Hitch for 3/4 ton TV and 37-ft TT

[dsmith3]

Greetings -

We are soon to become first-time RV travel trailer owners. I would appreciate some wise counsel on what would be the most prudent WD/SC (weight-distribution/sway-control) hitch to purchase given our 3/4-ton tow vehicle (1999 Ford F-250 PSD 7.3) and 37-foot travel trailer (10,000 GVWR).

I have read the forums and it seems like about a 50/50 split on the premium Hensley Arrow/Pro-Pride type of mechanical WD/SC hitches and the friction-type hitches like Equal-i-zer, Reese Dual Cam, Blue Ox, etc. Also sounds like if someone's tow vehicle is 3/4 to 1-ton then the super-high priced mechanical hitches may not be as necessary.

I certainly don't mind paying for safety but I just don't want to spend more than is necessary.

Many thanks!
Dave

[elidodge1]

ProPride,The best and safest hitch going. Bobby

[myredracer]

Whether the sticker is correct or not, I would not trust the payload figure. JMO. Yes, go to a scale then calculate the actual available payload weight by subtracting the scaled weight from the GVWR. The actual payload of our F250 ('09) is substantially less than what the door pillar sticker says.

The last thing you want to do is buy a new TT and find you are overloaded on one or more of the ratings.

[JBarca]

Hi Dave,

To your direct question "Is it possible I can just take my truck to my diesel mechanic and have him examine my axles and springs to determine what the actual GAWR is?

Truck spring shops and even some truck repair places who specialize in suspension systems can more then likely measure the thickness, width and number of leafs, read the axle tag along with your truck year/make and possibly back into what rated spring/axle set you have. They may be able to confirm the spring pack.

However, they may not be able to declare a manufactures GAWR if the door sticker says the rating is lower then the spring pack or axle.

Finding out what your suspension is built too could help answer so you know at least if you have one of these older Fords with mislabeled door stickers. That is a good piece of info, as if the spring pack/axle is as the door sticker states, then that is a problem to deal with & to stop chasing the door sticker. If the suspension parts come out rated higher then the door sticker, the issue of the door sticker still remains and then to sort that out.

This is a liability headache. If you hook up a camper/trailer and tow it down the road and one of your weights or setup parts does not comply with the manufactures limits, this may become a serious problem for you in the event of an accident. Even if you did not start the accident but your rig created damage, that door sticker is the manufactures rating. If you are over it, the other parties lawyer or state police only look at the sticker, not that there was a TSB that never was full filled.

This web site, shows what may happen. While this is about the receiver ratings, they talk about the Law of Negligence and the other truck rating at the bottom. Something to think about. Towing the Line

Your local Ford dealer may have struck out, however suggest you try Ford directly. If they messed up and put the wrong sticker on, if you can get to the right person, they may help. Or at least you have the official last word on it. Going in being respectful and not loosing your temper has been known to produce positive results some times. Especially if a TSB was issued.

For what is worth, after all my learning about towing a camper, if I had this problem I would work to get the sticker fixed and then make sure the camper I bought, aligned at or under all truck ratings.

Hope this helps

John

[dsmith3]

Hi, John -

Thanks for your response.

Is it possible I can just take my truck to my diesel mechanic and have him examine my axles and springs to determine what the actual GAWR is?

From my discussions with the Ford service manager it doesn't sound like there is a way to get a new accurate sticker.

Thanks,
Dave

[JBarca]

Hi Dave,

The rear axle of the truck rating is what is needed to go by. The GAWR-Rear. That rating is declared from the "weakest" component in the rear axle system. Meaning the actual axle itself, the springs, shackles and mounts, wheel and tires. Odds are high the rear axle itself "might" be the same as was used in a F350 of the same time period. The tires are what they are as listed on the side wall max rating for full psi cold. The springs are something that most likley is the limiting factor. They de-rate any item if they are the weakest.

While I saw your rear axle rating to be too high for a 2500 truck, you are in the situation where that door sticker may be printed wrong OR not. If for some reason they put softer springs in then the more traditional 6,000# capacity, then this is a problem.

Why we are singling out the rear axle is what happens to is when you drop a "loaded" heavy tongue weight camper on it even with a WD hitch. You need to make sure you do not go over the capacity of the rear axle rating.

If you can get the VIN sticker sorted out and you do have a 6,000# rear axle rating, this helps eliminate a lot of issues.

Unless there was a miss print on the truck GVWR too, that 8,800# rating is something lower then the modern day trucks which are up in the 10,000# range for a 2500 now a days. This is not to say you cannot still pull a good size camper, it means you need to be really weight conscious. That nice well proven 7.3 up front weighs a lot and it eats up payload of the truck towards that low GVWR.

This come back to, fill the truck with full fuel, take wife and kids or other absolute must have things in the truck and go get a front and rear axle weight at a truck scale. Only load in the truck the must haves, as you can put cargo weight in the camper to keep the truck GVW lower.

Once you have a solid weight slip, then you add on a loaded tongue weight and subtract that from the GVWR. What is left, if there is any, is what you can put in the truck bed as cargo. While the diesel eats up more payload over a gasser, the good news is you have a pick up. Guys in 3/4 ton SUV's have it worse. The pickup weighs less as there is no glass and rear body weight of the SUV eating up payload rating. Most all times, the PU can hold up more weight then the SUV because the truck weighs less and most times has a higher GVWR and rear axle rating to start with. My 2500 Suburban had a 8,600# GVWR, a 5,600# rear axle and just my wife and I where in it with 300# of camping gear inside, all I had left was I could hold up a max of a 1,200# loaded camper tongue weight and not trip the GVWR and I just made it inside the GAWR-RR. Your diesel verses the gasser hurts on available payload even if it can pull more.m

Point: Weigh the truck and then look for the camper. And get that door sticker fixed if at all possible.

The tires, you have wider tires LT295's then the stock tires, LT 265's. "If" these are on the orignal rims that "may" present a towing stability issue. The smaller width rim bead does not line up well with the wider tire. In some cases this can allow the side wall to flex left to right more. And you have a D tire as opposed to the original E tire. While your D's have the weight rating, odds are favorable the original E rated can become stiffer side walls at 80 psi then the D's at 65psi.

I bring this up as trying to control a 37 foot camper needs all towing items in the combination to be optimized in the middle and not on the edge of working. The wrong tires can allow the truck to shift left to right while the anti sway system is trying to control that long trailer when sway causing conditions present themselves. Tire themselves can make or break the stability of a towing rig. From what I know of my towing experience, on long campers I believe you will be more stable using LT265E range @80psi then LT295 D range @65psi. And then the rim width issue even more affects this. You really will not know this is a problem until you try it as there is no side wall stiffness ratings on tires, unfortunately. But, the odds are not stacked in your favor.

After you sort out the axle sticker real rating, figure out what the actual available weight you can hold in the truck and not break a truck rating, GVWR and Axle ratings, then there is the tires. These factors once facts are known may say, doing 37 feet with a high loaded tongue weight is not a good fit for your truck trying to use a Reese DC system. As long as you fit inside the truck weigh ratings, the Hensley, Propride and even better, the Pull Rite hitch can solve the controlling the 37 foot camper. The Pull Rite may also be cheaper than the Hensley/PP. Pull Rite Hitch The only thing to watch for on the Pull rite is the TW ratings. They make a 1,000# and a 2,000#. They do not make one in the middle, unfortunately.

Hope this helps

John

[dsmith3]

dsmith3 wrote:

Here are towing specs from 1999 Ford Super Duty Towing Chart (F-250 SRW):
GCWR 20,000
GVWR 8,800
Payload 2,900
Rear Axle Rating 6,830 NOTE: The GAWR is the topic of current discussion

dsmith3 wrote:

The "6830 Rear Axle Rating" was pulled from a website that had the towing chart for my truck. I honestly didn't know what this figure was supposed to represent but included it in case it was informative.

I went out this evening and looked at my door sticker and here are the GAWR limits:
~ GVWR 8800 lbs (3991 kg)
~ Rear GAWR 4410 lbs (at 50 PSI)
~ Front GAWR 4970 lbs (at 55 PSI)
~ Tires: LT265/75R16E

rhagfo wrote:

I find it interesting the 6,830# rear axle rating in the first post, as that in theory what the axle rating if you were running 265/75-16 E tires 3,415# each.

dsmith3 wrote:

Russ -

After doing some research it sounds like I have a door sticker from Ford with bad weights which apparently was a problem on 1999 models of my F-250.

This is becoming very, very interesting!

Here is TSB (Technical Service Bulletin):
http://www.ford-trucks.com/tsbs/fulltext/?do=ViewTSB&tsbmodel=F-250%20SUPER%20DUTY&tsbyear=1999&tsbno=99-23-2

Here is some Ford forum banter about the issue:
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/626108-early-99s-check-your-gawr-sticker.html
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/637530-please-post-your-truck-info-and-door-jam-sticker-gvwr-and-gawr-info-2.html

So it appears your instincts were very correct.

Thank you!
Dave

Russ (rhagfo), John (JBarca), and others -

I have visited with my Ford dealer (per instructions in TSB above) re: what appear to be incorrect GAWR weights (4400-4900 lb) on my door sticker for my 1999 F-250 7.3. The service manager told me they don't support trucks over 10 years and that the contact phone numbers in the TSB are no longer working. But he is trying to help.

I thought I would provide some additional information in case others have any more opinions or recommendations.

Here is my tire information that I am running on my F-250:
- BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A
- LT295/75R16
- Load Range D
- Max Load Single 3415 lbs (1550 kg) @ 65 psi COLD
- Max Load Dual 3085 lbs (1400 kg) @ 65 psi COLD

I am new to towing safety and all that goes along with it. Do I determine what the actual GAWR (front and rear) should be for my truck based on the tires I have as follows:

3415 x 2 = 6830 lbs per axle?

Again, the factory sticker says the following:
LT265/75R16E
Front GAWR 4970 lbs @ 55 psi COLD
Rear GAWR 4410 lbs @ 50 psi COLD

That's about a 2,000 lb difference!

Many thanks for all the input on this important issue.

Dave

[Road_Ruler]

I would strongly recommend the Hensley or the PP. With that size of trailer don't leave home without one.

[ktmrfs]

CampingN.C. wrote:
I have a thread going now about adjusting a Reese Dual Cam, I've had one for years and they can be a pain to get right. However I myself am questioning its capabilities on a longer trailer. Mine is 35ft from hitch to bumper. If I can't get it better soon with a few more adjustments I'll be looking for a Propride.
BTW JBarca is the resident Dual Cam expert, listen to him!

X2 on JBarca and the dual cam being something that takes care to set up correctly. However, once set up correctly it is IMHO a great setup.

My trailer is 10,000+, truck at it's 9200GVWR when loaded, 65' overall length, trailer 38 ft tongue to end of my custom made rear carrier setup. Stable as a rock. Columbia river gorge sidewinds are not an issue, trucks aren't an issue. Barely feel it. Trailer is tongue heavy, 1500lbs on the tongue, truck has the factory hitch replaced with a Reese Titan (AKA tow beast).
We tow 5,000 miles/year and in 4 years have never had even the least bit of trouble with the setup.

The equalizer, hensley, proride etc. also have lots of loyal users.

IMHO any will be more than adequate IF they are properly set up, and if not properly set up, ALL can be unsatisfactory.

[93Cobra2771]

At that size, I would strongly recommend the Hensley or the PP.

If you watch your local craigslist, you will likely find one used for a fraction of the cost. I have found three local to me in the past 3 years. One for 800, one for 450, and one for 250. Guess which two I got and refurbished (basically painted them).

[Crabbypatty]

I have the reese dual cam sway 1200/12,000 lb hitch now for 11 years. Towing with a 3/4 ton Suburban 8.1L I put a class 4 hitch on back of Burb. First TT was 7,000Lb gvw. Never a issue in all kinds of weather and emergency stops. I just upgraded TT to a 30' Aluminum frame Sunny Brook. Its a heavier TT 10,000 gvw. Same hitch no issues. It has been said that the Hensely is the best but I have never had an issue with sway with the Reese or how it distributes weight to the Suburban.

[dsmith3]

rhagfo wrote:

dsmith3 wrote:
Russ -

Here is the information from my door sticker:

~ GVWR 8800 lbs (3991 kg)
~ Front GAWR 4970 lbs (2254 kg)
~ Rear GAWR 4410 lbs (2000 kg)
~ Tires: LT265/75R16E
~ Rims: 16x7.0K
at 379 kPa / 55 PSI cold (front)
at 345 kPa / 50 PSI cold (rear)

Thanks,
Dave

Wow, don't know what to say, didn't know a diesel F250 would have such low rated rear axle! Is this a full floater or semi floater rear axle?? I thought Ford only put the semi floater in the LD F250.

Russ -

After doing some research it sounds like I have a door sticker from Ford with bad weights which apparently was a problem on 1999 models of my F-250.

This is becoming very, very interesting!

Here is TSB (Technical Service Bulletin):
http://www.ford-trucks.com/tsbs/fulltext/?do=ViewTSB&tsbmodel=F-250%20SUPER%20DUTY&tsbyear=1999&tsbno=99-23-2

Here is some Ford forum banter about the issue:
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/626108-early-99s-check-your-gawr-sticker.html

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/637530-please-post-your-truck-info-and-door-jam-sticker-gvwr-and-gawr-info-2.html

So it appears your instincts were very correct.

Thank you!
Dave

[carringb]

The Ford semi-float axle they use in the vans is still rated for 6450-ish pounds! I suspect this particular truck is equipped with some very soft springs.

[rhagfo]

dsmith3 wrote:
Russ -

Here is the information from my door sticker:

~ GVWR 8800 lbs (3991 kg)
~ Front GAWR 4970 lbs (2254 kg)
~ Rear GAWR 4410 lbs (2000 kg)
~ Tires: LT265/75R16E
~ Rims: 16x7.0K
at 379 kPa / 55 PSI cold (front)
at 345 kPa / 50 PSI cold (rear)

Thanks,
Dave

Wow, don't know what to say, didn't know a diesel F250 would have such low rated rear axle! Is this a full floater or semi floater rear axle?? I thought Ford only put the semi floater in the LD F250.

[dsmith3]

Russ -

Here is the information from my door sticker:

~ GVWR 8800 lbs (3991 kg)
~ Front GAWR 4970 lbs (2254 kg)
~ Rear GAWR 4410 lbs (2000 kg)
~ Tires: LT265/75R16E
~ Rims: 16x7.0K
at 379 kPa / 55 PSI cold (front)
at 345 kPa / 50 PSI cold (rear)

Thanks,
Dave