Towing a TT with no WDH

[Doug Ram]

So I towed the new trailer without the spring bars attached. I like it a lot better. I have not ran it for a really long trip but it behaved just fine.

While I know I will get a lot of them...I would like to hear the opinions, I cannot see a reason to drag the extra weight anymore, well pending the longer trip.


Truck 2020 1500 Limited

Trailer 2021 Gulf Stream 19ERD about 3800 - 4000 loaded

The air suspension handles the load extremely well. No sag - the truck is level.

EDIT: I did use the WDH hitch just not the spring bars

I don't understand the big deal here. You're towing a light travel trailer with 400+ lbs of tongue weight. As long as you don't have any sway and you stay under Ram's tongue weight limit, you shouldn't need to bother with the WDH hitch -- at all! You save 50-100 lbs by using the conventional hitch rated for 5,000 lbs!

 

[Farmer Fran]

Not "a big deal" this is a discussion forum, we are discussing.

 

[Farmer Fran]

Got the new Ball Receiver today. It weighs less than my old sway control bar.

Item	Weight (lbs)
Old Ball Receiver	43
Spring Bars	30
Sway Control Bar	11
Total	84
New Ball Receiver	10
Weight savings	74

 

[runamuck]

I used to tow my 6000# travel trailer without the bars but with the hitch the 6 miles down the freeway and back when I kept it in storage..didnt have any adverse effects at 65-70 but that's only a short distance. have never towed it without the bars on any trips. I park it at home now, so when we leave the house it is fully connected.

 

[Cactusmonkey]

Farmer Fran you have plenty of truck for the trailer for sure. I would strongly recommend that you use the hitch the way it was designed to be used. The spring bars as you call them can't add much weight to the whole set up. I don't pull my trailer to the street without using the bars.

 

[392DevilDog]

I tow without a WDH...

 

[Jerrybob]

We tow a 17ft Casita about 3000lbs with our 2019 Ram Tradesman......5.7...3.92....4x4.....tow package...the truck is rated to tow 11,000+.....we do not use a WDH....we have no sag.....have pulled in all conditions.....never a problem.....most of the time.....the truck doesn't know the trailer is back there.....we get great mileage....16 to 17 towing. My two cents.

 

[Smokey613]

The ONLY way you are going to know the weight affects of the trailer on your truck is to get a CAT scale reading of your truck without the trailer and again with the trailer. Any thing else is speculation.

 

[Farmer Fran]

Just got back form a few hour round trip. No a single problem at all.

Remember my truck is 6100# and the trailer was (this time 3847#). I much prefer the non-spring bar approach. Towed way better.

 

[Farmer Fran]

Farmer Fran you have plenty of truck for the trailer for sure. I would strongly recommend that you use the hitch the way it was designed to be used. The spring bars as you call them can't add much weight to the whole set up. I don't pull my trailer to the street without using the bars.

The weight chart is above your post, I saved 74# and setup time ditching them.

 

[Farmer Fran]

I will post a picture of the 2 side by side as soon as my laziness subsides - it is overwhelming today

 

[runamuck]

this is one of those discussions where there are many acceptable answers because every situation is different. for example 30 years ago I had a full size blazer and towed all kinds of trailers with just a plain old hitch and had no problems..now I see we need a more high tech more complicated setup. kinda like in the 70's when we would drive thru the snow covered mountains on two lane roads in our one wheel drive sedan to go skiing but now I need 4wd with heated mirrors and all season tires to go to the same places.

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

I did use the WDH hitch just not the spring bars

The WDH is used for the spring bars or torsion bars (they aide in sway) say when a tractor trailer passes you or a gust of wind coming from nowhere, if your trailer and your life is worth chancing go for it.

 

[Farmer Fran]

The WDH is used for the spring bars or torsion bars (they aide in sway) say when a tractor trailer passes you or a gust of wind coming from nowhere, if your trailer and your life is worth chancing go for it.

It did just fine on 85 going ~68 mph, I passes trucks and trucks passed me. And the spring bars on my particular setup are for load balance. It has a separate sway control bar. When I had my big trailer the bars alone did just about nothing for sway.

 

[ramffml]

this is one of those discussions where there are many acceptable answers because every situation is different. for example 30 years ago I had a full size blazer and towed all kinds of trailers with just a plain old hitch and had no problems..now I see we need a more high tech more complicated setup. kinda like in the 70's when we would drive thru the snow covered mountains on two lane roads in our one wheel drive sedan to go skiing but now I need 4wd with heated mirrors and all season tires to go to the same places.

I get the point but 30 years ago seat belts were optional, airbags non-existant, ABS was just gaining traction (ha!); would you say that we've made considerable advances in safety/performance since those days?

Also remember trucks back then were not rated to pull what they are now. The only way to get that kind of capability from a truck (max towing) these days is to use every bit of equipment possible; if you don't, please let me know when you're coming so I can book that day off

 

[Farmer Fran]

I get the point but 30 years ago seat belts were optional, airbags non-existant, ABS was just gaining traction (ha!); would you say that we've made considerable advances in safety/performance since those days?

Also remember trucks back then were not rated to pull what they are now. The only way to get that kind of capability from a truck (max towing) these days is to use every bit of equipment possible; if you don't, please let me know when you're coming so I can book that day off

I am towing ~1/3 of the max weight. My truck weighs almost 2x the trailer loaded.

 

[ramffml]

I am towing ~1/3 of the max weight. My truck weighs almost 2x the trailer loaded.

I wasn't referring to you specifically; your weights look good. Ram says you need a WDH at >= 5000 pounds, you're under that so technically you don't need it.

Others might still want to run the bars though, because they also provide sway control.

 

[Farmer Fran]

I wasn't referring to you specifically; your weights look good. Ram says you need a WDH at >= 5000 pounds, you're under that so technically you don't need it.

Others might still want to run the bars though, because they also provide sway control.

I agree with this and your above statement.