Do I need stabilizer or WD?
Firstly...I am new to all of this. My first camper. I'm a little older, and retired, and hoping I can do this. My camper is in the middle of being worked on. I've never towed before. So..I see from pr...
Forum Discussion
Hello, fellow small-tower! My favorite and current setup is a small one, too, and I'm well familiar with the intricacies of towing with such setups.
Since you say you're new at towing, I'll highly recommend that you take a gander at U-hauls's "Safe Towing" publication at this link. It's a great resource for understanding/explaining many towing principles.
It's good that you're planning ahead, but you're a step or two away from determining whether you need sway control or a W/D hitch. I think you got that weight number from Nada- it likely is for "dry weight" as reported by the mfr. and if so does not reflect loaded trailer weight. The first thing you need to determine is what the real weight is. Any truck/highway/landfill scale will provide that information.
You next must insure that your fully loaded trailer carries at least 60% of total weight ahead of the axles, and that tongue weight is between 10-15% of total trailer weight. You can determine both once you've weighed the trailer- simplest way to do so with a trailer as small as yours is to weigh the trailer tongue on a bathroom scale. Number must be at least 10% but not more than 15% of total. If so, you're good.
Next step will be looking at your Ridgeline manual to determine hitch weight limits and other recommendations. As noted, there may be restrictions per equipment type etc...
Per sway control/W/D hitches etc.: U-haul explains this better than I can, but in a nutshell:
Except for those rare occasions when hit by side winds, sway is primarily a function of improper loading, usually exacerbated by higher speeds. No add-on device will overcome this flaw, though some will mask it. Your first step should be to insure that your fully loaded trailer has at least 60% of total weight ahead of the axles, and that tongue weight is between 10-15% of total trailer weight.
Since you say you're new at towing, I'll highly recommend that you take a gander at U-hauls's "Safe Towing" publication at this link. It's a great resource for understanding/explaining many towing principles.
It's good that you're planning ahead, but you're a step or two away from determining whether you need sway control or a W/D hitch. I think you got that weight number from Nada- it likely is for "dry weight" as reported by the mfr. and if so does not reflect loaded trailer weight. The first thing you need to determine is what the real weight is. Any truck/highway/landfill scale will provide that information.
You next must insure that your fully loaded trailer carries at least 60% of total weight ahead of the axles, and that tongue weight is between 10-15% of total trailer weight. You can determine both once you've weighed the trailer- simplest way to do so with a trailer as small as yours is to weigh the trailer tongue on a bathroom scale. Number must be at least 10% but not more than 15% of total. If so, you're good.
Next step will be looking at your Ridgeline manual to determine hitch weight limits and other recommendations. As noted, there may be restrictions per equipment type etc...
Per sway control/W/D hitches etc.: U-haul explains this better than I can, but in a nutshell:
Except for those rare occasions when hit by side winds, sway is primarily a function of improper loading, usually exacerbated by higher speeds. No add-on device will overcome this flaw, though some will mask it. Your first step should be to insure that your fully loaded trailer has at least 60% of total weight ahead of the axles, and that tongue weight is between 10-15% of total trailer weight.
