Do I need a weight distributing hitch?

[Kingsmen 33]

I have a 28' Flying Cloud which I pulled last year with a 1/2 ton GMC. I used a weight distribution hitch. These hitches are heavy, dirty, and cumbersome.
In DEC I bought a 3/4 ton GMC with the Duramax. I ran a 2,000 mile test, 1,000 miles with the distribution hitch and 1,000 miles with just a hook up to a greased ball.
The results surprised me as there was absolutely no difference in towing. The Airstream does not sway behind a 3/4 ton GMC with no weight distribution hitch and the diesel engine.

I just got back from a 7,000 mile trip from FL to Portland and back through all of the CO passes and I can confirm that the 28'Flying Cloud behind a 3/4 ton GMC with the Duramax does not need a weight distributing hitch. Zero sway, zero issues. I love not messing with the heavy hitch ball assembly.
Your call. I suggest you run the same test I did.

[nrgtrakr]

99 F250 SuperDuty extra cab diesel towing a 1975 Overlander 28' (around 6,000# loaded) with a normal hitch ... no anti-sway, no WD ... no problems.

[Riverdrifter]

I have a Blue Ox for my 30' AS. I love it. Very simple but gives excellent sway control. Also no problems with backing up with it engaged. Less expensive than a Henley or Propride and so far after a couple years I always feel comfortable and in control. BTW, the longer the wheelbase, the more stable and the less sway you will experience. A long bed crew cab is the ultimate!

[rvb]

Equalizer bars are designed to transfer some of the hitch weight to lower the front of the tow vehicle and transfer some weight back to the trailer. With a tow vehicle as heavy as yours, you don't need to transfer the weight particularly back to the trailer. Depending on the system you may be able to buy the hitch head and the sway controls separately and not use the bars. If you use bars get light 750# bars so you don't put increase the stress and beat your trailer up.

Andy at Inland RV has a good article addressing this based on his experience and also his opinion, but, worth reading before making your decision.

http://www.inlandrv.com/articles/towing_myths.pdf

[Ultradog]

As you travel down the highways and biways take a look at the gajillions of utility, equipment, cargo and box trailers and note how many (few?) of them have any WD hitch on them.
Many of them will be hauling much heavier loads behind smaller pickups than you plan to do.
Then ask yourself these questions:
Are all those people are just dumb and uninformed?
Are Airstreams particularly difficult to tow?
Is this community made up of people who tend to worry a lot and have more dough than common sense?
You will be pulling a 4000 lb trailer with an 7000 lb vehicle. To me the notion of a WD system on that setup is rediculous

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Ultradog

As you travel down the highways and biways take a look at the gajillions of utility, equipment, cargo and box trailers and note how many (few?) of them have any WD hitch on them.
Many of them will be hauling much heavier loads behind smaller pickups than you plan to do.
Then ask yourself these questions:
Are all those people are just dumb and uninformed?
Are Airstreams particularly difficult to tow?
Is this community made up of people who tend to worry a lot and have more dough than common sense?
You will be pulling a 4000 lb trailer with an 7000 lb vehicle. To me the notion of a WD system on that setup is rediculous

Huh?

It's pretty clear...there is nothing common about sense.


Bob

[OTRA15]

Quite clear indeed . . .

[Vjhero]

I tow an '88 Excella 1000 34 ft triple axel with an F350 dually and I have a WD hitch but I have never used it. The previous owner said I would not need it so I took an hour long test ride and he was exactly right. My breaks work very well and I also have air bags though they are not really needed either. I have never experienced any sway even with Semi units passing by me doing 70mph.

I hope this helps! Have fun!!

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by avionstream

WD might not be needed but I recommend sway control. I use no WD on my one ton and pull a 30 Avion. But I do use two sway control devises.

.
Agreed. Don't want the tail wagging the dog!

[Loden]

Originally Posted by Ultradog

As you travel down the highways and biways take a look at the gajillions of utility, equipment, cargo and box trailers and note how many (few?) of them have any WD hitch on them.
Many of them will be hauling much heavier loads behind smaller pickups than you plan to do.
Then ask yourself these questions:
Are all those people are just dumb and uninformed?
Are Airstreams particularly difficult to tow?
Is this community made up of people who tend to worry a lot and have more dough than common sense?
You will be pulling a 4000 lb trailer with an 7000 lb vehicle. To me the notion of a WD system on that setup is rediculous

After my trailer had yanked me off of the road, totalling the tow vehicle and reducing the trailer to a pile of twisted junk, I visited a regional auction junkyard where totalled vehicles are held and then auctioned every six weeks. There was an area of at least an acre and possibly more with nothing but those trailers you describe in your post. Very nearly all of them quite clearly had been trashed by out-of-control sway events. I had not used a sway control hitch, and I saw no evidence of sway control hitches on any of those trailers.

Lost of sway control events, called "snaking" in Swedish studies do occur relatively rarely, but the same can be said of 18-wheelers jack-knifing and engine failures on helicopters. I did a heck of a lot of research, including asking some very senior state troopers about loss of sway control accidents with trailers. It is extremely hard to prove a negative, but I was able to find numerous accident reports on loss of control events while pulling trailers on ball hitches aft of the bumper. What I could not find was control-loss reports on either 5th wheel hitches or, and this is the critical point for me, on trailers using the Equalizer, Hensley, or Propride hitches.

The Swedish studies I read on the subject concluded that any trailer attached to a ball hitch aft of the bumper has the potential to generate an out-of-control sway event. It is simply a matter of having the right combination of circumstances. As I wrote earlier, I towed several different trailers many thousands of miles before that one-time event. I, at least do not consider myself a person who worries a lot, and my intelligence level is sufficient to have a master of science degree. I also don't have "more dough than common sense."

There are those too who insist that remote sensing tire pressure gauges are a waste of money. Last month that sensing system saved me two expensive tires and probably some significant damage to my trailer wheel wells. Another analogy is the fire extinguisher in the kitchen. You may indeed go for many years, and even a lifetime without using it, but that does not mean that fires don't start from unattended food cooking on a stove.

[Ultradog]

Originally Posted by Loden

After my trailer had yanked me off of the road, totalling the tow vehicle and reducing the trailer to a pile of twisted junk, I visited a regional auction junkyard where totalled vehicles are held and then auctioned every six weeks. There was an area of at least an acre and possibly more with nothing but those trailers you describe in your post. Very nearly all of them quite clearly had been trashed by out-of-control sway events. I had not used a sway control hitch, and I saw no evidence of sway control hitches on any of those trailers.

Lost of sway control events, called "snaking" in Swedish studies do occur relatively rarely, but the same can be said of 18-wheelers jack-knifing and engine failures on helicopters. I did a heck of a lot of research, including asking some very senior state troopers about loss of sway control accidents with trailers. It is extremely hard to prove a negative, but I was able to find numerous accident reports on loss of control events while pulling trailers on ball hitches aft of the bumper. What I could not find was control-loss reports on either 5th wheel hitches or, and this is the critical point for me, on trailers using the Equalizer, Hensley, or Propride hitches.

The Swedish studies I read on the subject concluded that any trailer attached to a ball hitch aft of the bumper has the potential to generate an out-of-control sway event. It is simply a matter of having the right combination of circumstances. As I wrote earlier, I towed several different trailers many thousands of miles before that one-time event. I, at least do not consider myself a person who worries a lot, and my intelligence level is sufficient to have a master of science degree. I also don't have "more dough than common sense."

There are those too who insist that remote sensing tire pressure gauges are a waste of money. Last month that sensing system saved me two expensive tires and probably some significant damage to my trailer wheel wells. Another analogy is the fire extinguisher in the kitchen. You may indeed go for many years, and even a lifetime without using it, but that does not mean that fires don't start from unattended food cooking on a stove.

The OP asked if he needed a WD hitch to tow a 4000 lb Argosy wirh a 1 ton pickup. I replied to that query.
Nowhere did he, or I, mention sway control.
If you wish to explore the difference between sway control and weight distribution these forums are a good place to ask.
Jerry
(With a worthless BA in literature and average comprehension skills)

[Loden]

@Ultradog. Please pardon me if my response offended you. My understanding is that you posed a new question that appeared to refer to me and the others on this forum:

<QUOTE>"Are all those people are just dumb and uninformed?
Are Airstreams particularly difficult to tow?
Is this community made up of people who tend to worry a lot and have more dough than common sense?"<ENDQUOTE>

My response was to your questions and to those who recommend towing without any supplemental hitch.

[xrvr]

Ok, my opinion through experience. If you have a three quarter or one ton truck,get a ball amount at approx the correct drop and hook up your trailer. If the front end rises less than a couple inches you do not need sway control. Go to etrailer and buy a heavy duty ball mount and two sway control tabs. Have the tabs welded to the mount, cost me thirty dollars. Buy the two small balls needed and two sway control units, available most places that deal with rvs. If you do not have the ball mount on the frame, you will have to install one, either bolt on or welded. Most are bolt on since it us only for sway and no weight load. Many older trailers already have this mount since it was in common use. To answer your question, no you probably don't need WD, check it out as I have posted, but I highly recommend sway contol.

[Ultradog]

Originally Posted by Loden

@Ultradog. Please pardon me if my response offended you. My understanding is that you posed a new question that appeared to refer to me and the others on this forum:

<QUOTE>"Are all those people are just dumb and uninformed?
Are Airstreams particularly difficult to tow?
Is this community made up of people who tend to worry a lot and have more dough than common sense?"<ENDQUOTE>

My response was to your questions and to those who recommend towing without any supplemental hitch.

I guess if the shoe fits...