When is weight distribution needed?
I'm not trying to stir the pot (well, ok - maybe a little) but my question is serious... In the old days the hitches/trucks required WD and Sway control for over 5k lbs... then we went to 2.5" hitch...
Forum Discussion
My opinion--your may vary.
Safety is not black and white, yes or no, true or false--it is a great big gray zone where each has to find his/her comfortable zone. The truck rating is a guideline by engineers. It may not be safe 1 pound under and unsafe 1 pound over. My son never used WD or anti-sway with his F-350 dually crew cab long bed truck--you CAN'T make that truck sway. Then one day he hooked up a pole trailer and loaded it with scrap poles from a construction site. He was careful to put the shorter poles on top close to the front to increase hitch weight. Pulling out on the interstate he swayed across 3 lanes--thankfully no traffic. He got settled down and then swayed all the way to the right berm where he stopped. We now think that too much tongue weight contributed to the sway. Now he uses WD and anti-sway with his 6,000 lb. camping trailer. Using WD will return engineer designed weight to the front axle helping insure better steering which in turn will help move the rig to the safer end of the gray zone. I agree with above saying why not do all you can to prevent sway. Also very important--Ford anti-sway (and maybe others as well) is an emergency reaction by the truck AFTER it detects sway. You don't want the sway to start.
Safety is not black and white, yes or no, true or false--it is a great big gray zone where each has to find his/her comfortable zone. The truck rating is a guideline by engineers. It may not be safe 1 pound under and unsafe 1 pound over. My son never used WD or anti-sway with his F-350 dually crew cab long bed truck--you CAN'T make that truck sway. Then one day he hooked up a pole trailer and loaded it with scrap poles from a construction site. He was careful to put the shorter poles on top close to the front to increase hitch weight. Pulling out on the interstate he swayed across 3 lanes--thankfully no traffic. He got settled down and then swayed all the way to the right berm where he stopped. We now think that too much tongue weight contributed to the sway. Now he uses WD and anti-sway with his 6,000 lb. camping trailer. Using WD will return engineer designed weight to the front axle helping insure better steering which in turn will help move the rig to the safer end of the gray zone. I agree with above saying why not do all you can to prevent sway. Also very important--Ford anti-sway (and maybe others as well) is an emergency reaction by the truck AFTER it detects sway. You don't want the sway to start.
