Gdetrailer wrote:
ScottG wrote:
A 30' TT will likely have too much hitch weight for your truck. So not only will it overload the hitch it will cause a nose high condition for the truck. Using a WDH doesn't "cover up" handling issues, it prevents them because it transfers the hitch weight forward on the truck. So all that weight is basically sitting in the back of the bed instead of hanging off the back of the bumper where it has far more leverage over the TV. You don't want to find out the hard way that your truck has sway, like coming down a mountain pass.
ScottG, did you read what the OP wrote?
"So I'm looking to downsize to an under 30' TT. I'd prefer 26' or less,"
Not to mention the unit the OP mentioned IS less than 30FT.
And whether YOU want to believe it or not, WD was ORIGINALLY AND SOLELY DESIGNED to allow smaller lighter vehicles to tow MUCH larger HEAVIER trailers which would have NORMALLY OVERLOADED the REAR AXLE of said vehicle.
The OPs F250 IS very capable of towing in excess of 800 lbs of tongue weight WITHOUT the use of WD. The OP HAS 2.5" hitch receiver which is even more capable than my 2" hitch receiver..
To me the OP HAS a good stable towing platform to work with and it will take a considerable amount of weight to overload the rear axle. Heck after all they were using it to tow a 40FT 5vr which SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING.
My suggestion stands that as long as the OP stays with in the capacity of the hitch receiver they may want to try a test tow WITHOUT WD to see how the truck rides and handles. Most likely the OP will find just like I did that there ARE cases where WD contributes NOTHING to the mix other than emptying the wallet..
If a F250 is not able to handle 6K of trailer load without WD then we have a severe problem..
By the way, I have towed my 18ft flatbed trailer without WD with 6K of load plus the empty weight of 2.4K for a total of 8.4K and had no ride or handling issues... But keep in mind that my 2013 F250 does have 3400 lb cargo rating :B
As a matter of fact I did read the OP's post and I stand by my comments. A 26" trailer could easily have more than an 800# tongue weight - Mine has 1000#.
As far as the all caps junk about WDH hitch being designed for... These are modern times - not the 60's. The dynamics of RV towing have drastically changed the designs and function of WDH's. Compared to those days, a modern 29" TT is huge.
As to what YOU"VE done? Well just because someone does something and gets away with it doesn't mean it a good idea or support a position of doing something reckless as a matter of policy.
And overloading and axle has nothing to do with sway.
A WDH makes a TT handle better at speed and
most importantly, is far more likely to keep the trailer under control in an emergency maneuver.
