Just want to make sure you know about the Hammerlock items. Also known as a safety chain connector link. Makes it a lot easier to hook up the safety chains for some trucks.

I prefer using a good hard bolt as the connector between the two halves. I don't think that is preferred by most but the standard way is just a pain to deal with whether using a block and a hammer or a C-clamp.

 

I'd like to see the actual model/specs for the trailer but generally, I'm with the others; you shouldn't need any mods to comfortably tow a 23' camping trailer. With a toy hauler, be extra careful with loading to ensure you maintain proper tongue weight for a stable tow - I recommend 12 - 15%

have fun.

Dave

 

23' hitch up and go...this thing will pull that no issues. I have a 25' travel trailer and just completed 1200 mile trip with it memorial day weekend and I was very impressed by how well this truck did with the 7.3. The overall chassis of the truck was very pleasant as well and very sure footed.

 

On my '24 F250 I had to buy a different hitch shank that was longer to get my trailer level.

 

Had to do that with my Power Wagon, interestingly enough I didn't need to change it when I changed trucks to my last Ram. Haven't hitched the new truck up to the trailer yet, not sure if I'll need to get an even longer one or not. Hopefully not.

 

Its your truck, life, safety and other people's lives

Reese has hundreds of videos and data on wd hitch of its required or a strong suggestion etc
as well as curt, husky etc
WD is generally recommended if towed trailer weighs more than half the weight of the towing vehicle
my truck weighs 8900 lbs
So anything over 4450 lbs
WD, transfers some weight to the steering axle
which is important, it also reduces the see saw motion from roads , humps. Uneven pavement etc. Just because we can toss 3k lbs in the bed, or are rated up to 1200 lbs dead weight at receiver , does not negate skipping on gearb to make your drive comfortable and safe
sway control is a huge safety and driving benefit for longer trailers.
tongue weight is important
As is level pull
Education is key
Read, watch videos etc
Weigh your vehicle, weigh the trailer, set hitch weight correctly
Lights.
And enjoy
remember the stuff in the bed also counts against the tongue weight..in so much as squat and level

 

The truck won't even know it's back there

 

I am familiar with the Equalizer setup. However, the Andersen WDH looks intriguing. Not sure if anyone has experience with it?

 

Having towed for several decades, I wouldn't buy an Anderson. Not because there's anything wrong with it, but because properly set up...there's no need for it. I have been using the old-school chain-style WDH with stand-alone sway control for decades and have had precisely zero issues with it. Have I experienced sway? Yes, and it was either due to high winds or improper setup by the dealer I bought the trailer from. Once the setup issues were corrected the sway essentially disappeared.

 

Stuff in the bed counts against Payload, not tongue weight; tongue weight is strictly from the weight of the trailer & that counts as part of the vehicles Payload

"The load in the bed is part of the total weight the truck is carrying (payload), and the tongue weight of a trailer is also part of that total. You need to ensure that the combined weight of everything in the truck, including the tongue weight, does not exceed the truck's payload capacity"

Further Reading

 

I'm not "Anti-WD hitch" and I agree with some of the comments above.(TW is very important for eg.).....OTOH, in order to provide a counterpoint;

- 1) the "half of the weight of the tow vehicle" is a generalization that makes more sense with light duty tow vehicles rather than an F350 (see Class 8 tractor trailer trucks for eg.)

- 2) a properly designed and loaded trailer will not have sway issues regardless of whether or not you use a WD hitch or some other form of sway control

- 3) The primary function of a WD hitch is to restore weight to the front axle and/or remove weight from the rear axle.......depending on the actual specs on your truck and trailer, this may or may not be desired.

- 4) there are downsides to WD hitches that many people are unaware of or gloss over - you can reduce weight on the drive axle to the point you could lose traction on low friction surfaces and induce a jack-knife. In circumstances where there is a fair bit of attitude difference between the truck and trailer (at the base of a steep driveway for eg.) or you hit a frost heave at speed you can damage your trailer's A frame to the point of failure.

- 5) there are other means of sway control other than using a WD hitch; stand alone friction sway control devices or electronic sway control (Ford SD's come with electronic sway control)

I have 8 trucks and 9 trailers and we tow daily. I have had and still have several WD hitch setups and I'll use them if the circumstances warrant one. With my F350 DRW diesel, 4x4, CC, 176" WB truck towing my Outdoors RV 25RDS I have no need of a WD hitch and don't use one......I haven't for 3 years now including a trip from Canada to Arizona and back in all kinds of conditions, weather, wind and speeds. I'm very happy with the stability of my set up. Lastly a WD hitch can dampen "porpoising" but I used a GenY Torsion Hitch to accomplish that. The OP may or may not benefit using a WD hitch depending on the actual specs on his truck and the actual weight, size and design of the trailer.

2 cents,
Dave

 

Counter point to #2. With the exception of a travel trailer. Unlike the other trailers, the axle placement on an RV tends to cause sway mainly due to the high box sides and being top heavy in places and moves the pivot point further forward than on other trailers. These trailers should have some sort of sway control regardless of whats pulling them.

Also a point on the built in "sway control". It's passive and only fully kicks in once sway starts. it can also interfere with an active sway control system and fight it, causing brakes to get hot. IOW I would not fully rely on it with something like an RV. On any other trailer though, you are right a WDH is not required.

Counter point to this. Anything behind the axle counts towards weight being removed by the WDH. It doesn't add to tongue weight of the trailer, but adds weight to the hitch itself to be transferred forward and rearward. Behind, not on or in front. IOW put a genny at the tailgate and that weight will be included in the weight to be transferred, no different than if the genny sits on the A frame, but in that case it IS added to tongue weight, AKA weight ON the ball. The WDH is weight ON the receiver, and weight behind the axle is also considered weight ON the receiver.

Simple example to proof it. You got the truck loaded, the RV loaded and hitched up. You got the WDH setup perfectly. Now you just put a 130 pound genny and 70 pound cooler at the tailgate. Is your WDH still setup correctly? No, because you just added 200 pounds to it.

 

I agree the 1/2 truck weight for needing a WD hitch is overkill for an HD truck. It depends on the setup. I haul 24ft equipment trailer, which is around 12k loaded with 1,300 tongue weight, and it is perfectly stable with my F-250 and no WD hitch. However my 37ft travel trailer is about 12.5k with a 2,000 tongue weight, and it needs the WD hitch with sway control. Two trailers very similar in weight, but much different in other factors, makes all the difference.

 

One cannot, CANNOT compare an equipment trailer of any kind (flat bed, box, etc) to an RV. It is absolutely NOT an apples to apples comparison.

With an equipment trailer, you can adjust your load back and forth, side to side, etc to get to the desired tongue weight and getting your sway down to almost zero.

With an RV, the vast majority of your weight is fixed and static. You can't really move slides, cabinets, the fridge, stove, etc. They're put where they are and unless you disassemble the entire inside of the trailer that weight is what it is. As you load things (bedding, clothes, food, other supplies) you'll more than likely make the tongue weight only go up, because a lot of storage for that, especially in travel trailers, is up front. Depending on water/waste tank locations you MIGHT be able to add water behind the axles to lower tongue weight but it's unlikely to be enough...and unless you FILL the tank, now you have a 'live load' situation that can slosh around and potentially make sway WORSE.

Then you have toy haulers, which are even worse, really. They are notoriously nose-heavy because they've basically crammed the entire RV portion in front of the axles (give or take) and left the rear empty. Now yes, loading up the rear CAN make the tongue lighter, but even then you've got to be careful - they're usually only rated for a payload of 2-3k lbs for some reason. That usually STILL leaves them very nose-heavy, and there's very little you can do about it.

This is why I hold that a great many people who pull 35' RVs with their half-ton trucks are under-trucked, and that most of them who say it 'pulled like a dream' have either gotten REALLY lucky with the layout of their camper, are just inexperienced as to what that tow would feel like with a truck the right size, or are just lying to themselves so they can justify their decision to be under-trucked.

 

Well you see there is a point and counter point
to all the suggestions

nothing beats education
Read, re search
Make sure trailer is ready for long haul
There aRe countless lists all over
even one made rv manufacturers
of course safety is paramount
Have a safe journey