I'm hoping to pick up a new 7x14' tandem axle enclosed cargo trailer with a max GVWR of 7000 pounds. Empty it weighs around 2000 pounds and it's no more than a 1 hour drive from the dealer to my house, mostly highway. I know they will charge a higher price for a new WD hitch there than I can purchase locally (I don't have one), so my question is can I safely tow this empty trailer home without a WD hitch or should I buy one from the dealer to get it home?

 

Not sure what year your truck is but the newer ones it's anything over 5k pounds calls for WD.

 

You are fine without one, especially with an empty trailer. The only trailers I have ever towed with my f150 that i worried about a WD hitch were travel trailers. Unless you are going to pull it near max weight capacity all the time, don't bother with one.

 

The sticker underneath your hitch receiver will tell you when you need a WDH. Typically if the tongue weight is over 500 lbs., the WDH is recommended. That's when a significant amount of weight has been lifted from the front wheels, making steering and stopping more uncertain.

 

Empty tongue weight should be less than 300 pounds, so no, you don't need a WD hitch to tow the empty trailer. You don't need WD with tongue weight less than 300 pounds, but you might need sway control if the tongue weight is too light. I would probably haul a couple of sand bags in the nose of the trailer to be sure you have around 250 to 300 pounds tongue weight, until you can get a good WD hitch with built-in sway control installed on the trailer.

 

Picked up my trailer this morning. I ended up purchasing a Curt adjustable ball mount (#45900) and it worked perfectly. It was a 1 hour drive in the rain and I just stayed in the right lane at 60mph and it pulled like it wasn't even attached. No sway at all and very steady when passed by 18 wheelers.

Thanks again for all your input/help.

 

With my old ram I pulled a 9000lb 28' cargo trailer from OK to CO. No issues without a WDH, but you have to make sure you have the correct amount of tongue weight. Not recommending that anyone do this as its above what the manufacturer recommends, but it can be done safely if setup properly.

 

There are thousands of cargo trailers out there on the road right now being pulled without the use of a WDH. If you have the flexibility of where to place your load it's doable without a WDH. But if you do not have room to move the load around, you got to have a WDH.

 

Max 500 pound tongue weight without a wdh on a 9,000 pound trailer is 5.5% tongue weight. How is that doable?

 

Easy. Just hook up and go.


But don't be surprised when you wake up with a severe headache and notice your rig is upside down in the ditch.