Picked up my new truck last night. Ecoboost engine with max payload and max towing packages. I wanted a crew cab and all they had was 4x4's so that adds quite a bit of weight. According to the specs I have about 2310 pounds of payload.


So what's the best weight distributing hitch? I do a lot of moving and hauling jobs and I'm looking at a 16-20' foot car hauler with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds. But how much load I'm putting in there is anyone's guess. Do I need to make adjustments to the hitch based on how much I'm towing? Is there a "bigger is better" approach?

 

Depends on budget really... Getting the right weight distribution hitch is predicated on your tongue weight. A lot of the folks on RV'ing forums tend to really talk-up the Henseley Arrow or Propride hitch. Both of them use a parallelogram style articulated coupler. said to make it almost impossible for a trailer to work the leverage against your truck. These are hitches in the 2000 to 3000 dollar range. There are also plenty of people that use good mid-range WD hitches like the Reese Dual Cam or Equa-lizer. These hitches not only distribute weight, but have an anti-sway function built into them. Looking at about 500 bux for this range. On top of these brands of hitches, you have to decide if you want trunnion bars (which tend to be a little pricier but give better ground clearance) or the drop bars (which tend to be a little cheaper but are closer to the ground). There's lots to learn about and I recommend finding a good RV'ing forum to check this stuff out. But remember, your hitch choice is predicated on the heaviest your tongue weight will be on your trailers.

 

I'm not really worried about ground clearance. But I am concerned about tongue weight.

I read on here that tongue weight for a bumper tow should be about 10-15% of the gvwr. So I guess that means I need a hitch rated at least 10,000(gvwr)/1,500(tw). That said is there anything lost or gained by getting a hitch rated for more?

 

If you get a hitch rated for much more, you will get more bouncing. It will ride really stiff. Where as a hitch just a hint over your tongue weight will be more "Pliable" and have proper give. So it'll really just affect your ride quality. However , if you get a WDH setup like Reese, you can just change the trunnion/round bars down the road if you get a heavier or lighter setup. Can't do that with the henseley arrow or propride or equalizer. But I think that there may be some sort of lifetime agreement with one of those manufacturers in case you do need a different hitch setup. But I'm not sure.

 

The trailer I'm looking at weighs about 3000 pounds empty. If I'm pulling a light load I can use a regular hitch. But it could be anywhere up to 10,000 pounds. So I'm looking for something that will be safe and legal everywhere in the 5,000-10,000 pound range.

 

I use one similar to this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Reese-Pro-Series-Cequent-1200-Weight-Distribution-Equalizer-Hitch-49570-/360734045616?pt=Motors_RV_Trailer_Camper_Parts_Accessories&hash=item53fd6cb5b0&vxp=mtr
And this one looks decent as well:


I've never spent the money on those with sway control, but I've always used properly loaded trailers and have never had a problem. You ask about the hitch rating, does your truck not have the factory tow package?

 

I use a Blue Ox (SwayPro By Blue Ox) setup. Works very well.

 

I run an Equal-I-zer on my 7500# camper, 1000# bars. Love the sway control it provides.

Please keep in mind, that even though these 1/2 ton trucks can PULL some heavy loads, they don't control them like stiffer sprung 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks. The sway control is VERY evident with the camper....and while less likely to be a factor with a car hauler, still a good investment IMHO.

I also added Ride Rite air bags to my SCrew. Even with the LD hitch set up correctly, I found I had much more porposing (sp ?) than I wanted when hitting bumps and dips......bags took that right out and gave the rear end more stability too!

Good luck with your purchase, and safe trailering!