cancel
Showing results forย 
Search instead forย 
Did you mean:ย 

You don't know...

ken56
Explorer
Explorer
what you don't know. For all the newbies on here this is my experience in hitches. Bought our new trailer and Equal-izer hitch from a high volume dealer. Trailer is 10k gvwr and 1286 brochure tongue weight. Dealer sold me a 10/1k Equal-izer brand hitch. Because of this forum and the wisdom within I got to thinking my hitch was undersized (you think?).


Well we have been towing with this hitch for the past 16 months with about 6k miles on it and while it has worked I knew there was a better experience to be found. I upgraded to the Equal-izer 14k/1400 hitch and have just returned from having it set up at a good reputable dealer, not the people I purchased from.


I can tell you there is a BIG difference. Bumps are smoother, no wiggle when trucks pass and just plain more stable. I know, I should have caught the undersized hitch issue from the start but I didn't. My bad, and I paid for it. An expensive lesson I hope my story helps someone else avoid.
22 REPLIES 22

hawkeye-08
Explorer II
Explorer II
The hitch on many vehicles have much higher limits when WDH is used vs dead weight.

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
Hallelujah. The last page of discussion is the most rational discussion I've ever seen on this website regarding WDHs.
Yes, in some situations they are preferred or even necessary to safely pull a trailer, BUT....
Take away the TTs that are poorly balanced/loaded and the lighter duty tow rigs that don't have the suspension or axle capacity and the need for them virtually disappears.

WDHs are about 98% a device solely used with travel trailers, yet TTs only account for a small % of the overall number of similar size trailers pulled every day. That in itself says something.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

burningman
Explorer
Explorer
I use an Equal-I-Zer wdh with my diesel dually partly just because it makes it virtually impossible for the trailer to ever come off the coupler.
I like being really, really sure that doesnโ€™t happen!

Weight distributing hitches are not a universally bad idea.
The trailer tongue weight has a see-saw effect and it can make the front end too light.
If you use a hitch extension this is amplified. A lot.

The vehicles that work well without a wdh are very nose-heavy diesel pickups, especially if empty other than the trailer. Theyโ€™ve already got too much of their weight up front and not enough in the rear. Thatโ€™s why they balance out without the wdh.
Thatโ€™s what weโ€™re seeing examples of here in this thread.

Hitch that same trailer to a single-cab short box with a gas engine and youโ€™ll be singing the praises of a wdh!
Lighter vehicles and vehicles that arenโ€™t so extremely nose-heavy benefit greatly from a wdh. They get too light in the front with a heavy trailer behind.

When my heavy camper is on, Iโ€™ve already got all the rear axle weight I want to have.
Transferring some up forward is a good thing.

It all depends...
2017 Northern Lite 10-2 EX CD SE
99 Ram 4x4 Dually Cummins
A whole lot more fuel, a whole lot more boost.
4.10 gears, Gear Vendors overdrive, exhaust brake
Built auto, triple disc, billet shafts.
Kelderman Air Ride, Helwig sway bar.

Hannibal
Explorer
Explorer
Just for gits and shiggles.

https://youtu.be/iQwahPcx8tk
2020 F250 STX CC SB 7.3L 10spd 3.55 4x4
2010 F250 XLT CC SB 5.4L 5spdTS 3.73
ex '95 Cummins,'98 12v Cummins,'01.5 Cummins,'03 Cummins; '05 Hemi
2017 Jayco 28RLS TT 32.5'

demiles
Explorer
Explorer
A well designed and properly load trailer attached to a adequate TV doesnโ€™t necessarily need a WDH with sway control. Itโ€™s critical speed will be well above normal highway speeds though the addition of a WDH with minimal tension and a bit extra sway control isnโ€™t a bad idea. Some get lucky and theyโ€™re combination tows well, many lack the knowledge to put one together and depend on TV commercials for education.
2008 Jayco G2 28RBS
2016 Nissan XD 5.0L Cummins

campigloo
Explorer
Explorer
Yeah beenthere it sounded better during writing. It was supposed to sound a little sarcastic but failed miserably. The point is, there is a real reason for using wdh. Just dropping a trailer with 1000+ lbs of tongue weight on a ball is just not a good idea. Engineers put ratings on all kinds of things to let the end user know what it can and what it cannot handle. Users can ignore them if they want to but just because Iโ€™ve done it for years doesnโ€™t make it a good idea.

ken56
Explorer
Explorer
People are lazy beings. Taking time to "properly load" a trailer is generally not observed. Weight ratings are meaningless. Ball only pulling might not be for amatures for large and heavy trailers let alone exceeding those weight limits. I know I have a better experience towing when I use my WDH. I have towed short distances without using it and I know the difference. To each his own, just don't be a danger to others.

Beentherefixedt
Explorer
Explorer
campigloo wrote:
Engineers are all in the weight distribution hitch business. They put all of those load ratings on hitches and balls just to keep their stock prices up. Itโ€™s an industry wide conspiracy.


I am not sure I get what your point is...But let me add this:

The engineering department is not the Marketing department, they do not set prices. Generally the engineering department is given a set of criteria, Price point, Cost, Ease of assy. and Safety Factor etc. And they go about designing the product to meet those criteria.

In the case of these types of hitches, this in reality is what I would call "1st Grade Engineering", ie. it's not rocket science, no FEA (Finite Element Analysis) is required...it is the most basic of engineering skills, materials, mechanics and economics. Even the means of productions is dead simple in these cases. What you have in reality in these hitches could have been designed by any competent non-degreed Mechanical Designer.

There is recognition that a huge market exists for these products especially if they can be sold through advertising that emphasizes Fear. (Your Safety Depends on this!) Which is patently false. But it sells. And the engineers have nothing to do with that decision.

campigloo
Explorer
Explorer
Engineers are all in the weight distribution hitch business. They put all of those load ratings on hitches and balls just to keep their stock prices up. Itโ€™s an industry wide conspiracy.

Hannibal
Explorer
Explorer
Can't disagree with that. I too prefer a ball alone when possible. The only reason I use WD is to satisfy the hitch receiver rating on our F250. I've seen many travel trailers show up at dealerships with no WD used by the delivery vehicle. Never seen a new TT with any signs WD had been used.
2020 F250 STX CC SB 7.3L 10spd 3.55 4x4
2010 F250 XLT CC SB 5.4L 5spdTS 3.73
ex '95 Cummins,'98 12v Cummins,'01.5 Cummins,'03 Cummins; '05 Hemi
2017 Jayco 28RLS TT 32.5'

Beentherefixedt
Explorer
Explorer
This is a long standing issue that comes up here often.

I am not a fan of the so called Weight Distribution systems, or as they are called sometimes Anti Sway systems, for most correctly matched vehicles.

I have more than 40 Thousand miles of hauling my 34 ft TT all over North America from the tip of the Baja Peninsula to Alaska (twice) and from the west coast to the Eastern shore of MD and all the way around the south coast.

At NO TIME did I ever feel the need for a weight dist. system. My truck is a Ram 2500TDsl

Now as contrast I just was hauling new RV,s for Horizon Transport for delivery to dealers and they require you to use the Weight Dist System.

My experience is this: After having driven both with and without the Weight Dist. system I find the ride and handling is actually better WITHOUT it. Now I have driven my trailer in winter conditions here in the lower 48 as well as Canada and March on the Alaska Highway...Definitely winter at that point on that road. I am not a summer vacation once a year driver of my trailer.

I contend that if you balance the trailer properly and DRIVE IT PROPERLY these add-ons are unnecessary. And in fact they may lead to a false sense of security that will ultimately cause you problems.

Now the RV haulers have a point about the dist system their reasoning is that since you are hauling an EMPTY trailer these help keep it on the ground and they may be right about that. But I certainly never needed it to distribute weight.

Now there are certain vehicle combinations which DO benefit from the WD sytems. But I believe they are rare. IE cars and SUV's hauling larger trailers.

My advice to newbies is this: Learn to load and balance your trailer properly and drive it properly...you drive it, it doesnt drive you. This one $300 add-on will not save you if you cannot understand how to properly drive a trailer in the first place.

Bedlam
Moderator
Moderator
I went through a learning curve with my first weight distribution hitch, but caught some things early and had the dealer upgrade my hitch to a heavier model. It still required me learn how to properly install and adjust the hitch because the setup from the dealer was poorly done. I was luck that it did not cost me money or safety, but it did cost me time...

Host Mammoth 11.5 on Ram 5500 HD

goducks10
Explorer
Explorer
Live N Learn, we've all been there done that.

mkirsch
Nomad II
Nomad II
Also, it's not "ENGINEERING..."

It's PERFORMANCE. When the rig performs well, handles well, accelerates well, brakes well, you're not worried about it being safe because it is safe. Run things right to the ragged edge of the limits and beyond, performance suffers, and you suffer.

Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.