F250 and No Weight Distribution Hitch?

[kscherzi]

Originally Posted by Ultradog

So what happens when you have a good load in the back of the pickup and no trailer attached?
Does the load not also cause the rear end to squat and the front to rise thus removing weight from your steering tires?
Do you think this is not factored into the pickup at the factory?
Do you think the millions of pickups that are carrying "within limits" loads in the bed are susceptible to hydroplaning and thus unsafe?

A trailer puts a big load behind the rear axle. Like a teeter totter the front rises as the hitch in the back sinks. A big load placed squarely in the truck bed is largely centered on top of the rear axle. The rear sinks but the front should stay about the same as the load in the bed has little effect on the front axle.

From the side the truck looks front high in both cases, but for different reasons.

[rostam]

Here is a link to Ford's 2017 RV & Trailer Towing Guide:

https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas...wing_Guide.pdf

If you go to page 34, you will see that Ford recommends that weight distribution hitch should restore 25% of the front axle load (removed after a trailer is hitched) for an F150 and 50% for an F250. Ford does not recommend adding 1/3 of tongue weight to front axle or restoring the front axle to its unhitched weight. It seems a truck with load in its bed (or a truck with a trailer hitched, where truck's front axle is lighter) should be just fine.

Personally, I use a weight distribution hitch with sway control (I recommend others do the same). However, I believe the role of WDH is exaggerated in this forum (like many other things). Airstream delivery trucks do not use WDH and tow at 80 MPH. Cargo trailers also do not use WDH. At least 95% of trailer on the road use inexpensive hitches (some folks here call them "obsolete"), and they seem to be doing fine. Again, I am not saying we should discard WDH. Just being realistic about the role WDH plays.

[Ultradog]

Originally Posted by kscherzi

A trailer puts a big load behind the rear axle. Like a teeter totter the front rises as the hitch in the back sinks. A big load placed squarely in the truck bed is largely centered on top of the rear axle. The rear sinks but the front should stay about the same as the load in the bed has little effect on the front axle.

From the side the truck looks front high in both cases, but for different reasons.

Ah yes,
If only life were so tidy.
Set 20 sheets of 4X8 5/8" sheetrock (about 1400 lbs) in the bed and watch the rear bumper squat a couple/few inches and the front end come up. This is an easy load for even a half ton and child's play for a 3/4.
This kind of stuff happens many thousands of times every day.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Ultradog

This kind of stuff happens many thousands of times every day.

I drove next to a heavy flatbed truck carrying a stack of trusses. They hung off the back. At every green light, the front wheels of the truck came off the ground by three feet. I couldn't believe they allowed that truck out of the factory, but no one seemed to care. The driver was probably happy he didn't have to hit the freeway.

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by SpletKay06

The issue isn't with the Anderson hitch it's the coupler design. The coupler doesn't like the way the pressure is applied. That worries me in a panic stop if the trailer brakes were to malfunction. The best bet is probably to weld on a better coupler rather than a different hitch.

I did exactly that with the Anderson I bought 2 years ago. I welded the very coupler Anderson recommended, going through the expense of removing the original. With my set up TV 2012 F-150, 5' bed and 30' Airstream International with 1,000 hitch weight the Anderson didn't work. I had to remove a link from the chain to be able to apply sufficient torque to get the required WD. And sway control was basically non existent. The problem in MHO is that the with a longer trailer there isn't enough arresting force generated by the "brake shoe " system and the chain WD doesn't provide any counter force to stop the sway.
In the end I ended up having to torch of the new coupler and re-welding an original coupler. In all the cost of my experiment ended up over $ 900.00 and almost two seasons worth of uneasy travel. I replaced it with the Blue Ox which works great, just like it's advertised.
It might work on a shorter and lighter tongue trailer but why experiment when there are a number of proven hitches out there .

[SpletKay06]

My Anderson hitch works much better than my Reese hitch. No sway or porpoising and great weight transfer. Thats with the original coupler on my 25ft with 1200 lbs of tongue weight.