Need help with purchase of weight distribution hitch

[RandyT]

The OP has a equipment trailer and dump trailer. Both can be loaded properly to put the correct weight on the tongue. Both can also be not properly loaded and cause towing issues. Learn to load the trailers properly and you dont really need a hitch especially for only going 50mi.


If your towing a camper that's a totally different story.

My first time towing with a WD hitch was towing a 6500lb camper. It was very nice..but that's because campers typicaly have a ton of tongue weight and it's not easy to move back. I also towed this camper with no WD hitch and I have never felt the towing issues I did with a properly loaded equipment or dump trailer.

The thing is you can be properly loaded, and still required by the vehicle manufacturer to use a WD, Most 1/2 ton trucks require a WD at 500/5000 and some 3/4 ton require WD at 600/6000. So a 16 foot utility trailer rated at 7000 and fully loaded will require WD for almost all 1/2 ton and some 3/4 pickup trucks. And how many of you guys are towing 10-14K rated trailers behind you pickup trucks.

So here is a real world example that can happen if you are not completely following the vehicle manufacturer requirements. So you are towing your 9K trailer behind your vehicle without the required WD, and a DUI driver runs a red light, and T bones you in the passenger door killing your child or wife. And due to your lack of proper towing equipment the insurance company can deny life insurance benefits for the deceased person

 

[Bearsixty7]

Here is a good explanation and guide for WD use and purpose. It even mentions 3/4 and 1 tons . I don't agree with the 50% rule for 3/4 or 1 ton, I think it's more like 80% and up but it also depends on tongue weight, if tongue weight is over 15% as many RV's are, then a WD may be smart in order to get FALR.

FYI, Air bags DO NOT achieve the same, they simply restore ride height/rake and do nothing to get the F/R loading correct, Many people fail to realize this.

Half-Ton Trucks and Weight-Distribution Hitches: Why and When to Use | PickupTrucks.com

Many truck brands recommend a weight-distribution hitch when towing over a certain trailer weight. Here’s why.

news.pickuptrucks.com

 

[ljjhouser]

If we were to load a equipment trailer safely with a 10k load (load and trailer), then there should be at least 1000 pounds on the hitch. Then if we hooked the trailer to a truck and the front fender to ground measurement changed (increased), then the load would still be correctly loaded, but the tow vehicle may be un-safe and its safety compromised. Changing the load to correct this will reduce the tongue weight and increase the probability of sway. (very un-safe) To correct this situation, enter the WD hitch.
I don't think you can change an un-safe situation very much by shifting the load if the load is loaded correctly to begin with. The problem is not the trailer or load, but is the reaction to the load on the tow vehicle.

I use a WD hitch for two reasons. First it IMPROVES stability and decreases the probability that driving at highway speeds of becoming out of control. Second, regardless of what we think, we all try to tie down loads and load correctly to prevent a "near accident" or accident of being worse because of the weight we are hauling.
We tiedown our tractor because an accident would be worse if it rolled and harmed someone else in an accident. NOT just to keep it on the trailer while traveling. The same applies to the WD hitch or any device which increases safety.

 

[RandyT]

I have been wondering how they are getting around the new pickup trucks that allow 1200-1500 hitch weight without a WD where the older trucks required one above 6000. How are they getting around the front tire unloading with the new trucks compared to the old trucks, or are they. And people should still be using a WD.

 

[dodge man]

They are using a Class V hitch now on most if not all 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks which is a bigger stronger hitch, hence not needing a a WD hitch.

 

[KilroyJC]

So, here is my WDH story:

I owned a 1993 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Station Wagon, complete with de riguer fake wood-trim on the sides.

It had the self-leveling air shock system, which was really cool. Until it broke while trailering my new-to-me boat and all the camping gear the car could hold and all the camping gear I could pile in the boat. . .

When the system decided to quit about 50 miles north of Albany, NY, I was leaving sparks from the chains and hitch bar. I could smell the burnt iron odor in the front seat it was so bad!

TLDR Skip to the *** Keep Reading for more complete story:

I had been going with friend on this big annual family-&-friend trip for a number of years, and it goes back to the 1930’s. My friends were the core organizers, and we basically set up the whole base camp and primary kitchen and provided tents and gear for other guests who did not have, which is why we would load beyond max. . .

we would also be first up and last out, and sometimes this camping extravaganza would be over three weeks long. I still working at the time, so I would go up for setup and stay for a few days, then head back home and go to work for a week or so, then hear back up for a couple more days then breakdown and return.

So, I did some research, and found the Equal-I-zer Hitch System, and decided it was the best of all I had seen. I set it up and went back to camping, and the return trip was absolutely painless and flawless! AND SPARK-LESS

*** I ordered it with expedited shipping, and received it within two days. I also ordered it with a Convert-A-Ball setup so that I could use it with any coupler size - this is YUUUUGE when getting one of these weight distributing hitches! Otherwise you will be wrenching a lot of you have different sized trailers!



What I liked most was that it used rigid mounts that bolted to the trailer frame as opposed to chains.

Order additional frame mounts for each trailer you own— it greatly simplifies things!

I have had this hitch since 2007 and I could not be happier about it - and with the Convert-A-Ball, I even use it (without the arms) on my log splitter (2” ball) and my small 4’x6’ utility trailer (1-7/8” ball).

Sway Control & Weight Distribution | Equal-i-zer® Hitch

Superior sway control technology makes it the best performing sway control hitch on the market, working to keep your family safe, every time you tow.

www.equalizerhitch.com

 

[BoylermanCT]

They are using a Class V hitch now on most if not all 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks which is a bigger stronger hitch, hence not needing a a WD hitch.

RAM recommends a weight distribution hitch on their 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks when the trailer is over 5,000 pounds. They come with a Class V hitch...

From the owners manual of a 2021 RAM 2500/3500 pickup: WARNING: if the gross trailer weight is 5,000 lbs (2,267 kg) or more, it is recommended to use a weight-distributing hitch to ensure stable handling of your vehicle. If you use a standard weight-carrying hitch, you could lose control of your vehicle and cause a collision.

 

[RandyT]

They are using a Class V hitch now on most if not all 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks which is a bigger stronger hitch, hence not needing a a WD hitch.

My 2011 Ram 1500 has a class V hitch from the factory And I know what you are talking about with the 2-1/2 and 3 inch receivers that they are now using on some trucks, but unless they have found a way to put the tongue weight in front of the rear axle on a bumper pull it will still unload the front axle, which is the main reason for requiring the WD in the first place.

 

[nyone]

So here is a real world example that can happen if you are not completely following the vehicle manufacturer requirements. So you are towing your 9K trailer behind your vehicle without the required WD, and a DUI driver runs a red light, and T bones you in the passenger door killing your child or wife. And due to your lack of proper towing equipment the insurance company can deny life insurance benefits for the deceased

Wheres the news article on this? If this is true then in theory you could also not be towing anything and have 5psi under inflated tires and insurance would also deny you...and forget about it if you use 93octain and they spec 87.

 

[Fallon]

My 2011 Ram 1500 has a class V hitch from the factory And I know what you are talking about with the 2-1/2 and 3 inch receivers that they are now using on some trucks, but unless they have found a way to put the tongue weight in front of the rear axle on a bumper pull it will still unload the front axle, which is the main reason for requiring the WD in the first place.

Everything is a lever. All the new engines, brakes & suspensions can overcome the physics of a lever. If you want the really big towing capacities you need a gooseneck or 5th wheel. Those put the weight on or in front of the axle so it's not acting like a lever to lift the front.

The advantages of a bumper pull are nice at times, especially for loads under 14k or so.