Toyota Tundra - Weight Distribution Hitch Question
Just purchased a 2013 19' International
GVW 4500lbs
hitch weight 550 lbs without cargo and water
I will be towing with a 2010 V8 5.7L Toyota Tundra with factory tow package
I have towed small boat trailers and a tent camper in the past without a weight distribution hitch but they were lighter. I have no experience with weight distribution hitches and I want to travel safely. I am wondering if I really need a weight distribution hitch with this size trailer.
Are any of you using a similar tow vehicle with a weight distribution hitch (type?) and are you satisfied with it?
2005 39' Land Yacht 390 XL 396
Common Sense
, Texas
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 5,319
Welcome to the forum. I don't have a Tundra, or a 19 footer, but know folks that do, and they do not use a WD hitch. However, if it were me, I would use one because it would help the ride and handling of the rig.
I would only advise you to not get too big of a hitch for that weight trailer. I think you would want a hitch rated for 600 pounds of tongue weight, max.
Absolutely you need a WD hitch on this rig. The dealer you bought the trailer from should be able to sell you one and install and set it up for you. The WD hitch locks the rear of the truck to the front of the trailer in a single plane and prevents porpoising as you go over bumps. Some hitches also have sway control, which you may want, but might not be that critical on a 19 foot trailer. You may need some sort of helper springs on the truck as well if it goes down more than a couple inches with that tongue weight. I'm planning on some air helper springs when I get mine back on the road this spring.
IIRC Toyota recommends weight distribution with more then 500lb tongue weight and sway control over 3500lb trailer weight.
You can buy a WD hitch where you bought the trailer and they should be able to properly install the hitch, you must insist on the correct bars they will try to sell you what they have in stock which might DAMAGE YOUR TRAILER. The information many dealers go by states the weight rating on the bars is the max tongue weight the bars can handle and will work with any tongue weight less then that rating, this is not true with an Airstream.
They might set it up right, from my experience and what I have read you would have a 1-in-10 chance of the dealer setting it up 100% correct and if you change the load in the trailer the hitch may need to be adjusted to be correct anyway. So you should learn how to correctly setup the hitch yourself.
Regardless of the tow vehicle, I'd always recommend weight distribution. Much better to have that load spread across front and rear axles, and some to trailer just for good measure. I'd also have some sway control; it may not be vital but it's extra insurance.
__________________
Steve; also known as Mr UK Toad
2015 23' FB International
2007 19' International CCD
Steamboat Springs
, Colorado
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,019
I have this exact set-up; 19' Bambi towed with a 2010 Toyota Tundra CrewCab.
Yes; you need a WD hitch. The overall control of the tow-vehicle and trailer is vastly improved. I simply would not even consider towing without a WD hitch.
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