Weight Dist. Hitch

[PaulCreamer]

I tow a Prowler 29 S (approx. 5500 lbs. ), and I recently bought a 3500 dually. Aside from sway control, I'm looking for opinions on weather or not I need to purchase a drop and build a weight distributing hitch, or can I get by with a much cheaper standard drop with a 2 3/4 in. ball?



Thanks for the help

 

[klenger]

I don't see any point in a WD hitch with that much truck and a light trailer. I towed a 4000 Trailite TT with my 1st 2500 and just had a simple drop bar and an anti-sway bar and it worked fine. the point of the WD bar is to bring the tow vehicle back to level with the trailer hitched up. The 3500 will drop so little, there will be nothing to level. Other's opinion may varry.

 

[DBCooper]

I have about the same wieght trailer as you and a 2500 with air bags, so spring bars aren't needed for the truck to sit level. Tounge weight is about 900# (front kitchen). My Draw-Tite hitch says 500# without spring bars, so I run them. I can tell a difference with them on. I don't know how much of a difference the dual wheels on the 3500s make with this stuff, I guess a bit, but you would probably be over your hitch heads weight without them. Some insurance companies won't cover TTs over a certain weight without the spring bars either, so to be safe I run them.

Also, make sure your trailer doesn't have a 2 5/16 coupler on it before you go out and get that 2 3/4 inch ball.

For what it's worth, I doubt you could find a standard non weight distributing dropped hitch with the weight capacity you need. My 6" drop only has a 500# tounge cap. and a 5000# trialer on it. Just not enough extra room for safety for me. Hope this helps.

Dan

 

[GFoley]

Paul,



Most 2" drawbars are only rated at 6,000 lbs. Once you start to need more drop the rating takes a dive. Be sure to check the rating on the tow ball as well.

If you want to tow heavier weight without the WD hitch I would suggest going to a 2 1/2" receiver. These drawbars are rated much higher and readily accept larger shanked balls with the higher weigh rating. I haven't priced a 2 1/2" setup lately but it might be less expensive and easier to buy a WD hitch. That way you would be ready to handle heavier loads as well.



Glenn



I think Reese makes a 2 1/2" receiver called the TITAN.

 

[Crowhurst]

Paul, when you hitch the trailer, the back of the truck goes down, but, more importantly, the front of the truck goes up, lightening the steering, just when you want maximum steering control. I measure from the ground to the front wheel arch before hitching a new trailer, then hitch the trailer, then apply increasing WD tension until the front measurement is less than or at least equal to the original measurement. The problem is caused because the hitch pin weight is behind the rear axle. When the truck without a trailer is loaded heavy in the bed, the centre of gravity of the load will probably be in front of the rear axle, so the front will go down, causing no problem to the steering. Good luck. Nick.

 

[PaulCreamer]

Sounds like I need to build a WD hitch to be on the safe side.

I did not realize that the weight rating dropped along with the increased drop. I can't imagine that with the heavy cummins and 4 wheel drive that weight loss over the steer axle would be much of an issue. But, I have seen a few roll overs because of people not being smart about tung weight. I'd hate like heck to wreck a vacation, tick off my wife, and scratch any paint on the new truck just in the name of saving a few bucks on the right hitch.

Imagine the tung lashen that I'd get from momma



Thanks all

 

[EnLjones]

Get one

I think you are pushing really close to the max numbers with your tonque weight, but something else that no one has mentioned yet and that is the spring bars on the weight hitch also help prevent/reduce the porpussing effect that you can get from some of our fine highways. Add a little wind and a passing "big rig" and the next thing you know... for the relatively small expensive it's the only way to go.



Ed

 

[scotmartin]

As stiff as your 3500 is, and as light as the trailer is, porposing should not be an issue.



Scot

 

[Fireman]

OR

Just get a fifth wheel and forget those &*$#@% springbars.



Well, that's what I did.



Fireman

 

[PaulCreamer]

Great Idea!

But, I need to pay down the Dually some first :{

(that is the master plan tho )

 

[Prairie Dog]

If you buy a new adjustable drop hitch make sure you go for the solid steel type. I bought one of the cheap, hollow ones (rated 600/6000)and it bends when I hook up the TT which has about 550 lbs of tongue weight (weighs 4500 total).

Anybody nearby have a used solid adj. drawbar they want to sell?

I would consider the whole WDH settup too.

Please PM me if you do.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

I pull a 35' TT that weighs 8,500 lbs (gross) with a 900 lb tongue weight that I tow on a ball with a friction sway controller. You cannot do this with a stock hitch because as said above it's rated to 500/5000 weight carrying. I have a Draw tite ultra frame class V that is rated to 1,000 lb tongue weight/10,000 lb trailer weight weight carrying. I'm also using their 8" drop that is rated to 1,000/10,000 and a ball rated to 10,000. With a single friction sway controller I have no problems towing with it at all. I just towed it in 40 mph gusty direct crosswinds on the way to thunder in muncie and it towed great. I've towed my trailer ~6,000 miles in all kinds of conditions. I've only stopped once because of wind and that was a day when there were sustained winds of 40 mph gusting to 60 mph and I was going to be running in a direct cross wind for 2 hours. Semi's were pulling off the road as well. If you get it set up properly you will have no problem towing that 4,500 lb trailer (even with the stock hitch unless the tongue weight is over 500 lbs). My truck is a 2500 btw.