R.Yoder

I dont understand the purpose of WD on a equipment trailer , when you can adjust the tounge weight which in turn effects the front end rise , by simply moving the load fore or aft. Anyone feel the same or tow the same as me.
I regurary tow My Kubota withiu either my 2012 150 xlt long bed or my 1984 F350 LB manual.

smokeywren

You can adjust the tongue weight without a WD hitch, but you cannot distribute that tongue weight (TW) to return the weight on the front axle to near unloaded weight while maintaining the required TW of 12% to 14% of gross trailer weight. That's true for all sorts of receiver-hitch trailers - equipment trailers, utility trailers, RV trailers, enclosed cargo trailers, animal trailers, "race" trailers, etc.

So learn to live to live with the fact that if your tongue weight is more than 500 pounds when the tow vehicle is a half-ton pickup, then you need a WD hitch.

R.Yoder

I teied a wd one time , i could not tell any difference for my application and it was a time consuming pain to hook up .it also bound up and caused problems when we got on the back roads. I am sure there are viable applications. I would go to a goose neck before i would deal with WD hitches again . For my short trailer runs .

smokeywren

I suspect your experience is with a cheap WD hitch. Spend more money for a good WD hitch and you probably won't have those problems. Equal-I-Zer, Blue Ox, and Reese StraitLine are three good WD hitches. Hensley ProPride is even better, but not considered affordable by most folks.

Gooseneck is fine, but impractical for smaller trailers. Plus properly set up and loaded, gooseneck trailers have 20% to 25% hitch weight instead of the 12% to 14% tongue weight. So a heavier-duty tow vehicle is required. Forgetabout trying to tow a loaded gooseneck equipment trailer with a half-ton pickup without being overloaded.

Steve83

WD hitches CAN be adjusted quickly & easily for the varying tongue weight of equipment trailers. The ones I grew up using had chain links on the load bars that could be hooked into the latches at any link. I haven't needed or seen a WD hitch in years, but I assume some progress has been made to make them even-easier, IF YOU BUY that type. But I'm equally-sure that cheaper WD hitches exist for those who don't need any adjustment (like those who only tow their own TTs with the same TW/GTW every time).

mikeinatlanta

I just tested my trailer empty and loaded and have a spec setup for each. It is a PITA though.

Flamingtaco

You can only move a load aft so far before sway becomes uncontrollable. Position of the wheels on some trailers prevents moving the center of load as far back as the axles, and you will always exceed a half-ton's ball weight without WDH. WDH's are work arounds that permit our 1/2 ton trucks to haul what very recently was in the arena of 3/4 tons and above only.