Can 19 Silverado 1500 pull 23rslw jayco with just a ball

[Johnsonty131]

Payload of my truck is 1826.
Towing capacity is 9400
Trailer is hitch 536
Dry weight 4800
Gross is 6000

I don’t have a weight distribution hitch yet just a plain 2 5/6 ball. Think I can get it home from a 2 hour drive?
Any reviews on this trailer also appreciated

[Thermoguy]

Thermoguy wrote:

Johnsonty131 wrote:
Thank you guys! The guy actually had a camco trekker with 1200 WDH with sway control. Drove half way home staying in hotel now and still feel very slight sway that experienced pullers probably don’t even notice.

If you were so nervous driving that trailer that after 1 hour you stopped and stayed the night in a hotel, you might reconsider RV life and look at renting a cabin in the woods...

Regarding this thread, the WDH argument reminds me of the "you need a 1 ton dually" argument.

I've towed 6-7K lbs horse trailers all over the northwest with a 1/2 ton bronco or 1/2 ton conversion van and never thought once about WDH. Didn't even know it was a thing until realizing everyone on this forum thinks you need one if you have a bumper pull trailer regardless of the truck pulling it. I have a friend with a trailer in the mid 20' range pulling with a 3/4 ton diesel and they sold her a WDH... really?

I understand if you have issues and feel excess sway driving down the highway or if you are towing at the ends of the limits of your vehicle, but for the average weight range? Really doesn't seem like a necessity.

In rethinking my rude comment to the OP - the truth is, driving with a trailer is no different than driving without a trailer. The difference is, just make all of your movements slower, accelerate slower, stop way slower, take corners way slower. But on an interstate, just keep your speeds reasonable, try to keep up with traffic, not 85MPH Texas highways, but 65 should be OK. On 2 lane highways, when there is a curve, that warning sign is now for you with a trailer. Go that speed or slower - just take it easy. Practice backing, backing is probably the most difficult maneuver when towing. Going forward is easy, just give everyone lots of space, and make sure they give you lots of space, stay in the right lane, pass when you can get past, don't sit in the middle or left lane. Watch for merging traffic, change lanes or slow down if needed, just don't be in a hurry. Before getting an RV, most of my towing was with horses, you can't make any sudden movements for the safety of the horse, and when 2-3,000lbs of animal shifts, you know it. RV's don't do that.

The point - just take it easy and enjoy the drive, don't get so stressed about all the stuff. Towing should be as easy as driving without that trailer. If it isn't look at your setup and see where you can improve. With your new little trailer, you should be just fine with the setup you have.

[Grit_dog]

@Thermoguy….thank you for not letting me be the only person who takes a realistic approach to towing.
The wdh thing really is a RVer phenomenon…

[Grit_dog]

Thermoguy wrote:

Johnsonty131 wrote:
Thank you guys! The guy actually had a camco trekker with 1200 WDH with sway control. Drove half way home staying in hotel now and still feel very slight sway that experienced pullers probably don’t even notice.

If you were so nervous driving that trailer that after 1 hour you stopped and stayed the night in a hotel, you might reconsider RV life and look at renting a cabin in the woods...

Regarding this thread, the WDH argument reminds me of the "you need a 1 ton dually" argument.

I've towed 6-7K lbs horse trailers all over the northwest with a 1/2 ton bronco or 1/2 ton conversion van and never thought once about WDH. Didn't even know it was a thing until realizing everyone on this forum thinks you need one if you have a bumper pull trailer regardless of the truck pulling it. I have a friend with a trailer in the mid 20' range pulling with a 3/4 ton diesel and they sold her a WDH... really?

I understand if you have issues and feel excess sway driving down the highway or if you are towing at the ends of the limits of your vehicle, but for the average weight range? Really doesn't seem like a necessity.

I wasn’t going to comment on the hotel thing, I’d have stayed in the camper if I was spending the night with my new camper.
Throw some water in it, bring a couple sleeping. Bags, or buy a couple at the Wallyworld for less than a hotel room and have a camping trip!

[Thermoguy]

Johnsonty131 wrote:
Thank you guys! The guy actually had a camco trekker with 1200 WDH with sway control. Drove half way home staying in hotel now and still feel very slight sway that experienced pullers probably don’t even notice.

If you were so nervous driving that trailer that after 1 hour you stopped and stayed the night in a hotel, you might reconsider RV life and look at renting a cabin in the woods...

Regarding this thread, the WDH argument reminds me of the "you need a 1 ton dually" argument.

I've towed 6-7K lbs horse trailers all over the northwest with a 1/2 ton bronco or 1/2 ton conversion van and never thought once about WDH. Didn't even know it was a thing until realizing everyone on this forum thinks you need one if you have a bumper pull trailer regardless of the truck pulling it. I have a friend with a trailer in the mid 20' range pulling with a 3/4 ton diesel and they sold her a WDH... really?

I understand if you have issues and feel excess sway driving down the highway or if you are towing at the ends of the limits of your vehicle, but for the average weight range? Really doesn't seem like a necessity.

[Grit_dog]

Johnsonty131 wrote:
Thank you guys! The guy actually had a camco trekker with 1200 WDH with sway control. Drove half way home staying in hotel now and still feel very slight sway that experienced pullers probably don’t even notice.

Well, you have a wdh, albeit about twice as large as needed for that unit.
Congrats on the new camper.
TO ease your mind, trailers "wiggle" or more concisely, you can feel them track slightly different than the truck sometimes or alot of the time. Wind, wheel pat rutting, trailer reaction to slight driver inputs in the truck, longitudinal pavement joints, etc are all causes.
None of these conditions cause "sway", the dangerous sway that one can get with a severely overloaded tow vehicle, insufficient capacity or air in trailer tires, too light of tongue weight, too much weight too fat aft of trailer axles.
For some reason, RVers, maybe due to those who have not towed other trailers or less overall towing experience, seem to be very sensitive to the "feel" of a trailer compared to all others.

It's OK to feel the trailer back there. It's ok if it wiggles a little sometimes. Something is gonna happen. A F250 isn't going to handle like a Porsche and a long trailer isn't going to handle like an empty F250.
If you are having actual sway issues, you will know it. You won't have to discern whether it's "slight sway" or some other miniscule factor or movement.

Good luck and safe travels!

[Johnsonty131]

Thank you guys! The guy actually had a camco trekker with 1200 WDH with sway control. Drove half way home staying in hotel now and still feel very slight sway that experienced pullers probably don’t even notice.

[JIMNLIN]

The OEM receiver on the wifes 2016 1500 chevy crew cab 4wd short bed 5.3 with a 9200 lb tow rating says 1200 load and 12000 draw. No other info numbers on the OEM receiver sticker.
I use her 4wd truck pulling a 10000 lb gvwr car hauler with a 7640 lb blue tractor/cab. The tractor sits on 58" tall ag tires and makes a very top heavy load on the trailers deck. Trailer has around 9620-9680 lbs on the axles depending on implements on the tractor.
Actual scaled hitch load on the trucks rear axle is 1120 lbs and raises the trucks front 1 3/8".....rear drops 1 7/8".
I wouldn't be concerned with that small trailers 600-700 lb hitch weight without a WD hitch for just a 2 hr drive home.

[wanderingaimles]

Johnsonty131 wrote:
Ok well I have just a plain shank with a 2 inch drop an 5/16 ball. I was waiting to buy WDH because I thought it has to be specific to which ever camper I buy? I found one at harbor freights a hail master10,000 trailer weight. 1,000 max tongue weight. Class 3 and 4 hitches. I said I was getting that exact jayco camper but there is a chance we pick another today ( dealer has 3 all about same size and weight) thank you guys though.

The Horrible freight will work as a WDH, but it does little to nothing for sway. better to save your money for now, and buy a good hitch setup later with anti sway for maybe $50 more.
To get home, just go and tow it, plan on going slow, and keep things in sight. This isnt a Toyota commercial, and you are not pulling the space shuttle. Keep it simple, and take your time.

[afidel]

Just checked the owners manual since the trailering guide didn't have the info for the 1500 in 2019. It's 5,000/500 on the step ball, 7,000/700 on the hitch without weight distribution, and 1,250 for max tongue weight on the hitch with weight distribution.

That said, that's a lot of sail area for a 1500 so personally I'd want a weight distribution hitch with sway control for it but those are the official limits.

[Grit_dog]

ktmrfs wrote:

Johnsonty131 wrote:
Payload of my truck is 1826.
Towing capacity is 9400
Trailer is hitch 536
Dry weight 4800
Gross is 6000

I don’t have a weight distribution hitch yet just a plain 2 5/6 ball. Think I can get it home from a 2 hour drive?
Any reviews on this trailer also appreciated

what is the dead weight hitch rating on the truck? In many/most cases the max hitch load for dead weight (non WD) is lower, often significantly lower than WD rating. First thing is to make sure your not exceeding the hitch limit.

Too late...he was getting the trailer today. But so y'all can sleep tonight, his hitch will be just fine. I just went and looked in the owners manual of the "same" truck (2020 model) and the owners manual, nor the hitch even specify a tongue weight limit where a wdh is "required". Says any trailer over 7klbs requires a wdh.


(For the weight cops in the group, sorta gives credence to these numbers not being "that" critical, eh?)

[ktmrfs]

Johnsonty131 wrote:
Payload of my truck is 1826.
Towing capacity is 9400
Trailer is hitch 536
Dry weight 4800
Gross is 6000

I don’t have a weight distribution hitch yet just a plain 2 5/6 ball. Think I can get it home from a 2 hour drive?
Any reviews on this trailer also appreciated

what is the dead weight hitch rating on the truck? In many/most cases the max hitch load for dead weight (non WD) is lower, often significantly lower than WD rating. First thing is to make sure your not exceeding the hitch limit.

[Gdetrailer]

GrandpaKip wrote:

Without WDH, the front of my truck goes up almost 2 inches and the rear goes down 3.
The truck isn’t level and the trailer isn’t either. But you think this is OK.
I have 12% on the tongue, 600 pounds.
With WDH, truck is level and trailer is slightly nose down. As it should be.
Nothing I said was false or paranoid. Just common sense.
Advice like yours could also cause someone to have an uncomfortable ride.
Just because something can be done doesn’t always mean it should.
Like I said before, I see people doing stupid stuff with trailers all the time.

You need to rethink your truck if 600 lbs sets the front up 2" and the rear down by 3". Even 1/2 ton trucks from the 1960's were able to support 600 lbs in the bed without sagging that much. Heck my Dad even had a 1970 F100 which he used a full size TC in it and it didn't kill anyone or cause any accidents..

To me, what you are doing is being "stupid" yourself by failing to realize that your truck is not capable and to further the stupidity running 12% TW! You SHOULD be targeting for 15% for the most stable tow.

The weakest truck I have towed with was a 97 "light duty" F250 which was basically a "heavy half" based on a F150 frame and chassis. I towed a 7,000 GVWR 20ft TT with that without WD, trailer towed straight and true and rear drop was about 2" and front raised less than 1"..

That 97 truck pales in comparison to any of the real 250 Super Duties that I have had and the ones I still own where front raise is barely detectable and rear sag is less than 1" with a 26ft 7,000 GVWR trailer without WD..

Just towed a 93 35' park model trailer for my FIL almost 100 miles with my 2020 F250, he was shocked that the truck barely dropped..

Get the right tool for the job and one doesn't always need aftermarket bandaids..

[Lwiddis]

"and exceed the hitch capacity..."

Will likely NOT exceed hitch capacity. Mine is 970 pounds and OP's is likely more since his payload limit is more than mine.

[cbshoestring]

This past weekend I made three trips to the landscape place, where each time I picked up a ton of top soil with my 1/2 ton truck. Don't tell the weight police. Or many that respond to posts similar to this one.

My personal opinion is....

While the truck is more than capable of making this two hour trip, even while improperly set up, I don't believe the O.P. is capable of making such a trip.

A bit of tail dragging, while sitting up to see over the hood, is standard pickup usage.

A tad of trailer wiggle would be expected from a seasoned tower.

The O.P. does not sound as if he has any trailering experience. That could make for a white knuckles drive.

Suggestion for the O.P.....

Have the dealer install the WDH.

Have them explain hook up and unhooking.

Immediately after leaving dealer, find a large parking lot or deserted street. Go about 30 mph and wiggle the wheel hard left and right. Hit the brakes hard a couple of times. Give yourself some ideas of how the trailer responds...and how it effects your truck.

It's easy for for experienced towers to say "go for it". However, someone new to towing should seek professional set-up. With as much explanation of the set-up process as possible.

Then cautiously drive home.