Weight distributing hitch?

[jfkmk]

I tow a small camper with my 06 Envoy. The camper has a gross weight of 3500 pounds, so the tongue weight is in the neighborhood of 350-400 pounds. It was kind of bouncy, so I installed heavier duty Bilstein shocks. That helped for the most part, but it still bounces under some road conditions.

I've been looking at w.d. Hitches, but most seem to want a heavier tongue weight. There are dangers to over compensating with a w.d. Hitch.

Does anyone know of any w.d. Hitches for a lighter weight trailer? If you know of any specific model, that would help. Alternatively, has anyone tried the air bag that goes inside the coil spring? Does it help?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Mark20]

IIRC Reese makes a small weight distribution hitch specifically for lighter things like small campers. About the only limitation is the camper's tongue cannot be C rail that some use.

 

[The_Roadie]

Most of the big name WD hitch companies make a model for the newer lighter weight trailers. Setting them up properly is KEY. And that includes setting the WD bars up to send the right percentage of weight to the front tires. It's been discussed here and at trailvoy, but the best resources are your local hitch shop or the mfg instructions.

Many of us use Airlift1000 bags inside our coils for additional adjustability. I'm extremely satisfied with my setup. Just run a search for Airlift.

 

[Indybp57]

I use an EZ Hitch on our Trailblazer pulling a 4000# travel trailer. It has the sway control built in so no additional friction bar is needed. It was pretty easy to set up. Every model WDH is rated for a certain load range. Find one that matches the weight of your trailer. The airlift bags may serve the purpose of leveling your rig but do not do anything for transferring some of the load from the rear axle to the front, which is what you really need to do.

 

[CaptainXL]

Weight distribution for your setup should be a secondary consideration.

Consider first weather or not the trailer is loaded properly and balanced on it's axle(s). The only time you would need a weight distribution hitch is if your tongue weight is going to be within 80% of your max tongue weight for the truck. Even then only a small portion of the weight would need to be redistributed.

My guess is that you have too much cantilever weight past the rear half of the trailer axle. This will pull up on the tongue which will create a bouncing effect. It is also dangerous with regards to traction of the truck rear tires not making full contact to the ground.

If you are unfamiliar with how to weight and balance the trailer then I would seek a trailer professional such as an RV dealer or Camping World of New Jersey, etc. There are measurements, weights of the vehicle and trailer and stance heights that need to be made. For instance if you have the wrong drop on the trailer ball it can make a world of difference in how the trailer tows.

 

[Indybp57]

Weight distribution for your setup should be a secondary consideration.

Consider first weather or not the trailer is loaded properly and balanced on it's axle(s). The only time you would need a weight distribution hitch is if your tongue weight is going to be within 80% of your max tongue weight for the truck. Even then only a small portion of the weight would need to be redistributed.

Rule of thumb is 10-15% of the total trailer weight should be on the tongue. For his 3500# trailer that is at least 350#. My Trailblazer (ext) is rated for 400#s with no wdh, or 500# with wdh. I assume his is in the same ballpark. I wouldn't even consider going no wdh. What you can do and what you should do aren't always the same. For an extra $400-$500 I would want the increased peace -of -mind.

 

[budwich]

how are you determining the GTW? Hopefully not by the sticker. Further, as suggested you are likely close to the non-WD hitch limit especially if you aren't loading the trailer "efficiently". You are probably better off to try do the "cheap tongue loading measurement" method with the common bathroom scale. That will quickly tell you where you sit and go from there with suggested solutions (ie. suspension, hitch, etc). Load the trailer up as you would "normally".

Further, husky hitching model 44901 is a WD hitch that accommodates a likely appropriate range. Of course, there are others.

 

[DocBrown]

My previous trailer had a GVWR of 3500#. No way I would have towed that trailer without a WD hitch. The suspension is far too soft to tow a travel trailer without it. Yes, you can use air bags, or you can redistribute the weight in the trailer. The later might work, but things can shift, and more importantly it will only work if the floor plan allows it. Personally I would hate to take things out of storage just to balance weight every time I traveled. Sort of defeats the purpose of the trailer. Ultimately the best way to deal with it is a WD hitch.

 

[kenmyfam]

No harm in a weight distributing hitch and well worth having and using, however proper set up is job #1 in my opinion. Don't see any need whatsoever for anything else additional with 3,500 lb on the back other than a brake controller.
Just my humble opinion though. Our boat is around 3,500 lb and I don't use or need the W/D hitch for that. I do use it for our travel trailer though at 5,000lb

 

[jonbo2002]

Harbor Freight has a good one for a great price, specially if you get a 20% off coupon. I have used it many times with my 30' travel trailer, made it a great ride.