Here is my setup:2014 Ram 2500 6.42016 Jayco 27BHSGVW=8,250Tongue=620Unloaded=6,065My dealer stocks equalizer 4 points, but I want to be sure I am safely towing and he is selling me what I need. I'm assuming I want the one rated up to 10,000lbs?With my truck I really don't need to be careful about what I load and weight, I should have plenty of leeway with loading up the bed with camping stuff no?

You certainly do not want to purchase a WDH that is underrated for your trailer. More for the tongue weight than the full trailer weight. You always end up with a hitch rated for more than the trailer weighs because of tongue weight.In your case a 10,000lb hitch SHOULD work okay, but you won't know for sure until you load up and get a loaded tongue weight. For all we know the tongue weight will burgeon to 1200lbs when you're loaded up.As far as "leeway" you won't have as much as you think. It will be far and away better than a 1/2 ton truck, but you can't stack the bed full of lead ingots and hit the road. Some 2500 trucks have LESS rated payload than 1/2 tons, the difference being they handle that weight much better and take to being overloaded much better.

Understood....thank you for the relpy. I'm wondering if I should play it safe and go for the 12,000? What would be the negatives in doing so besides price? I wont be hauling an atv or snything like that. 4 people in truck, camping gear, bikes, coolers etc.Problem is I will be purchasing from dealer and I can't load up and run to the scale before purchase and set up of WDH.The equalizer rated at 10,000 has a tongue rating of 1,000. So I'm assuming If I keep the supplies in the bed under 300lbs, I should be within the 1,000 tongue weight limit?

You will be fine. 10K Equalizer should work great. At the very worst, your trailer could have 1200lbs of TW, but I don't see it happening. Out of the factory, it is a tad over 10%, so I don't see it going over 1000 lbs.Your 2500 with the 6.4 has lots of payload available. That is the nice thing about the gas engines. They are light.

Hi,There is a sticker in the glovebox that has the cargo rating for your truck, and knowing that information will help a lot of people who will offer advice on the hitch set up. You do have plenty of cargo rating from what I see, but like stated above, a lot of firewood in the bed of the truck, and you will get close to the GVWR. Yes the hitch weight can go up by 200 - 400 pounds when the water tank is full (depending on it's location) and you start filling the cabinets with food and camping gear. I would be selecting a hitch rated at 1000 pounds of hitch weight, even if yours is only 800, you will have a lot of safety margin, and probably will be less likely to need to upgrade in a few years if you buy another RV. Many who are towing with 3/4 ton trucks try to get the WD bars really tight, and that is not really required with your truck, where the back end will not sag, and the front end is not pointed skyward by the hitch weight. Tighten them to much, and it will bounce, and not add to the stability. If they are very loose, all that extra weight on the rear tires will add side to side stability. But you don't want it very loose. Also have the dealership show you how to raise the trailer A-Frame enough to make putting on the WD bars easy. Many skip this step, and try to use brute force to install the WD bars, and while that is possible, taking them off under tension can break your arm if the handle gets out of control.For that reason alone, I like the ProPride hitch. You tighten the WD bars with a drill that is a jack-screw, and it lifts the bars into place with a 3/4" bolt driving a screw that pulls on the bars. IT tracks better than other hitch systems. But you have a small trailer, and probably don't 'need' the ProPride. It is known as the best way to prevent side to side sway and improve handling.Have fun with your new trailer!Fred.

Fred,Thanks for the reply, great information. I checked the sticker and it says 2861lbs. Cargo Carrying Capacity.

Newbie...So I Need Help with WDH | Good Sam Community

SouthpawHD
Explorer
Jan 17, 2016
borninblue wrote:
mkirsch wrote:
borninblue wrote:
Understood....thank you for the relpy. I'm wondering if I should play it safe and go for the 12,000? What would be the negatives in doing so besides price? I wont be hauling an atv or snything like that. 4 people in truck, camping gear, bikes, coolers etc.

Problem is I will be purchasing from dealer and I can't load up and run to the scale before purchase and set up of WDH.

The equalizer rated at 10,000 has a tongue rating of 1,000. So I'm assuming If I keep the supplies in the bed under 300lbs, I should be within the 1,000 tongue weight limit?

What you put in the bed has nothing to do with the tongue weight limit, and you can certainly put more than 300lbs in the bed. From later responses it sounds like you've got 2800-ish pounds capacity for tongue, people, and stuff. Minus 1000 for the tongue. Minus the weight of you and yours. Leaves you with how much you can put in the bed. You're not going to overload any individual truck axle so axle ratings won't come into play.

1000lbs is a good guess for the weight bars, and almost certainly correct. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't saying that it wasn't. The way my mind works I'm always planning two steps ahead for multiple eventualities.

OK got little lost, there. The wife and I combined are about 350lbs, plus two small children. So I can load up how much in the bed? Man all these numbers minus this and that I am lost.

A little late, but thought this might still help.

2800 CCC
-1000 Tongue weight
=1800 CCC remaining
-500 (adults and kids, estimated)
= 1300 CCC remaining

So you can load 1300 pounds in your bed. However, your CCC calculation may not include fuel. Looks like you have plenty of payload/CCC to bring along what you need.
aftermath
Explorer III
Jan 11, 2016
Borninblue,

Just read this thread today and I have a headache. Too much verbiage for such a simple concept. I am towing a slightly lighter trailer with my Tundra and use the 10,000/1,000 Equalizer and it works great.

Your 3/4 ton will not have any trouble with this setup. If your carrying capacity is around 2600 you will be fine. Think of it this way. When you are getting ready to go think of how much you will put in or on the truck. 1000 pounds of tongue weight brings you down to 1600 pounds. You, the wife and kids will most likely leave you with 1100 pounds. Wow, you still have a lot that you can load in the back.

My Tundra leaves me only 1600. Once the trailer is on the ball and the wife and I are in our seats we have a scant couple of hundred left. We make it just fine and you will too.
BenK
Explorer
Jan 08, 2016
borninblue wrote:
snip...

OK got little lost, there. The wife and I combined are about 350lbs, plus two small children. So I can load up how much in the bed? Man all these numbers minus this and that I am lost.

This quote below might help you see where on the food chain of ratings
down to pavement is whatever they are talking about

A generic graphical representation of how the ratings system and
the components that make up that system looks like

BenK wrote:
Hi Chad and WELCOME !!!

Lots to talk about and learn (everyone can learn something on this
topic)

Careful on what sales folks tell you...they are in it for their paycheck
Some know, some don't have a clue on the needed specifications and
how that system works (ratings system)

First, decide if you believe in the OEM ratings system or not.

If not, then do whatever and this discussion academic. Note that you
will then assume both the warranty and liability of the vehicle

If yes, then read up and hope my quote below will help you 'see' the
big picture. Most advice's have no skin in the game...so read up on
their old posts to see if they have similar values you do

Too many take any 'one' component in the 'system' as the basis for
their decision and/or advice. It is s WHOLE SYSTEM made up of components
and sub-systems. Again the diagram will show the inter-relationships

Then the MTWR (max tow weight rating)...the OEMs use a flat bed trailer
with almost no side/frontal area. That trailer is loaded with blocks
of concrete/etc and placed best to derive the highest MTWR...plus they
play it to have a 10% tongue weight...that provides the highest MTWR,
but few trailers actually have a 10% loaded tongue.

Higher tongue weight percentages tow better...on average or general rule

Good luck and keep posting on this thread to that other newbies can
learn from your experience

Ben

PS...used that 3 wheeled motor cycle to add a bit of whimsy and to
show that anything can tow just about anything...just how well is
the crucial point

Below quote from this thread: Where can I find GCWR?

BenK wrote:
Posted: 10/09/15 09:25pm
This quote from this thread might help you visualize how the system
looks like in graphical form

Contradicting Tow Vehicle Advise

BenK wrote:
Posted: 08/22/15 12:19pm
Welcome to both this forum and the world of RV'ing

Many times, salesman are not lying per say, but out of context in most all
cases.

Ditto advice on any of these freebie forums...it is worth the price paid. Also
learn to filter the advice to your needs and opinions. Many forget that newbies
do NOT have the experience and hard knock schooling to filter well...those
'sure you can'...'have been doing it for decades'...etc

I do NOT advise in that regard, but try to provide information
that the Newbie must find, weight and do the simple math for their
own Risk Management Decision (AKA...gambling)

First decide if you believe in the OEM ratings system and numbers...or not

If not, then academic and do whatever, but know you have taken the OEM(s)
off the warranty and liability hook and now own them...

The generic formula is: GCWR => TV + Trailer + everything loaded

This has the OEM dialed in safety margins for longevity, safety
and to agency mandated MINIMUM performance...biggie for me is
braking the whole setup

Of course best to actually weigh everything, ready to go RV'ing,
axle by axle

Gather the information for both TV and Trailer: GVWR, F/R GAWR,
GCWR. Tongue percentage weight of ACTUAL weight is also needed

You will find that the MTWR (Max Tow Weight Rating) is bogus, unless
you have the stripper TV and 'dry' trailer that has a 10% tongue
weight percentage (it should be 12% to 15% and I prefer heavier)

Here is the graphical representation of how the ratings systems
looks like, or works. A bit of whimsy and mean it...anything 'can'
tow, but how well, how long and how safely is my goal...for a half
ton 'can' tow the Space Shuttle...but for how long...how well and
how safely???

howmuchcanitow howmuchshoulditow
borninblue
Explorer
Jan 08, 2016
mkirsch wrote:
borninblue wrote:
Understood....thank you for the relpy. I'm wondering if I should play it safe and go for the 12,000? What would be the negatives in doing so besides price? I wont be hauling an atv or snything like that. 4 people in truck, camping gear, bikes, coolers etc.

Problem is I will be purchasing from dealer and I can't load up and run to the scale before purchase and set up of WDH.

The equalizer rated at 10,000 has a tongue rating of 1,000. So I'm assuming If I keep the supplies in the bed under 300lbs, I should be within the 1,000 tongue weight limit?

What you put in the bed has nothing to do with the tongue weight limit, and you can certainly put more than 300lbs in the bed. From later responses it sounds like you've got 2800-ish pounds capacity for tongue, people, and stuff. Minus 1000 for the tongue. Minus the weight of you and yours. Leaves you with how much you can put in the bed. You're not going to overload any individual truck axle so axle ratings won't come into play.

1000lbs is a good guess for the weight bars, and almost certainly correct. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't saying that it wasn't. The way my mind works I'm always planning two steps ahead for multiple eventualities.

OK got little lost, there. The wife and I combined are about 350lbs, plus two small children. So I can load up how much in the bed? Man all these numbers minus this and that I am lost.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Jan 08, 2016
borninblue wrote:
Understood....thank you for the relpy. I'm wondering if I should play it safe and go for the 12,000? What would be the negatives in doing so besides price? I wont be hauling an atv or snything like that. 4 people in truck, camping gear, bikes, coolers etc.

Problem is I will be purchasing from dealer and I can't load up and run to the scale before purchase and set up of WDH.

The equalizer rated at 10,000 has a tongue rating of 1,000. So I'm assuming If I keep the supplies in the bed under 300lbs, I should be within the 1,000 tongue weight limit?

What you put in the bed has nothing to do with the tongue weight limit, and you can certainly put more than 300lbs in the bed. From later responses it sounds like you've got 2800-ish pounds capacity for tongue, people, and stuff. Minus 1000 for the tongue. Minus the weight of you and yours. Leaves you with how much you can put in the bed. You're not going to overload any individual truck axle so axle ratings won't come into play.

1000lbs is a good guess for the weight bars, and almost certainly correct. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't saying that it wasn't. The way my mind works I'm always planning two steps ahead for multiple eventualities.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Jan 08, 2016
Your set-up is fine. Go with the 1000 pound bars. I agree with all the others. I'm using Equal-I-zer 4 point, and it works very nice! Of course, I have a heavy truck too. My thoughts are, you can never "overkill" when it comes to towing. Get the heftiest you can afford is my opinion. More is better when it comes to towing.
Ron_Gratz
Explorer
Jan 08, 2016
APT wrote:
I'd go for the 1000 pound bars. Even if you aren't careful and you somehow get over 1000 pounds of loaded TW, your truck does not need 100% front axle restoration.
I agree 100% with this recommendation.

Even if the OP did choose to restore all of the load which was removed from the TV's front axle,
with a 1000# TW, the 1000# bars would be loaded only to about 60% of capacity.

Ron
APT
Explorer
Jan 08, 2016
I'd go for the 1000 pound bars. Even if you aren't careful and you somehow get over 1000 pounds of loaded TW, your truck does not need 100% front axle restoration.
borninblue
Explorer
Jan 08, 2016
Steel, yes that is the brand and model. The CCC on my truck is 2861.
Steeljag
Explorer
Jan 08, 2016
Is it the Equal-i-zer brand WDH ? If so, I've had mine for five years without issue. Works well, easy to put on / take off ( with a electric tongue Jack). The 1000 / 10000 should work well with your combo.

RV Wholesalers has them for $ 452.00.

What is the CCC on your truck ?