Sway control needed when pulling TT with DRW?

[partimcmpr]

I am currently pulling a tongue-heavy travel trailer with a SRW/2500HD. If I upgrade to a DRW/3500HD, will I need to use sway control or weight distribution? Or will the higher payload and wide stance of the DRW handle the TT?

The gross trailer weight is close to 11,000 total with a TW of about 1650. The weight puts my 2500HD right at the GVW, front and rear axle weight OK.

What I really want to know, is what should I expect if I were to upgrade to a DRW/3500HD and would I still need to deal with sway control and weight distribution.

Thanks in advance!

ParTimCmpr

[Mickey_D]

You could just ballast the back end of the trailer to take some tongue weight off and use your Hensley. You might have to add a receiver hitch to the rear and mount a rack to it, but that is going to be a lot easier than buying a new dually. DRW trucks have their own set of "problems" (ride, parking in tight quarters, two more tires to buy) and it will still be "bouncy" without a good weight distribution hitch.

[goducks10]

partimcmpr wrote:
Some of the comments puzzle me. The implication is that a trailer which needs sway control is 'improperly loaded'??? And that a trailer 'shouldn't need sway control???

Or am I misunderstanding when sway control is needed?

And to jump ahead a bit, it is impractical, if not next to impossible to get weights needed to 'properly load' a trailer.

If a TT sways without sway control then you have issues. Those issues need to be addressed before sway control is even installed. Sway control on a TT IMO should only be needed in emergency situations.

As far a weighing the trailer. It's pretty easy to do. Not sure how it's next to impossible. Any CAT scale can weigh your trailer. If you're talking about weighing stuff before you put it into the trailer, then yes that's a PITA. But unnecessary too. Just load and then weigh it.

[gmw_photos]

TomG2 wrote:
A well engineered and properly loaded trailer with a capable tow vehicle will not sway going down the highway under normal conditions. There are a hundred things that can make one sway and there are a few devices that claim to overpower this tendency. I like the first three things that I mentioned best.

I agree. The key phrase in the above post is "under normal conditions".
It's those abnormal conditions that can reach up and bite you. For example, I have never, not once needed seatbelt or shoulder harness in my 49 years of licensed driving. I still use them, every time I get in my truck.

[93Cobra2771]

There are cases where trailer sway can happen to properly loaded/engineered/balanced trailers. That's why it's a pretty good idea to have some type of sway control when those things happen, IMO.

[TomG2]

A well engineered and properly loaded trailer with a capable tow vehicle will not sway going down the highway under normal conditions. There are a hundred things that can make one sway and there are a few devices that claim to overpower this tendency. I like the first three things that I mentioned best.

[partimcmpr]

Some of the comments puzzle me. The implication is that a trailer which needs sway control is 'improperly loaded'??? And that a trailer 'shouldn't need sway control???

Or am I misunderstanding when sway control is needed?

And to jump ahead a bit, it is impractical, if not next to impossible to get weights needed to 'properly load' a trailer.

[69_Avion]

TomG2 wrote:
GM says that WD hitch is not required. Sway control may be necessary to tame a squirrely trailer, but most of us prefer to eliminate sway before adding sway devices.

You are absolutely correct. Using a sway control (mechanical) device to tame a trailer that doesn't handle well is a huge mistake.

[93Cobra2771]

TomG2 wrote:
From the 2013 Silverado Owner's manual, which agrees with what is written on the hitch:

"2500/ 3500 Long Box
Weight Carrying or Weight Distributing
907kg (2,000lb)"

It is 1,500 pounds for the short bed models.

Very interesting indeed. No difference between wdh or not. Thanks for the info.

[partimcmpr]

Sounds like I will continue to hitch up with WD/Sway control. Now if I can just find a Dually - I have not been able to find one yet.

Thanks again!

[TomG2]

From the 2013 Silverado Owner's manual, which agrees with what is written on the hitch:

"2500/ 3500 Long Box
Weight Carrying or Weight Distributing
907kg (2,000lb)"

It is 1,500 pounds for the short bed models.

[93Cobra2771]

TomG2 wrote:
My 2013 long bed 2500HD is marked V-5 2,000 pounds. GM had some hitch problems a few years ago and really upgraded their receiver hitches.

That's with no WDH or with WDH? Does it show both ratings?

[Kayteg1]

Newer used WD and never used sway bars.
But I was always picking up vehicles and trailers that don't have sway problem coming from design board.
Only couple of times, when hauling 15,000 lb equipment had some sway issue.
Turn out a bulldozer loaded with plow up front is sway-prone, while plow in the rear is not.
Anyway ,the pintle hitch is not allowing for any additional hardware and seems those commercial trailers don't have the problems the cheaper trailers do.

[TomG2]

My 2013 long bed 2500HD is marked V-5 2,000 pounds. GM had some hitch problems a few years ago and really upgraded their receiver hitches.

[93Cobra2771]

TomG2 wrote:
GM says that WD hitch is not required. Sway control may be necessary to tame a squirrely trailer, but most of us prefer to eliminate sway before adding sway devices.

Out of curiosity, what are the specs on the GM hitch, both with a WDH and without? 2.5" receiver and/or reducer to 2" receiver (if they have such an animal in the Chevy world, I'm more familiar with Ford)?