Weight distribution hitch not needed

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

This analysis is fine for static loads when the rig is not in motion. But when the combined tow vehicle and trailer combination is moving down the road, the analysis is lacking IMO, and perhaps a bit naive.

One of the main functions of a weight distribution hitch is to dampen the up-and-down motions of the two vehicles, which on certain roads operate in a bad synchronicity, which actually exaggerates off-kilter motion.

Hard to put into words, but you know what I mean. There are tons of posts in many threads which discuss this other function of a WD hitch.

The expansion joints in concrete Interstate highways can set up quite a harmonic bounce if you hit them at just the right speed, and a good WD hitch will dampen or eliminate that harmonic bouncing.

This added benefit of a WD hitch will apply even to a rig such as the OP has.

Let the hitch dialogue start all over again !!!

Indeed, lets;
Your theory would be theoretically applicable to vehicles with lighter suspensions. In those instances a WD is must simply to enable safely steering the train by adding the necessary weight to the front axle.

I went from a F-150 to a F-250 diesel towing our 2013 30' International. The F 150 rear suspension used to settle 2.5" from the 1,000 lbs tongue load , and the front axle would come up about .5".
The rear axle of the F-250 barely settles 1" and the front axle doesn't budge one bit even withe the WD engaged. With the WD engaged the rear axle comes up .5" and feels like I am driving without a load.
I have Blue Ox hitch and they advise to disengage the trucks Antisway feature so it doesn't interfere with the hitch.
I will be experimenting as well not using the hitch and relying on the trucks built in system.

[cabinetmaker]

Trucks in the heavy duty class have larger factory receiver hitches and can carry more tongue weight. My 3500 Ram srw 4x4 megacab Cummins has a factory receiver with a maximum tongue weight rating of 1800 lbs.

My payload capacity is 3920 lbs. My rear axle is rated for 7000lbs. Max trailer weight of 17,050 lbs.

I think I'm ok pulling my Airstream on the ball only. Also, my 3500 rides better with the trailer attached than my previous 1/2 ton with weight distribution hitch and Airstream. Much better in fact!

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by Ladyfern19

Folks! I'm getting ready for our maiden trip. And this on-going sway/distribution issue that keeps coming up has me grounded and very confused. Isn't there some sort of easy to understand way to determine this? I have a '62 Bambi, about 2000 lbs. Driving a 2008 150 Ford supercrew cab with "tow package." I keep reading the posts every time the question comes up, hoping to learn something about what should I have, if anything. And every time, I become more confused than I was before. The guy who did the reno work said I didn't need anti-sway or weight-distribution. At the moment, I'm close to selling the truck and Bambi and packing a tent! What's a newbie to do? There has to be a solution, doesn't there? Thank you.

I used to tow for years construction equipment with our service trucks. F-250 trucks towing 8,000 lbs light equipment plus the dual axle trailer weight. I never heard of weight distribution and sway control hitches until I got involved with pulling an Airstream.
Come to think of it I used a Anderson hitch for over a year that had no Sway Control and when the trailer began to sway I would maneuver accordingly. I would slow down as a Semi would gain on my left and accelerate as it passed me to counter the sway. It was a lot of work some days but here I am alive and well.

[Jeff Hofacre]

Ladyfern 19,
Normally you will find towing a 2000 lb trailer the sway control is not needed since you will likely have the correct tonque weight of 10 to 15% of trailer weight. Assume this is 300 lb for your Bambi. Now let's say the campground dump station is closed and you travel home with 30 gallons in the black tank (250 lbs) located in the back of the trailer and 0 gallons of water in the front. In this situation you might only have a tonque weight of 100 lbs. This is where the sway control can be a lifesaver. I never tow without sway control except with Uhaul trailers which don't have this option. When using a Uhaul trailer I always load the heaviest items in front.

[cazual6]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

This post will start a war for sure.

PayPerView!!! Sign me up!

[Gleverett]

Originally Posted by Mergatroyd

If you have no helmet you can fracture your skull. If you do have a helmet the weight will snap your neck.

That is absolute nonsense. Helmets weight very little and move with the attached head, you stand no chance without a helmet if thrown from a motorcycle landing on your head without a helmet. Former ER PA and motorcycle rider with over 2300 parachute jumps all with a helmet on.

[Hittenstiehl]

Heavens to Mergatroyd,

Have you found after 21 posts that this forum is far to friendly and dull? We're you looking for more spirited conversations or maybe even a debate.

Was your post a question 🤔or a stirring statement😈.

At least come back and point and counterpoint 🙂

[SilverLife]

Just towed our new LB (Long Bambi) home from the dealer with a 2017 F150 4x4 Crew cab. There really isn't any weight to "distribute" in my setup. With a Max tow package on interstate travel, very little to minimal sway either. Gusty 30+mph winds also. I may add a single friction sway bar with mini balls just so the wife can TIP (tow in peace). The factory Ford max tow package states it has anti-sway on the truck. I called the Ford tech/engineering department to inquire about the anti-sway capabilities, but was unable to comprehend much of their hi-tech description. What I gathered is that when trailer sway is detected by the TV sensors, a Tow Genie wafts from the tailpipe and applies Magical Superpower G-force pressure to the trailer frame with his smoky arms within nanoseconds, to prevent any trailer sway.[emoji16] As evident today, that is one seriously strong Genie.

[Betty Farmer]

NO, a 1/2 ton is not a heavier truck. Don't know about a 3/4 ton.
We own both a 1/2 ton Chev, Z71, with a tow package. In pulling a 25 ft. Airstream, we used the sway equipment.

We also own a GMC, 1 ton, with duallys. I do not hook up sway equipment pulling a 28 foot Classic Airstream. The pull is perfect, no wind pull nor push from trucks and busses. I attribute that to the duallys, even though I have no proof of that - other than common sense.

For over 50 years, we have been involved in a business requiring heavy equipment and heavy trucks, including 18 wheelers, pulling 52 foot and longer trailers with heavy loads. We are not novices in this game.

[banderabob]

I do get tired of some of these repetitive posts. No comment,

[StrmyWeather]

Originally Posted by Ladyfern19

Folks! I'm getting ready for our maiden trip. And this on-going sway/distribution issue that keeps coming up has me grounded and very confused. Isn't there some sort of easy to understand way to determine this? I have a '62 Bambi, about 2000 lbs. Driving a 2008 150 Ford supercrew cab with "tow package." I keep reading the posts every time the question comes up, hoping to learn something about what should I have, if anything. And every time, I become more confused than I was before. The guy who did the reno work said I didn't need anti-sway or weight-distribution. At the moment, I'm close to selling the truck and Bambi and packing a tent! What's a newbie to do? There has to be a solution, doesn't there? Thank you.

You don't need WD or Sway. You're truck, as mentioned before, is plenty capable of towing 2000lbs. You need to read your manual to see what your vehicle is capable of towing. Read these posts, but use your manuals to make up your mind. We tow a 19' without WD or sway control. Our vehicle is a 1/2 ton truck. Our boat is about 2500lbs and we've never needed sway or WD on it either. We reviewed the truck's capabilities, the trailer specs, and found no reason to invest in additional gear. The truck's and the trailer's specs should give you the information you need.

[cabinetmaker]

Originally Posted by cabinetmaker

Trucks in the heavy duty class have larger factory receiver hitches and can carry more tongue weight. My 3500 Ram srw 4x4 megacab Cummins has a factory receiver with a maximum tongue weight rating of 1800 lbs.

My payload capacity is 3920 lbs. My rear axle is rated for 7000lbs. Max trailer weight of 17,050 lbs.

I think I'm ok pulling my Airstream on the ball only. Also, my 3500 rides better with the trailer attached than my previous 1/2 ton with weight distribution hitch and Airstream. Much better in fact!

Forgot to mention that the above class V factory receiver hitch maximum tongue weight rating of 1800 lbs is without a weight distribution hitch.

Funny thing is the Ram 2500/3500 trailer towing guide does not even mention weight distribution hitches...wonder why??

[jcanavera]

Ok here's the scoop. For those of you new and don't know what to believe. Watch the video provided in the first link below.

http://www.rvsafety.com/rv-education...ks-to-trailers

Once you have this information down. Read the next article in the link below that talks about weight distributing hitches.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-p...on-systems.htm

These two links will give you most of the knowledge you will need to understand your tow vehicle's needs, limitations and should take most of the mystery about what you need to do regarding this topics of what vehicle to tow with and hitches. It's all in the math folks. Do the steps as shown and then sleep well knowing that the decision will be yours to make, knowing the facts and how to determine what you need.

Jack

[Bgibbs]

What about all the oncoming traffic you blind at night when not using WD hitch?

[cabinetmaker]

Originally Posted by Bgibbs

What about all the oncoming traffic you blind at night when not using WD hitch?

At night I'm sitting in the trailer at the campground. Never plan any night driving when traveling.

The Toyota Tundra actually has a headlight adjustment control on the dash for just this purpose...I sure wish they all did!

[xrvr]

My ram doesn't rise enough to blind traffic. It is set up for towing.

[StrmyWeather]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

Ok here's the scoop. For those of you new and don't know what to believe. Watch the video provided in the first link below.

http://www.rvsafety.com/rv-education...ks-to-trailers

Once you have this information down. Read the next article in the link below that talks about weight distributing hitches.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-p...on-systems.htm

These two links will give you most of the knowledge you will need to understand your tow vehicle's needs, limitations and should take most of the mystery about what you need to do regarding this topics of what vehicle to tow with and hitches. It's all in the math folks. Do the steps as shown and then sleep well knowing that the decision will be yours to make, knowing the facts and how to determine what you need.

Jack

Thanks for posting these links. Quite helpful.

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by StrmyWeather

Thanks for posting these links. Quite helpful.

Remember this thread is about towing with large over half ton tv when reading those links.

[crispyboy]

OK I'll take the bait, since the OP has "stirred the pot".

I have tow the Airstream both with and without WD/Sway set up on my 7400 lb 3/4 ton diesel truck. I will take with WD/Sway EVERYDAY!!!!
Sure the truck would do it but there are differences......... With WD/sway the whole set up rides better, more controllable/predictable in cross winds, bad roads, no headlights blinding other drivers, glides over dips in the road instead of porpoising, the list goes on. Besides cost there are no negatives. There are host of potential negatives not using the correct equipment. It can be done but why not dial some safety and predictability into your travels. This equipment also assists less adept drivers in arriving safely of which there is no shortage of those on the road.
In a way it seems tougher to set up a proper anti-sway hitch with a truck that has a 3000 to 5000 lb payload mostly because I don't have faith in a friction bar setup.

And FYI I do pull utility trailers loaded down with farm equipment, hay etc... and without WD but this is typically done locally sub 50 miles from home where conditions are conducive. It is a different story when your crossing the country and are likely to encounter many different scenarios (weather events, road hazards, other drivers), some safety equipment should be used.

[SteveSueMac]

OP may be right in some cases. Not mine though. Looking back at some old cat scale tix - my 2500 Diesel and 27FB reacted as follows:

Truck alone:
Steer 4620
Drive 3280

Add trailer no WD applied:
Steer 4120 (-500)
Drive 4860 (+1580)

Apply WD:
Steer 4400 (>50% FALR)
Drive 4460

And those are old tickets. Newer ones after having the hitch adjusted at Colonial got the steer to almost 100% FALR and I forget the impact on the drive. Can't find pics of those ones...

Point being - perhaps a 3/4T isn't a big truck in the OP's view but it is to me and I still value the WD hitch to balance the load somewhat - and the sway control is a must, IMO - like insurance, you don't need it until you need it.