WDH opinions plz

[Steve_911]

I pull a boat on a tandem trailer approximately 24 to 25 feet long and only use the standard slide in hitch etc. I have never experienced any sway issues all the years I've been pulling my boats. also the boat tongue weight is lighter than a TT.
I know pulling a boat is very different than pulling a big box down he road but I was wondering at what point, considering TV capability, size weight, etc
Is a WDH and anti sway devise start to be considered for safety?
I know this opens a can if worms because there are variables but I was just thinking about it because I saw a good size TT being pulled by a pick up truck that just used a standard class 3 hitch.....
Thanks for any comments
Steve

[Passin_Thru]

Having delivered boots with a 3/4 ton pickup, I have never had any sway. I prefer tandem axle trailers though, they stick to the road better and if you blow out a tire and no spare, you can strap up the axle. A lift hitch, probably 800 lb and over. You can also use air bags which is what I used on a F250 for 140K Miles.

[Steve_911]

mmm. I see, as I pretty much expected, there are no hard and fast rules as too when a WDH is needed. Too many variables for sure. I will be pulling a 21 foot trailer. Perhaps I could get by without one, but for safety and peace of mind I would rather have a WDH and not need it rather than needing one and not having one, if that makes any sense.
Thanks all for your opinions

[TomG2]

At over 800 pounds of tongue weight, my 2500HD long bed is very comfortable without WD. I have over 3,000 pounds of payload available, so that is not surprising. I am at approximately forty percent of what GM says is my maximum without WD. Sometimes I use WD, sometimes not. Very little difference, and most likely in my head, if there is any. I do not think I am being unsafe, or causing excessive wear to my tow vehicle. I already owned a couple of hitches, so cost is not a factor.

[uzikaduzi]

TomG2 wrote:
I was not trying to be argumentative either, just letting the OP that there are different opinions out here. FYI: Recent GM 2500/3500 pickups are rated at either 1,500 or 2,000 pounds tongue weight with or without weight distributing hitches. The short beds get the lower rating.

not questioning you, but that seems strange... i wonder what it's like near those weights

[TomG2]

I was not trying to be argumentative either, just letting the OP that there are different opinions out here. FYI: Recent GM 2500/3500 pickups are rated at either 1,500 or 2,000 pounds tongue weight with or without weight distributing hitches. The short beds get the lower rating.

[uzikaduzi]

TomG2 wrote:
What excess wear would towing a trailer with 500 pounds of tongue weight cause on a tow vehicle designed for 1,000 pounds of tongue weight?

More comfortable? Not unless something is wrong or out of balance.

Safer? The manufacturers know what is safe and state their requirements clearly. Hitches are not the way to cure an ill handling unbalanced trailer.

Cost? Not a factor at all. If you need one, you need one. If you think that any hitch is going to turn an underpowered undersprung tow vehicle into a super towing machine, you will be disappointed.

Read some of the many weight distributing threads on here and you will discover that no hitch is perfect and none will cure all towing problems.

i did make some assumptions about a hypothetical TV that may not be fair but i don't know of a realistic tow vehicle that has a non WDH rating that can handle 1k pd tongue weight... even an f450 can only handle 850.

there definiltey are vehicles that could handle a tongue wieght of 500 pds without a WDH but for a lot of the TV's out there that's the max they can carry without "needing" a WDH but also the Minimum of needing one. like APT said, tongue weight not only adds weight to the rear axle but also takes wieght off the front axle which is also carried by the rear axle. i think it's fair to say that even with the 500pd tongue weight, your rear axle and suspension would wear less if you could get some of the weight off that axle. it may be negligable but still increase wear.

as far as comfort, i may have used the wrong word there and really meant to add that to safty but a well balanced properly loaded trailer can still be a victim of sway and sway is always uncomfortable to me but in fairness i have never owned a WDH that didn't also control sway so to me when i hear WDH i think of what i had.

i'm not trying to be a jerk or argumentitive... my post made assumptions that maybe i shouldn't have and they represent my general feelings towards a WDH. i think by saying that since the manufaturer doesn't require it at X weight doesn't mean that it wouldn't benefit from it at x weight.

[TomG2]

What excess wear would towing a trailer with 500 pounds of tongue weight cause on a tow vehicle designed for 1,000 pounds of tongue weight?

More comfortable? Not unless something is wrong or out of balance.

Safer? The manufacturers know what is safe and state their requirements clearly. Hitches are not the way to cure an ill handling unbalanced trailer.

Cost? Not a factor at all. If you need one, you need one. If you think that any hitch is going to turn an underpowered undersprung tow vehicle into a super towing machine, you will be disappointed.

Read some of the many weight distributing threads on here and you will discover that no hitch is perfect and none will cure all towing problems.

[uzikaduzi]

APT hit all the right points... unless you are going to get something small like an r-pod that wieghs 2000 pds get one.

reasons to get one:
more comfortable tow experiance
safer tow experiance
less wear on the TV

reason not to get one:
cost

i can't see cost out weighing the reasons to get one

[APT]

Boats have lower % of TW compared to TTs, about 7-9% vs. 12-15%. They also have a lot better aerodynamics, front and side. So a 6k pound boat with only 500 pounds of TW will tow far easier than a 6k pound TT with 800 pounds of TW. Considering the cost of a TV and an RV, and extra $450-2500 for a quality WDH should be including in the budget.

WDH have been around for many years. The thread I linked above provides some very good discussion.

[Steve_911]

I'm still towing my boat but considering jumping into the TT world. I just wanted bring up the subject to encourage conversation on the subject. I'm trying to learn what I can while looking at TT's and TV's. thanks to all who commented.
Steve

[TomG2]

I don't think he is towing, just asking.

"...... I was just thinking about it because I saw a good size TT being pulled by a pick up truck that just used a standard class 3 hitch....."

[Ron_Gratz]

Steve 911 wrote:
---Is a WDH and anti sway devise start to be considered for safety?

What is the tongue weight and what are you towing with?

Ron

[TomG2]

That question has been asked many times. GM, who makes quite a few pickups, has reduced their requirements for weight distributing hitches greatly. Their 2500/3500 pickups hardly ever "require" one. On the other hand, vehicles that need to unload part of the weight off their rear axle can really benefit from one. This is especially true of vehicles that are operated at or near their payload capacity.

[Dtaylor]

I to have a 21ft boat that I tow. Aside from the profile, something to keep in mind is where the weight on a boat trailer is placed. All of the weight on a boat is at the rear. The trailer axles are at the rear to support the weight.
With most TT, the weight is more balanced. Most TT axles are center mounted with the weight being somewhat balanced on each side.