how much sag is too much

[rrev]

I have a 6500# travel trailer that I had been pulling with my 1/2 ton Yukon XL with an equilizer weight distribution hitch. I just bought me a Silverado 2500 hd, crew cab short box, duramax. It has an ARE topper on it. When I hooked up my trailer to it, the rear sagged exactly 1 inch, that's without the wd hitch. The front raised 3/8 inch. It it too much sag that I need to run the wd hitch or can I go without it?

[waynec1957]

I have a 2013 standard bed (6'6") Duramax and my camper is about 6,000 lbs loaded. 750 lbs tongue weight. That's what my numbers are without a topper.

The manual will tell you that using an WD hitch with that kind of weight is optional (up to some ridiculous number...I forget what it is). I use an Equalizer hitch anyway.

You have to be careful and patient when setting up that light of a camper using the EQ. The 2500HD won't respond to your adjustments as quickly as the 1/2 did because of the stiffer suspension and it's easy to add too much WD which will make for a rough ride (ask me how I know). Once the hitch head is set with the correct number of washers (I use 4) moving the L brackets up will add more WD.

On my truck with the WDH engaged at the 5th notch from the bottom on the L bracket my front fender is 1/8" higher than unloaded. At the 6th hole it's 3/8" below unloaded. Don't ask me why there's that much difference but the ride is a lot stiffer.

[Damdifino]

Before I added a Land Cruiser to my stable, I towed my 6500# trailer exclusively with my F350. Without WD, I could hardly tell the trailer was back there. The Land Cruiser is a different story; I had to buy an Equalizer hitch to tow safely with it.

[KD4UPL]

You probably should use the WDH since you have it. It will help put some weight back on the front. Do you need it? That's hard to say without some actual weights. If you're tongue weight doesn't exceed you hitches weight carrying rating and your not exceeding your rear axle rating then you don't actually need to distribute the tongue weight.
I tow 3 different trailers from 4,500 to 16,000 pounds with no WDH. The light weight one is a boat so only has 216 pounds of tongue weight. The heavy trailer is a flatbed so I can load it properly to manage the tongue weight.

[old_guy]

352 wrote:
It really depends on what you can live with.

he really means safely live with. I personally would not tow any thing across the street with a a WDH attached.

[rrev]

Thanks everyone for the quick replies. That's what I was guessing. Just didn't know if using it was unnecessary/overkil or not. I know what you mean about the sway so I understand why. I just hate having to stop and take off the sway control arm to back up.

And Sandia Man, I'm excited to pull with it. Had a guy who rode right next to my trailer wheels for 8.5 miles on my right and then for 2.5 miles on my left a month ago with my Yukon XL pulling it. Didn't matter if I sped up or slowed down. I couldn't shake him. The @#$%^&#$ just stayed there, going from yellow line to white line in his lane. After that, I knew I wanted a different tow vehicle.

[Sandia_Man]

I have similar TV and notice a slight amount of sag as you have experienced, but out west where the wind can blow pretty hard plus trying to maintain speed on these 75mph interstates, I wouldn't even consider leaving home without my WD/SC hitch engaged. Love the solid feel of going down the highway and experiencing virtually no sway even when being passed by semi's, have traveled a short distance without WD one time and towing comfort level really wasn't where I wanted it to be. Enjoy your Silverado, ours pulls great.

[352]

It really depends on what you can live with.

[ScottG]

You need to use a WDH to get the weight back on the front wheels.

[enblethen]

I would be using the equalizing hitch. It may not be transferring that much weight, but it will reduce the bouncing.