Weight Distribution bars

[jmnsn57]

I am running a 23 ft. behind a brand new 2500 HD. The trailer loaded is about 5500# and bears about 750" tongue weight. Do the weight distribution bars really accomplish much? The truck barely squats.

[dagst1]

Is your hitch the type that uses the spring bars for sway control or do you have a stand alone sway bar?

[007matman]

It will help a little bit. However, your biggest concern should be sway control.

If I was you, I'd go with a friction based WD hitch so you get the sway control.

Something like the Fastway E2, Equal-i-zer, Eaz-Lift or the Andersen would be fine. You don't need to break the bank. I'm willing to bet that there is one for sale locally that you could pick up used for a fraction of the price of new.

[660catman]

Personally, I don’t believe you would need a WD hitch for a 23’ camper on a 2500 truck.

[jmnsn57]

Thx for the responses. I was pulling the trailer with a 1500 shingle cab short box. I found the WD bars to be helpful with that truck. This is my third trailer and P/U combo since 1990 and I have always paired WD bars with a friction sway control. Never liked feeling the trailer get sucked in and then shoved back by large vehicles passing me.

[007matman]

If this tells you anything.. I ran a WD hitch with my pop-up trailer and I currently run one with my F350 Dually. I'd personally run one with any camper I bought.

Is it needed? No. Is it really nice to have? Yes. Does it help? I think so.

[dagst1]

So your sway control is NOT built in to the spring bars. In My opinion keep the sway bar and run the spring bars if you want. If the truck sits level without them they would probably would not be doing anything anyways.

[mark5w]

I would definitely use the WD bars with any camper. Used them on my pop when I had it and would never be without them on any tow behind Rv.
Dagst1, aren't the WD bar and the spring bar the same?? Or are you talking about the friction bar?

[660catman]

I have read WD hitches are usually only required when trailer weight is 50% more than the tow vehicle. So a 6500 pound truck doesn’t need until trailer weighs 9250 pounds. OP trailer eight is well within a 2500 trucks limits. My 2013 Sierra 2500HD Duramax weighs in at around 7400 lbs. it also has a max tongue weight of 1500lbs. HD trucks have class IV hitches, unlike the class 3 on a 1500.

[dagst1]

Yes they are the same. Just where you are from which name you use. I was asking if the sway control was part of the spring bars. But I now understand he has a friction type stand alone sway control.

Some of the hitches have the sway control built into the spring bars and require them to have some friction for the sway control to work. Ran into this the other day at the campground. guy said his trailer was all over the road. When hitched you could move the spring bars slightly up and down so he had no sway control.

[007matman]

Originally Posted by dagst1

Yes they are the same. Just where you are from which name you use. I was asking if the sway control was part of the spring bars. But I now understand he has a friction type stand alone sway control.



Some of the hitches have the sway control built into the spring bars and require them to have some friction for the sway control to work. Ran into this the other day at the campground. guy said his trailer was all over the road. When hitched you could move the spring bars slightly up and down so he had no sway control.

Yep. It wasn't configured correctly. I know when I connect up my E2, the power jack will raise the back of the truck several inches before I can get the spring bars on there.

The E2 has a tool that makes this process easier.

[jmnsn57]

Weekend camping trip towing result. Short trip as it is our first time out this year. 40 miles out and then back same route. Combination of 65 MPH highway and back country roads. Left home with WD bars at 2 links dangling and stand alone Reese friction sway control. Trailer towed well but still experienced some porpoising on highway - this road has good and bad sections and the expansion joints seem to create some sort of harmonic. I left the WD bars off for the trip home and used the sway control - seen too many squirrelly trailers out there. The ride home was better. Ride seemed softer - probably due to extra weight to the rear. The porpoising seemed much less bouncing and not as harsh. Truck handles this smaller trailer with ease. Plenty of power and no longer does the tail wag the dog.

[dagst1]

Sounds like you have your answer. The sway control is the most important part and you have that covered.

[TexSon]

I started using a weight distributing hitch with my half ton truck pulling the trailer my Corvette was towed on; useful when you are are military being transferred cross country. Anyway, while it may not have been necessary, I found the trailer towed better behind the truck and felt more like a unit than two pieces. Once I got a 3/4 ton truck I still used the WDH and I added one without a second thought when I bought my first travel trailer. To that I added sway control. While a WDH may not be necessary, I feel it really makes it easier to tow the trailer, especially since, all things considered, they aren't that expensive.

[jmnsn57]

An update
2500 miles, 17 days, and 7 states. Left WD bars home, kept Reese sway friction control on the whole way. Hauled great, better ride, and is this combination awesome for hauling, tackled Mackinaw Bridge and didn't even wiggle- tons of power and no tail wagging the dog. Did encounter a near disaster though - On rides that are long enough to require a stop, I use an IR thermometer to monitor bearing temps. First day at first stop about 3 hrs., temps were 110F to 135F. No worries right. Arrived at Milan Sandusky RV park, checked in, put trailer on site and noticed right rear trailer hub was missing grease cap. Leveled trailer and noticed right rear wheel looked askew. Checked temp and 350F. Probably not very far from a catastrophic on road failure! Managed to disassemble and outer bearing mostly gone - inner still mostly intact. Flagged down one of the greatest campground employees one could ever find. He spent an hour helping finish the disassembly and removal of races. Then offered to ride with me 45 minutes each way the next morning to a place he uses for trailer parts. Bought a drum w/ bearings preinstalled and the full brake assy. for $127. he returned and helped reassemble. A true gentleman and savior who turned our trip from a possible failure to complete success. Thanks to John Justice at Milan Sandusky RV Park. The RVing family is an awesome brotherhood of which I am a member.

[Lloyd]

WOW, you did find a real champ there!
Just goes to show, there is still good people out there.

[007matman]

WD hitches are intended to distribute the weight and transfer some of the trailer weight to the truck (moving the load to the front wheels of the truck).

It's possible that the lack of a WD hitch may have contributed to the axle issue that you had.

I'll continue to use one and I drive a 1 ton Dually. Is it needed? Probably not.

[660catman]

Good to hear all went as well as it did.

[jmnsn57]

I am under the impression that WD bars takes the weight that's on the ball and moves it off the TV rear wheels and towards front wheels. If so there would be no change to the load on the axles.

[007matman]

Every truck I've ever seen settles in the rear without a WD hitch. That puts additional stress on the front axle of the trailer as they usually don't ride flat without a WD hitch.

Optimal towing of the trailer occurs when both the truck and the trailer are level going down the road.