Forum Discussion

bdpreece's avatar
bdpreece
Explorer II
Jun 20, 2019

Towing a car hauler

Considering buying an enclosed car hauler trailer. My coach is rated to tow 10k My question for those of you towing a large trailer with a motorhome is, do you have to use a hitch with the weight distribution bars?
  • No , towing a 20ft box enclosed hauler with a 41’ tag axle coach. Auto air leveling
  • Nope, towing a 26' enclosed trailer with a 45' Super C
  • I tow a stacking trailer weighing around 9500 pounds with a Four Winds Mandalay 43A. The coach has a 10,000-pound towing capacity, but I still use an Andersen weight distribution system. Why? It can't hurt. The trailer's rock-solid at any speed in all types of weather.

    Pat in Menifee, CA
  • With a car hauler you distribute the weight by parking the car in the right place. You don't need a weight distributing hitch, as long as your hitch can hold the weight.
  • I asked this question a few months ago and the majority agreed that a WDH wouldn't be of any benefit on a DP with auto leveling. A few said it could actually be harmful, although I don't remember what reason they gave. I tow the trailer in my signature without a WDH.
  • bdpreece wrote:
    Considering buying an enclosed car hauler trailer. My coach is rated to tow 10k My question for those of you towing a large trailer with a motorhome is, do you have to use a hitch with the weight distribution bars?

    As long as everything is within specs. you should be good to go as it is.
    Now with ours, we can tow 15K lbs and be well withing GCWR. Hitch is rated for 1500lbs tongue weight. Coach weight loaded is over a ton to the good for GVWR. Just one small problem, the extra ton is all on the front and the rear axle is slightly over weight. Not much or enough to cause any problems, but certainly wouldn't want to add any more weight back there. We tow four down, so NA and if we were to pull a trailer, there's a thing like a hitch caddy available, if a weight distribution hitch wouldn't work.
  • I have towed a 32ft 3 axel enclosed trailer for 20 years without a WDH with 2 different DPs and never a problem. Probably close to 300,000mi over the years.
  • On my class A DP the hitch is only rated for 5,000lbs weight carrying, 10,000lbs with a weight distributing hitch. The Freightliner chassis is plenty sturdy, it is just the hitch itself that is limited. Always remember to find the weak link in the chain and make sure that it is not overtaxed. My other weak link is the transmission. It is only good for about 7,000lbs over wet coach weight. Just because the hitch has a 10,000lb rating doesn't mean that the rest of the vehicle does even if the manufacturer advertises that it does, which mine was.