WD Hitch - Necessary?

[V2rider]

Thanks. I guess my next question is a WD/Sway hitch (Andersen makes a nice unit, my in law has one). They are about 450-500 bucks. I didn't use one with the 26ft Trail Light, but that was a 4k lb trailer. This one is like 5300, not including my Arctic Cat in at another 800, but it is a front loading trailer which IMO helps. I have a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500HD with 4.56 gears and a souped up Hemi, so it pulls it like nothing. I know I have plenty of truck as it has a 12000lb tow rating, and I have added a sway bar to the rear of my truck, along with gas charged HD shocks, 2" front lift and an Add a leaf (the gears add some tow rating, just not sure how much). It squats about ZERO, and rides like a hay wagon"bouncey:, but I like my truck to handle alot of weight. Do you think a 3 hour trip on a freeway will warrant a WD or is this a wait and see type deal.

[SLIMSHADIE]

I know others will chime in, but I didnt use a wd hitch my first year pulling my 8k TT. My truck pulled it like it wasnt even back there. It did squat about 3" though. So later that year I read that our factory tow receivers are only rated for 500-600 lbs or 1000-1200 lbs with a wd hitch. Well my tongue weight on my 8k camper could be 10-15% or 800-1200 lbs. Way over factory specs,last thing i need is the TT passing me down the highway. So i ordered the reese dual cam wd hitch, from etrailer.com, 1200 in my case. It actaully rides better with the wd hitch. Also glad I opted for the built in antisway, i went thru a really bad storm one time and another trip we had a real bad crosswind for 2 1/2 hours. Handled like a dream.

So you didnt say if your 5300 lbs was dry or loaded, also adding 800 lbs, especially in the front. Well your tongue weight is going to be 10-15% of at least 6100 lbs, which is 610-915 lbs. Your overweight for your factory receiver! Food for thought.

[SteveC7010]

Slim is right. Most of the Keystone product line exceeds the specs for the factory standard receivers for weight carrying. My Dodge duallie came from MoPar with a receiver rated at 10,000/1,000 for weight distributing, but only 5,000/500 for weight carrying.

I see so many people who just toss a drawbar and ball in the receiver and drop a 900# tongue connected to a 8,000# trailer and drive all over the place. These receivers are not rated for the big trailers unless weight distribution is used.

For some strange reason, the manufacturers have been putting Class III receivers on trucks and SUV's as part of the standard towing packages. That may have changed in the last few years, but we had a long discussion on this same issue over on the Sunline Club just a couple of years ago and it was the norm for everyone's truck at the time.

Class IV hitches are rated 12,000/1,200 and 10,000/1,000 which is a lot better for most of the Keystone trailers. And the Class V's are even heftier.

[SAABDOCTOR]

HI THERE YOU LEGALY NEED A WD HITCH THE FACTORY HITCH IS NOT RATED TO CARRY THAT LOAD W/ WD. YOU MY GET AWAY WITH IT BUT IF YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT YOU JUST MAY GIVE YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY A WAY OUT AND THE LAWYERS A WAY IN JUST NOT WOTH IT. DO IT ONCE DO IT RIGHT!:thumbsup:

[allentx1]

I have towed with and without a WD/Sway hitch. I can tell you that it is more of a pain to hitch up and depending on which model, unhook the sway bars before backing in can suck. The Reese "cam" style are really just noisy. BUT having towed without on a 34 foot trailer, I will not tow one again without. Too damn scary to be wiggling at highway speeds. I have a 5'er now so no real worries anymore. Just my $.02

[JoeofNSB]

I will chime in with allentx1 on this one. I have used the Equalizer and it is easy to back in (doesn't require unhooking) but is also noisy. V2rider - I sent you a couple of PM's. Did you get them???

[golfpro]

don't know about the guys answering this post, I can only speak for myself. I have been towing trailers since the 60's and I would not pull a TT with out one. My way of thinking is if you don't want to use a WDH then get a 5th wheel. Have you measured the truck front and back before and after hooking up. Have you check the weight capabilities of the hitch on the truck for weight comparison? WDH is just like a transmission cooler, a necessary item. I had an old friend who has been long gone, he told me he would not drive across the street with out a cooler installed on the truck, towing or not. I feel the same way on this matter.

[f6bits]

Now that I have a trailer, I check out other people’s towing setups and am shocked to see heavy trailers with no WD more often than with WD.

[hankaye]

sdayman, Howdy;

Yea, scarey ain't it ...

hankaye

[gilnutz]

Like golfpro said measure your truck front and rear and make sure you factory hitch can handle the load. I personally feel the hitches are simple to hook up once configured and the Reese Cam is awesome. It is one noisey when turning sharp corners and you can back up with ease. The main reason for the WD hitch is to transfer the load to your front wheels.

[SAABDOCTOR]

I'mwith you hakaye it is scary watching a trailer sway allover the road. If I amtowing i back way off. If I am without a load. get on the go peddel and pass him. That way I don't have to watch hahaha"bouncey:

[Oscar]

OK, Im guilty.... I have left the WD hitch at home a few times. On the long trips I hook it up, and frankly, I'm not able to tell much of a difference. But, the legality aspect is a valid one.

[Bob Landry]

Even if you have a 3/4 ton truck and you are within payload, towing, and rear axle ratings with your trailer, you are still removing weight from the front end that affects handling and needs to be replaced. You may not notice anything in normal conditions and on dry roads, but that is not always the real towing world.