Yep, that's the tow truck. Tows empty trailer (4k) fine without WDH, but loaded, WDH is a must. Added a new WDH last year, Blue Ox and its great. No more friction anti-sway bars, which were a PITA. Needed 2 due to trailer wt.

 

Ok guys, I've heard enough and ran across a smoking deal today. I picked up a used one time Blue Ox WDH with 10,000 pound bars for $350. Couldn't pass on it. Some senior citizen jumped in over his head with towing and got scared and sold everything cheap. Now to the next dilemma which I don't know if it needs it's on thread or not...

1. What happens if you have bars to stiff or heavy for your trailer? Can they be adjusted light? I have a range of 6-8000 pounds that my enclosed trailer will weigh with a 6-900 pound tongue weight.

2. Who thinks an F250 will still squat with 6-900 pound tongue weight and WDH?

3. I am still considering adding the air bags. What are your thoughts on this? Will setup be jacked up?

4. I plan on spending a day at the CAT scale to get everything set up correctly. What percentage go weight should I adjust to for the front axle? I am researching setting up the WDH now?

5. Any other thoughts or advice on my set up? Money is not really a factor as I want to be safe for myself and others on the road. I will be dragging this set up from NJ to CA. I am an experienced tower, but not with WDH and can always learn something form you veterans.

I am using the search button now. Thanks.

George

 

Hi George,
You probably won't need air bags with the WDH.
YouTube has some good info on setting up the hitch.
On mine I did some porpoising on it at first....I went another chain link tighter and it smoothed everything right out.....its nice to ride level

 

Nit picky but your bars are probably 1,000 lb bars, not 10,000 lb. The hitch itself may be 10,000 lb. I have a Blue Ox also and my bars are that "weight". My trailer is heavier than yours and 1,000 lb bars are a bit light for my setup. I'm considering trying to find heavier bars but I'm going to see how it does on a medium range trip before I get serious about that.

My F-350 with the camper package squats some with my ~950 lb of tongue weight (that's without water but with the ATV in the garage). Maybe 2" of squat, I didn't measure it. The WDH brings it up only a little bit. I'll be using the WDH to prevent sway more than to distribute weight.

 

You don't need air bags. Once your load is adjusted, and your WDH is set up, I'll bet you have nearly zero squat, which is what the air bags are for.

 

Absolutely correct! I have the 3 dots on my bars, so they are 1,000 spring bars. I'm going to be a testing fool! I want my set up to be level and distributed properly, so bags may still be needed so I'm not over compensating on the chain links. Is that even possible?

 

Only have 3/4" of rake factory and from what I've been reading the F250s squat a lot...we will see.

 

I don't have enough experience to say for sure if you can overcompensate, but my opinion is that you can.

I did my first test tow without the WDH. My 2017 can do it, but there was some sway, enough to make me uncomfortable. The second tow I used the WDH and had zero sway. So that's how I'll do it from now on.

 

UPDATE...I towed my setup for about 500 miles empty. About 100 of those miles was with regular ball hitch and truck was manageable, but not ideal. When the larger trucks passed me they would suck me in and I would have to anticipate them passing. This was with the trailer sway control on. I went ahead and threw the WDH on and the experience got worse. This was completely my fault because I left the trailer sway control on. Once I caught it and turned it off it was a better towing experience, but not the maximum comfort level I wanted. The larger trucks were still sucking me in when passing but much more manageable. In all fairness, I just threw this all together for the WDH with basic set up, no scale yet. I will say that the regular ball hitch with supposed 320 pound tongue weight did make the truck squat more than expected. The WDH cured the squat easily, but I do not know if it will cure it if I double or triple the tongue weight. I did make it to the CAT scale to get the truck weighed...it's 7560, 4260 steer and 3300 drive axle with me in it and 1/2 tank of gas. Sometime this week or so I'll get to the scales with the trailer and WDH.

Question...I was told that with the larger footprint of my trailer and empty it will be more subject to sway and forces from larger trucks passing than it will be when loaded. How big of a difference is this? Thanks for all the support so far! Trying to get this right and safe for all of us before I head across the country.

 

Length and "sail area" do make a big difference to how it feels when acted on by side-winds and other sway-inducing forces. That's what is happening when a big truck passes you, it's a wind pressure change acting on the side area of your trailer that's causing the movement.

Go do the "three weight" system at the CAT scale. That'll get you along way to where you need to be. One weigh doesn't tell you much, although it's a good comparison.

 

As soon as I get all my junk loaded I'm headed to the scales for a day. Damn expensive in the Northeast @ $11 per weigh...

 

re-weigh should be less within 24 hours.

 

deleeeete!

 

Some states (Oregon, for example) leave their scales turned on even when they're not open. You won't be able to get a weigh slip, of course, but the price is right...

 

I got 2 of them I use for free, 101 between Warrenton and Seaside and the one on 30 between Astoria and Clatskanie, doesn't show up on any maps but it's there none the less. But then I can always fine tune on the fly most anywhere in Oregon for free.