Newbie...So I Need Help with WDH
Here is my setup: 2014 Ram 2500 6.4 2016 Jayco 27BHS GVW=8,250 Tongue=620 Unloaded=6,065 My dealer stocks equalizer 4 points, but I want to be sure I am safely towing and he is selling me wh...
Forum Discussion
Hi,
There is a sticker in the glovebox that has the cargo rating for your truck, and knowing that information will help a lot of people who will offer advice on the hitch set up. You do have plenty of cargo rating from what I see, but like stated above, a lot of firewood in the bed of the truck, and you will get close to the GVWR.
Yes the hitch weight can go up by 200 - 400 pounds when the water tank is full (depending on it's location) and you start filling the cabinets with food and camping gear. I would be selecting a hitch rated at 1000 pounds of hitch weight, even if yours is only 800, you will have a lot of safety margin, and probably will be less likely to need to upgrade in a few years if you buy another RV.
Many who are towing with 3/4 ton trucks try to get the WD bars really tight, and that is not really required with your truck, where the back end will not sag, and the front end is not pointed skyward by the hitch weight. Tighten them to much, and it will bounce, and not add to the stability. If they are very loose, all that extra weight on the rear tires will add side to side stability. But you don't want it very loose.
Also have the dealership show you how to raise the trailer A-Frame enough to make putting on the WD bars easy. Many skip this step, and try to use brute force to install the WD bars, and while that is possible, taking them off under tension can break your arm if the handle gets out of control.
For that reason alone, I like the ProPride hitch. You tighten the WD bars with a drill that is a jack-screw, and it lifts the bars into place with a 3/4" bolt driving a screw that pulls on the bars. IT tracks better than other hitch systems. But you have a small trailer, and probably don't 'need' the ProPride. It is known as the best way to prevent side to side sway and improve handling.
Have fun with your new trailer!
Fred.
There is a sticker in the glovebox that has the cargo rating for your truck, and knowing that information will help a lot of people who will offer advice on the hitch set up. You do have plenty of cargo rating from what I see, but like stated above, a lot of firewood in the bed of the truck, and you will get close to the GVWR.
Yes the hitch weight can go up by 200 - 400 pounds when the water tank is full (depending on it's location) and you start filling the cabinets with food and camping gear. I would be selecting a hitch rated at 1000 pounds of hitch weight, even if yours is only 800, you will have a lot of safety margin, and probably will be less likely to need to upgrade in a few years if you buy another RV.
Many who are towing with 3/4 ton trucks try to get the WD bars really tight, and that is not really required with your truck, where the back end will not sag, and the front end is not pointed skyward by the hitch weight. Tighten them to much, and it will bounce, and not add to the stability. If they are very loose, all that extra weight on the rear tires will add side to side stability. But you don't want it very loose.
Also have the dealership show you how to raise the trailer A-Frame enough to make putting on the WD bars easy. Many skip this step, and try to use brute force to install the WD bars, and while that is possible, taking them off under tension can break your arm if the handle gets out of control.
For that reason alone, I like the ProPride hitch. You tighten the WD bars with a drill that is a jack-screw, and it lifts the bars into place with a 3/4" bolt driving a screw that pulls on the bars. IT tracks better than other hitch systems. But you have a small trailer, and probably don't 'need' the ProPride. It is known as the best way to prevent side to side sway and improve handling.
Have fun with your new trailer!
Fred.
