Weight Dist/Sway - HD truck w/ 5,700 vs 7,250 lb 28' trailer

[fugawi]

I am towing with a 2015 Ram 2500 Diesel Crew Cab 4x4 short bed with factory rear air suspension. It has a factory Class V receiver.

I am looking to get a 28' trailer and would like to avoid weight distribution and sway control for convenience of hookup if I can do that safely.

Will the weight difference of 5,700 lb vs 7,250 lb of the 28' trailer that I get influence the need for weight distribution and sway control?

I am leaning toward a Timber Ridge 240RKS. Dry weight is 6,250 lb and I'm assuming an additional 1,000± lbs for a total of about 7,250 lb.

However, I am considering a lighter weight trailer like the Coachmen Freedom Express 246RKS, especially if its lighter weight makes hookup simpler. Its dry weigh is 4,702 lb, so about 5,700 lb with the additional 1,000± lbs of load.

Thank you.

[TomG2]

There is a myth that says that a diesel pickup will suddenly become light in the front axle from losing a few hundred pounds. If this were true, they would add ballast to the front end of the same pickup with a gasoline engine pickup to make them just as heavy. GM recognizes this totally. There are lots of other reasons that trailers sway. There are other reasons to use WD hitches and anti-sway devices.

Weight distributing hitches were necessary and all the rage back when we towed with sedans and station wagons that had inadequate rear suspensions to carry the tongue weight.

[VintageRacer]

Your truck's Class V hitch is rated at 1800 lbs tongue weight, which seems high but it's in the towing guide and is fairly common with Class V hitches. You'll be within all of the published ratings towing either trailer with no WD or sway control, so go for it. If you don't like it, you can add what you think you need.

I had a Class V hitch (Reese Tow-Beast) on my 2003 Ram 2500, but used WD and sway control with a 28 ft car trailer that usually weighed around 8,000 lbs. Per specifications I did not need to, but on a windy day the rig was very uncomfortable to drive without sway control, and the WD was needed to restore the truck to level. Your factory air suspension will keep the truck level.

Brian

[rbpru]

The reason for the WD hitch is not to increase the load a TV can carry on the rear axle. Its value comes from shifting some of the tongue weight off the rear axle back to the front axle for more normal steering and braking. It also shifts a small portion of the tongue weight back to the TT axle.

My Blue Ox WD hitch design reduces sway and I have never needed anything else with my 25 footer.

[TomG2]

Don't know about RAM, but you would not need WD hitch with any of the GM 2500's or 3500's. I like how much they simplify hitching and unhitching.

[Calicajun]

We have a 2015 Ram 2500 4x4 short bed mega cab w/o the rear air suspension. We pull a 31.6' TT that weights 6,250 dry, loaded with full tank of water it is closer to 8,200 pounds. A W/D hitch with sway control is always used when towing if for no other reason it is safer. Did pull our TT back to storage the other day without using the W/D bars or sway control and have to admit that I couldn't tell a difference in towing.
What you may need to do is check the state laws on towing. Each state is a little different with their laws with one common trait being if they feel you are towing an unsafe setup they can or will impound your rig.

[donn0128]

You should ALWAYS use a good WD hitch assembly. Sway control? That depends on how well the hitch is setup, and tongue weight of the trailer. Some like/want it, others dont seem to need it.