Trucks Don't "Suck" Us in Anymore
My '13 F350 got reinforced springs a couple of years ago because it sagged so bad when loaded. Now it hardly drops at all when hooked up. I also replaced the stock Ford hitch with a Curt 20K model. So...
Forum Discussion
As you have (indirectly) learned, there is more to it than just fixing the sag on the rear end. Your previous truck would have handled so much better if you had properly adjusted the WD hitch to return some/most/all of the weight pulled off the front end by the trailer.
Putting more tension on the bars has two effects: First off it pushes weight back down on the front wheels, giving them better traction so that the trailer can't push you around as much. Second off due to the integrated sway control, it makes the connection between the truck and trailer more rigid, so that when the trailer gets caught in a bow wave, it stays more in line with the truck and doesn't tug/shove the rear end of the truck around.
From a pure receiver ratings standpoint you probably don't need a WD hitch for this trailer, and you probably weren't unsafe in the least, but as you've learned it makes things much more enjoyable.
Putting more tension on the bars has two effects: First off it pushes weight back down on the front wheels, giving them better traction so that the trailer can't push you around as much. Second off due to the integrated sway control, it makes the connection between the truck and trailer more rigid, so that when the trailer gets caught in a bow wave, it stays more in line with the truck and doesn't tug/shove the rear end of the truck around.
From a pure receiver ratings standpoint you probably don't need a WD hitch for this trailer, and you probably weren't unsafe in the least, but as you've learned it makes things much more enjoyable.
