I am trying to understand the difference and the ratings on the hitch on the back of my truck. Are those ratings suggestions or requirements? Is it saying I have to have a weight distribuition hitch to tow more then 7000 lbs. I am going off memory now (which my wife tells me is not so good) :
But the tow ratings on the hitch are something like

load carrying: 7000
weight distribution 12000

Are these requirements? suggestions?

I am slightly confused (which is not unusual) as the Anderson rapid hitches are rated for like 10,000 lbs and that would be a load bearing hitch which is says my truck is not suppose to tow.

What is a good weight distrubutions system to go with? How much do they generally run and how do they work with lifted trucks?



Thanks for the help

 

Those are the upper limits which your receiver is rated to carry. Do not exceed those limits nor the max tow rating for the vehicle nor the max CGVWR.
The weight distribution hitch needs to be matched to the trailer weight.

 

So why do the Anderson hitches: Rapid Hitch

have a rating of 10, 000lbs to load carry. When no truck is rated to tow like that? What am I missing?

 

Plenty of trucks are rated to tow that.

 

In my estimation, the tow ratings on the factory receiver hitches are very conservative. Mine is rated 600lbs tongue weight and 6000lbs towing. I have loaded about 1000lbs tongue weight and pulled about 12000lbs towing a pintle hitch deck-over equipment trailer and have yet to bend, crack or otherwise cause any damage to the hitch.

 

I can agree with that. I have two hitches I got from the junk yard. One is rated at 5k# and one is rated 10k#. Both class three and same tube size and thickness. They look identical. I even broke out the caliper and measured the thickness if the material and it was the same.

 

@hogryder007 - key yet. Of course the rating is conservative and has a built in margin of error. By exceeding the safe limits you are not only putting your equipment at risk of damage , you are putting yourself and others in danger should your equipment fail. You may also be held liable, civil or criminal, should you be in an accident and the cause is determined to result from exceeding of load rating. It is better to have more than you need than need more than you have. I try stay stay at under 80% of rating.

 

I would like to stay in the range of suggested ratings. Also wonder if there is a problem in towing accident or some type of problem. If you are not following the manufactures suggested tow ratings they may not pay or you might get in trouble for negligence. Could these be issues? oops you said it better then I dd and faster.

 

So are you saying you don't tow anything over 5000lbs with a traditional hitch (or whatever you load carrying rating is)?

 

I use a WDR to tow my 8000# trailer.
I also reported a safety violation at work (gov't) when they were pulling travel trailers w/o WDR hitches.
WDR hitches were ordered and are now used.

 

The bumper is rated for 500/5000, so I don't see how a 3in square tube receiver can only be good for 600/6000. The rating on the hitch has a HUGE margin of error.

 

I too have been looking at this stuff since I bought my truck 9 months ago. I pull about 9000-10000. If you start looking around you will notice that 90% of people pull things like Skid steers don't have wd hitches.(atleast where I am from). And all almost all of them weight over 8000 with the trailer. Does that make it right? No,but do people do it? Most of the people I see, including my local city and almost all companies around here just don't. I personally pull my skid steer around without one and I do just fine. But it is a risk I take! I am also aware of the situation I am facing and never have employee's or friends pull anything! If I was going to be traveling over the road for distance's there is NO question I would have one.

 

I think that is Anderson's way of telling you that their hitch won't be the weak link in your towing set up.

 

Could not agree more.. I see tons of people not using a Weight distribution hitch when they should be, case in point.. my uncle tows around his mini excavator and it weighs with trailer like 11000 lbs. OK so I am not crazy and just trying to clear up things for me. Makes you wonder why when you buy a trailer they don't push the weight distribution hitches more, or why some laws are enforced and some are not.

 

Most equipment trailers have pintle hitches, which can not be used with a WD setup