Z- I had a 6x12 vnose and was under its gross weight with just "camping" equipment and generator in cabinets built in the nose. I dont remeber the exact weight but it was somethinglike 2200lbs, however my tongue weight was around 560lbs. I then loaded tool boxes and air compressor at and behind the trailer axle increaseing the trailer weight to around 2900lbs but the tongue weight actually dropped to around 520lbs. Those trailers are very tongue heavy, particularly if you dont balance your load in it. I could see you easily reaching 700lbs or more tongue weight on that trailer and with out a WDH its gonna focus that load all on the rear of the frame instead of leverage it across the trailer and truck axles.
The hitch will handle a 1000 lbs of tonuge, but without the WDH it puts the load forces all on the rear of the truck frame and that will cause issues.
This. Yes, the hitch is rated to 1k-1200 lbs, but that is PROPERLY EQUIPPED. Meaning once you get over about 600 lbs, maybe 700, you should be adding a WDH setup.
I am not a Ram engineer, so I don't have access to their numbers, however, from an engineering standpoint, generally you design for an intended purpose. When it comes to trailering/towing, there are guidelines in place that people are supposed to follow, one of them being if you're over 6-700 lbs of tongue weight you are supposed to use a WDH. Therefore that puts the limit that the rear of the frame on the trucks need to be designed for at whatever number they used to determine their live loading (probably 700 * moment arm length to the spring mount). That's all they are required to hit, and whatever material can get them there is used, to cut weight and improve efficiency.
Is that right? From a customer service standpoint I'd say no. They should be designing a LOT higher because there are plenty of people who don't know the guidelines or just don't care about the guidelines who will put 1k on the ball at the back of their truck and not think twice about it. That said, ignorance is never a good thing to hide behind, so when you tell them 'oh I didn't know I couldn't do that' they'll pull up the information that you were supposed to research, and then deny your claim.
In short, that's pretty much why I stay within the limits of what my truck can do, don't go crazy on the modifications while it's under warranty, and if I gotta do something sketchy and I can't get a bigger truck, I just take it REAL easy so I don't break anything.
