WDH or not

[bill32]

Since your trailer is only about 26 ft long. and weighs only 6700 lbs, your F-350 probably doesn't even know its pulling anything. Your tongue weight is likely around 600-800-lbs, again, not an issue for the F-350. However, it can't hurt to have a sway bar on the hitch. if nothing else, it will keep the trailer from pushing you around when big rigs pass by.

[Bunker]

All pickups have requirements for the use of a weight-distributing hitch when towing trailered loads greater than 5,000 pounds. Heavy-duty pickups are no exception.

Weighing to check your axle loading may be a surprise to you too..My level truck/trailer combo was automatically leveled by the factory air suspension in my Ram. It all looked great and level, but the Ram rear axle was way over GAW with my 6500 GVW Shamrock 23SS....Using a chain-type WDH, I was able to easily adjust and weigh several configurations to get the best weight transfer over the truck and trailer and to lessen the truck's rear axle load under the gross loading weight..The WDH does work magic, but I had to to shut off the four corner air on my Ram for the baseline setup..

The biggest noticeable difference was the near absence of the pogo effect over dips. with the stiffening of the hitch ball/socket connection.Much better.

Check your door frame sticker specs and then go to a CAT scale to find out what is actually going on with your rig as I did.. I would rather be compliant to Motor Vehicle laws than be liable if an accident occurs and I am not in spec..

As they say, "Your mileage may vary"..

[ADVtraveller]

I apologize in advance if this had been brought up, because I didn't read the whole thread and my comments my have been mentioned.
I'm definitely no pro, but have been pulling trailers for work and play since 1978. I've learned a couple things:
>Get a WDH.
>The more "balanced " a trailer is, as in: "It was so balanced you could lift the trailer and place in on the ball by hand".... the worse the sway will be.
>Tail heavy trailers will kill.
>You must have some substantial weight on the tongue to transfer to the TV for safety and sway reduction.
>Never rely on TV electronic sway control .
>When towing, make gradual and slow adjustments in braking and steering. You may have to run that squirrel over that dashes into the road. Simply to save your rig and life. Quick movements while towing will end bad. Get used to slow and gradual. Swerve at speed, and your done.
>Get a WDH.

Drive safely. We're all out there too.

[BigH]

Originally Posted by Bunker

All pickups have requirements for the use of a weight-distributing hitch when towing trailered loads greater than 5,000 pounds.

...

Crazy talk...

GM HD's: double cab short box...wdh not required until 1500lbs tongue weight. Add a long box to that configuration and it isn't required until 2000lbs on the tongue.

If you play with this calculator it will become apparent why the change between the two trucks when adding length.

https://www.engineersedge.com/calcul...e_levers_1.htm

[emoney]

+1 on the loading the trailer appropriately AFTER you know the true weights. I’m a firm believer that everyone pulling a trailer, regardless of TV, needs to find a CAT scale and see for themselves what the unit weighs and how much weight is on each axle. My particular unit came out of the factory rear axle heavy because of the rear bed slide. It was In the design. Knowing that by seeing the actual weights helps me to know to load the tongue heavy because sway often starts in the rear. Having said all of that, recently just spent time watching trailer flip videos and each one I saw that you could tell, driver seemed to be going far too fast and I didn’t see one WDH. Now obviously that was only a sampling but enough info to confirm my use of the WDH. It should also be pointed out that each person towing is also responsible for knowing the speed rating of their trailer tires. Going 80mph on C rated tires is on you, not the trailer or tire maker. Your results may vary.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by BigH

Crazy talk...

GM HD's: double cab short box...wdh not required until 1500lbs tongue weight. Add a long box to that configuration and it isn't required until 2000lbs on the tongue.

If you play with this calculator it will become apparent why the change between the two trucks when adding length.

https://www.engineersedge.com/calcul...e_levers_1.htm

Part of Nebraska law on towing.
Another example, one popular pick-up truck has a tow rating of 10,300 pounds (4,600kg). But in the owner's manual, it specifies that a sway control device be used for trailers weighing over 2,000 pounds (900 kg) and that a weight-distributing hitch is required for trailers over 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg). If the vehicle owner tows a 6,000-pound (2700 kg) trailer without a weight-distributing hitch and ends up in an accident, the owner will be held liable for not complying with the towing requirements in Nebraska.

[waybeck2018]

Use both. Better safe than sorry. My F 250 also has sway control feature but I also use the Equilizer .

[Bunker]

Crazy Talk, Big H?

Fulcrums and vectors and leverage and engineering charts have little to do with my absolute gross rear axle weight rating that was manufacturer-certified for my Ram, and what I found when hitched up and CAT measured. I think that Nebraska is among the majority of states that comply with Federal Highway Towing Standards.. If you get by without any issues and have no WDH in use, good for you..I am glad that your own super duper heavy duty kryptonite-powered truck can somehow avoid the motor vehicle towing laws and be an exception in so many states.

For me, I will comply and avoid any added liability, as well as avoid any excessive rear axle loading and warranty exclusions..

[BigH]

Originally Posted by Bunker

Crazy Talk, Big H?

Fulcrums and vectors and leverage and engineering charts have little to do with my absolute gross rear axle weight rating that was manufacturer-certified for my Ram, and what I found when hitched up and CAT measured.

The formula works great...Are we talking about everyone, every truck, every state or your truck?
You made a blanket statement:

All pickups have requirements for the use of a weight-distributing hitch when towing trailered loads greater than 5,000 pounds. Heavy-duty pickups are no exception.

Required by who? Not the manufacturers...I checked every state I traveled in this year (more than 10) and didn't find any laws about wdh. Lots on brakes and speed... Maybe Nebraska has such a law but that does not validate your blanket statement.

I think that Nebraska is among the majority of states that comply with Federal Highway Towing Standards..

I searched this and found nothing...did you just make that up? Not only was there nothing I could find but there is no way that Ford/GM/Ram/etc. would have language in their manuals that would move them out of compliance with some federal standard. Prove me wrong. I'm calling BS on a federal wdh standand...states having different standards...sure.

No need to get all butthurt. I'm up for learning something new but you will have to prove it and not just 'think it'.

[H-Allen]

I am trying to buy a RV with about 900 lb. hitch wgt. The dealer sells equlizers up to 800 lb. He says that is big enough but I don't think so. Any thoughts on this will be appreciated.
Thanks

[youroo]

Originally Posted by BigH

The formula works great...Are we talking about everyone, every truck, every state or your truck?
You made a blanket statement:

Required by who? Not the manufacturers...I checked every state I traveled in this year (more than 10) and didn't find any laws about wdh. Lots on brakes and speed... Maybe Nebraska has such a law but that does not validate your blanket statement.



I searched this and found nothing...did you just make that up? Not only was there nothing I could find but there is no way that Ford/GM/Ram/etc. would have language in their manuals that would move them out of compliance with some federal standard. Prove me wrong. I'm calling BS on a federal wdh standand...states having different standards...sure.

No need to get all butthurt. I'm up for learning something new but you will have to prove it and not just 'think it'.

Big H,and I have the same truck and hitch so I crawled under my truck and sure enough there Backwards is the decal that says "1500 max TW without WDH" in the past/old days the decal said "500 max without WDH"! I still use my Reese DC! Youroo! !

[emoney]

Originally Posted by H-Allen

I am trying to buy a RV with about 900 lb. hitch wgt. The dealer sells equlizers up to 800 lb. He says that is big enough but I don't think so. Any thoughts on this will be appreciated.
Thanks

I have a feeling if that particular Dealer had none he'd say, "you don't really need one at all" or if he had only 1200lb'ers, he'd say "you HAVE to have 1200lbs regardles of what the manufacturer says". End of the day, he's just trying to sell what he's got. Get the appropriate bars that match/exceed the TW of the trailer and rest easier.

[timfromma]

Originally Posted by H-Allen

I am trying to buy a RV with about 900 lb. hitch wgt. The dealer sells equlizers up to 800 lb. He says that is big enough but I don't think so. Any thoughts on this will be appreciated.
Thanks

The dealer either doesn't know what they are talking about or is out right lying to you. These hitches have weight ratings on them for a reason.

[Bunker]

My source:

https://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/to...-still-needed/

My 1500 owners manual says 5K and up towing must have a WDH..I have Class IV and added WDH only since I found the CAT scale showed my overloaded rear axle..Just looking at the air-suspension leveled truck and trailer, I had no idea.

Exceeding FHWA gross axle weight is a ticketable violation, NOT easily caught for travel trailers of course, but more importantly to me, I didn't want to trash wheel or axle bearings on a trip..

States use the FHWA guidelines with some variations, yes.. I retired from the Colorado DOT as a traffic engineer and saw variables galore from State to State. In in my decades of traffic work and attending nearby State seminars, IMSA and FHWA policy meetings, I saw that many signage, signals, weight limits and striping requirements are not fully standardized in the West....

If your gross axle weights are under factory limits, you are good to go in any event. I think that is the over-riding concern with any real world WDH necessity.

Have a great trip.

[llr]

Interesting, the article is very inconsistent, several places it says all over 5000, one spot says many HD are 8500 and the chart shows same conventional or WDH for GM/Chevy.

the article is also from 2015 and from the comments it sounds like more don't require WDH now.

I have a 2014 Chevy 2500 and it is not required, however I believe it is a good idea and use one. I may skip it for short drives on local roads but I haven't tried without yet.

[CurtPutnam]

Just reading the owner's manual for my new Chevy 2500 HD and saw that a WDH is required above a certain weight. Since I'm going to use a WDH, I didn't note the number.

[BigH]

Originally Posted by Bunker

My source:

https://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/to...-still-needed/

My 1500 owners manual says 5K and up towing must have a WDH..I have Class IV and added WDH only since I found the CAT scale showed my overloaded rear axle..Just looking at the air-suspension leveled truck and trailer, I had no idea.

Exceeding FHWA gross axle weight is a ticketable violation, NOT easily caught for travel trailers of course, but more importantly to me, I didn't want to trash wheel or axle bearings on a trip..

States use the FHWA guidelines with some variations, yes.. I retired from the Colorado DOT as a traffic engineer and saw variables galore from State to State. In in my decades of traffic work and attending nearby State seminars, IMSA and FHWA policy meetings, I saw that many signage, signals, weight limits and striping requirements are not fully standardized in the West....

If your gross axle weights are under factory limits, you are good to go in any event. I think that is the over-riding concern with any real world WDH necessity.

Have a great trip.

Sir, I'm confused, if you wanted that article to lend credence to your claim...It even states that a wdh is not required for GM half tons until above the weight you claimed...further yet for HD trucks. Nor did it say anything about any Federal Highway Towing Standards

Furthermore, this authors opinion...is exactly that, his opinion.

I'll stick with the manual for the truck I tow with.

[Bunker]

You are exactly right, Big H.. I respectfully defer to your learned experiences and I am suitably humbled and appreciate your corrections to my illogically acquired knowledge. Thank you very much.

Tow vehicle rear axle weight overloading should not be of any concern to anyone towing a large hitched trailer. Right? Got it..No need to spend the bucks at a CAT scale. Silly me!

Thank you..
Enjoy your trips.

[Dustyhd]

BigH is correct, all the big 3 put big numbers up for weight carrying ratings on 3/4 ton and up trucks. This has come about after the implementation of the SAE j2807 towing standard. If trailer stability is sufficient at the speeds required no WDH or sway control is needed. Many don’t understand why this is so, not singling anyone out but this comes from the lack of knowledge on the subject.

[Bunker]

I think you missed my point..I believe that the SAE J2807 standard relates to acceleration, braking, handling, engine cooling factors and other parameters, not to weight distribution across all axles or the need for a WDH.... Am I wrong? I thought that standard mostly applied to 3/4 ton and heavier vehicles to determine maximum trailer towing weight per specific manufacturer vehicle towing configurations .

My need for a WDH was due to the truck's rear axle weight overload without the WDH, especially after my adding group 27 batteries and an inverter in a toolbox mounted on the tongue, adding 210 pounds more up front. The original question was whether a WDH was needed, and my central point was to weigh the rig to see, rather than take guesses from folks without knowing actual loaded specifics..

Thank you all for your replies and comments..