GMC 2500 13,000 lbs No WDH

[2edgesword]

My son in law recently sold a TT that had a 9,000 lbs GVWR. The guy that purchased it showed up with a GMC 2500 to tow it a few hundred miles home. There was no WDH setup on the trailer so I was surprised when the new owner hitched it to the ball attached the chains and left.

I have an F-250 with a 6,000lbs tow limit without WDH so I check the specs for the GMC and was surprised to find it had a 13,000lbs max towing capability without a WDH. What about this truck manages even transfer of weight to both axles without a WDH?

[Grit_dog]

TomG2 wrote:

Groover wrote:


There is a difference between doing something and doing it safely all day in whatever weather you encounter and with your family aboard. While not all trailer/truck combinations "require" a WDH you may find that you get to your destination in a better frame of mind if you use one.

If you "Think" you need one, you need one. Got it.

Wow, I’m almost getting convinced I need a wdh and anti sway for my 32’ enclosed trailer..... (Pretty much a TT full of snomachines)
No , actually I’m not. However I am understanding the lengths some will go to achieve the perfect towing experience and there’s some validity to that. Everyone’s idea of “comfortable” is differnet and I guess I just don’t give it much thought when towing trailers. As long as the trailer isn’t flinging around uncontrollably, I mash the go pedal. Full speed ahead!

[sgfrye]

IdaD wrote:
I've towed plenty of heavy trailers on a ball with no issues. Just gotta have enough truck, and a diesel engine sitting on top of the front axle certainly helps.

x2

[Ralph_Cramden]

TomG2 wrote:
We ran a construction company and we towed everything from equipment trailers to work trailers with adequate tow vehicles and no weight distribution hitches. When the same weight trailer is sold by a RV dealer, "You have to have a WD hitch" becomes the warning. Go with the tow vehicle manufacturer. They know more about their vehicles than the RV sales people.

Well Tom, trying to interject a little common sense or real world experience on these RV boards is an exercise in frustration of epic proportions. Has always been and always will be.

[TomG2]

Groover wrote:


There is a difference between doing something and doing it safely all day in whatever weather you encounter and with your family aboard. While not all trailer/truck combinations "require" a WDH you may find that you get to your destination in a better frame of mind if you use one.

If you "Think" you need one, you need one. Got it.

[Groover]

TomG2 wrote:
We ran a construction company and we towed everything from equipment trailers to work trailers with adequate tow vehicles and no weight distribution hitches. When the same weight trailer is sold by a RV dealer, "You have to have a WD hitch" becomes the warning. Go with the tow vehicle manufacturer. They know more about their vehicles than the RV sales people.

There is a difference between doing something and doing it safely all day in whatever weather you encounter and with your family aboard. While not all trailer/truck combinations "require" a WDH you may find that you get to your destination in a better frame of mind if you use one.

[TomG2]

We ran a construction company and we towed everything from equipment trailers to work trailers with adequate tow vehicles and no weight distribution hitches. When the same weight trailer is sold by a RV dealer, "You have to have a WD hitch" becomes the warning. Go with the tow vehicle manufacturer. They know more about their vehicles than the RV sales people.

[colliehauler]

My personal experience is a WDH hitch improves handling and ride comfort even though I tow with a 1 ton.

[Groover]

hawkeye-08 wrote:
We towed our current trailer home without WDH with no issues towing, but had a few oncoming cars flash headlights so we must have had a different angle than without trailer. I thought about just adjusting headlights, but by the time loaded up trailer and filled bed of truck and put kayaks on rack, why not use a WDH, not that much additional work.

It is not just your headlights that can change angle. Your front caster angle changes the same as your headlights and this will happen even if the front does not rise while the back goes down. And depending on front suspension setup camber will change with front end height. I recognize that modern trucks seem to be much better at dealing with tongue weight than older ones and I go along with factory ratings but there are a lot of rigs out there that still need a WDH. Most people that I have met that have had bad experiences towing simply don't have the hitch that they need or have committed some other setup error. I would feel a lot better about traveling long distances with heavy loads in the back if all trucks had load leveling suspension. My family has had factory installed load leveling in rigs ranging from a 1988 Crown Victoria to an Expedition to a Freightliner MH and all have worked very well. I can't understand why it is not more common.

[mkirsch]

What about this truck manages even transfer of weight to both axles without a WDH?

Short answer: NOTHING.

Long answer: The truck can tolerate having more weight removed from the front wheels partially because it's heavier to begin with, and partially because it has plenty of capacity on the rear axle to handle the trailer's tongue weight, and does not need to distribute the weight to prevent overloading.

The main reason for using a modern WDH with integrated sway control on a heavy duty pickup truck is the sway control. It helps with the push-pull on the highway. It is there as "belt and suspenders" just in case something unknown and unforeseen sets the trailer into a sway event.

[TomG2]

Old wive's tale from the days when we towed with sedans and station wagons. As far as front axle weight restoration, consider that GM does not add ballast to the front ends of their gasoline fueled pickups which are much lighter than ones who use diesel. A few hundred pounds off the front axle will not be noticed.

I am not suggesting that overloaded tow vehicles are a good idea.

[hawkeye-08]

We towed our current trailer home without WDH with no issues towing, but had a few oncoming cars flash headlights so we must have had a different angle than without trailer. I thought about just adjusting headlights, but by the time loaded up trailer and filled bed of truck and put kayaks on rack, why not use a WDH, not that much additional work.

[Ralph_Cramden]

JCK wrote:

Ralph Cramden wrote:

George3037 wrote:
My 2016 GM 2500HD with tow package has the same factory hitch as JCK's truck. 2 1/2" receiver tube, 1500TW and 13,000 max trailer weight. Not the 2000/20000 hitch.
I still use a WD hitch for my heavier trailers.

They must have taken a step back for 2016.
From my 15 GMC 2500 SLE, DC, 8' bed.

As always we should refer to owner manuals for your year truck. I did find a truck my year with a 2000 lb..WC rating. You have to have the long box to get that kind of rating .

Yep.......long box, double cab. I assumed GM would use the same hitch across the board which I bet it is. They just swap the rating sticker most likely? Doesn't make much sense when the hitch is rated for way more than the platform it's attached to?

[IdaD]

I've towed plenty of heavy trailers on a ball with no issues. Just gotta have enough truck, and a diesel engine sitting on top of the front axle certainly helps.

[blt2ski]

Ivylog wrote:

blt2ski wrote:
One can vary how much comes off the FA with a stiffer rear spring set. Having the rear set a bit higher so it takes more drop of rear to make the frame level to going downward so you start removing weight from the front axle. .

Pure BS. Heavier springs do not change the fulcrum point...the rear tires.

You have not spent any time at a scale playing with this issue. If rear is high, the initial swing point is front axle.n until, the frame gets to level, the with more weight yet, th he rear goes down, from up. Per 100 lbs added, weight off the front is less initially, more per 100 lbs as rear squats. This can vary based on overhang, spring softness, or even how the springs are designed and manufactured to get stiffer, as they flex more. Which can vary % of hw off the front axle.

Marty