RV without a WD hitch

rbpru wrote:

A person is free to do whatever they judge proper but if something goes wrong that judgment will certainly be questioned.

Funny how luck plays a major role in "competence"!

It really is not about what it can or cannot do, so much as what you are willing to make it do.

Years ago when farming I learned that a 1/2 and 3/4 ton pickup was just a suggestion. Loading the trucks till you could hunt raccoons at night with the headlights was not all that uncommon.

They were old farm trucks you ran till they broke, then you fixed them.

But those times are gone. Trucks today are bigger, stronger and require a lot less maintenance. But the cost of repairs, parts and liability are far greater and far more complicated.

A person is free to do whatever they judge proper but if something goes wrong that judgment will certainly be questioned.

rbpru wrote:
I think the weak link in the towing chain is the truck's hitch strength without the tow bars.

As shown above, there is a 10X difference between the WD and no-WD towing weight rating.

This has little to do with how much weight your truck can carry.

The 10X factor is also found in some of the hitch manufacturers set-up instructions.

Those are the numbers, the choice is up to the individual. There may also be some State towing regulations to consider.

Good luck

OP doesn't state what yr of F350, but even our 2013 F250 has 6,000/600 without WD, it HASN'T "failed" when towing my 10K GVWR flat bed trailer loaded without WD and that truck has over 100K miles on it.

With 4,100 lbs of cargo on the OPs F350, I also suspect it IS a lot newer than 2013 AND Ford made 2.5 hitches STANDARD on F250 and F350s after 2013.. Heck my 2020 F250 has 3,800 lbs of cargo capacity..

Fords hitches have always been pretty robust, not like the cheap ones GM used for yrs that used round tubes and the bumper..

I think the weak link in the towing chain is the truck's hitch strength without the tow bars.

As shown above, there is a 10X difference between the WD and no-WD towing weight rating.

This has little to do with how much weight your truck can carry.

The 10X factor is also found in some of the hitch manufacturers set-up instructions.

Those are the numbers, the choice is up to the individual. There may also be some State towing regulations to consider.

Good luck

What always amazes me on this site is all the “seasoned” RVers that are afraid of their own shadows when it comes to towing or puttin a load in the back of a pickup truck....

Lwiddis wrote:
Possibly. From where to where? Any wind in the forecast? Any sway prevention in the F350? Year? Your profile gives NO information. Stealthy? Doesn’t matter the length of your drive. You can get blown off the highway 5 minutes from home.

Or short answer, yes no problem....

A co-worker friend bought a TT while out of town. A 37’ Jayco 32BHTS I think it’s called. He towed it home on a standard ball mount with his ‘15 GM 3500 do Allie :B . He has a Equalizer 4pt but doesn’t use it. Says it tows great on the ball.

We all have different view points and a case can be made either way.
On a new trailer you'll actually be closer to it's dry weight vs GVWR and are sporting a very formidable tow vehicle.

I on the other hand took the proper tools 3 hours away to install my Reese DC on new trailer before towing it home.

It's your call but if decide to pull it home, take your time.

Be safe.

blaczero wrote:
Thanks all, we are looking at the 37' rockwood/flagstaffs with the bunkhouse floor plan.

Yes the WD is weight distribution. Looking at this one https://www.amazon.com/Equal-i-zer-Progress-90-00-1000-10K-Hitch/dp/B07RZV1SJ6

We found a nice flagstaff 832bws about 6 hours away in PA (we're in CT) and we mave have a great deal to get it this weekend!

Hi,

You did not say what year, model, setup you have on your F350. I have the F350 in my sig below.

A few things not mentioned,

The older F350's did not have a very high rated receiver. Like this on that was on my 05 before I changed it. Notice it says, 500# in Weight Carrying Mode. It is also limited to 1,250# in weight distributing mode.


If this is your new camper, https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/travel-trailers-and-fifth-wheels/flagstaff-classic/832BWS/5662

That camper starts out with a "dry" tongue weight off of 1,320# before they add a battery and fill the LP tanks which most all dealers will do, or a private owner. With the camper empty filled LP and battery, you can easily hit 1,400# heading out from where you bought it.

That 1,400# tongue weight is over that truck receiver rating in weight carrying which was 500# rated only. If you have a newer F350, they have up'ed the receiver rating a good deal, but it still may not handle a 1,400# weight carrying rating. Check yours.

Next is the drawbar (ball mount) you would need to handle that 1,400# TW in weight carrying mode. That would need a drawbar rated at or above 1,400#. Odds are high, to get one that high in rating, you need to be at 2 1/2 or 3" truck receiver. See here, this is on 3" drop rated ball mount, need a 2 1/2" receiver. https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch-Ball-Mount/Draw-Tite/RP45322.html

Reese does make a 5" drop in that same series. You ideally want the camper level when towing. All you can do is buy the right drop fixed ball mount.

And as was said, you need a tow ball rated for the full weight of the camper. While you may be able to reuse the tow ball, you need a proper rated ball mount at ~ $100.

I would not want to use a hollow tube 2" ball mount to tow that size camper. Those hollow 2" ball mounts as not rated very high.

That camper is 37 feet long, 10,000# empty trailer, You have the right truck when it is properly equipped and setup. But, the properly equipped and setup needs to be right.

I myself would not want to use my truck with the big gasser in the front to tow that long, that heavy, without a WD hitch. Yes, I have upgraded the receiver, but still it is not going to be very comfortable tow. Unless your truck has a rear roll bar or the truck bed loaded enough to have the helper springs (overload springs) kiss the frame brackets on top, the body roll in the back of the truck is not a good feeling and on the gasser, the front end will be bobbing around without a WD hitch.

Also, I do not think the 1,600# rated WD Equal-I-zer hitch you are looking at is going to be heavy enough. Once you load the camper, your TW can go north of 1,600# without mush issue with your floor plan. There is a lot of storage up front and getting 300 to 400# of added TW from loading a camper that big, is not hard to do. My 10,000# loaded camper has a 1,600# loaded TW. These big campers need the right hitch setup to work well.

Reese trunnion bar WD hitch with the DC can go to 1,700#
Blue Ox has one that is rated at 2,000#

Hope this helps

John

jwoods61us wrote:
The RV transporter pulled it from Northern Indiana without WD or anti-sway, you probably can too.

That's not saying much! I followed those guys, couldn't get past them fast enough. They were all over the road.

I would tow it back only with the proper hitch.