Do I need a weight distribution hitch?

Hello towing gurus. I'm likely going to be purchasing a smallish travel trailer that will be towed by my 2010 DC 4x4 (5.7L). I'm constrained on the width of the trailer due to a narrow RV pad on the side of my house, thus the small trailer. The dry weight of the trailer is 3,380 lbs with a dry hitch weight of 375 lbs. The GVWR is 4,300 lbs, so I figure I might be pushing close to 500 lbs on the loaded hitch weight (to be conservative).

Anyway, this trailer is obviously well under the max tow capacity, and our 21' boat with a full tank of gas weighs more which we tow just fine. Not to say I wouldn't benefit from a WD hitch, but do you think it's worth it to get one? If so, do you have any recommendations on brands and size?

Thanks in advance!

 

Toyota recommends one only if your trailer weighs over 5000 lbs.

 

Well, that makes it easy, I guess! I'm sure Toyota is being conservative in its recommendation as well. How about a sway bar?

 

I've heard it helps.. I'm planning to put one on my truck even just to improve stability in normal driving.

 

I agree that Toyota recommends over 5k but it’s not that simple with a travel trailer. If it’s over 20 feet and has the aerodynamics of a brick, a WDH with sway control will help that trailer.

What model of trailer is it?

 

It's a Jayco Jay Flight 184bs.

 

I have a trailer pretty similar. 425 gross tongue. Im going to experiment towing it with and without the load bars on. They definitely help add some weight back to the front of the truck, but i feel like they remove too much tongue weight from the trailer

 

From my personal experience (it’s longer than the 184 though).



Single axle trailers of that size benefit from wdh to reduce bounce and sway when semi trucks pass.

You won’t necessarily need it for weight transfer unless you add a hitch based bike rack or wet weight is much higher. Just be careful not to transfer too much as you might overload your single rear axle.

 

I will also say that a Honda Pilot towed the above trailer like a champ. Across the mountains Alberta to BC, multiple times and holding the speed limit on nearly every hill.

 

Toyota is full of crap. I have a 21 foot 3800 lb dry weight trailer, tandem axle. Before my WDH, I dropped the rear 2.5 inches. With the WDH, I only dropped 3/4 inch.

 

The rear is supposed to drop. That's why your truck has rake.

 

Your GTG, Tow and go that bad boy!
If you do get a WDH, be aware backing up at sharp angles.

 

Less tongue weight isn’t always better. You can induce some big time trailer sway if you don’t have enough weight on the hitch.

 

True.

With a good WDH, you can adjust them so they relieve a lot of weight or very little.

I won't tow any significant distance without one.

 

I would try the trailer with your truck and see how it feels before thinking about it a lot more.

You just will not know until then how you think it feels.

There is the should you from the towing side and there is the should you from the feeling side and everyone has a different threshold for worry and fear than everyone else here,guess how I know?

My usual trailer is sure not big or heavy enough to require one but it came with one so I tried both ways and was dumbfounded really by just how much more relaxing it is driving with the WDH setup though I also surely do not need it!

Now everywhere I camp I get to argue with people there about this fact!

 

Overall length for the 184BS is 21' 7"

If your "conservative" loaded tongue weight is 500 pounds, you're in the neighborhood of where Toyota thinks you need a WDH (9%-11% of Gross Trailer Weight, See Post #2). I believe your set-up would be at the upper limit of not needing a WDH, but with the length, I would use one. Toyota also recommends that trailers over 3000 pounds have two axles.

The SLX' single axle explains the proportionately higher tongue weight versus trailer weight. Toyota also recommends having a sway control device over 2000 pounds, and WDH does a lot of good as a sway control device.

Anyway, I have a hunch the first time you hitch it up and see the sag, your decision will be made.

 

Use the WDH, you will be happier in the long run, better/easier on the truck and safer for your family.

 

I have a 10 Tundra 4x4 and I tow a 5,000 pound 27 foot trailer and the truck doesn't budge more than 1/2 an inch downward when I hook up, I've been hauling that camper for awhile without using any weight distribution bars, the trailer is level too, I do use a sway control bar, but wind hasn't bothered me the least bit.

HOWEVER, after reading this thread and other websites about the subject I've decided to use the bars anyways, it's a hassle to put those things on but if it's safer than fine.

 

I say yes just to keep the sag at a minimum if it has sway control. I use it on my Surveyor Legend 19BHS (23 Foot bumper to ball) and it is straight as an arrow over the roughest patches of 101 or huge wind gusts. I had it because I was towing with my Highlander before the Tundra. I also put on the rear sway bar but that was to keep cornering from too much dipping.

Eaz-Lift 1000 was what the RV retailer installed. Works great.

 

Just to follow up, I did get a Blue Ox Track Pro. It's a newish model from them and is more like the Equal-i-zer setup with just the bars and L brackets rather than the chains like their popular Sway Pro model. It's pretty easy to get set up and I feel like the trailer is very under-control with no noticeable sway.

 

I found out too on a different forum that weight distribution bars are REQUIRED by law if your trailer is 5,000 pounds or more! and/or if the trailer weight is 50% or more of the vehicle's towing capacity.

According to my owners manual it says I can tow up to 10,500 pounds, so I'm just slightly below the 50% but I'm 4800 dry weight to 5,150 loaded.