For the guys that tow

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Ryan1126

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i just recently stepped up to a 2500 because my 1500 couldn't tow my toy hauler very easily. With my 1500 i used a weight distribution hitch due to the soft rear suspension on the 1500 rams but is it necessary with the 2500? My toy hauler is a tongue pull and its about 6500lbs dry, and with my rzr in it im pushing about 8000lbs. What hitches do you guys use? or what would you suggest?
 

crash68

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laws of physics still apply to a 2500 just like they did on your 1500. Trailer tongue weight pushed down on rear of the truck using the rear axle as a fulcrum lifting the front end up. A WDH helps push the tongue weight forward to help recover the weight lost on the front axle.
To see what happens, watch this video of the difference between using a WDH vs Air Bags. The truck used is a 2500 w/1000 lbs tongue weight.
Part of the reason why a fiver/gooseneck tows better is the hitch point is slightly in front of the rear axle which puts weight on the front axle also.
 

RVGuy

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Yes, you should still use a WDH on a heavy duty truck. Like already said, you're still lifting the front axles by adding weight behind the rear axles. It's not as bad as with a 1500 truck, and you might not squat to the point where it looks bad but it's still happening.
I'd also use sway control, especially with a bumper pull toy hauler. Those things are notoriously unbalanced and prone to sway.
 

mtofell

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My old TT was that exact size/weight and I used WDH 95% of the time and anti-sway 100% of the time. I honestly didn't feel a difference with or w/o WDH (yes, it was installed and set right). A couple times I'd make a short run w/o it.
 

Gr8bawana

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I would continue to use a weight distribution hitch. It's not just the weight, it will help control the sway.
The weight distribution hitch has nothing to do with sway control. Sway control is usually a separate unit in conjunction with a WDH.
I still use the WDH on my 2500 that I used to use on my 1500 except that instead of putting the chain on the 4th link I only put it on the 1st link because the 2500 only settles about 3/4 to 1 inch as opposed to 3-4 inches on the 1500 with the same traier.
 

NewBlackDak

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The weight distribution hitch has nothing to do with sway control. Sway control is usually a separate unit in conjunction with a WDH.
I still use the WDH on my 2500 that I used to use on my 1500 except that instead of putting the chain on the 4th link I only put it on the 1st link because the 2500 only settles about 3/4 to 1 inch as opposed to 3-4 inches on the 1500 with the same traier.

Depends on the hitch. Bar types(Equal-I-zer eg) do both at the same time. Most manufacturers say WDH use starts in the 6500-8000 range for HD trucks.


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Rsteph

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Looks like a cool hitch but @ 200# could cause some trouble for those trying to pinch payload pounds.

True but IMHO if you're that close on payload, maybe you outta have a heavier/bigger truck. Regardless of that (which is another whole discussion) I swear by the Propride. When they say "eliminates sway", they're not BS'ing. I used to super grip the steering wheel whenever I saw a semi coming up to pass me. No longer. Don't even feel them, and so on. Again, yeah, they are rather expensive. But I'll tell ya, once you tow with one you'll never want to go back to anything else. I am talking tongue pull here. I think they have some kind of setup for 5th wheels but don't know anything about that.
 

dhay13

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Son got the Husky Centerforce TS for his 2500 towing his 8000lb camper. Has built in sway control via bars. I towed this camper about 400 miles with my 2013 1500 with no problem.
 

Kmanram

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Yes, spendy, but the best hitch I've ever used.... https://www.propridehitch.com/
I have the Equilizer 10000/1000 and bought a 7100# TT and it just did not feel stable, checked tongue weight and bar setup,it was ok. Did not want to spend the money but wanted a more stable tow and bought the pro-pride. Great people to deal with and the towing experience was great. Read many forum reviews and it seemed like the common reason why people bought it is they had a bad experience and switched to pro-pride. Glad I bought it!
 

GsRAM

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I have the Equilizer 10000/1000 and bought a 7100# TT and it just did not feel stable, checked tongue weight and bar setup,it was ok. Did not want to spend the money but wanted a more stable tow and bought the pro-pride. Great people to deal with and the towing experience was great. Read many forum reviews and it seemed like the common reason why people bought it is they had a bad experience and switched to pro-pride. Glad I bought it!


Do you have a half or 3/4 ton truck? If your TT is 7100 dry, that's over 8k loaded. Based on your profile it appears you have a half ton truck. 8k is pushing the upper limits of half ton towing, so if you don't have any chassis upgrades I can see why you needed the pro pride. With air bags, heavier rear sway bar and a properly adjusted wdh the equalizer should have been fine. Something wasn't right with your set up, but I'm glad the pro pride works for you and your happy with it.
 

Travelin Ram

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I have towed a LOT of miles with Equalizer brand and excellent results, including tow vehicles that were at 100% of their ratings. There is one downside I can say: don’t grease the contact surfaces on the bars and they’ll have superior straight line performance but groan like a dying cow on a sharp turn.
Alternatively you grease them and they’re quiet, with a little less resistance to turning and you end up with grease on your hands, pants, etc. at some point.
 

olyelr

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Same here. My Equalizer hitch has worked great for me. Leveled the truck back out, and does great with sway control. Only downside I have found with it is it can be noisy when turning.
 

Terry3blue

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Im close to your weight 8k loaded. Ive pulled it both ways, wdh, no wdh. No sway, with sway. On the 2500 sway bar really could not see a difference. Wdh= it does help by putting some of the weight back on the front tires which keeps the front from having that light steering effect. Same route each time. Just tried to see if was worth going through trouble of hooking bars up.
 

Kmanram

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Do you have a half or 3/4 ton truck? If your TT is 7100 dry, that's over 8k loaded. Based on your profile it appears you have a half ton truck. 8k is pushing the upper limits of half ton towing, so if you don't have any chassis upgrades I can see why you needed the pro pride. With air bags, heavier rear sway bar and a properly adjusted wdh the equalizer should have been fine. Something wasn't right with your set up, but I'm glad the pro pride works for you and your happy with it.
 

Kmanram

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Do you have a half or 3/4 ton truck? If your TT is 7100 dry, that's over 8k loaded. Based on your profile it appears you have a half ton truck. 8k is pushing the upper limits of half ton towing, so if you don't have any chassis upgrades I can see why you needed the pro pride. With air bags, heavier rear sway bar and a properly adjusted wdh the equalizer should have been fine. Something wasn't right with your set up, but I'm glad the pro pride works for you and your happy with it.
Thank you for the info. I had a Colorado crew cab 3.6 with a 4500lb travel trailer with the equilizer setup. It worked fine but a handful for that truck/trailer combo. Traded the old trailer in for the new 7100lb trailer (loaded). General trailer sales said my Colorado would pull it but after some research, decided to buy a 2018 Ram 2500 slt. What a difference! It pulled my old trailer like there was nothing there with the equilizer setup. The new trailer did not Feel stable. I have the 4 point, did grease the bar at the ball but never on the bars at the trailer. Did clean off the grease off the bar at the ball, noise was terrible, but still did not feel stable. I just did not feel safe and did not want to take a chance with the family. Sold the equilizer at a good price. If it works great for you, that is what counts. But for me, ProPride is the one with my setup.
 
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