Does this hitch make sense for me?

[Bobdes]

I have a 2009 F150 4X4 5.4L w/tow package, and believe I need a weight distributing hitch to tow an airstream (we're thinking either the 25' or 27' flying cloud). The hitch hookup on the truck itself is rated for 10,500 w/ a weight distributing hitch. Here's what I'm looking at:

Trunnion Weight Distributing Hitches - JCWhitney


It comes with a free sway control bar, which I may not even need since my truck has sway control build in.

Would that hitch be acceptable? It has 1000 lbs tongue weight (the airstreams we are looking at are about 750 lbs) and a max tow weight of 10,000 - the trailers are under 7500.

Thanks!
Bob

[87MH]

Bob:

Welcome to the Forums!!

The Whitney hitch would be acceptable, however, if you are not in a bind you may well find a lightly used Reese Dual Cam for the same price either here in the classifieds, on e-bay, or on Craigslist.

Holiday World here in Houston currently has new Reese Dual Cams for $400.

Not knocking the Whitney hitch, but the Reese is hard to beat with the built in sway control. Even though the Fords have a "built in" sway control the Reese design really prevents sway from starting, and, if it does start, will work with the Ford brake system to control it much more quickly.

Great news on your researching these items prior to purchasing.

We are mostly all picture whores here on the Forums, so please post some more info on your rig as it materializes.

[moosetags]

First off, Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

Since you are planning to tow a 7500# + trailer with a half ton truck, you should really do some research on weight distribution/sway control hitch systems. The new Ford built-in sway control system may not be up to an 8000# trailer. You really need to check it out further.

Brian

[Bobdes]

Hi Brian. Is the f150 not an adequate towing vehicle for the trailer? The specs I am seeing are 9300 lbs. based on the 5.4L, 4X4, super cab, and axle ratio. The trailers I am looking at are 6000 - 7600 lbs GVWR (loaded weight). Seems like I should be OK there.

[wayner61]

Welcome Bob --

The biggest "gotcha" when towing with your F150 probably won't be the overall tow capacity. With any 1/2 ton, you are usually limited by the payload capacity of the truck more than anything else.

If I recall, Ford's published payload numbers are with a single 150 pound driver and 1/2 tank of fuel.

Your potential Airstream trailers will have a 700 - 800 pound tongue weight. You will need to subtract that plus the weight of any passengers, cargo and options on the truck from the payload.

With a good weight distribution set up, you will be transferring some of that tongue wt back to the trailer axles, but I wouldn't want to count on it taking much away.

There is certainly no reason you can't tow a trailer like you are thinking of with the F150, but you will need to pay attention to all the numbers, especially max payload.

As for the JC Whitney hitch - I have zero experience so I can't really tell you whether or not it is what you need.

I do tow with a Reese dual cam set-up and have been very happy.

Airstreams like a soft ride. One of the vendors that used to frequent the forum recommended 700-750 pound bars for a 1/2 Ton truck. That is what I use and I find it does the job very well. 1K bars will likely yield a very stiff ride.

Good luck! I am sure you will find all the answers you need in order to make the best decisions. There are hundreds of threads on here about various towing combinations and the associated hitch gear.

Wayne

[Lumatic]

I have not heard of anyone using a WD hitch by JC Whitney. They are known for knock off parts of less than high quality. On the other hand WD hitches in general pretty much all have the same design. I'm not sure that parts will be available for your hitch in the future.

[safari 28]

Welcome and feel free to explore my past posting on the f150. In all areas it has exceeded expectations in very difficult and demanding conditions. That being said, I use a dual cam and would not rcmd going with anything else. Other that ha-ha or pro pride, both excellent and more money, the dual cam is a proven workhorse. Get it set up correctly, and bend the bars, I am on 3 links at times and the damn thing works. It is simple, easy to unhook and most important to hook up. Much like the f150, an elegant balance of engineering/design.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Don't cut corners, the Reese reputation is well known and well worth the investment.


The auto "sway control" systems only activate AFTER the sway starts, you need to do as much as you can to prevent it.

As others have mentioned, don't forget to take into consideration the trucks payload capacity. You'll find the "stuff" adds up quick.

[Bobdes]

Thanks for all of the information!
Could someone provide me with a link of a dual cam so I can make sure of what we're talking about? Looks like they have a few different types...
Thank you.

[RLS]

One other thing to consider is your ball height. Make sure to get the right shank for it. I had to get a 6" drop shank for ours.

Bob

[ROBERT CROSS]

Seek and you will find....

Good luck


http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...trol-1296.html

reese dual cam sway control - Google Product Search

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by wayner61

Welcome Bob --

The biggest "gotcha" when towing with your F150 probably won't be the overall tow capacity. With any 1/2 ton, you are usually limited by the payload capacity of the truck more than anything else.

If I recall, Ford's published payload numbers are with a single 150 pound driver and 1/2 tank of fuel.

[deleted]

I do tow with a Reese dual cam set-up and have been very happy.
[deleted]

Wayne

Unless the JC Whitney Hitch has a brand name to go with it I would stay away from it. There is no telling who made it and where to go for support.

That said. I have been towing with a Reese dual cam for three years and 60,000 miles. I am very happy with it.

I tow my 31 classic with an F-250 Diesel. The truck is about 800 lbs heavier than a gas version. That said when I put the whole setup on truck scales. I was a little surprised. The trailer came in just shy of 9000 lbs (full water, empty holding tanks) (10,000 GVW). The truck came in just under 10,000 lbs (10,000 GVW), full fuel, without me in it, trailer attached and WD set up properly (50 lbs difference between front and rear axles).

Be careful when selecting a trailer and loading the truck.