Sway/WDH with light trailer and 2.5" reciever

[99Discovery]

I've done a lot of research, but nobody has seemed to have asked my question (maybe it IS a dumb one..)

We recently purchased a small 19FLDWE Hideout, which is essentially a tandem axle ultra-light, 4k empty, 7000lbs GVWR (not sure I'd ever trust putting in the 1 ton of cargo plus full water, so lots of safety built in there).

Our tow vehicle is a 2011 2500HD, which has the old body style, but the new 2015 frame (which they did on the HD pickups from 2011-2014), so I have the 9600lb GVWR and 2.5" receiver and integrated tow with yaw-sensor control.

I drove it home through the mountains of Utah and she towed like a champ, nothing but a ball as I wanted to research what type of hitch and sway to get. No sway, no sucking in by semis (no real wind though either), but lots of mountain passes. I didn't even notice the bed sag when she was hitched, and the truck actually drove BETTER since she was happier to have some weight on the back springs.

Now I'm looking at hitches and am starting to thing that a WD hitch is worthless for my tow vehicle and relatively light trailer. My hitch is marked at 1500lbs tongue for both WD and weight carry, the manual gives me a safety factor of 1000lbs weight carry, and 1500lbs WD. This is where my question differs from the dozens of others who have the lighter duty hitches/trucks and a 500lb tongue weight limit.

If my tongue weight never exceeds 700lbs, is a WD even necessary?

My next question is on sway control. Can you buy sway control without the WD hitch? Is it worth it? As a mechanical engineer, I'm inclined to trust it a bit more than the electro-wizardry of the integrated brake controller.

Again, my trailer is only going to be 5k out of the 15k that the truck hitch and frame are rated for.

Thoughts?

[hawkeye-08]

I have the 2011 2500HD also, I would not use WDH or sway control, but would make sure to get the right height shank. I have a 2.5" shank with 3" rise that I pulled my much heavier trailer home with and no sway, pulled fine (it squatted some so I ended up with WDH). You want the trailer fairly level (nose down slightly is better than nose high) when loaded to go.

[Gdetrailer]

99Discovery wrote:
Thanks guys!

When the weather gets warmer I'll go for a few more shorter drives and see how she goes. Preferably to the CAT scale a few times (nearest one is pretty much 50 miles away) and see what weights I have.

Most trailers in this class are 3500lb single axle when empty with "ultralight" appliances. Mine is the exact floorplan with standard appliances but with tandem axles, allowing the 7k GVW. But she's barely pushing 4k empty.

Granted those are published figures, but I don't expect the actual weights to be much more for this particular model (very few options).

I can say this, I am pleased I went with an over-kill tow vehicle. When I was young we had a GMC Jimmy pulling our 24 footer and got sucked into the vortex of a semi....I will never forget that as long as I live. Proper adjustment of the WDH solved that issue, but I've vowed to have "more truck than needed" ever since. So far so good, and looking forward to 2015's camping season!

Tandem axles are in your favor and typically will tow better than a single axle..

I tow a 1980s 26ft TT with my 2013 F250 without WD.. Towed that same trailer with a 2003 and 2006 F250.. all without WD..

Not ALL combinations "require" WD, and weighing the combination will help you decide if you really need it.

I get a kick out all the WD hype.. in fact I seen a convoy (at least 15 TT and five 5vrs plus a Class B towing a 20ft TT) THIS MORNING of different sized trailers being towed just this morning on the way to work being hauled with dealer plates..

I got to eyeball their setups since I was a passenger..

Guess what?

NO WD, NO HA, NO SWAY DEVICES, PERIOD!

They were hauling at 70 MPH in a SNOW STORM with 40 MPH wind gusts hitting the SIDES of the rigs..

They picked a horrible day to tow..

Guess what?

NO SWAY, NO MOVEMENT, not one bit.. Those haulers where towing straight as a arrow when the wind gusts were pushing my coworkers car car all over the road..

So much for all the safety hype..

[99Discovery]

Thanks guys!

When the weather gets warmer I'll go for a few more shorter drives and see how she goes. Preferably to the CAT scale a few times (nearest one is pretty much 50 miles away) and see what weights I have.

Most trailers in this class are 3500lb single axle when empty with "ultralight" appliances. Mine is the exact floorplan with standard appliances but with tandem axles, allowing the 7k GVW. But she's barely pushing 4k empty.

Granted those are published figures, but I don't expect the actual weights to be much more for this particular model (very few options).

I can say this, I am pleased I went with an over-kill tow vehicle. When I was young we had a GMC Jimmy pulling our 24 footer and got sucked into the vortex of a semi....I will never forget that as long as I live. Proper adjustment of the WDH solved that issue, but I've vowed to have "more truck than needed" ever since. So far so good, and looking forward to 2015's camping season!

[69_Avion]

I pull two different travel trailers with my F-350. One is a 7000#, 19.5' and the other is a 34' Avion triple axle. I use a WDH on the 34' trailer and no WDH on the smaller trailer. I don't use a sway system on either one. I do have a sway system set up on the 34' trailer but after many thousands of miles of pulling it, I found I don't need the sway control.

When a trailer is set up properly, with an appropriate sized tow vehicle, you may not need the WDH or the sway control. I don't take it lightly, but I do make sure the trailers are set up properly and have the proper tongue weight.

[colliehauler]

If your happy with the ride and handling I would not worry about it.

I pull a Wildwood 26'BHSS with a F-250. The ride is a lot better with the Reese WD hitch then without it. My TT UVWR is 5700#. I have drove 900 miles in a day and a smooth ride is important to me. Just a guess on my part I would put the tongue weight around 900#.

[TomG2]

You have discovered what has been going on in recent years with GM pickups. The HD models seldom "require" weight distributing hitches with most travel trailers. If you have sway, that is another matter and is best cured with proper setup, including alignment, tongue weight, etc. I tow a heavier trailer with a simple tow bar and no sway or suspension problems.

[skipnchar]

Don't guess, actually WEIGH your loaded tongue weight. Not very likely you'll be under 700 lb. with a 7,000 lb. trailer. Tongue weights range from 10% to 15% and to be at 700 lb. you'd need to be at the extreme light end.
Good luck / Skip

[midnightsadie]

don,t fix what ain,t broke. I pull a boat that weights that much with a ball hitch.