Actually, if they follow policy, they won't rent an auto trailer for use with a 13th-gen F150 if the combined trailer + towed vehicle weight is over 5k. I didn't think I'd be anywhere near 5k, but I grossly underestimated how much those auto trailers weigh (some are well over 2k pounds), and the computer at the local UHaul counter didn't like the idea of my F-150 towing my 3,500-pound-ish XTerra on their open car hauler.

 

Proper loading is crucial-you want the TW to be between 10-15%. The trailer should be towed as close to level as you can get it. Additionally though, the design of the trailer itself can have a large influence on its propensity to sway. A utility or flatbed car hauler usually won't have too much of a sway problem, assuming the tires and suspension are all correct. The same can't be said for travel trailers or enclosed cargo trailers that are very susceptible to crosswinds or turbulence from oncoming or passing traffic.

If you have a tall trailer with sides, you'll want a WDH with a good sway control system integrated into it. The add-on friction sway units won't be enough. Equal-i-zer, Reese Strait-Line and Blue Ox SwayPro are all reputable products that do what they say they'll do if you've chosen the proper set up for your loaded tongue weight and adjusted it correctly.

 

Then why are you on this Towing/Hauling/Plowing forum? If not for information....just to be a troll I'm guessing. That should explain it all to the OP.

 

Congratulations! I hope for your family and the other vehicles near you while towing, that your luck is as big as your ego and arrogance.

I never claimed to be a "professional", nor do I wear a tin foil hat.

However, I do tow my travel trailer on a very regular basis. In order to form my opinion to advise other members on this forum, I researched, read owners manuals, measured and weighed my set up and am confident in the data that backs what I have said.

In fact, I have gone to Uhaul in an attempt to gather information on whether or not my truck could safely haul their auto transport trailer with my wife's 2006 AWD 4Runner loaded on it. They explained that because their trailer and the 4Runner outweighed the 5000 pound limit, my F150 could not safely tow without a WDH. Therefore, they could not rent to me.

Towing questions on this forum and others is a very good idea. What is terrible is the plethora of factual and non-factual statements that the original poster now has to decipher. This can get even more confusing having to wade through the snide comments and attacks made from one member to another.

No one has said anything about a baby being tossed out of a window due to a WDH set up.

What others and I have advised is to do the research and gain knowledge on the manufacturers' requirements to safely use their equipment. And, how one manufacturer's requirement might require the use of other, additional equipment...such as a WDH.

I am not, nor will I ever be sorry for advising someone with limited knowledge to err on the side of caution. I would rather set someone up for success rather than potential failure. Please be respectful of that and don't belittle me or other members for not sharing your obviously, much more valuable opinion.

 

In 1988 there were no car seat laws, seats were optional ,and not very good car seats either. In this particular case, someone towing a trailer did not have it properly hooked up, lost it, and it flipped over in front of the car carrying the family. The baby flew out of his/her mothers arms and went right through the windshield.

Car seat laws today protect from this sort of disaster, and properly securing, setting up, and towing a trailer, prevents crashes like this from ever occurring.

Why do I come to this particular forum and repeat the same thing to others in multiple threads? Because I have seen what happens when people with no experience try to do things they have no clue of, and wind up injuring or killing someone. If I can help prevent one person from doing something stupid, then I call it a job well done.

 

Luckily I have an F250 and don’t have to worry about this... but rules for a travel trailer do not transfer to a trailer that the load can move to help with weight distribution. Now if you wanna just throw the Jeep on the trailer all the way to the front, that’s a different story. But when you can compensate tongue weight with vehicle movement, why would you need a WDH?


Btw, a 4Runner and an old wrangler are drastically different in weight.


Also, vehicle technology in the 80s was much different. Especially with the anti sway and other trailer assistance features on these trucks... so again, straw man argument.

 

I totally agree with you that you can compensate or adjust the tongue weight on any trailer if the cargo (Jeep) is placed forward or back.

My comments and recommendations in this thread have been based on the OP's original statement putting his trailer and Jeep at 6000 lbs. In an attempt to give sound advice based on the 6k rating, the WDH comes in to play when Ford requires a WDH for a trailer greater than 5000 lbs or a tongue weight greater than 500 lbs.

Going by OP's 6000 lbs and the 10%-15% tongue weight requirement, that would put it at anywhere from 600-900 lbs sitting on the hitch of the truck...requiring a WDH. The tongue weight is still important for that trailer to track correctly behind the tow vehicle.

 

Well after all that I actually didn’t buy the landscape trailer but picked up and Starlite 18’ 7K Car King trailer. It weights in at 1600lbs and has dual braking axles. Brought it home tonight empty very little tongue weight. Still going to get a WD hitch. Thanks everyone. I will be sure to post some pics when it’s light out.

 

Where did you get that info? The first state law was enacted in 1979 (Tennessee). All states had a law by 1985.

https://saferide4kids.com/blog/the-g...-of-car-seats/

 

Without getting into weights and percentages, I don't know anybody who ever regretted the outcome of being cautious or careful.