2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Weight Distributing / Weight Carrying

[ceastmen]

I have a couple of questions about my Trailer hitch on my 2001. 5, it's rated Weight Distributing 10,000# Max Trailer Wt, & 1,000# tongue Wt.

Weight Carrying 5,000# Max Trailer Wt, & 500# Tongue Wt.

Can someone help me understand these terms?

I recently bought a 7X12,14K dump trailer, it weighs 3,340# empty and I would like to load it with 8,000# of gravel for a total of 11,340#.

From what I see I would need another hitch around 12K capacity.

I don't want to max out the trailer or my transmission, so I'll keep it under

12K.

What brands of hitches do you recommend, what installation is required?

Thanks in advance.

 

[AH64ID]

Titan makes some good hitches.



Weight carrying is without a weight distribution hitch, just a standard ball mount. This is how most trailers are towed.



Weight distribution is a hitch setup that will transfer tongue weight to the trailer and front truck axle. This is generally for heavier travel trailers, but can be used on nearly any trailer. http://www.equalizerhitch.com/ is one example.

 

[Road Dog]

A weight distributing hitch:
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A "normal" receiver is 2" square and is good for 10,000 pounds but you can get stronger versions (up to 12,000#). You can move up to a 2. 5" receiver (18,000#) or 3" receiver (20,000#).

 

[LandShark]

Check out the Putnam hitch. As I recall they have high enough weight ratings that you will not need the expense of a WD type system. My Putnam hitch is rated for 15,000 pounds and is a 2" receiver. Curt also make a similar class V hitch.

 

[WalterRyan]

Yes the Putnam I put on my 01 has a 15,000 pound rating. I bought it in 2005 and also put one on my brothers 90 at the same time. A very well made product. I have towed many thousands of miles with it and it still looks great. I even got my truck stuck and while getting pulled out the 15,000 pound ball mount hit a solid object hard enough to bend it but the receiver was unfazed.



Unfortunately they seem to be a casualty of the economic downturn. I was unable to find them on the web recently and southwest wheel no longer lists this brand. That is too bad.

 

[HBarlow]

The weight figures you quoted are much higher when using a weight distributing hitch because much of the tongue weight is redistributed forward to the truck's steer axle and back to the trailer axles when using a properly set up wd hitch.

You will not want to tow an overloaded 14k dump trailer on a ball hitch without a wd hitch. It will place too much weight on the hitch which will crack and eventually fail and at the same time remove too much weight from the steer axle leaving steering and braking diminished. OEM Gen II hitch receivers were weak. I would install a Putnam or Curt as others above suggested.

A gooseneck dump trailer would have been a better choice than a bumper pull. I own and use a gooseneck 14k dump trailer for the same purpose - hauling gravel to build and maintain driveways at my farmhouse.

 

[AH64ID]

I have a Titan rated at 2,000/18,000 weight carrying, it's STOUT!

 

[NIsaacs]

With your dump trailer loaded to 11,340 lbs, I would hook up and not look back, but thats just me. A bigger/heaver hitch is always better. Weight placement is critical on a bumper pull for smooth towing, too little on the hitch is worse than too much.



The hitch rating is somewhat silly in my opinion. How is a weight distributing hitch going to "tow" any more than without? It is still hooked to the receiver. About all they are good for is, "if" you can't place the weight on the hitch properly due to whatever reason, it can sometimes over come a poorly loaded trailer.



To me, the rating has more to do with control issues than it does with weight and capacity strength issues.



Nick

 

[Cosmo]

Of course it's about control. A 20k trailer should have 3000-4000 pounds on the ball, which is more than your average diesel 3/4 ton payload these days, and it may start lifting the front end enough to compromise steering and braking. If they reduce the weight carrying capacity listed on the sticker, it reduces their liability.

 

[HBarlow]

With your dump trailer loaded to 11,340 lbs, I would hook up and not look back, but thats just me. A bigger/heaver hitch is always better. Weight placement is critical on a bumper pull for smooth towing, too little on the hitch is worse than too much.

The hitch rating is somewhat silly in my opinion. How is a weight distributing hitch going to "tow" any more than without? It is still hooked to the receiver. About all they are good for is, "if" you can't place the weight on the hitch properly due to whatever reason, it can sometimes over come a poorly loaded trailer.

To me, the rating has more to do with control issues than it does with weight and capacity strength issues.

Nick

Nick,

A weight distribution hitch will not allow "towing" a heavier trailer but will allow towing a trailer with heavier tongue weight by shifting tongue weight forward to the steer axle and rearward to the trailer axles. OEM Dodge hitches are not designed for or capable of carrying heavy trailer tongues.

 

[NIsaacs]

Harvey,



The way the hitch capacity is worded, it "does" allow more towed weight with a weight distributing hitch. It says 500# hitch weight and 5,000# towed weight, without, or 1,000# hitch weight and 10,000# towed, with. The weight distributing hitch does not do any towing, just leveling, yet it allows twice the towed weight. Thats just silly!! With or without, the weight is still towed by the receiver. Not to mention, all draw bars are not created equal. Some are short, some are long, some are straight and some drop as much as 10". The drawbar has more to do with hitch strain than towed weight.



I frequently haul my 10,000# Bobcat on my 3,000# equipment trailer without any special hitch. If I place the weight on the trailer to just "level the truck" all is good.



If anyone wants a heavier hitch and or a weight distributing hitch, by all means use them. My point in all this ramble, is the wording on the hitch is for control issues not weight/strength issues.



Nick

 

[Cosmo]

Nick - The hitch I pulled off my 98 was rated for 8000 pounds... and it had pretty serious rust about the tubes and I suspect putting a 10k+ load on it would have ended poorly somewhere down the highway. I don't remember what the OE hitch on my 08 was rated for, but it handled 15k no problem.