# Need Advice From The Tow Gods!



## Captain Jack's Crew (Jul 12, 2008)

We will be leaving soon for a 5k+ trip and I have not pulled much with my new TV. In the past I used WD and Anti-sway, but that was on my 07 Tundra CrewMax(5.7L). Now I have my 2011 F350 DRW and really don't feel like I need the hassle of putting them on. I've towed about 100 miles with just the hitch and it feels incredible, zero sway, zero bounce and tracks perfect behind the truck..... BUT, do I need to run them anyway? My TT is a 30QBHSLE 5900# dry, maybe 8000# loaded and 700-800# tongue. Hooked up, partially loaded, I'm only getting a 1/8-1/4 inch drop in the rear.... Thoughts???

Thanks!


----------



## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

Perhaps you should take it out on the Interstate and go 60 - 65, and have an 18 wheeler blow by. If you get no sway when that truck goes by, then maybe you can feel comfortable without a WDH and anti-sway bars.


----------



## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Simple answer is YES.

99.9999% of the time you're not going to "need" your seatbelt....but the .000001% time when you do, you're glad it is there.

Why risk it if you already have the gear?


----------



## Jewellfamily (Sep 25, 2010)

Even though you dont see much drop in the rear of the tow vehicle, that is not the only indicator of whether you need a WDH or not. Most tow vehicle receivers are only designed to carry a maximum of a 5000lb trailer with 500 lb of tongue weight without a WDH (and those are max #'s). Also, the WDH spreads the load across a larger length and helps spread the load across all of the axles of your set-up (trailer axles, and front and rear TV axles, not just the rear axle of the tow vehicle. Your vehicle may be different but I agree with Oregon Camper, use the WDH. Once it is set up properly, it literally only takes 2-3 minutes to hook the bars up vs. not hooking them up. You only have to have a set up get unruly one time to be a believer...


----------



## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

You need to read the owners manual. My 08 had a large section on towing. I suspect your hitch maxes out at 800 lbs for load carrying, but you need to read it to know for sure.


----------



## Justman (Jul 22, 2006)

If you've got it, I'd put it on there. Better safe than sorry...


----------



## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

Perhaps a quick Google search of the physics behind the WD hitch is in order. A quick overview; a WD hitch does exactly what it's name implys, it distributes the tongue weight of the trailer throughout the entire frame of you tow vehicle.


----------



## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

It does not look like too many people think just hitching and running down the road is a good idea. It is your choice and I don't agree with you doing it either. Only looking at the situation in its most favorable, in your mind, set of circumstances is not looking at the reality. That what you actually will be doing when towing is not likely to be the same as with what you think you are doing.


----------



## rsm7 (Aug 8, 2009)

People dont like to hear this Captain Jack but I'll go the other way just for the sake of argument.

Your truck probably weighs well north of 8000lbs (Mine is 8000lbs with the cap) with a wheelbase in the 170in range. You have dual rear wheels and a *6000lb* payload. Your "non 5th wheel" towing capacity is *17500lbs*, roughly twice your trailer's actual weight. I doubt its gonna get squirley on you. That being said you should still check the limits of your hitch and the trucks owners manual for limts. If you are within those limits and you say it tows fine then you wont get an argument from me. Of course one could say you already own the hitch so why not use it. There are those who would say you're crazy if you dont but I wonder if those same people have ever towed anything besides a trailer with a wdh, or a truck like the one you own. I towed a 26 foot enclosed snowmobile trailer for years with no wdh. The trailer weighed about 6000lbs loaded and if you are a snowmobiler then you know the time to go is when its snowing! I've towed thru blizzards in Northern Mi, Upstate NY, and Canada that some wouldnt have taken their cars thru. I also have a 27 foot Jayco with an empty weight of 4800lbs that I have pulled empty with my F250 with only the ball and it was fine. Loaded on a long trip I would go ahead and hook everything up. So if its legal and within limts and you like it I have no problem with it. But I would say if its windy or a long trip you may as way use everything. Only you know for sure anyway. To tell you the truth 90% of safe towing is the driver's common sense and good habits. Speed and following distance will get you everytime.

UPS teaches us the 5 keys to safe driving are:

Aim high in steering. (meaning look far down the road).
Get the big picture.
Keep your eyes moving.
Leave yourself ann out.
Make sure they see you. (pertains mostly to city driving with pedestrians, intersections, driveways etc)

OK I'm done. Flame on.


----------



## CJ999 (Aug 11, 2005)

I went through the same mental process when I upgraded my truck and ultimately I decided much like Oregon Camper pointed out... I have never needed a seatbelt but I've worn one through several hundred thousand miles of driving in my life and I'm gonna keep doing it. Same thing with the hitch. A couple extra minutes is a small investment in safety.

FWIW, right after we upgraded the truck I took the family to Tahoe. On a long downhill with a sweeping turn in the Sierra, a guy in a little car pulled out from a frontage road onto the freeway in front of me. Instinctively, I romped on the break and felt the trailer torque the back end a bit. My heart skipped a beat as I visualized the trailer passing the truck, but it didn't go bad and my family never knew I had nearly messed my pants. At that, I decided I would no longer second guess all the hitch work.


----------



## duggy (Mar 17, 2010)

When we got our first TT, it was only 3400 lbs. dry. I didn't use WD and I didn't want to use a sway control. The dealer wouldn't let me off the lot without at least a friction sway control. Like has already been said, he convinced me that you won't need it until the time you do, and if you don't have it, it will be too late. In two years of towing that trailer, I never felt a hint of sway and don't think it even wanted to sway, but I used the sway control faithfully anyways. Like seatbelts and insurance, hopefully you'll never need them, but if you do need them, you'll be glad you had them.


----------



## rsm7 (Aug 8, 2009)

I checked the manual for my 2010 and it doesnt look like you will be within those limits. Close, possibly. For a DRW and a 2 inch draw bar with adapter you would have to be 6000lbs and 600lbs tongue weight to legally not use your bars. If you should happen to have a 2.5 inch draw bar then you can go 8000lbs and 800 lbs tongue weight. I guess you'd have to weigh your trailer to know for sure. Your trailer sounds like its a little past "borderline". Maybe they bumped up the numbers in 2011? On a 5000 mile trip through unknown scenarios and weather....your call....but I'd use it. If for no other reason then to stay legal. Setting it up for your suspension may be a challenge. There are a few threads and opinions on setting it up for a 1 ton. You probably dont need much weight transfer but depending on the type hitch you have that will affect how much actual sway control you end up getting. You may want to review this thread if you havent already seen it.

http://www.outbackers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=33042

Bottom line is you have more than enough truck to be safe. I'd rather see you go without wdh then the guy with a Commander or Trailblazer and wdh who wants to tow a 30 footer just cuz the manual says 7000lbs.


----------



## Captain Jack's Crew (Jul 12, 2008)

Whew, thanks guys!!! Sorry it took so long to respond, I had an "issue" to deal with. So here's the break down, most all of you agree to use them and a few shared the hitch specs. I checked out my hitch and this is what I found: Without a 2.5in adapter and with WD weights are 16000 trl wt and 1600 tongue. W/O 2.5 adapter & W/O WD 8000/800. With a 2.5 adapter with WD 12500/1250. With 2.5 and W/O WD 6000/600. I know that's a lot to digest, but my setup is with a 2.5in adapter (2.5 in shanks are hard to find, I've been looking!) So I'm dead even dry. So although it "feels" great I will side with caution and use the WD. I would think that the difference between the W/2.5 adapter and W/O would be more relevant the the shanks strength Vs the trucks ability, so that adds another plus to using the WD until I can find a 2.5 shank.

Thanks to all!


----------



## Captain Jack's Crew (Jul 12, 2008)

rsm7 said:


> I checked the manual for my 2010 and it doesnt look like you will be within those limits. Close, possibly. For a DRW and a 2 inch draw bar with adapter you would have to be 6000lbs and 600lbs tongue weight to legally not use your bars. If you should happen to have a 2.5 inch draw bar then you can go 8000lbs and 800 lbs tongue weight. I guess you'd have to weigh your trailer to know for sure. Your trailer sounds like its a little past "borderline". Maybe they bumped up the numbers in 2011? On a 5000 mile trip through unknown scenarios and weather....your call....but I'd use it. If for no other reason then to stay legal. Setting it up for your suspension may be a challenge. There are a few threads and opinions on setting it up for a 1 ton. You probably dont need much weight transfer but depending on the type hitch you have that will affect how much actual sway control you end up getting. You may want to review this thread if you havent already seen it.
> 
> http://www.outbackers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=33042
> 
> Bottom line is you have more than enough truck to be safe. I'd rather see you go without wdh then the guy with a Commander or Trailblazer and wdh who wants to tow a 30 footer just cuz the manual says 7000lbs.


Spot on!!! I was in the UP of Michigan a few years back and a guy from Canada pulled in towing a 30 footer with a Subaru Outback!!! The whole campground stopped and stared!! No clue how he even got it hooked up! My 07 Tundra 5.7 CrewMax with E rated tires would PULL the snot out of this camper, but where it lacked was stability, I know others would disagree, but I've been there done that and it was rated was 10400#.


----------

