New Truck Hitch Setup

Dr. Blake wrote:
Hi,

I setup my dual cam hitch for my last truck and it went smoothly and I was very happy with it.

I setup my hitch for my new truck yesterday. It is a 2013 GMC 3500hd diesel.

Truck weights
Front axle: 4,620
Rear axle: 3,300
Total truck: 7,920

Trailer weights
Tongue: 820
Axle: 5,100

Truck and trailer no WD
Front axle: 4,356
Rear axle: 4,180
Total truck: 8,580

Truck and trailer with WD
Front axle: 4,450
Rear axle: 4,070
Total truck: 8,470

I am using 7 links when I am hooked up.

I had a hard time getting it dialed in. The truck barely knew it was there so any adjustment had to be so minor. Plus, GM says only add back 50 percent of the weight removed from the front axle,, making each adjust even more delicate.

Does this look like it will work?

Thanks!

Hi Dr Blake,

What type of Reese WD hitch do your have? Trunnion bar or round bar

And if trunnion bar, does it have the serrated washer for adjusting head tilt, or the older type that you rotate the square washer and change holes?

Actually GM does not state on "your" 3500 truck to return the front end to 50% of load distribution. That recommendation is for a 1500 truck with a trailer GVW of 7001 to 9900 lbs. Even more odd, you can have a trailer up to 7,000# and up to a 700# TW and not need WD at all and if choose to use one then "Refer to trailer manufacturer’s recommendation" for how to adjust WD on the truck.

On your 3500 truck, WD is optional all the way to max TW listed on the chart on page 9-92 of the owners manual and when setting the WD if you use it, it states "Refer to trailer manufacturer’s recommendation" again

See page 9-94 of the 2013 owners manual. The one I am looking at is a 2013 Silverado, yours should be close to the same area.

I know, clear as mud and leaves us all guessing why and how they came to these recommendations. While it may not be impossible, it is not common for trailer manufacture to recommend a WD setting on different manufacturer truck. You can try can all your TT manufacture and see if they give you a recommendation. They may not give you one, but just following GM's manual...

Something is missing on the numbers you posted. They do not add up correct or I'm miss reading them. Did you miss a number or make a typo?

These weights
Truck and trailer no WD
Front axle: 4,356
Rear axle: 4,180
Total truck: 8,580

4,356 + 4180 = 8,536, do not know where 8580 came from and where is the TT axles?

And these weights
Truck and trailer with WD
Front axle: 4,450
Rear axle: 4,070
Total truck: 8,470

4,450 + 4,070 = 8,520 do not know where the 8,470 came from and and where is the TT axles?

These weights
Trailer weights
Tongue: 820
Axle: 5,100

How did you obtain them? Was the trailer by itself on 2 different scales by held up by the tongue jack?

Before I can comment on how to adjust the hitch, need to better understand how you did the weighing.

Hope this helps

John