tow a flatbed trailer with a Jeep and camping gear on it. Torklift also said with my setup I did not need a weight distribution hitch. They also said that if i was going to have a weight distribution hitch I would need a different one depending on the load on my flat bed trailer. They also said that most people buy the wrong distribution hitch anyway. There is a science to it and only works if you are towing the same load every time. I have multiple different trailers. They said with the class 5 hitch and extension and the truck I have it is more than enough to haul my trailer safely. I have since put on 10K miles travelling all through Utah up and down the Rockies with no issues whatsoever. Like you I have no sag, and I do have compensating air bags. Thanks for putting yourself out there beyond popular belief.
First,
Read tow vehicle owners manual.
It tells you exactly at what point you need a WD hitch !!
You should always have some kind of sway control..
Thanks David, the sticker on my one ton ford van states a weight distribution hitch is required for trailers over 5,000 pounds. While I’m sure I don’t need it, that might come into play in an accident while towing. Insurance companies will try to get out of paying a claim if they can. Worst yet being on a witness stand and offering that even though your vehicle and trailer specs require a WDH you determined that you didn’t need it. Not going to fly with a jury. Please follow all OEM requirements or risk financial liability.
He said do your own research to determine what you need. His truck doesnt have that same manufacturer requirement as yours. So your point is moot. He said not everyone needs WD, based on truck and trailer, etc. You are claiming he still does need one because your truck does, and implying that he is wrong and irresponsible. You need one, he doesn't.
@@drylakesranch9880 the last sentence says to please follow all manufacturer’s requirements is hardly a moot point
Most new trailers come with weight distribution hitches which have many advantages over a bare hitch including tire wear, trailer dipping and lateral stability.
We have been pulling our 27ft camper for 15 years. We have pulled it without a sway bar and with. Have to say that the sway bar reduced the sway immensely. But everyone should do what works fir them.
Do you NEED one? No.
Does GM (Chevy & GMC) require a weight distribution hitch system for any trailer over 5,000 lbs? Yes.
Can you? Yes. Should you? No.
Also-2015 Chevy Silverado toungue weight limit is 500 lbs w/o, 1200 lbs with a WDH. I'm looking at it right in the owners manual. Ignore these limits and get in an accident, your insurance is worthless.
WDH and Sway Control are often packaged together but are not the same thing. You can use one without the other.
The new ones are integral. The bars that distribute weight also provide the resistance to sway. You couldn’t separate the features.
Not all are integral, a lot of newer ones are however and would not require sway also. In situations where WD is not required, you can still get sway control that can be beneficial.
Interesting and informative. I have owned two used RV/truck combos: an Airstream / Suburban. and Casita/F150. I asked each owner to sell me the truck that had been used to pull each RV . I made it clear I didn't want the trailer without the truck. They reluctantly agreed. I went this route because I was flying blind. I knew nothing about hitches, etc. It worked out for me., never had a problem. Not a bad way to go if you have no experience. All this info is engineering science. David, you and Roe are the best. Being from Indiana doesn't hurt either.
Just purchased a 4600 lb+ Grey Wolf Cherokee. We opte to use our 2004 Envoy XUV XLT (89K miles) as the tow vehicle m(rated 6400 lbs), and purchased an Equal-i-zer 10000 unit. I also replaced the air bags on the Envoy's suspension a couple years ago, and last week installed new struts and shocks and bump stops. With the Equalizer and air bags, I do not even feel the trailer back behind us. It just pulls like a dream and keeps level all the time. Thanks for the info. Oh yea, the Equal-I-zer does interfere at all with the turning radius.
Pulling an 18' teardrop with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Factory tow package on the jeep, the only thing we added was a sway bar. Since our Jeep's tow package came from the factory, our vehicle once the ignition is on, will level (use of air bags in the rear suspension), giving us a nice level ride. We have been told by many that our 18' weighing 3100 doesn't require a sway bar, but for us it's a peace of mind. Of course we have electronic trailer brake setup as well and have never had an issue and we've pulled ours for almost 20k miles. Good video, very informative.
IMO you would be happy with something like the Andersen where it's basically no extra work to hitch and un-hitch, but it's there for you when things get hairy and that sway you've never experienced suddenly decides to make an appearance. Doesn't affect turning radius. Doesn't need to be unhooked to reverse. It's really no pain at all.
You don't need one until you need one, then it's too late.
You're not going to be able to tell this guy anything. He's a pro and knows everything about it because he's been pulling a travel trailer for 3 years. I've got a 3/4 ton pickup as well and it could easily handle my travel trailer but I'm not an idiot so I use a weight distribution hitch. And I guarantee That's a straight fucking lie that he's never experienced trailer sway even in high winds. I also want to know what the reason is he needs to blur out his license plate. Does he think somebody's going to get his personal information because they see his license plate on a RUclips video?
@@brandonkoff Grow up.
@@brandonkoff I agree!
Never experienced sway? Bullshit!
@@danielzatkovich4659 Get rational!
This guy is an idiot. He has super powerful portable speakers (like nightclub speakers) that he takes out in to the woods to scare animals with. That, right there, tells you everything you need to know about his decision making skills.
You’re the first person that says you don’t need a WDH for every trailer in all circumstances. I read about people with 2021 3500 Sierras towing a 5,000 pound trailer that insist on WDH. Doesn’t make sense to me
That trailer can't have that much hitchweight.
I just watched a video with someone using the sway bar when pulling a keystone Springdale and their frame broke. Long story short neither lipert who built the frame nor keystone would pay for the repair despite exhausted efforts but gieco their insurance company did. The sway bar was said to have caused it. Thank you for sharing. You are a wise young man.
I tow a 16 ft cargo trailer to RV conversion that weighs about 6500 lbs with a long bed crew cab 4x4 2017 Cummins Ram 3500 with rear air bags for leveling. I absolutely do not need a weight distribution hitch. The truck has a 100 gallon diesel fuel tank and a 100 gallon fresh water tank in the front/middle of the bed that adds about 2000 lbs to the truck weight. I have towed over 30,000 miles with this setup with no problems.
There is a video online that shows a guy who had just bought his new trailer that day and was using a weight distribution hitch. Like we all do often, he slowed down to go through a construction zone, and the stress on the frame caused by the weight distribution hitch buckled the main frame beams! Not only was the new RV undrivable, but the manufacturer and dealer didn't want to help him in any way. They put the blame on the weight distribution hitch.
I don't NEED: a distribution hitch, air bags, or sway control. But... the handling, and peace of mind they bring, are quite nice. The ride quality is drastically improved, especially in high wind and or mountains. Been towing for 20+ years, currently a 36ft trailer with a RAM 2500 Cummins.
I have a 2005 2500 HD Duramax, my travel trailer weighs 6k lbs. I pulled my TT one time without a weight distribution hitch and it didn’t seem too bad. But Using the weight distribution hitch made a huge difference I will always use it. I was blown away with how big of a difference it was.
I have similar setup as you. I have pulled with and without WDH on my 7K trailer. Having the bars on certainly makes a difference. Pulling without is certainly doable.
Just watched this today and this is excellent information! Most people who have WDH systems are also running too much pressure on the weight system too. Many people follow instructions from the manufacturer for general use but don't really tune their setup for their rig. We had an 31ft, 10300lb Airstream we towed with a Chevy 1500 that was more than rated for that weight (on both GCWR and Payload). It had some sag, and so we used a WDH to level but I only adjusted it to remove just enough of the sag to make it work properly and no more. This is critical because WDH's can overload a trailer frame and cause it to bend or crack.
One other note is that people often refer to hearsay "rules" when it comes to loading a hitch on a trailer. There is a misconception that the weight on a trailer tongue should be at least 10% or more of the trailer's weight. When in fact, the trailer manufacturer sets the hitch weight amount as a "rating". Meaning this is what your hitch weight should be, not more, not less. This concept goes completely against what many people think and why they tend to overload their trucks because they load their trailer excessively forward causing too much weight on the tongue which causes them to use a WDH when they actually didn't need one. Why? Because they should have loaded their trailer to match tongue weight *RATING*, and not followed the myth of weighting their trailer excessively forward.
This is especially important with exceptionally light trailers which take large payloads like toy haulers. A toy hauler is designed to have a large load in the garage. This load ***removes weight*** from the tongue if properly loaded. Until there is a proper load in the "garage" there could possibly be too much weight on the tongue especially with the kitchen and bedroom forward of the axles.
As an example of how wrong people think about tongue weights, there is a very popular RUclipsr who goes to dealer lots on a regular basis to review RVs. In one of his reviews he went around reading the tongue weight **Rating** on a trailer and the got a trailer tongue scale and weighed the actual weight of the tongue of the empty trailer. He then made the extrapolation that some tongue weights are higher and that you should plan on your tongue weight to be higher than the stated rating. Again, the mistake he made is that it's NOT AN ACTUAL WEIGHT. It's an actual RATING. This means if a trailer weighs heavy on the tongue when empty then it's expected, based on where the cargo is, that once you load the trailer that the tongue weight will become lighter as is the case with a toy hauler.
The reason this myth has formed: We don't weigh our trailer tongues loaded (or properly!). Therefore we have no idea how to balance our trailers. So we have excessive sag because we have overloaded the tongue and then we add a WDH to put a band-aid on the real problem: Improper trailer balancing.
The basic principle of loading a trailer is this: A trailer is loaded properly when loaded at the maximum weight rating of the trailer yet the actual tongue weight is loaded no more than the weight rating listed for that tongue. Left, right, front, to back, the trailer should be loaded correctly to the appropriate weight ratings. Any unequal loading will cause trailer sway. Truckers know this. Movers know this. RVers are insanely dumb in this area and we need to get this one right.
Fixing this one misconception could help an awful lot of people eliminate their WDH and have a better and safer towing experience overall.
One easy way to weigh a tongue weight is to go to a CAT scale and unhook the trailer from the truck (chock it!) and have the tongue on one scale and the wheels on another scale. The tongue jack does throw off the weight slightly vs weight sitting on the ball, but this is enough to know how close you are. If your trailer is excessively over the tongue rating, the trailer is overloaded to the front and will tend to sway or worse, will attempt to jack-knife in an emergency even with a WDH installed.
I had no idea about measuring ball drop. You learned me a good one today definitely will be doing that, thank you!
The weight rating engraved on the top of the ball is for the ball only. The ball mount carries its own rating. Both need to exceed the requirements.
It would be interesting for you to pull that trailer with an equalizer hitch for a period of time to seee if you notice a difference. I have basically the same truck without the long bed and a similar trailer and can most definitely tell the difference. I think you are right that it is the lomg bed that allows the setup to work for you.
its welded onto the hitch it also is rated for that weight. Your thinking of when you can buy both the ball and hitch which you would be right
Glad to hear its working for you. I've got a one ton truck and RAM recommends ("requires" in fact, according to the manual) weight distribution even when towing a relatively low weight trailer (versus the capacity of the truck which is nearly 3x the weight) like ours under 8k lbs.....ie a similar ratio to your 2500 truck versus your lighter trailer.
Is it possible to go without? Sure. Especially on these bigger trucks.
One can also go without a seatbelt, and it is fine and safe for years.....until that one day that it isn’t.
Or, as my insurance agent says, Were you following the manufacturer instructions? No? Well then your culpability just increased....and we’ll pay your claim, then drop your coverage.
The rules may be written by lawyers but it’s lawyers you’ll deal with when in an accident or worse.
But the best way to evaluate is a weight station, to see how much weight is being removed from the front axle by hooking up the trailer.
For example: The more weight lost, the less control one retains.
I’m in the same situation. 1 ton Ram, 8000ish lb 32’ trailer. I use a WDH too. Short bed single. Really makes a difference, but I usually tow short distances without it.
Eugene Saint Very interesting! I always wondered why those TOPs were so bland. Cool job!
I also have a Ram 3500 mega cab, towing a 28' bunkhouse that weighs about 7500 lbs. fully loaded. I do not use weight distribution. Just drop it on the ball and go. So far it has been very stable and easy to tow.
D.J. I would hardly call an 8000 lb. camper a "relatively low weight trailer." An 8000 lb. camper with a 1200-1400 lb. tongue weight is a substantially large load and when you cross that threshhold you probably do need weight distribution. Mine is 7500 loaded so legally I'm good and under 8000 by a decent margin. If it weighed another 500 pounds more that's probably going to make the difference between not needing it and needing it. The engineers who wrote the manual probably got it right.
It isn't working. He just hasn't crashed yet. He is playing the same game non seat belt users play.
I have a Ram 2500 w/a Cummins TD, & a 6500 # trailer for 5 years. I had to tow it to the dealer & I only had a ball hitch. I towed it 35 miles on a major US interstate and it was fine. No sway, no dip.
Every other time, I used a WD hitch. Why? Because there were no problems at all, and I’ve towed the trailer across the country multiple times. I’d rather have that security even though I might not need it.
This is a great channel, I enjoy listening to your insights.
I agree in your case. Your truck can easily handle that trailer. I was pushing my half ton suv with 6500lb trailer. The weight distribution hitch was essential. Bottom line: know your numbers.
This right here. Some setups need a WDH, some don't.
@@FateUnbound weight distribution, no. Sway control, yes. After my 1/2 died our travel trailer, we upgraded to a 3/4 ton truck. I had a good conversation with the tow truck operator, and he pulls travel trailers as well. He said he would always use sway control even with a 3/4 ton truck no matter what for safety. Said he tows trucks and trailers everyday with axle failure or other significant issues, and when you experience an issue like this you will 200% want sway control, or else you have no control even with 3/4 ton. It’s not for the regular tow days, it’s for when things don’t go as planned 👍
I live in eastern Montana and towed without one and with one.. I can tell you because of the wind here that the sway control worked well.
Yes you can pull it and safely get down the road. There are benefits to ride quality and sway on a really windy day.
I run with one because I like the way it rides hooked up smooth as butter. But they are expensive for the good ones like equalizer hitch.
Judge your application know your weight and make a good choice if needed, and yes spend the money if needed.
Btw: I run a 2015 2500hd leveled suspension with 7300 pound 32 foot trailer. Thus why I use one aswell to help keep my front end planted after a leveling kit.
With all of the righteous lurkers out there, It took guts to post this video and in many ways, I agree with your logic. WD and Anti-Sway are two different topics and maybe touching on each would have given more food for thought. One final comment. Capitalizing "WE" instead of "DON'T" would emphasize your point differently! Safe Travels.
I completely agree. Not every towing needs a weight distribution/anti-sway, especially anything less than 23 feet long with a 3/4 or more truck.
Don’t necessarily agree or disagree. Something like a boat trailer ( not tandem) or any utility trailer will sway at certain speeds etc. what changes is distribution of weight forward on trailer. Don’t necessarily disagree again but not everyone has a 3/4 ton 23 ft trailer.
I use an Anderson distribution on my small single axle trailer - more for bounce. Also, no grease.
This is one thing I failed to mention in the video, that a WD hitch will tie the truck and trailer together and greatly reduce bounce at the hitch point. Excellent point Brian 👍
-David
@@FateUnbound I agree with your reasoning for not needing one, but if you ever change your mind (like if you get that 4WD truck you want) I also recommend the Anderson for a trailer your size. They work pretty well. Not the best for amount of weight transferred but good enough for smaller trailers, no bounce, light, simple, quiet, clean, quick and easy on/off, can back up, good sway control...
I'm with Brian, everything you hate about WDH's in your video other than cost is negated by the Anderson. I absolutely love my Anderson WDH. Easy on and off (if I even take it off). Can back up with it take TIGHT turns. And weights so little (less than 15lbs).
We also have a single axle trailer (4500 lbs GVWR) and tow with an F250 (10,000 lbs GVWR). It tows well, but I do notice more bounce, so I am considering adding the Andersen WDH to help with bounce.
If you are experiencing Bounce it could be as simple as Shocks. You should run a little stiffer shock on your truck for towing. And check the condition of the shocks on your trailer if it is equipped with them.
Towing will shorten your shock life on your truck faster than most people realize 👍
Not only does your truck have a long wheelbase, your diesel engine puts more weight on your front axle.
Good info. Towing KZ 2303 with GMC Savana 1500. Ball mount just clears trailer at max elevation. Never needed a sway bar, even with strong crosswinds. Have some sag. Per your advice, backing-off on the spring pressure of the WDH. As you mentioned, I take it off when maneuvering in tight campgrounds.
Thank you for this explanation with great graphic to help me see this better. We just upgraded our sagging 1500 for a 2500 and just reconfigured our WDH yesterday. We could probably get by without but, since we have it, put it on our new setup. I agree you probably don't need one but our 26 ft has more surface area so we will go with it.
I am with you 100%!! I always use a sway control bar, but not a weight distribution hitch. Our trailer is small and the tow vehicle has adequate suspension to tow level and proper. No need for the extra work at all. I tow a 2017 Coachmen Clipper 17FQ with a 2015 Ford Explorer Sport with tow package. Tows level and solid.
Our dealer actually said we don't need a WDH, and I basically agree. It's an '06 Tundra crew cab (still strong) with 6500 pounds towing capacity hooked up to a Rockwood Geo Pro 19FD (4100 pounds max) with a tongue weight of about 400 pounds. It seems to tow just fine without a WDH, but having had one on previous RV's, I tend to want one for sway control more than weight management, so I'm looking at the Andersen brand WDH because the hitch assembly weighs much less than the typical WDH and the connect / disconnect is easier.
Thanks for the video - I'm getting a new trailer on a new truck as well. (Silverado 1500 Duramax 3.0 with Winnebago Micro Minnie 1800BH) Previously on a 17' hybrid and Tacoma and obviously weight distribution systems. I might hold off and test the trailer once I get it...
Good video, That white F 250 in your video had too much weight in the bed which was the problem. That Bullet trailer is not that heavy. You are 100 % correct about the weight distribution hitch. But as you mentioned your truck is a long bed 3/4 ton. The vast majority of trucks are short bed 1/2 tons. I pull a 24 ft. trailer with my short bed 1/2 ton crew cab. In my case the Equalizer hitch I have makes a world of difference. keep the content coming
Excellent, educational video! As others have already stated in the comments I would also add:
Check all your axel weights at a certified scale
Make sure your tongue weight is falling in the 10-15% of trailer weight
Make sure the manufacture isn’t recommending a WDH after a certain trailer/tongue weight
And lastly I would do a measurement from ground to top of rear wheel well before and after hitching to see how much sag is really occurring
Keep up the great videos!!!
This is correct. Our F350 doesn't need distribution hitch. I was told I needed it, and it almost cost us dearly as trailer swayed all over the place with too little tongue weight.
This is the exact issue I'm trying to let people know about. On heavy duty trucks towing lighter trailers, weight distribution will cause the rear tires to not have enough weight on them which will create sway and an unsafe situation. Too many people think weight distribution is needed if a trailer is over a certain weight regardless of the specifications of the truck that is towing it.
I am pickup my camper this weekend and I am new at this. I think I have a close tow setup you have (my camper is shorter). My camper is a Keystone Springdale 1750RD and I have a 2005 Chevy 2500HD. I don't think I need a distribution hitch, but I've had people tell me I do. But watching your video I think I'm going to try it with out.
You also need to watch state laws, as the tongue weight in some states will determine if one is needed or not.
I was a professional driver over 30 years now retired. Now doing the RVing thing for 13 years. He is absolutely right. I don’t use sways bars. My truck is the right size and weight classification to pull my trailer which is proper for my size of pickup. No issues what so ever. If you have the proper tow vehicle for your trailer you’re good to go. This pickups have these big engines to tow , but you can’t drop all that heavy ball weight right on the back end. That’s why they make fifth wheels. For the heavier trailers to put the weight where it belongs. They don’t have sways bars because they’re situated properly on the truck like a big rig.
Last summer my wife and I were headed home from a trip and while climbing a hill which had an extra lane for trucks. As I was Passing a Truck the driver suddenly swerved into our lane forcing me into the Median. Without Sway control I don't know if I would have been able to keep control. Good luck if you ever experience a similar situation.
weight distribution systems can handle tight turns, you just have to ditch the swap control bars once you get to the camp site. Then it behaves just like a regular ball hitch setup.
A rule I discovered a long time ago was the wheelbase rule. It was basically as such. 110" of wheelbase can tow 20 feet of trailer without WD/Sway control. You add 4" to the wheelbase for every foot of trailer. So, for a 26 foot trailer, you should have at least 134" of wheelbase which should be within the rating of your long bed truck :-)... Given most truck's wheelbase would dictate the any trailer over about 24' would need WD/Anti-Sway....
According to this I can tow a 31.5 ft trailer with my F250 bumper pull. And my other truck I can tow bumper pull a 41.5 ft trailer but then again my other trucks a 92 Kodiak crew cab C7500
3 years? Hmmm
I’ve pulled very heavy weights for 36 years.
I think that makes me more qualified?
By your own analogy
If you have this equipment, USE IT!
Sway may not happen, but when it starts, it exasperates itself!
Once it reaches a certain point, hang on for life!
I’ve witnessed dozens of ruined vacations because of your assessment!
I agree. Why wait until you get a sway?
Why put on a seat belt? I've been driving for over 3 years and no accident. I can tell you, you don't need a seat belt.
Thats what he sounds like.
We needed the sway control ($35) on our old 4200 lb trailer way more than the $300 massive weight distribution hitch I had bought. Even with weight distribution, over 45MPH, the trailer fishtailed like crazy. Part of this may have been the queen bed tube that hung in the back end of the trailer. I put on the sway control and all was good. The only other headache we had was being passed by a faster moving RV, bus or tractor trailer. It felt like we were being sucked into them. Moving away didn’t help and was often dangerous because you could over compensate snd by the time you felt it, they were usually already going by, so just hold the wheel straight and wait for you but to relax.
Good info Dave. You also have dual axle RV. Dual axles are more stable than a single axle. We use a weight distribution hitch and they are a pain to couple and uncouple, this may be why some people don’t use them when they really should be.
A lot of people have issues hooking up a WD hitch because they don't know the proper way to do it. My replacement for my popup was a 5th wheel because I was one of those ignorant of the proper procedure and did not want to get hurt dealing with the bars. Then one day a friend of mine and I hitched up his cousin's trailer for him. When it came time to install the bars, we proceeded in the normal incorrect fashion. His cousin gave us an education that day. Now I tow a 26 foot trailer using a Reese Straight line setup. As long as I am straight with the trailer, I can hook up the bars without using the piece of pipe that came with the hitch for use with the snap up brackets. If you're first inclination is to tell me I don't have the hitch set up properly, let me tell you that if I used the improper procedure I previously used, I would not be able to get enough leverage with that pipe. If all of this is mysterious to you, just ask me why I have a 4000 pound rated tongue jack on my trailer when my tongue weight is never more than 1300 pounds and why the normal capacity of most power tongue jacks on the market is 3500 pounds when a tongue weight that exceeds 1800 pounds is almost nonexistent.
I've been part of the camper life for over six years, and know that you're correct. I do have a removable hydraulic sway system. Only time that I use it is in ice and snow. Did have to spend the money to upgrade my truck suspension, but is way worth it. Don't recommend helper springs, made that mistake. Like driving a tank. Be careful out there, and maybe I'll see you around.
One note, a trunnion style weight distribution hitch (without chains) does not reduce your turning radius. The spring bars slide along the brackets they are resting on.
David, Excellent narrative, spot on. I too do not need a weight distribution or sway control on our 06 Ram 2500. I have rear air bags that level the vehicle and after 200,000 towing miles on this Ram it has, with the trailers I have towed, been the remedy. Of course each trailer has a different character and may need the sway & load equipment. I hate to see those swayback RV's traveling down the interstate. Like you say, Owners need to do their research.
Glad it works for you. But we do use the sway control/WD and just take the bars off before we back into a site. Almost 2 years full time.
Try the recurve setup it rotates with the tongue no removing bars for backing 👍
@@Bandi-gu7wi We never heard of that one! We'll check it out! Thanks!
@@Bandi-gu7wi Just watched a video on these with my husband. That's a great option! Thanks again!
One of these days you will come out the other side of an overpass and catch a cross wind that will turn you sideways.
The only thing that saved me was anti sway!
WD hitch and anti sway are seperate and can be used independently....😂
When I bought my trailer I brought it in to the dealer to weigh my trailer and put a hitch on it they did it professionally. It pulls like a dream with a sway control bar.
Finally a video that "follows the science". I see wdhs on heavy duty trucks and wonder if they just did it for the noise and hassle or if it was necessary.
I think you have been extremely fortunate so far.
Fantastic video. We have already planned on getting a WDH for our truck. I am however glad to see that you are informing people that not everyone needs one! You have a hell of a tow vehicle I’m jealous
Thank you, finally someone said it. I have a 2018 Ram srw 3500 Cummins, I pull a 7k travel trailer with 700 lbs tongue weight. I don't run my wd hitch, I don't need anymore weight on the front axle with that diesel, and 700 lbs on hitch just makes it ride better, even levels it out a bit. I've never had sway problems even on windy overpasses. Just my experience.
I don't tow with one either. I have ram 2500 Mega cab with Cummins. Trailer is only 6k pounds.
See you in the ditch soon.
RAM 2500 6.4L towed perfectly fine without one, and don't feel any difference when I do.
You must get a WDH or you will crash and everything will burn to the ground and your insurance company won’t cover it. 1500 or 3500 dually they all need a WDH.
@@Denali_RebelSpeed and load distribution are major determining factors. I transport Hazardous materials commercially.
@@Denali_Rebel 😄
I towed with a 2019 gmc 2500HD duramax crew cab and 6.5 ft bed. We towed a 26 ft long, loaded about 5500 pounds with no sway control and no WDH and had no problems. No sway and no sag on the truck.
Not all WD hitches have sway control. Sway control requires friction, so hitches like the Equalizer have it built in. Otherwise you need to add a sway controller. I'm always surprised to see WD hitches only on RV's, never on horse trailers, motorcycle trailers, flat beds with bulldozers, boat trailers, etc.
I use a WD hitch on my flatbed and horse trailer. Why? Because I only had a ram 1500 when I bought them and the factory hitch is rated at 5,000/500 (trailer weight/tongue weight) weight carrying but rated at 10,000/1,000 weight distributing. My trailers regularly weigh around 7,500 pounds. I don't use it on my f250 with class 5 hitch though. I'm probably the only guy that actually pays attention to the weight limits. Most people just go buy a stinger and ball from Walmart rated at 5,000# and hitch up a 7,500 pound trailer. Seriously. I've seen idiots hauling mini excavators on a 5,000# rated Walmart hitch.
Ball mount drop/rise does not affect vehicle sag. It only affects whether or not the trailer is level.
Also it helps weight distribution if the ball on your truck is as near the bumper as is practical.
I have a Ram 1500 short bed with the 5.7 Hemi and I tow a 27ft Arctic Fox on a regular basis. I’ve never had a problem due mainly to loading my trailer correctly and paying attention.
I would add a note, just because you’re level does not mean you have distributed the weight properly which will help you avoid sway. But you are spot on, do your research and check your tow Vehicles numbers as well as the trailer and don’t exceed them, I’d stay at least 10 to 15% under for safety
Very detailed video, helpful to see a concrete example of when you wouldn't need one. And providing information for someone to determine for themselves.
Never go against the manufacturer's recommendations. And, most (not all) will recommend using a weight-distribution hitch when towing over 5000 lbs. Even the eTrailers link hints at this. But, check with your owner's manual to find out what your limits are.
Lol, you have almost the same set up. I have a 2017 gmc denali 2500 hd with the big Duramax, but I have 37" tires with a 6.5" lift, and a 2019 springdale 3030 bh trailer. Good video, thanks for clearing a few things up.
I think you are spot on. Your wheelbase, truck weight and camper specs seem to all jive. WDH should not be needed. IMO everyone should use some form of sway control. Its cheap insurance. I just went to a F250 and probably dont need the WDH anymore but with the EQ WDH its all in one so i still use it. The nice part about the EQ is it doesn't need to be removed. to back up. Good video. Thanks
When in the army 70 to 72, Rosie and I went from fort to fort with everything we own in a 1966 Mustang. ( 66 mustang, written by me on burlington bill You Tube) Shortly following my service we purchased a pop-up (tent camper). After two of these units we researched and talked with lots of RVers and decided on a fifth wheel. I think now we are on our 6th unit and have never regretted our choice. Everyone has to decide what is best for them, but the fifth wheel is great for us. We have logged many miles from Maine to California to Alaska and down to the Padre Islands in Texas ( cue my song Can't get there from here). We are now in our 70's and just ordered a new truck to keep us going for years to come. I like your channel. Keep up the good work. Maybe see you on the road sometime. Check out my music!
i think you missed one key thing that alot of people over look. some class 3 hitches may be rated at 10000 lbs but that is only while using weight distribution. it may only be 5000lbs without weight distribution. just cause the truck can pull it don't mean the 6 bolts holding the hitch on will.
Excellent video! You had me at turning radius however you lost me on cost as this is a safety feature of which cost and actual lives saved will far outweigh (ha, ha) the cost...Love the disclaimers because it's so true about your own research. The biggest thing for me has been getting level and it made a night and day difference. I actually got an adjustable ball mount inexpensively which really helped as even though my calculations seemed right they were off...if I didn't have the adjustable mount then I would be going back and forth. What I didn't realize until I got the mount is the weight rating (why is this one so much less than the others?!!) lucky for me it was the right one anyway. What you fail to mention which I understand is EXTREMELY important - the weight on the ball itself. Meaning even after you are level if you don't have enough weight on the ball - usually only an issue for smaller light weight trailers - then you could have trouble with sway. In the end wouldn't the safety issue be enough to sway (ha, ha) you to buy a weight distribution hitch? Even if you didn't technically need it there might be a benefit to having it for extreme situations you run into...you think?
Great information video!:You hit all the key points. When people buy a travel trailer or truck to pull it with, it's extremely important to do a thorough research on all the weight of the truck and trailer to see if one needs a weight distribution system put on. David and Jenni y'all have the perfect set-up. no distribution system needed. A important thing for people to know is watch your speed when towing. If the trailer started to sway when one is going to fast, it would to late to slow down because the trailer or truck would have done flipped. Y'all due a super job on speed control. Take care and God Bless You Both.
Good video... I currently don't use a WD hitch, but my trailer is light. I do have a friction sway control bar. If I ever upgraded to a larger trailer I think I would consider a WD hitch.
How do you deal with trailer bouce? Without the weight distribution hitch, we experience bounce over bumps, even though the truck and trailer are level
I would make sure that your Shocks on your Truck and Trailer are in good condition. If you are running Stock Shocks on your truck you might need a little stiffer shock.
Just something to check first 👍
The community division is interesting. Very well done. Thank you. I did a hitch in the Army, he never calls. Another triple, my apologies.
1. Have your vehicle inspected for all towing weights.
2. Have your towing gear in your vehicle repaired.
3. Get the tow wires brakes on your vehicle repaired.
4. Remember to check the weight of your hitch and ball are part of the weight of the tow tongue weight.
5. Subtract that weight from the load of the rest and you have remaining weight distribution needed if that.
I think the getaway is, when the combination of truck cargo and trailer doesn’t exceed GCWR and GVWR, if there is a significant sag, use WD; if you experience sway, use sway control.