Posted 2005-07-25 10:20 AM (#28525) Subject: Weight Distribution Hitch
Member
Posts: 22
Location: Oakland, Tn 38060
I am considering buying a 2horse slant CM BP. The trailer being a little over 14 ft, is a weight distibution hitch setup necessary to be safe, pulling with an F150 with towing pkg. Thanks
Posted 2005-07-25 11:40 AM (#28527 - in reply to #28525) Subject: RE: Weight Distribution Hitch
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366 Location: Albany, Oregon
Hmmmm......I would ...Is it a long wheelbase? I would try it and see how it tows. Does it have a dressing room? If you load the dressing room full of heavy gear it will to increase the tounge weight and cause it to squat more . You can fix that by putting the heavy stuff in the pickup box ahead of the rear axle. I would try it out carefully without if it feels light in the front, sways or feels ucomfortable towing then look into the WDH. That is my opinion....wait for more!
Posted 2005-07-25 12:36 PM (#28533 - in reply to #28525) Subject: RE: Weight Distribution Hitch
Veteran
Posts: 225 Location: Kansas City
My opinion - is no you will not need it. However, you can easily add later if you feel you do. What you feel will be the most important opinion. I've pulled 3 different 2H BPs, two with front tacks hauling full show "stuff" including western, english tack plus EZ up tent, etc. Never had a problem. I have found more problems with "sway" than tongue weight. A friction-type sway bar will give you great stability for a BP - can be found for under $100 and will provide saftey no matter the truck size.
Posted 2005-07-25 3:05 PM (#28543 - in reply to #28525) Subject: RE: Weight Distribution Hitch
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
i also agree with the wait and see, a few carefull test runs will answer your questions.if you dont like how things are looking/feeling, may i suggest the equal-i-zer hitch?
i use one on my 02 trailblazer (3/8 ton?) pulling a 2h slant w/dress it has a loaded tongue wt of about 700#. with the equal-i-zer it does not sway, and sits level, makes a big difference.
Posted 2005-07-25 3:39 PM (#28544 - in reply to #28543) Subject: RE: Weight Distribution Hitch
Member
Posts: 23
Be careful. You MUST approach this in a rigorous, scientific manner: weigh the coupler on a scale with the trailer fully-loaded with horses and all your other "stuff." Your result, and how it compares to your hitch's weight-carrying tongue-weight rating, will be the sole determinant for the need for WD bars.
Posted 2005-07-26 10:44 PM (#28592 - in reply to #28525) Subject: RE: Weight Distribution Hitch
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1160 Location: Denver Colorado
You'll want to read your owners manual and the tag on your reciever. As an example if your truck or SUV came with a Class III reciever and your tongue weight is 500#'s or over and or your trailer is 5000# or over, the truck manufacture and reciever hitch manufacture require a weight distributing hitch for those higher trailer ratings. This means is could cause warranty issures and insurance issues. The RV world has embraced using wdh for decades for the safety and handling reasons. Horse trailers are the final frontier for broad use wdh. And hauling live tall animals need wdh the most. I know it's one more thing to do when you hook up and you may have to cut a slit in the nice tongue cover for the spring bar brackets, but it is an important safety measure. I applaud the horse trailer manufactures who already have a boxed cutout in their tongues for a wdh. My article on wdh is at www.mrtruck.net/wdh.htm
Posted 2005-07-28 5:55 PM (#28657 - in reply to #28525) Subject: RE: Weight Distribution Hitch
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 333
I have a GMC 2500, extended cab, full bed 4X4. I pull a 17 foot Trailet 2 horse BP with tack. I use the WDH and I find the difference amazing even when I am pulling empty. I learned an easy way to put the bars on.. I jack up the trailer after I put on it on the ball and secure the latch, by doing that I not only know the latch is on tight but also that little bit of up helps me put on the bars with the pipe. I can't easily do it unless I jack it up. To unhitch, I do the same in reverse. It doesn't take me that much longer to hitch it up and the ride feels so much better.
Posted 2005-07-28 8:42 PM (#28662 - in reply to #28657) Subject: RE: Weight Distribution Hitch
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
Originally written by Jbsny on 2005-07-28 6:55 PM
I have a GMC 2500, extended cab, full bed 4X4. I pull a 17 foot Trailet 2 horse BP with tack. I use the WDH and I find the difference amazing even when I am pulling empty. I learned an easy way to put the bars on.. I jack up the trailer after I put on it on the ball and secure the latch, by doing that I not only know the latch is on tight but also that little bit of up helps me put on the bars with the pipe. I can't easily do it unless I jack it up. To unhitch, I do the same in reverse. It doesn't take me that much longer to hitch it up and the ride feels so much better.
Jbsny
jbsny,
do you have any idea what the tongue weight is on your trailer? and how far down does it push the hitch/bumper on your 2500 w/o the wdh? people look at me funny when i ask to hook my trailer to their truck to take some measurments out of curiosity.
also i applaud you for doing things the right way, ive talked to plenty of people who said they dont need a wdh "ive got a big truck". saw a guy at the stable the other day with a dually and a 2h slant, noticed he had a 7pin to 4pin adapter hooked up........didnt need the trailer brakes, ive got a big truck with big brakes. and whoever put a 4pin on a trailer(it had a 6pin also) that size should have a boot print on their a$$.
if more people knew how to properly set up and use a wdh, the BP would lose its stigma in the horse world.
Posted 2005-08-02 10:29 PM (#28804 - in reply to #28525) Subject: RE: Weight Distribution Hitch
Expert
Posts: 2689
My suggestion is to NOT wait and see.
I was towing my light (2780 lbs) 2 Horse aluminum B/P which was EMPTY on saturday when I hit some junk in the road and blew a trailer tire (it also trashed the rim).
The way it pulled the (1 ton) truck around I thought I had forgotten to latch the coupler, especially as this was only a couple of miles from home. Fortunately I was on a side road doing less than 30 MPH.
I Kinda wished I had the sway bars on, but as usual with these stories "I wasn't going very far and I was running empty".
You'll wish you'd put anti sway on and not waited to see if you ever get a sudden tire blow out.
Weight Distribution Hitch
