Weight Dist Hitches

[Super Scout]

Does anyone know how to size these things ? I am buying a trailer this week and want to get some stuff lined up for it. With the trailer and Scout Ill be at about 6500 pounds. I want to get a Weight Dist hitch to even things out a bit. But they need to be the right size and I am not certain how to figure out my tongue weight. The truck is a 2002 Chevy 1500. Anyone that knows anything about these things ?

P.S. If your only advice is to tell me to buy a 3/4 ton diesel with giant truck nuts hanging off the rear bumper keep it to yourself.

[Powerguy37]

Buy a 3/4 ton diesel with giant truck nuts hanging off the rear bumper.

[BUZZINHALFDOZZEN]

If it's a "car trailer" style with the axles in the middle, I would guess you would prob have 2000lbs on the tongue max.

[OverkillZJ]

^ Most class 4 hitches won't handle over 1000 on the tongue. A lot of them on 3/4 tons will even state "500 without weight distro hitch"

Superscout - what exactly are you towing with what? THe weight distro hitch helped the 3/4 ton diesel suburban deal with the buggy's weight a lot. I went through a PIrate4x4 vendor and he helped me choose what to buy. The anti-sway control on it was the best part.

[Super Scout]

I will be towing the Green Scout with my truck (2002 Chevy 1500 6 foot bed extended cab 5.3). It is a 16 foot car hauler which is just big enough for the scout. I wont have much room to move it so the front end will be all the way up. The truck is rated to tow 8,000 pounds. So I will be south of that by about 1,500 and below my GCWR by quite a bit. My hitch is rated at 10,000 pounds with a Weight Dist hitch and 1,000 pounds of tongue weight. I guess what I am not understanding is I need to have some tongue weight, but I need to size the WD hitch so I have just enough. So if I have 2,000 pounds of tongue weight and add a WD hitch thats good for 1,000 pounds I'll still have 1,000 pounds on the hitch right ? But if I have 1,000 pounds of tongue weight and use a WD hitch rated for 1,000 pounds Ill have 0 on the tongue. Right lol.

[OverkillZJ]

They're adjustible. YOu buy a weight distribution hitch for a certain capacity - mine for instance would work for a 10,000 lb trailer and I had it on my 8,000 lb trailer. THey're adjustible by the chains.

http://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.com/img/vendor/lg/51/17002.jpg

Here's more reading than you'll need... http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/techarticles/mopp_090824_how_to_setup_a_trailer_for_towing/index.html

If you're investing in one, with that 1/2 ton I suggest the anti-sway too. It was worth every penny for me. You wouldn't need this with a bigger truck, but this will make it much safer with your 1/2 ton.

[2002wranglerX]

I have 1000 lb bars on my Reese wd hitch. You can adjust how much weight is distributed by how many chain links you go up into the brackets. I'm glad I have the heavier bars

I have anti sway but have never needed it or used it

[OverkillZJ]

Ryan - I usually didn't need it, but there were some area's towing where It really came in handy, especially towing over mountains / curves in windy area's. I didn't always put it on, but I always had it with me, and there's one or two times I was really, really glad to have it handy. My load was heavy for my truck, and I'm figuring he'll be in the same scenario. His scout has a lot of sheet metal to catch wind, he's towing a sail.

[2002wranglerX]

Ryan - I usually didn't need it, but there were some area's towing where It really came in handy, especially towing over mountains / curves in windy area's. I didn't always put it on, but I always had it with me, and there's one or two times I was really, really glad to have it handy. My load was heavy for my truck, and I'm figuring he'll be in the same scenario. His scout has a lot of sheet metal to catch wind, he's towing a sail.

Ya I'm all setup for it and it's in the strap box if I need it. But I also have a pretty nice trailer. It pulls pretty straight.

[Super Scout]

I think I will get the sway control, I have dragged scouts around before with the truck but not far and on a longer trailer so I could balance it out a little better. This trailer should pull fine.

[OverkillZJ]

You might want to send DMG a PM - he bought my (good) weight distribution hitch / sway control along with my trailer, but considering he's pulling with an F350 quad cab 8' bed, he might not be using it.

[Super Scout]

That would be awesome !!!
Thanks

[willysrule]

you'll like that trailer scout...If I didnt already have one I would have bought it. That is one of the nicest car trailers I have ever towed...it tracks great empty or loaded...

[2002wranglerX]

What trailer did he get?

[Super Scout]

This one:

http://www.pgh-offroad.com/forum/showthread.php?16335-2005-car-trailer-1300