Weight distribution hitch

[kohana]

Hi all
I am thinking on putting my 5th wheel on a permanent summer site and getting a small TT to still be able to travel some.
I’m thinking on a 18-21 foot rig. I will tow it with my 3/4tn Ram diesel. Do I want/need a weight distribution hitch?
Also other than the gross wt advantage do I want single or double axel?
Thanks for any information as I have only towed a 5th wheel
Kohana

[deltabravo]

kohana wrote:
Hi all
I am thinking on putting my 5th wheel on a permanent summer site and getting a small TT to still be able to travel some.
I’m thinking on a 18-21 foot rig. I will tow it with my 3/4tn Ram diesel. Do I want/need a weight distribution hitch?
Also other than the gross wt advantage do I want single or double axel?
Thanks for any information as I have only towed a 5th wheel
Kohana

For a trailer that size, I'd want a dual axle. I'm not sure I've ever seen something 18+ feet long that was only single axle.

WD Hitch - yes.
My experience: I've done 4 trips so far this year with my 3500HD dually towing a Nash 17k. I hadn't reinstalled the torsion bar clips after winter projects, so 3 of the 4 trips were without the WD Hitch. The ride was somewhat annoying, so last weekend I reinstalled them and used the WD Hitch. The ride was much better. All 4 trips were the same route.

[Les_Balty]

Just got a Springdale 1750RD. Towed with my F250 SD without WD hitch. Tows great. A lot easier than 40' Montana. The Springdale is our run about (man cave, fishing cabin). The Springdale is a single axle trailer too! Hardly know it's there.

[JIMNLIN]

You can always buy a WD hitch after a trip or two if you feel the combo needs one.

Having pulled 14'-16' 10k enclosed trailers too and from changing job sites for hundreds of thousands of miles no way I would mess with a single axle trailer.
Our first enclosed trailers were single axle but myself and other drivers who pulled them didn't like them so I switched to tandem axle trailers. Cargo/enclosed trailers were used as our job site tool trailers.
Two axle/4 wheels braking.
Much longer service life from 4 tires vs 2 tires.
The tandem axle trailers required less hitch weight for a good ride.
Much less worries about load balance. We pulled these trailers with our 3/4 and one ton DRW trucks and I can tell you a 10k single axle enclosed trailer make for a kidney pounding ride if the trailer wasn't loaded just right. Tandem axle trailers cured that issue.

I would suggest a tandem axle trailer.

[BarabooBob]

I tow a 17' single axle behind my supercrew long bed F150 and do not need a WDH. The trailer is light and the truck is long. With a larger, heavier TT I would get the WDH.

[rexlion]

When I switched from 2 axle to single axle trailers, my nail and screw penetration incidents were reduced to about 1/5 of previous. Seemed like the front tires would kick the little buggers upright and the rear tires would get stabbed.

I don't generally use WD or sway control with a 16' or 17' trailer, but with a 20' or longer it might be more advisable to have some sway control. In any event you want to make sure hitch weight is 10%-15% of total trailer weight, and this "should" keep sway from happening.

[myredracer]

At the very least, receivers usually have a 500 lb max rating without a WDH. Maybe you *could* get away without one but may find it tows better and driving is more comfortable with one. A basic round bar WDH doesn't cost much and isn't hard to set up and unhook/hook up.

Our first TT was 20' and had dual axles and weighed 5,000 lbs fully loaded. I wouldn't get a single axle trailer unless you were weight restricted and towed with a small SUV. Note that factory dry weights should be ignored and when shopping, go by the GVWR and use 12-13% for tongue wt. Then take it to a scale after you own it.

[philh]

on a 3/4t Probably not. I'd guess I'm every bit of 600 lbs on my 1/2 ton. It tows fine without WD, but it does make it a little bit better handling.

[Lwiddis]

General rule is you should have a WDH if the TT weighs 50% or more of the TV. Double axles have lots of advantages. Easy tire changes are one.

[GrandpaKip]

You probably won’t need one, but I would.
For that size trailer, look into an Andersen Hitch. More expensive than standard bars but worth it down the road.

[boogie_4wheel]

I run one with my short TH with a ~1000lb tongue. The WD helps with the porpoising when going over rough road such as bridge transitions or frost heaves.

My '05 has a soft sprung rear axle. The rough spots in the road aren't a white knuckle experience, just bouncy, similar to having worn shocks.

[colliehauler]

As long as you don't exceed the weight rating of the hitch on the truck. Will the ride in the truck be improved with a WD hitch, yes.

I did the same thing and have a large seasonal and bought a small 17 foot trailer to travel. I tow with a F-350 Diesel. My tongue weight is extremely heavy for a 17 foot trailer at 1250# and requires a WD hitch.

You can try it without (as long as receiver weight is not exceeded) and see if it's satisfactory. I use a WD hitch with sway control and feel it's worth it for the improved ride on a long trip.

[CharlesinGA]

I do not have a lot of experience but feel you do need the weight distribution and sway control. It will help prevent "chucking" of the trailer and give you a smoother ride, compared to a trailer on a ball and nothing more.

Charles