New hitch and "over the limit towing" feedback

[Soon2BV]

I have two trailers i tow regularly. My boat has a 2" rise and the utility trailer has a 2" drop. I just bought two bars and balls and use the one i need. Since i don't leave it in, it's no big deal to get the right one installed. Each one is about $30.

[saidainc]

Fairly certain the new SAE J2807 Tundra tow rating of 9500 is a regular tow.... Just can't exceed the tongue or combined weight.

The previous 11k rating I know was with WDH and sway control bar, electric brakes.

WAIT WHA? Are we talking about the 5.7 liter CrewMax? The same one that towed the space shuttle at a gross weight 200k lbs?

[WheelerWake]

Not sure that's accurate Boz.

Using a weight distributing hitch... Still puts 100% of the weight on your OEM factory receiver, and only on your receiver... It just tilts the hitch up and forward using torsion bars to put some of the weight on the forward tires vs all of it on the back tires with a huge squat. None of this ever sense to me till I got into RVs about 5yrs ago.... And I towed 10k RV on this truck using a WDH and a Sway bar.

So no, your hitch receiver is fully capable of handling 11k in every way.... What you see in the disparity in your ratings is Ford saying that the SUSPENSION can not handle over 5k on the rear tires alone the way that particular truck is equipped.... Needs to be more evenly distributed to the front tires to exceed 5k.

I tested this once, while filling up at a truck stop I noticed a sign stating you get to weigh your rig twice when you pay to go across the scale (made for semi's). The scales give front axle, rear axle and trailer loads all in one reading. Did a reading with and without the equalizer bars (got out and just undid the chains). Sure enough, load came off the front and went to the rear axle. Don't remember the amounts, this was 15 years ago.

[roonedoggie]

I did not want to mess with it so I just installed a Class V hitches. I have older vehicles 1999/2000 F-250 / Expeditions. Maybe the newer ones are rated higher but would prefer to be safe. The class V is a beast.

[Brent Wall]

Ryan, Thanks for your posting on this. It prompted me to check the rating on all the components of my hitch. Sure enough, I've been towing a 7,000 lb trailer with a hitch ball rated at 6,000 lbs. I'm not one to "skirt the line" on things like this so I will be getting a new higher capacity ball before I tow again.

I can get a forged steel or "greaseless" ball rated at 8,000 lbs.

Does anyone have experience with a "greaseless" hitch ball? Do they work? Any safety concerns?

[UofM_MXZ]

I have had a greaseless and it worked fine. No issues at all. It is getting harder and harder yo find over 7k lb towing equipment that is for a class v hitch.

[nyryan2001]

I tested this once, while filling up at a truck stop I noticed a sign stating you get to weigh your rig twice when you pay to go across the scale (made for semi's). The scales give front axle, rear axle and trailer loads all in one reading. Did a reading with and without the equalizer bars (got out and just undid the chains). Sure enough, load came off the front and went to the rear axle. Don't remember the amounts, this was 15 years ago.

Yep, depending on how heavy gauge the torsion bars are.... How high up you initially set the Wdr and subsequently how hard you crank down the load chains with a pry bar that support the torsion bars.... You can achieve anywhere from a 70/30 rear/front distribution of that tongue weight all the way to 40/60 really pressing down on the front if you get real crazy with it. Generally you use a tape measure off the ground on level ground first time setting up to achieve an even drop rear/front.

If I had to guess on an 8500lb boat I have 700-1000lbs in tongue weight. That 200lbs of lead in the bow isn't helping any of this.

[shawndoggy]

you don't move the lead to over the wheels for trailering?

[3sport]

you don't move the lead to over the wheels for trailering?

Would like to know the answer to this, as considering burying 200lbs of lead under the floor in the bow of my vtx (already bought the lead), but am concerned about what it will do to my tongue weight. Don't want to have to move it before and after each tow. Would like to place and forget about it. Anything else towing related I should be worried about in doing this?

[wakesetter8796]

We have 300 in the bow of ours and the armada didn't notice it much. With a VTX you should be alright if you have a truck or tow vehicle that has a much higher tow capacity than the boat weight.

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[3sport]

We have 300 in the bow of ours and the armada didn't notice it much. With a VTX you should be alright if you have a truck or tow vehicle that has a much higher tow capacity than the boat weight.

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Thanks - not worried about the tow capacity so much as the payload or tongue weight capacity. Towing with a 2013 F150 ecoboost. Worried what the 200 in the bow will do to the tongue weight or behaviour of the boat on the trailer.

[shawndoggy]

yeah that's my concern too (200 in lead is on my 2014 wishlist). I've read that you should center it over the wheels to avoid bad boat behavior when towing?

[nyryan2001]

No, always left them put. With everything already going on with trailering, launching, etc never really messed with it. 50lb lead sacs are very heavy and hard to handle even in the nylon sacs... Req's an adult man. Not something you could delegate to your boys /wife or something..... That'd be 4 trips back and forth requiring your 100% attention. Not looking for that.

But FWIW, I was challenged at the ramp to curl them. Boys think they are for a strong man contest or something. So I did what any respectable TMC boater would do is I took my shirt off, left the Sperrys on, went up to the bow and knocked out 6 reps each side.

Edited December 29, 2013 by nyryan2001

[thtrog]

I have 200 pounds hidden in the bow, plus the 24 MXZ is bow heavy. The Firestone airbags are the best $300 I've spent, just 18 pounds levels the trailer and makes a huge difference. Just around an hour to install to install myself.

[thtrog]

Ryan, Thanks for your posting on this. It prompted me to check the rating on all the components of my hitch. Sure enough, I've been towing a 7,000 lb trailer with a hitch ball rated at 6,000 lbs. I'm not one to "skirt the line" on things like this so I will be getting a new higher capacity ball before I tow again.

I can get a forged steel or "greaseless" ball rated at 8,000 lbs.

Does anyone have experience with a "greaseless" hitch ball? Do they work? Any safety concerns?

Brent, I've been running a greaseless ball for 3 seasons and it has worked great. I did have someone else lower the tongue not quite centered and cut the nylon cover. Anderson quickly sent me out a replacement and a spare at no charge.

Edited December 29, 2013 by thtrog

[Bawshogg]

Gotta get me a greasless then. My 2 year old son thinks its fun to play with a greasy ball.

[nyryan2001]

I have 200 pounds hidden in the bow, plus the 24 MXZ is bow heavy. The Firestone airbags are the best $300 I've spent, just 18 pounds levels the trailer and makes a huge difference. Just around an hour to install to install myself.

Pops-

So you just air those up to 18 PSI and leave it like that all summer? how often do you adjust?

at 18PSI, any effect on your unloaded ride quality?

[thtrog]

Ryan, I just installed the airbags back in August and one of the reasons I did was to not hurt ride quality. I did deflate them a couple of times and really was not much difference in ride, so then just left them until after the season. You can go as far as an onboard compressor with gauges in the cab, but 2 or 3 pumps with a bicycle air pump is all that it takes. They come with separate air fittings for each side, but I t'd mine together not anticipating uneven loads. You're supposed to run a minimum of 5 pounds and max of 100, so there's a lot of range.

[dalt1]

I have bags on my Titan and have the compressor to adjust on the fly. Much nicer than manual adjust. I started out manual too.

[wakesetter8796]

We might get bags but we have the auto leveling suspension in our armada and the bow is still a little low, but we need a different hitch since we got larger wheels, but lower profile tires.

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