Towing

[Bill3M1999]

I just bought a 2019 RAM. I also camp. With my old truck I had weight distribution hitch with the bars. I'm hearing I don't need WDH with the RAM. Is that correct?

 

[392DevilDog]

1500 or HeavyDuty?

With a 1500 you will still need WDH if over 500lb tongue weight, and would be best to keep it even with the HeavyDuty, but could forgo if desired I suppose.

 

[crash68]

The laws of physics still apply to 2500/3500 pick up trucks, so yes you still need a WDH unless your switching to a fiver.
A WDH is not just to correct for rear end sag, that's where idiot HD truck owners go wrong and think they don't need one. The usual excuse "the rear end isn't sagging"
If it was just a matter of tear end sag, the heavier duty springs or airbags would solve the issue but they don't

 

[Harley Harrold]

 

[dhay13]

Agreed. Still needed unless you are pulling a little lighter weight trailer. A bigger trailer like a camper with a large side panel will act like a sail in the wind. A flatbed trailer of the same length and weight will be less susceptible to wind effects. The swaying will still be an issue with a 2500 in some cases. My son towed his 8000lb camper 1500 miles and back with his 2018 2500. He has the Centerline TS WDH and he said it still swayed when semi's passed him.

 

[Ratket]

My Boat weighs around 5k pounds, towed it some 200 of miles on interstate 10 with my 18 Ram1500. Didn’t have any issues. No WD hitch.

 

[crash68]

My Boat weighs around 5k pounds, towed it some 200 of miles on interstate 10 with my 18 Ram1500. Didn’t have any issues. No WD hitch.

Boat trailer also don't have as much tongue weight ratio wise compared to a travel trailer. They're usually 8% or less sometimes, TTs are 10-15% depending on how they're loaded. Also the weight is lower and more centered over the axles.
I towed an old 24' Thompson which was probably 6500 lbs w/trailer, it barely squated my 1500 and I didn't have my airbags yet.

 

[Tumbleweed]

The laws of physics still apply to 2500/3500 pick up trucks, so yes you still need a WDH unless your switching to a fiver.
A WDH is not just to correct for rear end sag, that's where idiot HD truck owners go wrong and think they don't need one. The usual excuse "the rear end isn't sagging"
If it was just a matter of tear end sag, the heavier duty springs or airbags would solve the issue but they don't

Nice and informative video. Thanks for sharing.

 

[star_deceiver]

What they forgot to mention in their video: If you’re towing a travel trailer there is a real possibility of overloading trailer tires with a WDH. Most travel trailers run very close to their max gvw and with a WDH adding weight there is a real possibility of overloading and blowing out your chinabombs.

First mod on any TT should be upgrading your tires.

 

[crash68]

What they forgot to mention in their video: If you’re towing a travel trailer there is a real possibility of overloading trailer tires with a WDH. Most travel trailers run very close to their max gvw and with a WDH adding weight there is a real possibility of overloading and blowing out your chinabombs.

First mod on any TT should be upgrading your tires.

they didn't forget to mention it because a WDH won't cause the trailer tires to be overloaded. Your not transferring weight from the truck to the trailer with a WDH. A WDH uses the tongue weight of the trailer to force the load forward to front axle of the tow vehicle. When you run the trailer over the scale, what the trailer weight is needs to be under the GVWR and the GAWR(s) of the trailer, or it's overloaded.

Even if the load capacity of the tires is equal to the trailer fully loaded to the GVWR, you still have to obide by the rated speed limit of the tire for the given weight and inflation. On multi axle trailers you also have makes sure the trailer runs level or you can overload the trailer's front or rear axle.

I suppose you could use overrated WDH and over adjust it to overload the trailer, but good luck driving as your trucks back wheels will practically off the ground and the front axle will be overloaded..

 

[star_deceiver]

They transfer to each other (there’s no such thing as a one way pivot here). You can see the added weight that the WDH puts on that trailers axles at the end of the video.

The hitch by itself won’t cause it. People’s idiocy in loading cause it. People buying trailers with very little in cargo capacity cause it. Under inflated tires cause it.

 

[crash68]

They transfer to each other (there’s no such thing as a one way pivot here). You can see the added weight that the WDH puts on that trailers axles at the end of the video.

That trailer was about 4800 including the tongue weight, it was 4100 on the axles when they were done, still didn't add weight to the trailer.

 

[Dez]

Towing threads sure are entertaining!

 

[star_deceiver]

Towing threads sure are entertaining!

I wonder how he would feel knowing I took this sail from Alberta to SoCal and back using nothing more than a simple weight carrying hitch...

 

[392DevilDog]

I feel this way about towing/hauling.

Explain the numbers and what they mean.

Explain the hitching equipment.

Explain how to set up the tow package.

Explain how to use a CAT scale.

Hope they have common sense and experience.

Someone with a tiny trailer can do just as much damage as a big trailer.

I would hope most will start small then go big. Learn how it feels and upgrade as experience allows.

But, money and significant others usually dictate to go all in.

It is like driving in winter with awd. Someone who knows understands you just have to slow down and be cautious. Someone who doesn't will drive normally while the vehicle masks the conditions and then when they lose control...they really lose control.

 

[Elkman]

Pickup truck frames have gotten much stronger in past years and there is less need for a WDH to distribute the loading of the hitch. My GM 2500HD can tow up to 17,300 lbs. and no WDH is recommended unless the tongue weight is greater than 1,000 lbs.
With a WDH the maximum tongue load is 1,500 lbs so not a huge difference.

With all major car and truck manufacturers one can download a current trailering guide that provides detailed information and it is something I get before deciding on a truck to buy if I plan to tow with it.

If your truck has the air suspension then it gets a little trickier as explained at this website.

https://news.pickuptrucks.com/2019/...sion-what-you-need-to-know-before-towing.html

Additional useful information:
http://www.blueridgetrailer.com/blog/what-is-a-weight-distribution-hitch/

 

[NDanecker]

they didn't forget to mention it because a WDH won't cause the trailer tires to be overloaded. Your not transferring weight from the truck to the trailer with a WDH.

ummm.....I believe that is incorrect. by loading the WDH you are moving weight onto front axle of truck and trailer so yes....you can technically overload the trailer axles if you are close to max to begin with.

 

[crash68]

ummm.....I believe that is incorrect. by loading the WDH you are moving weight onto front axle of truck and trailer so yes....you can technically overload the trailer axles if you are close to max to begin with.

I already answered this stupidity.
You only have the tongue weight available to force on the truck. Unless you over tension the WDH to the point it lifts the rear axle of the truck and the front of the trailer up significantly, which would make the combination horrid to drive.
Go back and watch the video, pay attention to the weights.. the trailer is 4800lbs total and the trailer axle weight once set up is 4100 lbs. The axles only took back 300 lbs. It would take an awful lot to add another 700 lbs to the trailer with just the WDH.
GVWR of a trailer includes the tongue weight as weighed without being attached to the truck.

 

[NDanecker]

I already answered this stupidity.
You only have the tongue weight available to force on the truck. Unless you over tension the WDH to the point it lifts the rear axle of the truck and the front of the trailer up significantly, which would make the combination horrid to drive.
Go back and watch the video, pay attention to the weights.. the trailer is 4800lbs total and the trailer axle weight once set up is 4100 lbs. The axles only took back 300 lbs. It would take an awful lot to add another 700 lbs to the trailer with just the WDH.
GVWR of a trailer includes the tongue weight as weighed without being attached to the truck.

I was commenting on your statement "Your not transferring weight from the truck to the trailer with a WDH" which is incorrect. Nothing more. I realize it would be difficult to overload the trailer axles but technically you could, and your statement was incorrect. I didn't watch the video as I know how a WDH works, and understand the physics behind it being a mech engineer. Draw up a free body diagram of the forces / moments and it would clearly show what happens when you load the bars, and the force added to the trailer axle(s) is more than zero.

 

[mtofell]

GVWR of a trailer includes the tongue weight as weighed without being attached to the truck.

Not sure I follow this or if it's true.... my 5th wheel has a GVWR of 12,000# but the tires on each axle (2) are rated at 2580# each. So, if not for 20% of the weight sitting on the pin, the tires are overloaded. I readily admit this is a pretty poor design and riding too close to max weight of everything but it is what it is..... rolling off the assembly line.

I'm not saying you're wrong.... just that the trailer needs to be attached to the truck (or pin/tongue weight otherwise supported) in order to calculate axle/tire weights.