Do I even need a WD setup?

If you look on the receiver on your truck, it will give a rating. Usually over 500lbs of tongue weight or 5000lbs of trailer weight the manufacturer calls for a WDH.

I will be using a WDH. Thanks everyone for the help

krobbe wrote:

myredracer wrote:
Receivers in a TV have a lower max. TW and tow rating when not using a WDH. I don't know what your truck has, but you could be over the rating if not using a WDH.

Op, What is your max receiver weight without a WDH?
Answer this and you'll have your answer.

THis is the only answer you need right here!!

IF you are under the weight required in the manual to not use a WDH (usually #5000) then you don't need one. If you are over what Ford says is required use one

Chris

Every truck manual i've seen, has an weight amount minimum that requires using a WDH, in the manual's towing section.

but some people have never opened their owners manual.

IAMICHABOD wrote:
You can always take it for a test run as my friend did..............he made it 40 miles

This is one of those scare tactics that I find reprehensible.

There is absolutely NO evidence to suggest that this crash was caused by the issue at hand. There is in fact no evidence that I can see WHY this crash happened at all.

But the most likely scenario is that the driver mishandled the situation.

Posting this to try to scare the OP into buying something he probably does not need is just irresponsible.

myredracer wrote:
Receivers in a TV have a lower max. TW and tow rating when not using a WDH. I don't know what your truck has, but you could be over the rating if not using a WDH.

Op, What is your max receiver weight without a WDH?
Answer this and you'll have your answer.

Some people here are saying that rigs that don't need to distribute weight (being they're within the TV specs for not needing it, and the TV sits level) should distribute weight anyway? Why would that be? Some think that it's inevitable that the trailer will be loaded to the point WD will be needed, an argument that seems religious in nature and that denies that we have the ability to reason.

shaner82 wrote:
To be clear, the trailer was loaded when I pulled it. It was a private sale and they left everything in it. The rear end barely squatted. I literally went 1/2 mile, which is why I didn't bother with the WD hitch

I thought sway control and WD were two different things and a WD hitch wouldn't necessarily help with sway. If it will, I'll definitely keep it.

Yes, you should use a WDH. If you don't use one and sway control, some day you could find yourself finding that it IS back there in a very bad way... It's great that you are asking in the beginning. Too many people buy trucks and/or trailers and have no clue about ratings, WDHs, etc. and get themselves into trouble.

You should learn about WDH setup and weights (and a few other things such as tire psi & max. tire speed). Tongue weight should be an absolute min. of 10 percent. Average is more like 12-13 percent. Ours is almost 15 percent. Dry weights are fairy tale factory numbers which always go up, and sometimes by a lot. The ACTUAL tongue weight on that trailer could end up being more like 700 lbs.

Receivers in a TV have a lower max. TW and tow rating when not using a WDH. I don't know what your truck has, but you could be over the rating if not using a WDH.

gafidler wrote:
If you ever have to make a panic stop you better have WD hitch or your trailer might end up beside you. T will also be nice when you are driving 60 miles per hour down the road and get passes by a tractor trailer..

Think of it as insurance that your family can't live without or others on the road. You may have paid a hefty price for your WD set up but think of the price if someone gets hurt or worse.

Oh for heavens sake please stop pedaling this fear and mayhem scenario about towing without WD or a "Sway" control setup. This is pure BUNK.

Sway is caused by people who do not load and drive their trailers correctly. Trailers do not intrinsically "sway".

If you understand how to properly drive your trailer sway will not be a problem.

There is ABSOLUTELY no independent testing or evidence that these so called "life saving" sway bars actually do anything, except cost you a lot of money.

WD is a bit different and can be supported by some real world facts and physics. But few actually need it. a bit of squat is not going to change the handling characteristics of the vehicle to any great degree and make it unsafe.

TO THE OP: Take your rig out and DRIVE it. Learn it and learn how to load it properly.

The money you will spend on a Sway bar or WD would be much better spent on Shock absorbers and disc brakes, which would actually make your trailer safer.

I had a 03 Springdale 269rlls with a dry weight of 5750 and tongue of 540. I assume my weight when traveling was 6500-6700 and a TW of 650 lbs. I never used a WDH with my truck in sig. I never experienced any sway once properly loaded or anything. Now with the new trailer. It lists 7000 dry and a TW of 1035 I towed this home from the dealer on the ball for 3 hours with no issues. Truck did sag 3 inches but zero sway. I have a class 5 hitch with a drawbar and ball rated for 17K +lbs and 1700tw. I started to use a eazlift to take care of the bouncing but have yet to hook up the sway bar. I did get the truck back up 2 inches as well. But to the original poster. Only you will know if WDH is needed. Everybodys setup is different.