acdii

Boat trailers and some flat trailers are different animals when it comes to towing, since they have light tongue weights. I would tow it as it is as well, no WDH is needed.

Consider this for a moment, all the WDH does is transfer weight to the axles, so how can it increase the total amount of weight the receiver can pull?

If you have a heavy tongue, the 500/1100 pound rating makes sense since it redistributes that weight fore and aft and lightens the load on the receiver, but really does nothing to increase the total weight the receiver is pulling.

IOW, if the tongue weight is under 500 pounds, and the trailer is under 11k pounds, just tow it, after all flat towing 11k pounds can have ZERO tongue weight, nothing to distribute, yet can be towed.

The only thing I would say is to make sure you have a solid shank ball and not a hollow shank ball if you are towing more than 1000 pounds. Those are only useful for Harbor Freight trailers.

MichaelInCalifornia

Post the yellow sticker too. That's why I said "stickers".

The brochure is crap. Download the manual and read that.

According to my manual, your GCWR is 16,200, less whatever your truck, you and your gear weigh is your towing ability. Your white sticker grosses your truck at 6250, so you can safely expect 9950 lbs tow weight. That doesn't get into tongue weight, rear axle weight, etc. But, your intended trailer is only 5k lbs anyway.

Basically, you can only tow a hay trailer at the maximum advertised weight. Seems silly, but they all play the game.

Your boat is 3713 dry by brochure (yeah, like I believe the brochure). I found another reference for 4869 dry including the trailer, which get you real near 5k lbs with 50 gallons of fuel on board. (5184 lbs). Then, of course, you add in life preservers and what-not.

If you are near a scale, I'd definitely weigh the boat/trailer. I need to weigh my travel trailer, but its costs a half day and and about 75 gallons of gas to the nearest scale.

jaslaughter

Did you get the 2 and the 6 switched? My manual shows 12600lb for 4x2 2.7 145 Crew.

So that should mean 12600-6250 = 6350 tow weight, meaning the trailer in totality must be under 6350? Is the 12600 number something I can calculate via these stickers or other info, or is it only in the manual?

And then this sticker:


Tire and Loading Information

..means me and family and any other items in the truck + tongue weight must be <= 1451lbs. Should be OK there since tongue weight according to trailer manual should be 5-7% (~350lb)

To summarize my understanding:
- Trailer must be under 6350 GVWR (hitch limited)
- Trailer + truck + passengers + cargo must be under 12600
- Passengers + cargo + tongue weight must be under 1451
- Technically I need a WD hitch because the trailer is over 5000
- I should get the trailer weighed properly to be more precise

Thanks a ton for all the help by the way

bubbabud

Once again WD hitch NOT required for your boat trailer because tongue WT will be under 500 lbs. With surge brakes you are good to go. I would be more concerned pulling boat up slick boat ramp with 4x2 than hauling it down the road. Oh and your 2.7 is more than capable.

MichaelInCalifornia

Yep, messed that up.

You can add anything you are not using of the 1451 number to what you can tow.

As Bubba said, you are good due to the tongue weight.

My truck has a payload of 1909 lbs. But, with 5 family members and a bed liner, I'm at the margin to payload, so I put all luggage in the travel trailer.

If your truck has the locking rear end, it will help on the boat ramps. Next year, I'll get to try that out.

jaslaughter

Yes, correct, truck limited not hitch limited because my GCVWR is 12,600, hitch isn't the bottleneck.

Hopefully last question though -- even if the WD doesn't do any good, will it hurt if I can find one that'll work with my trailer? Isn't there a legal issue there if I'm not using one even if it's not physically needed?

MichaelInCalifornia

I'be be concerned with the strength of the trailer frame since you said it would void the trailer warranty.

How a WD hitch works is by imparting a bending moment into the trailer frame between the ball and the ends of the spring arms. Technically, you could induce a load great enough to bend or break the trailer frame. Highly unlikely, but may be possible on weaker trailer frames.

msgtord

Some sway control would be nice.

acdii

You only need one if the actual tongue weight exceeds the hitch rating. Majority of boat trailers are designed, like a horse trailer, to put the majority of weight on the axle(s), with the front and back of the boat counterbalancing the rest. The bow being much lighter than the stern where the engine is located(in most boats), much further forward than the stern, so if you look at trailered boats you will notice the axle positions would be pretty much centered on the CG of the boat, so there wont be a lot of weight on the tongue.

spotdog14

Wow I'm really surprised by how low your payload capacity is for being a 2wd truck.