Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

[sdef]

I have had a couple WDHs and like them a lot. My latest is a Blue Ox Sway Pro and includes sway control in the hitch head. No adjustments to this other than the typical chain length when hooking it up depending upon how much weight transfer one wants. Its a keeper. I would start here and investigate all options at camper/RV sites. Blue Ox is the best bang for the buck for me. Blue Ox Sway Pro 1���� Lb Hitches

I have a 2015 Ram 2500 diesel crew cab that is rated for 17.1k pounds towing on the bumper with no WDH. However, I use one for heavier loads as they provide a more rigid connection between the trailer and tow vehicle, less bouncing and in general a more comfortable ride. Not to mention the sway control is automatic, works great and no worries when being passed by an 18 wheeler, etc.



Note the tire clearance in the wheel wells. Stock height setup even though there is ~ 1500 - 1700 pounds of tongue weight. Part of the weight is transferred to the truck's front wheels.

 

[dodge man]

I've got an engineering degree and I can't wrap my mind around how a WDH works. I just know if you get them hooked up correct, the more the nose of the trailer wants to sag, the more it levers up on the hitch and prevents the sagging of the truck and trailer.

 

[Egon]

A WDH may be a legal requirement depending on load ratings and trailer size.

 

[joefromga]

I've got an engineering degree and I can't wrap my mind around how a WDH works. I just know if you get them hooked up correct, the more the nose of the trailer wants to sag, the more it levers up on the hitch and prevents the sagging of the truck and trailer.

They add two more points of connection to the hitch and also cause some lift and that puts more weight on the front wheels.

They also keep the trailer from twisting freely like they can on the ball alone.

Those 2 bars you see in the photo are under a lot of tension and most have a lever to crank them down and lock in place. They're not just free hanging bars. So they are like tension springs.

 

[Ford850]

I thought the WDH sort of locks the trailer to the truck, forming a straight plane. When the trailer tongue pushes down, that force is extended through the truck to the front axle. Without it, the trailer hitch is a hinge, so as the tongue goes down the rear of the truck goes down too (which pulls up on the front axle).

 

[downsizingnow48]

The Airstream website has a nifty calculator that shows what weight is distributed and where.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=48827&d=1194373130

 

[sdef]

I thought the WDH sort of locks the trailer to the truck, forming a straight plane. When the trailer tongue pushes down, that force is extended through the truck to the front axle. Without it, the trailer hitch is a hinge, so as the tongue goes down the rear of the truck goes down too (which pulls up on the front axle).

Yep. And that causes bouncing to one extent or another, which the WDH lessens a lot. Using my Blue Ox setup I have never had to deal with trailer or truck sway caused by the trailer and the ride is much more comfortable than without it. I seem to recall I paid ~ $350 on eBay for a new 1500/15k unit in the factory box.

There is a lot of force on the spring bars. I find it FAR easier to attach the bars/chains by raising the trailer tongue attached to the truck enough to attach the bar's chain with little down pressure from the spring bars. And then lower the tongue jack to the travel position. With full tongue weight it is far more difficult to deal with.

 

[94BULLITT]

Can you remove the bars from the WDH head on the blue ox?

 

[sdef]

Yes. They insert into the head and a spring loaded pin snaps into place. Simply pull out on the pin ~ 1/4" and pull the bar out of its socket to remove the bar for storage. And the bars stay clean as they are not greased. BTW on the Blue Ox SwayPro system all parts are rated at full product weight capacity of 20k pounds. The only difference between capacities are in the spring bars. So one can purchase one complete kit and then multiple weight spring bars for various circumstances, if needed. My previous WDH was a Reese ~ 7k or so for a boat trailer and I had to purchase an entirely new system to increase the weight capacity for my tractor's trailer, which is the primary reason I went to the Blue Ox. Plus it has built in sway control and no adjustments in the head to mess around with.

 

[94BULLITT]

I saw those pins but I was not sure if they were removable. Curt makes a hitch like that. I never thought about not having to grease it or and having greasy trunion bars laying around.

Here is my WDH. It is not a great picture since I am not sitting on level/even ground. Like sdef says the truck rides great with it. The truck rides better with a load and the WDH hitch hooked up than what is does with the trailer unloaded and the WDH not hooked up. I probably have 800-900lbs of tongue weight in that pic.