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New to towing.

5K views 27 replies 16 participants last post by  4d_footer 
I tow two trailers with regular ball hitches no problem. According to the owners manual, these trucks have built in sway control from the factory. Keeping your speed to about 60 mph in the right lane is the best sway control I think.
 
That drawing above that shows the trailer nose down is something we often see on the road but it doesn't have to be that way with a standard hitch. That is what happens when people hookup using any hitch they have on hand. It only costs $20.00 for a taller ball hitch and sometimes no cost at all by flipping the hitch upside down. With either one trailer or two, my standard hitch keeps the trailers dead level because I took the time to try different hitch heights while parked on level ground.
 
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No. That isn't an example of using a hitch with the ball height set too low. That is an exaggerated example to show how the tongue weight pushes down on the rear and subsequently takes weight OFF the front axle due to how the rear axle now acts like a fulcrum in the middle. Buying a different drop height on the hitch bar just to level your trailer really does nothing to change how your vehicle will drive, handle or stop.

The primary use of the weight distributing hitch isn't for pretty looks and to compensate for improper hitch height. It is there to transfer weight and control back to the front axle of the vehicle.

Weight distributing hitch IS usually bolt on and really not hard to setup initially. Once setup it adds maybe 60 extra seconds to connect the trailer to the vehicle.
I could see where such a setup could be needed with a huge trailer or while towing with today's weak, FWD unibody vehicles but, towing something in the 3000 lb range with these very substantial full frame trucks should not be a problem. I tow two trailers at the same time with two standard ball hitches. Total trailer weight is 4200 lbs. The truck alone weighs more than that. There is no sway at all. It is rock stable. Do you have any opinion on the factory sway control that our trucks have?
 
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