WDH Really Needed?

[1L243]

Does a 19' Travel Trailer weighing less than 5000lbs and 450lbs TW being towed by a 3/4 truck need a WDH? Or Antisway?

[PA12DRVR]

mkirsch wrote:
With that size trailer on a 3/4 ton truck you do not need WD... UNLESS:

1. Your receiver is rated to only 500lbs without WD and your tongue is over 500lbs.

2. Your WD hitch has integrated sway control, such as a Reese Dual Cam, a Blue Ox Sway Pro, or an Equal-i-zer.

Either way it is not really about steering with a 3/4 ton truck. It is a receiver limitation, or a simple preventative measure.

Yes, if the trailer is properly built and properly loaded, it will tow fine without . That is a *BIG IF*. You'll never know for sure that it's properly built, but you will find out quickly, and catastrophically, if it isn't.

I guess if you don't mind the occasional cheek-clenching terror associated with a sway event, you can afford to experiment...

What he said: I towed a 19' TT with a 2500 Suburban back in the day: No issue with weight/capacity/trailer loading, but the Reese Dual Cam HP that I had really make the truck trailer act is one in the usual events that often resulted in sway: passed by tractor-trailer, swerving, etc. For a few bucks, it's worth the peace of mind.

[mkirsch]

With that size trailer on a 3/4 ton truck you do not need WD... UNLESS:

1. Your receiver is rated to only 500lbs without WD and your tongue is over 500lbs.

2. Your WD hitch has integrated sway control, such as a Reese Dual Cam, a Blue Ox Sway Pro, or an Equal-i-zer.

Either way it is not really about steering with a 3/4 ton truck. It is a receiver limitation, or a simple preventative measure.

Yes, if the trailer is properly built and properly loaded, it will tow fine without . That is a *BIG IF*. You'll never know for sure that it's properly built, but you will find out quickly, and catastrophically, if it isn't.

I guess if you don't mind the occasional cheek-clenching terror associated with a sway event, you can afford to experiment...

[mowermech]

No.
Long ago and far away, I had an older 19 foot travel trailer. It was so old, a breakaway switch and cable were not installed!
The tow vehicles I used to tow it were:
A 1974 dodge 3/4 ton
A 1976 Ford E150 Club Wagon
A 1970 Jeep Wagoneer.
I did not use a sway control gadget with any of those vehicles. A properly built, properly loaded trailer should not sway. In fact, I have never owned a sway control gimmick.
I did not use a WD hitch on the Dodge or the Ford.
However, a WD hitch was an absolute necessity on the Wagoneer, to keep the back bumper at the correct height, and to keep the headlights from illuminating the tree tops. That, of course, is exactly why the WD hitch was invented!
Our camping trips back then were usually at least 100 miles, often 400 miles one way, mostly on 2 lane roads in the mountains.

[Golfcart]

Every little bit of help towing will go a long ways when you are 10 hours into a drive

If you are just going 30 minutes down to the local campground, I wouldnt worry about it

[atreis]

WDH - probably not. Antisway - always a good idea.

[kwlincoln]

To answer your question..... NO. Absolutely, positively NO you do not need a WDH. Sway control - better to have if, but if you load it tongue heavy, it isn't completely necessary either. I would use a sway control personally.

Remember that half the function of a WDH is to put weight back on the trailer axles too. Trailer axles on your set up are the weakest link followed by lesser tires than what you have on your tow vehicle. You could actually increase your odds of an axle or tire failure by transferring weight to those smaller tires and axles.

[GordonThree]

1L243 wrote:
Does a 19' Travel Trailer weighing less than 5000lbs and 450lbs TW being towed by a 3/4 truck need a WDH? Or Antisway?

I've never used one with my 20' trailer, 3500lbs, 1/2 truck. Only 30,000 miles so far so I'm not as seasoned as other posters.

I love the simplicity of being able to drop the trailer on the ball, plug in, hook up the safety chains and break-away and go.

My truck and trailer haven't exploded yet, or fallen apart. I have never had any sway troubles, even being passed repeatedly by semi trucks.

[Ivylog]

NO! Why would you want to put more weight on the front axle? T n P gave a good explanation.

[noteven]

not if you don't need to distribute weight to the front axle of the tow mobile to reduce weight on the rear axle.

[deltabravo]

I always tow with a WD hitch - the truck and trailer handle better, especially on road surfaces that are concrete, which have the joints in them

[azrving]

No

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

No, most trucks are around 60/40 weight bias. The best handling vehicle is a 50/50 weight bias.

The closer you get to that number the better. When you achieve a 50/50 weight bias all 4 tires will brake the same and all will do equal work in the handling department.

This is why race car designers build 50/50 cars and people in the know put sand bags or a big plate in the bed of their trucks. They are trying to achieve a 50/50 weight bias.

This a also why trucks want to come around in the snow or rainy or slick weather. Not enough weight bias in the rear.

If you own a diesel it is much worse. If you own a Cummins it is even more worse. Those engines are REALLY heavy!

All that being said, it's always best to scale your truck to find out the weight bias of your truck and get as close to a 50/50 deal as you can.

As far as sway goes. I have towed 10's of thousands of miles with many different trailers and never, and I do mean never has a well handling trailer just "decided to sway." I've towed a few that wanted to kill me, but they did it from day one and they were ALL a poorly designed trailer with less than 10% TW.

Bottom line is this. A 3/4 ton truck can handle 4 or 500 lbs TW no problem.

[lenr]

Also you should have 500 to 750 lbs TW for 5000 trailer weight if that is actual sCale weight.

[lenr]

Only needed if you want design weight on the steering axle which helps prevent sway. It's not only about rear end squat.