Why do I need WD?

According to GM, their pickups don't require nearly as much weight distribution as previously thought. WD hitches were popularized back when Grandpa towed his Airstream with a '58 Buick. A 2500HD is rated by the manufacturer to not require WD for trailers like the OP is towing. What some feel as front end lightness is actually a soft rear suspension allowing the vehicle to wander when loaded.

Your factory hitch is rated for 12, 000 pounds to do what? That 12, 000 pounds is towing pressure. Check the tongue weight limits. Most hitches that are factory insalled have a 500 pound tongue weight limit. What is your trailer tongue weight? Then what is the tongue weight marked on your hitch? I would do that first.

Second. You already said you have problems with wind gusts. Why? When I towed my TT with the Reese dual cam behind my F250 I have never had problems in 40 mph cross winds in WY where we have bad wind gusts all the time. JMHO

DutchmenSport wrote:
Without WD, the weight of the towed trailer will rest entirely on the rear axle of the tow vehicle, causing the front axle to go light, which could cause loss of steering, especially during non-perfect road conditions (rain, ice). In other words, without WD, you do not have the weight of the trailer on the hitch evenly distributed to all 4 wheels of the tow vehicle. The weight is resting only on the rear.


Regardless of your vehicle size and no matter what size of trailer you have, I am a firm believer in doing everything possible to ensure a safe tow. I have too much money invested in my camper and my truck to let something so simple cause me to ever loose control while on the road.

Ok, so your point is that the weight needs to be distributed evenly, right? In that case, a WD hitch could make it more dangerous. The trailer puts about 900-1200 lbs on the hitch (depending on how it's loaded).

We all know the front of a dry truck is heavier, and even worse with a diesel. My engine alone weighs 920 lbs, plus the tranny and other items.... With a Full ranch hand and other accessories on the front, the dry weight on the front axle should be around 4000-4500, while weighing in at around 2000-2500 lbs on the rear.

Add the trailer, and I'm now running about 4500 front axle and 3700 rear axle (estimated at the high end). Why would I want to transfer more weight to the front? Sounds to me like I still need to add some weight to the rear.

Having a better balance between front and rear does add to safety. Having too little weight is just as dangerous as having too much in the rear, which is exactly why I have run around for years with sandbags in the bed of my truck when empty.

So based on the 50/50 Weight distribution goal, I'm safer without a WD hitch? I have never really broken it down and thought of it that way.

P.S. - My hitch is rated to 12,000lbs and I have a payload capacity of 3970lbs.

Well, I guess there are 2 sides to this show...

I know some believe heavily on WD in all situations and some don't.

Our one ton trucks are rated to carry stuff, not to get the occasional bag of groceries. You can do that in Smart Car.

The bed of the truck is designed to carry a payload, whatever number that happens to be. And it sure as heck is a lot more payload than the tongue weight of a TT, Cargo, TH, whatever. You are putting the tongue weight on the back of the truck, not the entire weight of the load behind you. I have had close to 3 tons in the back of my dually.

Sure it squats a bit but I find that a little weight on the back really helps the ride and handling, even on my dually that is already loaded by 2000 pounds of rack and tool boxes.

I have never used a WD in all the years of towing and all the different trailers I've towed.

I just sold my 25.5' TT in favor of a 27' TT. It came with a WD hitch and bars etc. First trip was a rush after I bought the rig so I just hooked up and left for a fishing trip, with the thought I would look at the WD later. After all, I have never used one yet.

Although I knew I had more weight back there, the tow was perfect. No sway, no handling issues, no problems when a semi truck would blast by the other way, no issues in a sidewind, nothing.

I really can see the need for WD if you are towing with a half ton, but on a vehicle designed to take a load to town, I see no purpose in a WD setup. The front end will not become light - it just won't happen. There is not enough weight on the the back to make any significant impact on "lifting the front off the ground"

I am careful when I tow - I don't drive 80 miles an hour, although I think I could. Some common sense prevails. But I do tow at 65 to 70, road and traffic conditions permitting. I have been in emergency situations, such as jack-knifing on black ice a couple years ago. Quick attention to getting it back straight again had my TT fishtail a bit, but I never lost control. The towing ability of a 1 ton dually really shines in these situations.

Yes, WD has its place, and in my opinion it is geared more for TV's with less capacity than the 1 tons. Smaller, lighter duty vehicles like Suburbans, Expeditions and such trucks that are built more for comfort than being a workhorse.

Long story short; you don't.

For some reason RV'er freak about this WD deal. Why? I have no idea?

As far as light steering that is pretty much garbage. If anyone has a set of race scales and puts a truck on them they will find out in short order that a truck is tail light; VERY tail light. A diesel truck is worse.

There is a reason a good handling race car has a 50/50 front to rear weight bias.

All that said, I have a WD on my TT. I snap the chains up just snug. I don't want to transfer any weight with my setup. I just want to take as much porpoising out of it I can. I works fine.

I have always used WD on both my TT's I've owned. First TT was towed with a Suburban, then a 3500 dually (gas), then the second with the (gasser) and finally a 3500 dually diesel. I still use WD. Why?

Without WD, the weight of the towed trailer will rest entirely on the rear axle of the tow vehicle, causing the front axle to go light, which could cause loss of steering, especially during non-perfect road conditions (rain, ice). In other words, without WD, you do not have the weight of the trailer on the hitch evenly distributed to all 4 wheels of the tow vehicle. The weight is resting only on the rear.

There are those who say WD is not needed on a 1 ton. I deffer. I use WD all the time with my diesel dually 1 ton to ensure the weight IS distributed evenly on both axles. My hitch weight might not be all that much, but putting those bars on does make it ride much nicer on all road conditions.

FYI, to the best of my knowledge, I've never experienced sway with either of my duallys, and I have moved both trailers with both duallys around without putting the bars on. But when I'm on the road, the bars are on.

Regardless of your vehicle size and no matter what size of trailer you have, I am a firm believer in doing everything possible to ensure a safe tow. I have too much money invested in my camper and my truck to let something so simple cause me to ever loose control while on the road.

What is the tongue weight? What tongue weight is the hitch rated for with no WD system in place?

I have had several people telling me that towing my toy hauler without a weight distribution hitch is unsafe. I Don't get it?

I have a 26' Cargo trailer / Toy Hauler conversion that only weighs about 7000 fully loaded (rarely is it fully loaded). The weight is distributed properly, and I have never had any sway at all (other than a bit when hit with wind gusts, but it straightens right up).

She stays perfectly straight under heavy braking, and has never caused any problems.

My F-350 SRW only squats abut 2.5" when I hook her up, and the front end doesn't noticeably rise at all.

Is this industry just huge on WD Hitches? I never see them on boat or cargo trailers in the same weight class? I would understand if I were pulling this with a half ton, or if the trailer weighed 10k+, but I really don't see that I need it. Am I missing something?

A 7000 pound trailer behind a one ton truck does not need WD. It might need a sway feature. Just be sure the receiver on the truck is rated strong enough for the weight of the tongue. Many are rated for two values--with and without WD.