WD Hitches.. Airbags..Class 3.. Class 4..etc?

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DatacomGuy

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Trying to put together what i would need to tow a TT. Looking at a few that are in the 5500-6000lb range dry. I'm assuming i can estimate ~7500 for loaded?

I'm also looking at some 4K lb TT's too. Obviously i'd rather be in that range.

Do i want Class III, or Class IV? Do i NEED Class IV?

And how much of a difference/improvement in drivability do WD hitches make? Would i still need air bags to level it out, or can i skip those with the WD?

Thanks guys.
 

audio1der

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Never assume loaded weight; many manufacturers give artificially low shipping weight. Once you add batteries, propane, gear, food, tools etc it can add quite a bit. The only way to KNOW the weight is to stay well within your limits and weigh the unit at a highway scale (it's free) before your first trip.

Get a class IV if you need a hitch.

Buy the best WD hitch you can afford; Reese dual cam sway control, EQ-ualizer, Hensley, Propride... It is illegal in some places to tow a trailer over a certain length/weight without WD. Only the smallest utility trailers don't need it. Larger trailers ABSOLUTELY need WD. With or without airbags, you'll need WD.

Do yourself a favor and grab a set of Airlift 1000 helper bags; for under $100 they are simply phenomenal. Easy to use, reliable, work as advertised. They not only take the sag out of the equation but they help reduce sway.
 
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DatacomGuy

DatacomGuy

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Never assume loaded weight; many manufacturers give artificially low shipping weight. Once you add batteries, propane, gear, food, tools etc it can add quite a bit. The only way to KNOW the weight is to stay well within your limits and weigh the unit at a highway scale (it's free) before your first trip.

Get a class IV if you need a hitch.

Buy the best WD hitch you can afford; Reese dual cam sway control, EQ-ualizer, Hensley, Propride... It is illegal in some places to tow a trailer over a certain length/weight without WD. Only the smallest utility trailers don't need it. Larger trailers ABSOLUTELY need WD. With or without airbags, you'll need WD.

Do yourself a favor and grab a set of Airlift 1000 helper bags; for under $100 they are simply phenomenal. Easy to use, reliable, work as advertised. They not only take the sag out of the equation but they help reduce sway.

Thank you!

What about the Pro Series on the WD?

Pro Series Weight Distribution System w Friction Sway Control - Round - 10,000 lbs GTW, 1,000 lbs TW Pro Series Weight Distribution PS49903
 

Ocelot

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I'm not a fan of the chain and friction bar WD. My favorite and the one I use is the Equalizer brand. Super simple, there's no friction bar to remove when backing into a site, and the sway control is top notch.
I don't think there's a simpler system out there.

audio1der is also correct with the Reese dual cam. its also popular.

For weight, try to use the gross weight of the trailer and then you won't worry about being too close to the edge.

Ray
 
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DatacomGuy

DatacomGuy

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I'm not a fan of the chain and friction bar WD. My favorite and the one I use is the Equalizer brand. Super simple, there's no friction bar to remove when backing into a site, and the sway control is top notch.
I don't think there's a simpler system out there.

audio1der is also correct with the Reese dual cam. its also popular.

For weight, try to use the gross weight of the trailer and then you won't worry about being too close to the edge.

Ray

This bad boy here?

Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution System w/ 4-Point Sway Control - 12,000 lbs GTW, 1,200 lbs TW Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution EQ37120ET
 

thoss29

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That's the one I use and it's great; biggest complaint is it can be very loud during turns but some grease quiets it down. I currently don't use air bags but plan to add them just for extra assurance. I have a 28' TT roughly 6300 lbs I think and towed it with no issues from San Diego to Rhode Island.
 

audio1der

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Both the Reese DCSC and EQ system are loud during turning. I often startle people with the popping hahaha (that's just how they work)
Make sure the WD setup is rated for AT LEAST as much as the GVW of the trailer. I use 1,400lb bars to help tame our beast.

Another benefit of the helper bags is they keep the geometry level, which helps towing. You always want to tow with the truck and trailer as level as possible and they help maintain that on our soft rear ends :eek:
 

Ocelot

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Yup, that's the one! If you look at the picture, those weight bars ride on the L-brackets and that's what gives you the sway control. Way better than those friction bars. Mine isn't really noisy except in really sharp turns. Like maneuvering into a campsite. I ordered a tube of their brand grease and it keeps it quiet.

If you do get the Equalizer hitch, you need a thin wall socket to tighten the hitch ball nut. The nut sits up in a cavity and a regular socket won't fit. You may want to shop around for prices on that 1-7/8" thin wall socket though, it's expensive. E-trailer has good prices, but even they want $65 for that socket. I got lucky and bought my whole Equalizer setup new in the box from a guy that bought it and never used it and he also threw in the socket. I thing I paid $350 for everything in 2010

Ray
 
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DatacomGuy

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Ouch.

I'd LOVE to find a used setup. Just, haven't had any luck.

Same with tow mirrors.
 

audio1der

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Overall that's a great price even if you had to buy the ridiculous socket.
I have $900 into my Reese setup.
I have learnt:
-Don't trust the RV dealer to actually set your hitch up for your vehicle
-No matter what they set up up as you will be able to dial it in better once you've towed
-Buy the hitch used or online, not from the RV dealer (save $$)
-Know what you're getting into.

If I had known how much sway we'd encounter with a 32' trailer we would have bought a smaller unit an/or a used Hensley/Propride hitch for little more than my Reese has cost. The Reese is good/very good now but 'great' would be better for about the same money.
It's surprisingly easy to set up and install a hitch but I had never done it and wanted the safety factor, having my kids in the truck.
 

katokahn99

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Worth every penny! Obviously, you still want to do due diligence and shop around for the best price; but, I say, "Pull the trigger!"

I don't think I need the bags for my '13 as she's pretty stiff back there, but at only $100 bucks, why not? Might just be my first "significant" mod! ...then it will be even easier to pull the trigger on a 2.5" level. :p ...then the bug bites and something else gets added...like new wheels/tires... Oh Lawd hep meh!!!

ETA: Total was 9853lbs with 980lbs TW (darn near perfect load!). No issues whatsoever!
 
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Power247

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Looks like you got everything covered. See if you can find the 10,000# Equal-i-zer. It is a bit cheaper and will still be plenty of hitch for any camper you will pull with your Ram. It's the one our RV dealer installed with our Jayco and I we really like it.
 

thoss29

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I just bought that exact same air lift from Jegs for about $10-15 cheaper. The rest of your set up is almost identical to mine, except I have the 10k equalizer. I pull a 28' travel trailer.
 

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If I might jump in quickly, don't bother sizing your WDH until you have a trailer picked out with the GVWR in mind. Too much WDH tension is just as bad as too little, and a number of the ultralite TTs actually have a WDH limit- for example my Jayfeather has a placard right on the A-Frame that says limit of 1000lbs bars. Too much torque on the bars with those super light frames can actually bend them and cause bad things to happen, and are more difficult to fine tune with a lighter trailer ;)

The Class IV receivers usually have a limit of 1000TW/10000GTW. So if your tongue weight plus the weight of the WDH shank and head will exceed that- best look to a class V. Not sure how many of those are around that will fit a 1500 series. I think Curt made one.. maybe there is more.

That's my piece. Happy trailering!
 

audio1der

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If I might jump in quickly, don't bother sizing your WDH until you have a trailer picked out with the GVWR in mind. Too much WDH tension is just as bad as too little, and a number of the ultralite TTs actually have a WDH limit- for example my Jayfeather has a placard right on the A-Frame that says limit of 1000lbs bars. Too much torque on the bars with those super light frames can actually bend them and cause bad things to happen, and are more difficult to fine tune with a lighter trailer ;)
!

Interesting- I need to check my placard.
On a semi-related note I'm shopping for a ProPride P3 hitch as it will be cheaper than what we'd lose on a trade to a smaller trailer, and I can't stand to lose some of the features our ig has which the smaller ones don't.
 

smurfs_of_war

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Interesting- I need to check my placard.
On a semi-related note I'm shopping for a ProPride P3 hitch as it will be cheaper than what we'd lose on a trade to a smaller trailer, and I can't stand to lose some of the features our ig has which the smaller ones don't.

Trading down is too hard. My missus and I just left the RV show in town here, we looked at some TTs that are lighter and smaller with WAY more features than our Jayco. Almost signed on a nice little Forest River that was significantly lighter than our Jayco with a lighter tongue because of our overload issue. Then I took a 10 minute walk and realized the 1000lbs difference equaled 24 dollars per pound LOL! Not worth it, but so much nicer. I know my Jayco, it rides nice and pulls true due to the low profile. These newer ones sure sit up higher.

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audio1der

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Ours Passport sits VERY low that's one of the questions I have for Sean Woodruff, the owner of Propride. I haven't found anything smaller than 29' which has an outdoor kitchen with fridge, which I can't do without.
 

smurfs_of_war

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Ours Passport sits VERY low that's one of the questions I have for Sean Woodruff, the owner of Propride. I haven't found anything smaller than 29' which has an outdoor kitchen with fridge, which I can't do without.

Lol. Yup. Then you're stuck.

Any camping plans made yet? We lucked out and got a 10 day stay in Warlodge this July. NEVER thought I'd land a site there.

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