Which weight distributing hitch, 7k lb trailer
10-27-2018, 09:11 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Which weight distributing hitch, 7k lb trailer
Hi All,
I will eventually need a weight distributing hitch. Can someone recommend an appropriate weight distributing hitch for the following situation?
-kehyler
I will eventually need a weight distributing hitch. Can someone recommend an appropriate weight distributing hitch for the following situation?
- Truck: 2.7 ecoboost, 4x4, supercrew xlt with payload and tow package.
- Real payload of GVWR-Curb Weight is 1,844 lbs. (My yellow door sticker is 1963, but that doesn't matter. Apparently I added over 100 lbs of stuff even though I promised myself I wouldn't.)
- Max trailer weight of GCWR - Curb Weight is 9,200 lbs.
- Trailer: 14' or 16' open deck car hauler with a big lifted jeep wrangler on it. Trailer will be around 7k lbs.
- Notes: I expect that I'll be within 5% of my GVWR (6900), 10% of my GCWR (14,300), and within 5% of the trailer GVWR (7,000).
-kehyler
Last edited by kehyler; 10-27-2018 at 09:13 AM.
10-27-2018, 01:21 PM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Tongue weight should be between 700 and 900 lbs.
10-27-2018, 01:43 PM
#4
Grumpy Old Man
If gross trailer weight is 7,000 pounds. then properly loaded tongue weight will be about 910 pounds. Add the shipping weight of a good WD hitch and your hitch will be very close to 1,000 pounds.
So 1,000 pounds TW is the right size for your WD hitch.
Blue Ox is a very good brand that makes a WD hitch with 1,000 pounds TW. Equal-I-Zer and Husky Centerline HD 31390 are others. Reese Strait-Line Trunnion is also a good one but they make a 1,200 TW and don't make a 1,000 TW. 1.200 TW hitch is not too much for your trailer's TW. I have a Reese Strait-Line on my cargo trailer, and it works just fine.
So 1,000 pounds TW is the right size for your WD hitch.
Blue Ox is a very good brand that makes a WD hitch with 1,000 pounds TW. Equal-I-Zer and Husky Centerline HD 31390 are others. Reese Strait-Line Trunnion is also a good one but they make a 1,200 TW and don't make a 1,000 TW. 1.200 TW hitch is not too much for your trailer's TW. I have a Reese Strait-Line on my cargo trailer, and it works just fine.
Last edited by smokeywren; 10-27-2018 at 06:11 PM. Reason: fix typo
10-27-2018, 02:11 PM
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I think I’m going to try and stick to 10-11% tongue, so with 100 lbs for the hitch it puts me at mid 700s to mid 800 lbs TW. Is a 1000 lb bars ok for that?
10-27-2018, 06:05 PM
#6
Grumpy Old Man
Good plan! Ford says tongue weight should be 10% to 15%, and they make no exceptions. But my experience says that any TW less than about 12% tends to sway. So I shoot for 12% to 14%.
Is a 1000 lb bars ok for that?
11% of 7,000 pound max trailer weight is 770 pounds, well below the 1,000 pound TW rating of a Blue Ox 1,000 or Equal-I-Zer 1000.. Or 850 max TW @ 11% = 7,727 max trailer weight. But if you have less than 12% TW, then be sure you have a good WD hitch with excellent sway control.
Last edited by smokeywren; 10-27-2018 at 06:18 PM.
10-27-2018, 07:02 PM
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Good plan! Ford says tongue weight should be 10% to 15%, and they make no exceptions. But my experience says that any TW less than about 12% tends to sway. So I shoot for 12% to 14%.
Yes. The spring bars should be rated for at least the max tongue weight you would ever have.
11% of 7,000 pound max trailer weight is 770 pounds, well below the 1,000 pound TW rating of a Blue Ox 1,000 or Equal-I-Zer 1000.. Or 850 max TW @ 11% = 7,727 max trailer weight. But if you have less than 12% TW, then be sure you have a good WD hitch with excellent sway control.
Yes. The spring bars should be rated for at least the max tongue weight you would ever have.
11% of 7,000 pound max trailer weight is 770 pounds, well below the 1,000 pound TW rating of a Blue Ox 1,000 or Equal-I-Zer 1000.. Or 850 max TW @ 11% = 7,727 max trailer weight. But if you have less than 12% TW, then be sure you have a good WD hitch with excellent sway control.
I've heard some people claim that the built in sway control of the F150 can interfere with the sway control of a sway-controlling hitch. Is that true, or does adding such a sway-controlling hitch simply further reduce the sway?
(I am hoping that since I am doing an open-car trailer, that I can get away with a tongue weight that is a little closer to 10% than most. Darn payload ratings haha.)
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10-27-2018, 07:18 PM
#8
Senior Member
Make some trips to the scales and get real weight for the truck (F & R) and the trailer. What I found was my GVWR was very close with the 7k trailer and WDH and all my stuff in the truck bed. I made several trips to the scales for before and after loading.
10-28-2018, 11:06 AM
#9
Grumpy Old Man
I have thousands of miles of towing with both hitches on interstate highways @ 65 to 70 MPH with absolutely zero sway problems.
If you have a good WD hitch with good sway control, the hitch should prevent having enough sway to activate the electronic sway control, even under extreme sway-causing conditions. So lesson number one is to never tow with a cheap hitch. If your WD hitch cost less than $500 from a discount source such as Amazon or eTrailer, you bought a cheap hitch that's not good enough for my use. So if you have a cheap WD hitch, you may need to deactivate the built-in electronic sway control until you an afford a better hitch.
10-29-2018, 04:48 AM
#10
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If your WD hitch cost less than $500 from a discount source such as Amazon or eTrailer, you bought a cheap hitch that's not good enough for my use. So if you have a cheap WD hitch, you may need to deactivate the built-in electronic sway control until you an afford a better hitch.
you don't have to buy an expensive ProPride or Hensley WDH if you have a well-matched towing combo.