WD Hitch or not?
Greetings, I am towing a 26' 7000 pound gross travel trailer with my 2018 Ram 3500 CC SB truck. Do I need a weight distributing hitch with this combo? The Ram manual states the max tongue weigh...
Forum Discussion
Belt & Suspenders approach is:
1) Hensley patent hitch (dialed in)
2) TUSON electronic trailer-mounted anti-sway (activates brakes; faster in operation than OEM TV-based systems).
3). Trailer ANTILOCK disc brakes are the only contender with the Pro Pride or Hensley hitch as to what should come first.
4). TT independent suspension (improved roll center height and widened track) is a not distant addition to those others.
“Tripping Hazards” like camber changes upset almost as many trailers as sudden crosswinds in some areas. Think of the VARIETY of ways TV & TV can be out of alignment in a vertical or horizontal plane. And then add other problems occurring at the same moment. No such thing as too much wheel travel for a trailer. INDEPENDENT movement.
Travel trailer wrecks are over in 1.5-seconds. Straight axle, sloppy steering 4WD it’s over before driver ever knows there’s a problem. (“Legal speed” may have been no defense to other factors in play)
None of this is a skill problem (“oh, I’m a good driver”. Hell, Mario Andretti couldn’t counter a rear wheel slide). Good habits start with BEST hitch rigging. And conservative driving. Which has all but disappeared among RVers.
Scale numbers set fire pressures and hitch rigging. Are a huge help in analyzing new problems that come along. Are a baseline for any RVers records. Grab your son and a friend a make a day or weekend out of it.
I’ve quoted it three dozen times, but look instead for contributor “Ron Gratz” 2010 post on the THREE PASS SCALE METHOD (its not by that name, exactly). Analyzing your hitch rigging is some arithmetic (we ain’t talkin trig).
Once you get it , it’s forever simple.
1) Hensley patent hitch (dialed in)
2) TUSON electronic trailer-mounted anti-sway (activates brakes; faster in operation than OEM TV-based systems).
3). Trailer ANTILOCK disc brakes are the only contender with the Pro Pride or Hensley hitch as to what should come first.
4). TT independent suspension (improved roll center height and widened track) is a not distant addition to those others.
“Tripping Hazards” like camber changes upset almost as many trailers as sudden crosswinds in some areas. Think of the VARIETY of ways TV & TV can be out of alignment in a vertical or horizontal plane. And then add other problems occurring at the same moment. No such thing as too much wheel travel for a trailer. INDEPENDENT movement.
Travel trailer wrecks are over in 1.5-seconds. Straight axle, sloppy steering 4WD it’s over before driver ever knows there’s a problem. (“Legal speed” may have been no defense to other factors in play)
None of this is a skill problem (“oh, I’m a good driver”. Hell, Mario Andretti couldn’t counter a rear wheel slide). Good habits start with BEST hitch rigging. And conservative driving. Which has all but disappeared among RVers.
Scale numbers set fire pressures and hitch rigging. Are a huge help in analyzing new problems that come along. Are a baseline for any RVers records. Grab your son and a friend a make a day or weekend out of it.
I’ve quoted it three dozen times, but look instead for contributor “Ron Gratz” 2010 post on the THREE PASS SCALE METHOD (its not by that name, exactly). Analyzing your hitch rigging is some arithmetic (we ain’t talkin trig).
Once you get it , it’s forever simple.
