WDH Really Needed?

mkirsch wrote:
With that size trailer on a 3/4 ton truck you do not need WD... UNLESS:

1. Your receiver is rated to only 500lbs without WD and your tongue is over 500lbs.

2. Your WD hitch has integrated sway control, such as a Reese Dual Cam, a Blue Ox Sway Pro, or an Equal-i-zer.

Either way it is not really about steering with a 3/4 ton truck. It is a receiver limitation, or a simple preventative measure.

Yes, if the trailer is properly built and properly loaded, it will tow fine without . That is a *BIG IF*. You'll never know for sure that it's properly built, but you will find out quickly, and catastrophically, if it isn't.

I guess if you don't mind the occasional cheek-clenching terror associated with a sway event, you can afford to experiment...

What he said: I towed a 19' TT with a 2500 Suburban back in the day: No issue with weight/capacity/trailer loading, but the Reese Dual Cam HP that I had really make the truck trailer act is one in the usual events that often resulted in sway: passed by tractor-trailer, swerving, etc. For a few bucks, it's worth the peace of mind.

With that size trailer on a 3/4 ton truck you do not need WD... UNLESS:

1. Your receiver is rated to only 500lbs without WD and your tongue is over 500lbs.

2. Your WD hitch has integrated sway control, such as a Reese Dual Cam, a Blue Ox Sway Pro, or an Equal-i-zer.

Either way it is not really about steering with a 3/4 ton truck. It is a receiver limitation, or a simple preventative measure.

Yes, if the trailer is properly built and properly loaded, it will tow fine without . That is a *BIG IF*. You'll never know for sure that it's properly built, but you will find out quickly, and catastrophically, if it isn't.

I guess if you don't mind the occasional cheek-clenching terror associated with a sway event, you can afford to experiment...

No.
Long ago and far away, I had an older 19 foot travel trailer. It was so old, a breakaway switch and cable were not installed!
The tow vehicles I used to tow it were:
A 1974 dodge 3/4 ton
A 1976 Ford E150 Club Wagon
A 1970 Jeep Wagoneer.
I did not use a sway control gadget with any of those vehicles. A properly built, properly loaded trailer should not sway. In fact, I have never owned a sway control gimmick.
I did not use a WD hitch on the Dodge or the Ford.
However, a WD hitch was an absolute necessity on the Wagoneer, to keep the back bumper at the correct height, and to keep the headlights from illuminating the tree tops. That, of course, is exactly why the WD hitch was invented!
Our camping trips back then were usually at least 100 miles, often 400 miles one way, mostly on 2 lane roads in the mountains.

Every little bit of help towing will go a long ways when you are 10 hours into a drive

If you are just going 30 minutes down to the local campground, I wouldnt worry about it

WDH - probably not. Antisway - always a good idea.

To answer your question..... NO. Absolutely, positively NO you do not need a WDH. Sway control - better to have if, but if you load it tongue heavy, it isn't completely necessary either. I would use a sway control personally.

Remember that half the function of a WDH is to put weight back on the trailer axles too. Trailer axles on your set up are the weakest link followed by lesser tires than what you have on your tow vehicle. You could actually increase your odds of an axle or tire failure by transferring weight to those smaller tires and axles.

1L243 wrote:
Does a 19' Travel Trailer weighing less than 5000lbs and 450lbs TW being towed by a 3/4 truck need a WDH? Or Antisway?

I've never used one with my 20' trailer, 3500lbs, 1/2 truck. Only 30,000 miles so far so I'm not as seasoned as other posters.

I love the simplicity of being able to drop the trailer on the ball, plug in, hook up the safety chains and break-away and go.

My truck and trailer haven't exploded yet, or fallen apart. I have never had any sway troubles, even being passed repeatedly by semi trucks.

NO! Why would you want to put more weight on the front axle? T n P gave a good explanation.

not if you don't need to distribute weight to the front axle of the tow mobile to reduce weight on the rear axle.

I always tow with a WD hitch - the truck and trailer handle better, especially on road surfaces that are concrete, which have the joints in them