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Abnmarine · 05-31-2016, 07:42 PM

I'm pulling a smaller 23 foot, 6,500 lb loaded trailer with a tongue weight of 750-800 lbs. My tow vehicle is a 2016 Ram 2500 with a Class V receiver rated for 1,800 lb tongue weight. I do use a sway controller and this setup tows really smooth.

When loaded the rear squats level and is only 1/4" higher than the front. With the added weight of the Cummins and the smaller trailer, I'm not seeing a need for the weight distribution bars.

Do you see any issues with this?

chaps2018 · 05-31-2016, 08:32 PM

Is your ball mount and ball support that weight?

Abnmarine · 05-31-2016, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjlakatos

Is your ball mount and ball support that weight?

It does. I'm actually using my brother's Rease WD hitch rated at 1,200 lbs tongue/ 10,000 lbs tow weights. We just don't have the WD bars installed.

chaps2018 · 06-01-2016, 08:30 AM

Gotcha. That must be the difference between a husky and the Reese hitch.

My husky hitch is limited to 500# tongue weight and 5k# trailer weight without spring bars. There is a label on my hitch and in the manual.

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keymastr · 06-01-2016, 12:33 PM

Those weights are only valid with the bars. Look up the capacity without WD. No bars hooked up means no WD even if it is a WD hitch.

archer75 · 06-01-2016, 01:06 PM

I have the same truck and I can notice it without the bars when driving. The front end feels floaty. Even though once I had the system setup correctly it only moved the front 1/4" it made a massive difference it steerability.
WD setups don't move the front/rear of a HD truck like they do on a half ton but there is a noticable difference while driving.

chaps2018 · 06-01-2016, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keymastr

Those weights are only valid with the bars. Look up the capacity without WD. No bars hooked up means no WD even if it is a WD hitch.

Top table is with bars, bottom table is the hitch head only (no bars). My point was that the hitch without the bars is very limited in tongue weight capacity and trailer weight capacity. I.e., 500#/5000#

Abnmarine · 06-01-2016, 03:18 PM

I appreciate the replies. I'll have him install the bars and see how it rides.

NRR · 06-01-2016, 03:25 PM

I towed a 19’ Funfinder TT all over the place with a single Reese friction sway controller and never knew it was behind the 2002 4x4 F250 PSD Super Duty with factory tow package.

Now, I later had an Artic Fox 22H that I towed everywhere including Alaska and Maine. The dealer added to the Reese friction bar a Reese WD with 1900 bars. I was still using the Tekonsha brake controller. Only one time did that setup scare me. Raining, coming around a bend with use ruts in the road. Could have used a second friction bar that time. The Fox decided it liked the ruts. That was OMG.

That setup only told you if the cross wind was like 30mph. Just a great setup.

Abnmarine · 06-01-2016, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by archer75

I have the same truck and I can notice it without the bars when driving. The front end feels floaty. Even though once I had the system setup correctly it only moved the front 1/4" it made a massive difference it steerability.
WD setups don't move the front/rear of a HD truck like they do on a half ton but there is a noticable difference while driving.

I don't notice any difference with steering on my truck. It's the same pulling or empty. What are your tongue weights?

Mine dry is 520 lbs. I've added two more batteries up front and factored that in with the propane.

archer75 · 06-01-2016, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abnmarine

I don't notice any difference with steering on my truck. It's the same pulling or empty. What are your tongue weights?

Mine dry is 520 lbs. I've added two more batteries up front and factored that in with the propane.

dry is 760lbs. Then factor in the equalizer, two 6v batteries and propane tanks. Then gear probably adds several hundred pounds to the tongue weight. It's getting up there.

Bargoon · 06-02-2016, 07:46 AM

I've been towing my Award trailer with just the ball mount from a EZ Lift hitch less the spring bars without any problems. Towed in all sorts of terrain - longest haul from Vancouver, BC to Atlanta, Ga and back. Bear in mind the Award has 4-wheel independent suspension and is very well balanced. My tow vehicle was a Suburban which is very stable. I have since upgraded to a Nissan Armada - not towed the trailer yet. I'll see how it does or will I have to go back to using the spring bars?

Cumminsfan · 06-02-2016, 08:52 AM

I recently towed my 5x10' utility trailer with 4000lbs in it. Guessing the tongue weight was around 600lbs. Just used a standard 1000/10,000lb stinger. I could tell I had something back there but for the most part it never changed anything about the way the truck drove.
2012 Ram 2500 CTD.
I would limit myself to 5000lbs with no WD. After that even though there's not going to be much weight transfer, the WD helps to stiffen the load difference between the truck and TT. Just makes a more solid feeling tow.

scottygl64 · 06-11-2016, 10:27 AM

Just makes you wonder, the TT delivers seem to never use any WD system and tow long distances apparently without issue. Some do this with single rear wheels????? Never heard of an issue. Not saying I would, cause I wouldn't, but it happens regularly. This is with a Class IV hitch as well. I know my new Hemi, the day I picked it up weighted it empty and it had 1,065 lbs on the tongue, WHD connected....