Everyone he asks and everything he reads, tells him to use a weight distribution hitch. 31 foot fiberglass travel trailer, 6300 Dry, 8000 pounds gross. Pulling with a beast for sure, 2015 Chevy 3500 with the diesel single wheel, not dully. Problem??? He was sold and was on his way to get one, when he came across the Chevy towing website that said for that truck, and heavy duty trucks, standard weight distribution hitches are not needed. Now he is really confused. I couldn't find it, but I did find it under the Ford site, which said the same thing as Chevy. I enclose it's reading.Ford Towing GuideClass III – Heavy-Duty 3,501-5,000 lb. Gross Trailer Weight 500 lb. Gross Tongue Weight Used for dual-axle or large single-axle travel trailers Used on properly equipped trucks and SUVs Conventional weight-distributing hitch not required unless specified for a particular vehicle - See more at: http://support.ford.com/vehicle-features/guide-to-towing#sthash.M1SbQ1wU.dpufFunny thing is that it says it does for the next category, really confuses me:Class IV – Extra-Heavy-Duty 5,001-12,000 lb. Gross Trailer Weight 1,200 lb. Gross Tongue Weight Used for the largest travel and fifth-wheel trailers made for recreation Used on trucks and SUVs; most can be equipped to handle trailers in this class Most applications require a conventional weight-distributing or fifth-wheel hitch - See more at: http://support.ford.com/vehicle-features/guide-to-towing#sthash.QHqC6KYE.dpufI don't understand it myself, because I use a Chevy 2500 pull trailers with backhoes on them that way more than a travel trailer, and never have I seen a weight distribution hitch on any of this heavy equipment that we tote. Yet it's need it for a lighter RV?

Your friend doesn't NEED a weight distribution hitch with a 3500 truck and a TT. But he probably needs it for his receiver. Receivers have two ratings typically.... One for weight carrying and one for weight distribution. The weight distribution rating is typically much higher. If he is going to go without weight distribution he needs to make sure that the receiver is rated for the tongue weight. If the receiver can't handle the tongue weight without weight distribution than he can purchase a higher rated receiver. He will also need a draw bar rated to handle the weight of the tongue... Typically the $19.00 draw bars are too weak for a big travel trailer. regardless, a WD hitch will make his rig ride much better. My last truck was a F350 Dually and I had a 7700 lb travel trailer. Without the WD the truck handled the trailer fine. But the ride was much smoother with the WD hitch.Regardless of if your friend goes for WD or not, I would suggest running sway control. The sway control is in place for those times when you really need it... If you don't have sway control of some sort and something goes bad...it's too late to do anything about it but hold on and pray you get stopped. Most WD hitch heads have provisions for two sway bars, if the TT is over 24 ish ft then it is recommended to run two sway bars. If he decides to not run WD then he can have two sway bar mounts welded to his draw bar and still have sway control. Weight distribution is my recommendation. Thanks!Jeremiah

I agree with the above post. The weight rating is much higher with the WD bar set up.What type is he looking at?Have them read this too! ProPride HitchGood luck!Fred.

For a trailer that light have him check out Andersen WDH. I use one with my 2500HD and it makes towing nicer with less sway and chuck.

Truck has stabil trac with trailer sway control that supposedly senses when sway happens and auto adjusts the brakes to correct it.Now, that's what's ADVERTISED :) but, does it really work?

Didn't see where your Buddy has a Class III or Class IV hitch. that makes a difference. Your friend doesn't NEED a weight distribution hitch with a 3500 truck and a TT. But he probably needs it for his receiver. Receivers have two ratings typically.... One for weight carrying and one for weight distribution. The weight distribution rating is typically much higher. If he is going to go without weight distribution he needs to make sure that the receiver is rated for the tongue weight. I too am new to the idea of a WDH and have been doing some research. The statement above is why I am picking one up for my TT. My NTU TT specs sheet says is just over the rated 500lbs tongue weight for my Trucks class III receiver, I drove it home from the Dealer without a WDH and it handled fine so thought I was safe BUT.... Figure in the weight of batteries and full propane tanks added to the tongue that were probably not included in the factory specs... your friend will also need to consider the weight of any cargo in the bed that is BEHIND the rear axles. Add to that any cargo in the camper AHEAD of it's axles and maybe even a bike rack or Gen set... it all adds up. Like I said, I am all new to this and may be out in left field for your friends application. But I am picking up a WDH rated at 750 / 1000 lbs.

Posting for friend who has question about weight dist hitch

24 Replies

Plumber101010
Explorer
Jan 26, 2015
It is a sticker on the actual hitch attached to the truck. The owners manual also says 1500 pounds.
opnspaces
Navigator III
Jan 12, 2015
In looking at BarneyS's pictures I can see it's possible that your hitch has a single rating. Typically the weight differences are a ways apart, but in the second picture Barney posted the two weights are very close together.

Just to be sure it's clear though; we're talking about a sticker stuck on the receiver hitch that is bolted to the frame of the tow vehicle. We are not referring to the part that you can pull the pin and remove from the truck. On my Suburban the sticker states weight carrying 500lbs, weight distribution 1,000 lbs. Does your or your friends truck have a sticker on the hitch that states the weights, or is there only information in the owners manual?
Plumber101010
Explorer
Jan 12, 2015
"This discussion is about the rating on the receiver hitches put on trucks, SUV's, cars used to tow trailers. It is not about any ratings for a 5th wheel hitch."

Not sure i follow you? When did it turn into a discussion on 5th wheel rating? I was simply stating that there is no separate rating for my hitch with or without a WDH. That the only OTHER rating was for a 5th wheel. That hardly turns this into a 5th wheel weight discussion :)
BarneyS
Nomad
Jan 09, 2015
Plumber101010 wrote:
I have yet to see these two diff ratings on any of my hitches. The owners manual says 1500 and 4000 for 5th wheel. But never seen one rating for with and one for without WDH.

This discussion is about the rating on the receiver hitches put on trucks, SUV's, cars used to tow trailers. It is not about any ratings for a 5th wheel hitch.

Just about every receiver made has a rating tag on it somewhere. It looks like this. These are the two I had/have on my truck.
Barney

Factory stock hitch:

or this replacement hitch:
Plumber101010
Explorer
Jan 09, 2015
I have yet to see these two diff ratings on any of my hitches. The owners manual says 1500 and 4000 for 5th wheel. But never seen one rating for with and one for without WDH.
opnspaces
Navigator III
Jan 09, 2015
Interesting, if your receiver is rated for 1,500lb tongue weight, what is it rated for with weight distribution? Or does it only provide one number?
Plumber101010
Explorer
Jan 09, 2015
Thanks, made me feel better :) Common sense would say that if hitch rated at 1500 and WDH 1200, I'm better off with my hitch. Haven't drove it much, but did get bouncy bouncy, some, not major, PRE LOADED without another 1500 pounds in weight. With mind you, the WDH. So I can only assume who hooked it up did it wrong :)
brulaz
Explorer
Jan 09, 2015
Plumber101010 wrote:
I just checked and my 2500's hitch says 1500 pound tongue weight??? Wow. Much more than I thought. 13,000 pound trailer total. That shocks me, as my WDH only says 1200 pounds. Hmmmmm. Got me wondering now WHY I am bothering with a WDH again?

Man I a confused now :) And for the life of me I can't find out such a simple question, does my 2500 have a class 3,4 or 5 hitch?

IIRC, if it's 1500# without WDH, that would be a Class V. Especialy if it's a 2.5" receiver.

Doesn't sound like you need a WDH.

But what about sway control? I doubt it, but this is one of those situations where you just have to try it yourself to find out if you need it. Really depends upon the trailer, TW %, where the trailer axles are placed, how much weight in the trailer is way behind the axles and so on.

There are personal differences as well. I drove a trailer w/o sway control and wasn't bothered with the occasional nudges from passing Buses and trucks. But met a guy online with almost the exact same setup who wondered how I did it? He absolutely insisted some sort of sway control was necessary. People are different.
TomG2
Explorer
Jan 09, 2015
Which would I believe? The owner's manual, which is written by GM engineers and their legal department, or the opinion of a bunch old guys who are stuck inside because of the bad weather? Nothing against the latter, because I am one. My GM owner's manual has a lot of information in it concerning towing.
Plumber101010
Explorer
Jan 08, 2015
OMG. Just looked at the owners manual of my new 3500 diesel single rear wheel. Owners manual says 1500 pound tongue weight? Oh that just drives me insane now, because I don't understand how a 1200 pound weight distribution hitch should be needed at all? What am I missing. I was following this thread very clearly, under the assumption that my tongue weight was rated at no more than 1000 pounds. Now that I know it's that much higher, it's very unclear to me now :(

Even the owners manual says WDH optional