I just bought a 2011 F350 6.7L SRW (8 ft bed) to replace my 7.3L EXcursion ( don't get me wrong, i like my EX but........). I tow a 25 ft Airstream that weighs in at 8500 loaded so not a huge tow by any means.

I used a Reese Dual Cam WD hitch (1200 Lb bars) on the EX because it did really help level things out and control trailer sway. The F350 loaded on just a draw bar hardly knows the trailer is there so the question becomes:

1) Do I really need to use a WD hitch for this relatively "light" loading on the PU?

2) Is the integral Trailer sway control that is already on the F350 going to do the job?

3) Would it help to put my Harley in the PU bed so the the truck is more heavily loaded (LOL) when we tow the Airstream????

4) Do I use a WD hitch but just lightly load the trunnion bars?

5) etc. etc. etc.


Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, D

 

The first time you can passed by a semi, you'll pull over and put on the WD hitch.

 

The Excursion and the F-350 are pretty much identical, in terms of towing anyway. Why would you think you do not need the WD hitch with the F-350?

 

Just because the rear springs hold the load up does not mean it is setup properly weight distribution wise. I would seriously recommend taking your truck and trailer to a CAT scale or similar and doing the math properly on axle loads. You will see very quickly that a WD hitch is still required. And as to the built in trailer sway control, well that is what I would consider your last ditch gonna save the day line of defence. You should never put yourself in a position where the TSC needs to work unless you get pounded by a big wind or severe emergency manouver, hence a good sway control hitch like the Dual Cam Reese.

 

Appreciate the feedback so here's some "rationale" for my question -

IMHO - The Excursion and F350, while similar in towing weight capability & weight - circa 8600#, are different animals using different "technologies".
With my 25 ft Airstream and 800 to 850# tongue weight in mind -

Excursion (2002) F350 (2011)

Soft rear springs w/ no overload Heavy springs w/ top OL
Bumper weight- Sags w/o assistance Barely touches top leaf
Front Leaf Springs Coil Springs
137 in Wheelbase 172 in Wheelbase
WD "levels" vehicle Level when bumper loaded

All that said, I have installed my Reese Dual Cam on the F350 and adjusted the hitch head for use with the Trunnion bars. They are not very "loaded" however as the rear of the F350 is rather "stiff" and I only transferred a small amount of weight to the front (I'll find out how much when I head to the CAT Scales).

I towed the trailer from Denver to Houston using a 2002 F250 7.3L when I bought it and had no issues w/o the WD but have been using the EX (as modified) since then.

My thought is that the WD is NOT needed by the stock F350 for "off loading" the rear axle but ONLY to improve the handling due to potential sway.

Maybe add a rear sway bar to the F350 though. Already have Rnacho's all the way around.

Does that provoke some additional discussion???? LOL

Many thanks to all, D

 

my thoughts:

adjust your torsion bars such that there is no weight transfer from the front axle to the rear axle of the truck. do not concern yourself so much with the "sag" in the rear suspension, but focus on eliminating weight transfer. If you are going to haul the harley in the bed on occasion, make note that your torsion bar settings will likely be different due to the different hitch height. Run it through the scales (or measure wheel wells) with and without the harley, and adjust the torsion bars accordingly (different settings for with and without)

also, weight transfer has nothing to do with spring rates. spring weights will affect the vehicle height, but weight transfer is based soely on wheel base and rear overhang, so don't let the spring rates fool your eyes. longer wheel bases do transfer less weight, though, so this might explain why it appears to handle the weight so much better than the EX.

you may find that it rides much better with the bars hooked up, also, as WD hitches tend to reduce the amout of "bucking" you get with heavy tounge weights.

consider lighter torsion bars, yours are overkill. everything i've read says they work better when properly sized. oversizing the torsion bars does more harm than good.

utilize your dual cam sway control, do not rely soley on the trailer sway function of the truck. your hitch mounted sway control is "sway control", which helps keep sway from happening. your onboard sway control is "sway mitigation" which will help reduce sway once it starts, but does nothing to prevent it.

bottom line for me ... you have them, why wouldn't you use them? having a WD hitch is always better than not having one, no reason not to use it.

 

The receiver on your truck has a safety label that tells you the rating of the hitch, for both carrying loads, and WD loads, and for both tongue weights and trailer weights. What does your label say?

Earlier trucks were only rated for either 500 or 600lbs carrying tongue weight. I know the newer trucks have an upgraded hitch. But I suspect it is not rated for more than 800lbs tongue weight without the WD. So I'm curious. Please check the label and let us know.

 

The receiver on my '11 is a Class V hitch and the Ford attached label indicates:

2.5 / Tongue 2 / Tongue

Wt carrying 8000/800 6000/600
WD 16,000/1600 12,500/1250

Given that I am using the 2.5 to 2 inch reducer, to comply with the Ford recommendations, a WD hitch is necessary due to the TT weight as well as the tongue weight.