RavensFan24 wrote:
Just a thought: The 350lbs may be a false tongue weight with the set up in that picture. The trailer is tilted up, so more weight is going to the back of the trailer. You should really have the trailer level or even pointing down just a touch for a true tongue weight measurement. You're right that the max TW should only be 500lbs or so assuming 15% TW.
In the end, any half ton truck should be able to handle your set up assuming it has a tow package. My Tahoe has a GCWR of 14000lbs, which means I can handle up to 7500lbs of trailer with about 500lbs of stuff/people in the vehicle besides myself. The towing capacity says its 8200, but if I pushed it that far, I'd be over payload. My truck was 5980 with a full tank of gas and me in it. Adding 500lbs of people/stuff puts me at 6500lbs. 7500+6500=14000lbs. 6500 is under my 7300 GVWR. A WDH helps to make sure that my rear axle doesn't take all the weight and you don't exceed the axle weight ratings. If I didn't have the tow package, the Tahoe is only rated to tow like 5400lbs instead of 8200.
With a 3500lb trailer, I can only see you needing to make sure whatever half ton you choose has the tow package and you're golden. Other than that, pick something you love and that works for you and your crew.
Thank you!
Also, I scaled my trailer leveled.
what you see in the pic is me UNLOADING it from the ball (you can see my legs next to the tongue jack LOL, I have to crank it really high in order to disconnect the Andersen No Sway WDH, once it's disconnected I leveled the trailer before scaling.
Current setup:
Need-A-Vacation wrote:
Dream Girl,
Have you measured the tw of the trailer? Jayco lists the dry tw as 300lbs, but that does not include a battery or a propane tank on the tongue. That alone will add about 90lbs to the tw even before loading the trailer for a trip (based on one battery and one propane tank). In the pic, was that when you were first picking up the 184, before they put the propane tank on the tongue?
For the new GM twins ('14/'15 Silverado/ Sierra), the hitch is rated up to 1k lbs tw or so without the need for a wdh. The older ('13 and older) I believe still had the need for a wdh over 500 or 600lbs tw.
BUT.... as mentioned, if you load the bed up with cargo, plus the tw and you would probably feel a wdh is needed to help the ride and making the steering more solid instead of "floating".
The GM twins with a 5..3 and a set of 3.42 gears would be plenty to tow your trailer. It would also allow you to step up to a little larger trailer down the road powerwise, and even payload (pending how you load the truck bed) if you upgrade. When looking at different trucks, look in the drivers door jamb for the yellow sticker!!! It will state "Passengers and cargo not to exceed XXXXlbs". The higher the better!!! Just make sure it has the hd cooling, tow package, and the correctsuspension package for the higher tow rating if you do think you may upgrade trailers while you still have this truck. The integrated brake controller GM has works very well if you can find a truck with one!!!
As for the process of hitching/unhitching when using a wdh, a power tongue jack makes it very easy, even with a lighter tw like you have!!!
Good luck deciding!!!! And keep us posted!!!
Yes, I have scaled my Trailer, the TW was at 350lb.
I removed the propane tank for that trip.
Thank you for your post.
I am very puzzled and confused at the moment, as I can't get a decisive answer for my question, all the answers that I'm getting are very generic, such as "CGVW - The higher the better", how do I know what is "high" when I don't know what is the range?
At the moment I am thinking about a F-150 Super Crew short bed with Max payload package... but not all trucks are build the same and I don't understand what to look for, I need numbers... axle ratio, engine size and etc
My trailer is only 3200lb Loaded, with a max TW of 500lb on a bad day.
Unless I win the jackpot, I can't see myself upgrading to a bigger trailer anytime soon (I just got that one - new!)
I scaled my trailer leveled.
avoidcrowds wrote:
Sorry, lowsuv, I have to call "BS" on your comment: "Equalizing hitches are a crutch...".
If they were a crutch, there would not be so many manufacturers and styles to choose from. They are an important piece of equipment intended to make towing safer. Would you make the same "crutch" assertion for power steering and power brakes?
WDH do what their name says - they distribute weight more evenly, which improves safety. Putting 500 lbs on the tongue removes lots of weight from the front (steering and braking) wheels. That you are too lazy to deal with the weight of the hitch, or the installation process, is not a reason to encourage others to be unsafe. It takes time to check tire pressure, too. Do you ignore that?
My point is, WDHs make for a safer trip for many reasons. Any time you drop the rear bumper more than 2" (an arbitrary number), you could benefit from a WDH. Safety is worth the minimal extra effort.
OP here,
My TT is small (under 20f), my tongue weight is only 340lb
I already have a WDH (Andersen No Sway) - I use it on every trip
I did notice that on trucks like my dad (F350) the WDH is not needed, and I was wondering if I can find a different cheaper truck that has the same towing characteristic.
That's all.
