Weight Distributing Hitch?
 

Ok this is probably a can of worms but here goes anyway.

Looks like all Ford Trucks now require a weight distributing hitch to be used for loads over 5k lbs. My current boat and trailer set up is about 6k and I don’t worry about it but I am considering a new boat that will be close to my trucks max towing weight at about 11k all in.

It seems the consensus is that WD hitches are not liked over much for boat trailers. The issue seems to be that they traditionally interfered with surge brakes and didn’t fit the typical single pole front set up of a boat trailer. There are however a couple of models out there now that are designed to work with surge brakes and or the straight front pole of a typical boat trailer.

What are the groups thoughts (good or bad) on WD hitch set ups and or how do people tow heavier boats with today’s requirements for WD hitches?

Re: Weight Distributing Hitch?
 

Ian,

I tow my Z302 without a weight distributing hitch. All said and done I figure I'm towing a little over 8,000#.

Used to haul a similarly sized (and weighted) Cobalt that I installed a WD hitch on. The hitch was nothing but a pain. It absolutely hindered the performance of the surge brakes & made the ride in the vehicle worse. Not to mention the fact that setting the whole thing up was time consuming and the hitch itself was a heavy bit. After I sold that boat/trailer I didn't feel like the benefits I got outweighed the cost/trouble of using the WD hitch, so I didn't install it on my Mariah.

I can't speak to any of the "new and improved" models that are supposed to be surge brake friendly. I'm certainly no expert, but I would have no reservations towing 11K pounds with my current rig without using a WD hitch. In fact I do it quite often when hauling a skid loader on a trailer.

Not sure if that's helpful or not, but its my 2 cents. Good luck with the setup.

Re: Weight Distributing Hitch?
 

Thx Woodward33. That pretty much matches up with what I had found elsewhere. Most are concerned with the surge brake issue but also with the extra stress on the front bar of the trailer. Some trailer manufacturers even go as far as saying they don't recommend the use of WD hitches with their trailers.

On the other foot then is the truck manufacturer saying they require a WD hitch on loads above a certain level. Doesn't make any difference getting a bigger truck (at least in Ford's case) as they have the same requirement across the whole range, regardless of the truck. In my case, my truck it rated to pull up to 11,200 lbs and the hitch bar fitted to the truck is plated for up to 11,500 lbs but clearly states a WD hitch is required for loads above 5,000 lbs.

Which then leaves the liability question. If you get in a wreck and you are not using a WD hitch when the vehicle manufacturer clearly states its required sort of thing..... That's the issue that concerns me most.

Re: Weight Distributing Hitch?
 

I've never used this hitch with a boat trailer, but ran it on a 30' enclosed trailer that i was towing across the country with a 1/2 ton truck and it made a huge difference.

Equal-i-zer® Hitch - The “American Original” with 4-Point Sway Control™ and Weight Distribution

Unfortunately, my 32' travel trailer came with a chain-style hitch that i can't justify tossing just to upgrade to this, otherwise i'd run the equalizer. By far the best WD hitch on the market. I highly recommend if you need a WD hitch.

Re: Weight Distributing Hitch?
 

Thx Ryan. I think its time I just bite the bullet and get one. That one looks very good and is designed for use with both surge brakes and a pole tongue it says.

Re: Weight Distributing Hitch?
 

I picked up an Equal-I-zer 14000lb unit and can now state I was very happy with it towing my new Z308 1200 miles back from OK to NV.

Only had 1 spot of sway on a nasty descent with lots of bumps, a sidewind and a lunatic trucker blowing past but it settled down quickly and had no other issues.

I got the pole tongue adaptor kit for it and it worked with my new EZ Loader trailer no problem. EZ Loader also state on their website that they are OK with the use of WD hitch setups with their trailers. Not all trailer companies do support them though. When I was looking at different trailer options I found at least one that specifically stated they did not support them for use with their trailers. So a bit of research is in order before use I guess?

Thx for the advice.