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Weight distributing hitch usage question

2K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  wpetko 
#1 ·
I have a 27.5 Dutchman travel trailer, no slide out. Empty weight is 4700ish and grosses out at 7400 lbs


I currently tow with a 2000 Eddie Bauer Expedition 4x4, 5.4l towing pkg etc. I use a weight distributing hitch with out anti-sway and it works well enough.


I now have a 1993 Ford CC dually 2wd with 7.3 idi turbo. I just installed a class 5 receiver hitch rated for 1,600 lbs tongue weight and 16,000 lb trailer weight. The hitch is rated for these weights with or without weight distributing hitch.

My question; do I need to use the weight distributing arms when towing with the dually? I measured fender heights loaded and unloaded. With the trailer hooked up the rear drops 3/4" and the front raises 1/2" and the trailer sits level.



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#2 ·
Personally I wouldn't bother with the WD hitch. It won't do any harm but its one more thing to do when you're getting ready to leave and, IMHO anyway, the benefit will be negligible.
 
#3 ·
If your steering feels vague or less responsive, wd will help, otherwise you might be good to go.
 
#6 ·
I have pulled my older RV which is about the same a yours with my dually with a WD hitch, has worked just fine. The only thing you might gain by using one is hitch bounce. Some trailer are worse then other for it. Sway control is probably as important as anything.
 
#8 · (Edited)
As long as you’ve already got the WD set-up you might as well use it. Equalizing the weight & shifting some of it to the steering axle wouldn’t hurt a thing & would probably make things safer. It may also improve the ride a bit. ‘Just my opinion.
 
#9 ·
Follow up:

While unrelated to this thread but very much needed, I finally got 6 new tires, load range E at 80psi.

We pulled the trailer on a short local trip and didn't use the WD hitch.
I won't say I didn't know the trailer was back there but there weren't any adverse affects to the handling of the truck. The steering was the normal vague numb feel and there wasn't any side to side sway. However the ride was harsh and choppy over bumps, and that was unexpected as the truck usually rides very nice with a lot of weight. I guessing my trailer isn't heavy enough to warrant 80psi in the four back tires. I'm going to reduce the tire pressure some and see if that helps the ride.
I realize an F-350 dually of my vintage isn't known for a Cadillac like ride but this was harsh to the point of making the receiver hitch bang and clunk inside the tube way more than when I pull the trailer with the squishily sprung Expedition.
 
#10 ·
I run a WD on my dually pulling a 10,000 lb tag car hauler. From a load perspective I don't know that it was needed. But, it really helped with stability out on the road, especially went hitting rough areas of road. It just tied the truck and trailer together when driving.

Tom
 
#11 ·
The tag on the door jamb on my ‘13 dually calls for 75 psi in the front tires & 65 in the rear duals (all tires are load range E). This is my first DRW truck so I thought I would try these pressures out & see how it worked. Everything worked out great, both solo & towing my 16,400 pound 5th wheel. There was no noticeable squat to the rear tires with all that hitch (pin) weight on them & I checked the tire temperatures with an infrared thermometer during stops & I found that everything was fine.
The reason that I was so concerned about tire pressures is that a couple of friends of mine have DRW trucks & they insist on inflating their load range E tires to the maximum of 80 psi & they run this pressure whether towing or solo. I took a look at their rear tires & saw that the treads were all worn slick in the middle due to over inflation. This is also a very dangerous condition due to the reduced contact patch of rubber on the road which compromises wet traction & such. Anyway, 65 psi in the rear duals works for me with no problems.
 
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