Towing with the 5.3 V8

bdbake01 · February 19, 2014

No offense to stepdad, but physics doesn't lie, and the physics favors the WD. Keep the bags. You'll appreciate them with a heavy load in the bed.

Jon A · February 20, 2014

I can see how WD would be a poor choice in rough terrain. For example pulling a load of horses into the mountains to a trailhead. For a travel trailer that'll always be used on pavement they're certainly a good idea.

scz71864 · February 20, 2014

do your research if your information in conflicting. Form an opinion on your own and go from there based of what you learn

mjw930 · February 20, 2014

I pull a 16' V-Nose trailer set up to haul our bikes. It's right around 20' long nose to tail, comes in around 5000# loaded with 800 lb tongue weight (tried to move bikes more to the rear but it is what it is). I use a Reese WD 10000/800 with integrated sway control and used it when I was towing with a 2011 Jeep GC and a 2012 Jeet SRT8. Both pulled it fine and the WD hitch made it a piece of cake.

I've only pulled it once with the Silverado (5.3 w/3.42 rear) and I actually reduced the amount of preload on the WD by one setting. I get 1.25" drop in the rear, front stays where it was. Without the WD it was a 2.25" drop in the rear and a .75 rise in the front. It pulls like a dream. With the shorter wheelbase Jeeps anything over 70 was tough if there was any cross winds. With the truck I looked down and was doing 80 and didn't even realize it.

The 2014 5.3 / 3.42 pulls this amount of weight and length perfectly, I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

BTW, I went with a Teconsha P2 controller with their cable since the truck wasn't ordered with the built in (bought off the lot). So far it works great so I ended up saving $150.

Edited February 20, 2014 by mjw930

cmpcpro · February 20, 2014

No offense to stepdad, but physics doesn't lie, and the physics favors the WD. Keep the bags. You'll appreciate them with a heavy load in the bed.

I understand, I am just curious, because he is usually the type that doesn't worry about things like I do. For example: Years ago when I was little he got his big motorhome stuck, so he took his desert race truck off the trailer, and pulled it out, and the front tire of the RV came off the ground! I would have been horrified that something got bent, broke, etc, and he just thought it was funny, saying "These things usually don't twist up very well"..

Do these hitches put alot of stress on the frames? Has anyone had a frame crack or bend? I think the main reason he didn't like them is becaues he is usually towing his trailers off road, to beaches, dunes, Glamis, etc. and he said they don't twist very well.. But he did mention they put alot of stress on the frame of the truck and trailer.. Again, trust me, he's not one to worry about minor things.. that's what throws me off..

No offense to stepdad, but physics doesn't lie, and the physics favors the WD. Keep the bags. You'll appreciate them with a heavy load in the bed.

I understand, I am just curious, because he is usually the type that doesn't worry about things like I do. For example: Years ago when I was little he got his big motorhome stuck, so he took his desert race truck off the trailer, and pulled it out, and the front tire of the RV came off the ground! I would have been horrified that something got bent, broke, etc, and he just thought it was funny, saying "These things usually don't twist up very well"..

Do these hitches put alot of stress on the frames? Has anyone had a frame crack or bend? I think the main reason he didn't like them is becaues he is usually towing his trailers off road, to beaches, dunes, Glamis, etc. and he said they don't twist very well.. But he did mention they put alot of stress on the frame of the truck and trailer.. Again, trust me, he's not one to worry about minor things.. that's what throws me off..

mjw930 · February 20, 2014

I understand, I am just curious, because he is usually the type that doesn't worry about things like I do. For example: Years ago when I was little he got his big motorhome stuck, so he took his desert race truck off the trailer, and pulled it out, and the front tire of the RV came off the ground! I would have been horrified that something got bent, broke, etc, and he just thought it was funny, saying "These things usually don't twist up very well"..

Do these hitches put alot of stress on the frames? Has anyone had a frame crack or bend? I think the main reason he didn't like them is becaues he is usually towing his trailers off road, to beaches, dunes, Glamis, etc. and he said they don't twist very well.. But he did mention they put alot of stress on the frame of the truck and trailer.. Again, trust me, he's not one to worry about minor things.. that's what throws me off..

I understand, I am just curious, because he is usually the type that doesn't worry about things like I do. For example: Years ago when I was little he got his big motorhome stuck, so he took his desert race truck off the trailer, and pulled it out, and the front tire of the RV came off the ground! I would have been horrified that something got bent, broke, etc, and he just thought it was funny, saying "These things usually don't twist up very well"..

Do these hitches put alot of stress on the frames? Has anyone had a frame crack or bend? I think the main reason he didn't like them is becaues he is usually towing his trailers off road, to beaches, dunes, Glamis, etc. and he said they don't twist very well.. But he did mention they put alot of stress on the frame of the truck and trailer.. Again, trust me, he's not one to worry about minor things.. that's what throws me off..

Yes, the put some stress on the frame but they remove stress from other parts. The best thing to take into account is GM specifies WD hitches with anything over 500 lbs tongue weight and all the SAE specs for hitches also provide a rating with and without WD, the top number is ONLY with WD.

This is proven technology with millions and millions of miles under it's belt, don't let some shade tree mechanic's somewhat limited knowledge of vehicle dynamics trump real world enginerring, do the WD hitch.

benitslu · February 20, 2014

Check the laws in your state, it may be a requirement. The hitch will help with steering and braking.

bdbake01 · February 20, 2014

I understand, I am just curious, because he is usually the type that doesn't worry about things like I do. For example: Years ago when I was little he got his big motorhome stuck, so he took his desert race truck off the trailer, and pulled it out, and the front tire of the RV came off the ground! I would have been horrified that something got bent, broke, etc, and he just thought it was funny, saying "These things usually don't twist up very well"..

Do these hitches put alot of stress on the frames? Has anyone had a frame crack or bend? I think the main reason he didn't like them is becaues he is usually towing his trailers off road, to beaches, dunes, Glamis, etc. and he said they don't twist very well.. But he did mention they put alot of stress on the frame of the truck and trailer.. Again, trust me, he's not one to worry about minor things.. that's what throws me off..

I understand, I am just curious, because he is usually the type that doesn't worry about things like I do. For example: Years ago when I was little he got his big motorhome stuck, so he took his desert race truck off the trailer, and pulled it out, and the front tire of the RV came off the ground! I would have been horrified that something got bent, broke, etc, and he just thought it was funny, saying "These things usually don't twist up very well"..

Do these hitches put alot of stress on the frames? Has anyone had a frame crack or bend? I think the main reason he didn't like them is becaues he is usually towing his trailers off road, to beaches, dunes, Glamis, etc. and he said they don't twist very well.. But he did mention they put alot of stress on the frame of the truck and trailer.. Again, trust me, he's not one to worry about minor things.. that's what throws me off..

I don't know stepdad, so please don't take what I say personally, but his tendancy to "not worry about minor things" kinda explains it all there doesn't it? If he worried, he'd think it through, and choose the WD. Does it add more stress to the frame? Well yes and no. In reality what it does is exactly what it sounds like it does. It takes stress from one location and distributes it to others. In this case, it takes weight from BEHIND the rear axle and puts it in FRONT of the rear axle allowing both the rear and front axles to carry the tongue weight. This is critically important here. Without a WD hitch, more weight on the ball, and therefore behind the rear axle, just loads the rear and UNLOADS or takes weight off the front. The rear axle then becomes a pivot point. Adding airbags only reinforces the rear suspension but does absolutely NOTHING to alleviate the lifting of the front end. A WD hitch actually moves this weight to the front reducing stress on the rear end, reducing lift on the front, and distributing the stress across the entire vehicle. Also with the bags, you run the risk of overloading the rear tires, wheels, bearings, etc. whereas the WD takes weight off of the rear, actually removing weight from the rear and putting it on the front of the truck and the rear of the trailer. Essentially instead of bad things happening to both of the truck axles and all of the trailer axles, the same thing (action/reaction) is happening to all of the axles in the train. What part of that sounds bad?

What's more, hit a bump/dip/etc., and the hitch dynamically moves the weight across the entire train (truck front/back, trailer, etc.) and doesn't result in one particular area such as the truck rear or trailer front receiving any more weight than it was either designed to carry or comfortably able to handle.

bdbake01 · February 20, 2014

Also, as far as flexibility, even a $200 Harbor Freight WD hitch has all the same flexibility as just a ball. You will probably lose a couple of inches of ground clearance right around the hitch area, but that's never been any issue for me. Something else always hits way before that.

cmpcpro · February 20, 2014

Okay guys, what would be a good one to buy? Seems to be alot of them, also as I already have the airbags how do I set the WD up with the bags?

Also if you guys are bored and want to see what my stepdad does, Yahoo youtube or google: four x doctor

Edited February 20, 2014 by cmpcpro

bdbake01 · February 20, 2014

It's kinda hard to go wrong. Yeah, there are cool tricks here and there, but they honestly all do essentially the same thing. The cam types seem rather sophisticated, and they kinda are, but I'm unconvinced that they are worth the extra cash. The Equalizer is, in my honest opinion, the slickest setup for a reasonable price. It also saves you some ground clearance. Simple, effective, compact. I have one, and it's hands down the best money I've ever spent on the 'rig, and I've ran several hitches over the years. Now, I will warn you that occasionally it can make some odd pops and squeaks. These are TOTALLY harmless and nothing to worry about. That said, if you're trying to sneak into a camping site late at night without bothering the other patrons, it might be cause for some embarassment from time to time. I have the anti-squeak pads and it doesn't make a sound. But, I've heard others complain about their setup making noise. I dunno. I kinda think they all make noise to a certain extent. Lots of metal and forces involved.

As for proper setup w/ the bags, that's a tough one. Really, the WD completely elimnates the need for the bags and I don't think they will serve any purpose. IF you can't get enough lift from the bars on the hitch, then I'd inflate the bags to compensate a bit. But if you end up doing this, it doesn't mean you needed the bags, it only means that you didn't get a hitch with the correct weight range. But the bags would be better than sagging down the road in this case. This isn't something I encourage mind you. Know how much weight you are going to pull before you get the hitch.

The bags are only useful when you have no trailer attached and you are hauling a heavy load in the bed. And even then, it can be a bad idea. If your truck is rated for 2,000lbs in the bed, and you add some big 'ol bags, well yeah you can put 6,000lbs in the bed and bag it up until it's nice and level. But you still have 3x the amount of weight in the truck that the engine, trans, axle, tires, bearings, BRAKES, etc. are rated to handle!!!! This is false sense of security and an accident waiting to happen.

Simply having the bags isn't a bad thing, but I would encourage you to take some time to understand the limits of your equipment and comtemplate the potential impacts of attempting to augment the original suspension system.

benitslu · February 20, 2014

I have a leveling kit, so the bags are nice. Without the leveling kit I would sit level, without bags, loaded down with my WD hitch.

I have almost 900lb hitch wt.

2017HD · February 20, 2014

I have been towing TTs of various sizes with different vehicles since 1983 always with a Weight Distribution hitch. My current TT is a 24' that weighs just under 6000 lbs loaded. My first TV for this TT was a 99 Tahoe - once I got the right spring bars, my EZ Lift hitch (a brand of weight distribution hitch that does not include sway control) rode fine - the Tahoe just lacked oomph to move it over the road with ease. My current tow vehicle is an 07 2500HD 6L 6spd 4.11 gears - it moves the TT with ease. I still use the WD Hitch and have had no problems.

Someone already mentioned the fact that a WD hitch is a dynamic system that will flex with bumps is quite right - as for making noise yes they do - esp the ones like the reese and equalizer brands that have a built in friction sway control.

The only problem I see with WD Hitches is in getting them set up properly - I have seen "experts" get them wrong - if you see the ends of the bars touching the trailer frame or the truck and trailer are not level there is something wrong with the set up. Ideally the truck trailer and spring bars should all be level - you get there by some calculations and trial and error - actually a mix of ball height and head angle - however once set you don't need to make any changes. The problem I see with airbags is that you can get a superman complex and overload the truck and not know it until it is too late.

benitslu · February 20, 2014

I have been towing TTs of various sizes with different vehicles since 1983 always with a Weight Distribution hitch. My current TT is a 24' that weighs just under 6000 lbs loaded. My first TV for this TT was a 99 Tahoe - once I got the right spring bars, my EZ Lift hitch (a brand of weight distribution hitch that does not include sway control) rode fine - the Tahoe just lacked oomph to move it over the road with ease. My current tow vehicle is an 07 2500HD 6L 6spd 4.11 gears - it moves the TT with ease. I still use the WD Hitch and have had no problems.Someone already mentioned the fact that a WD hitch is a dynamic system that will flex with bumps is quite right - as for making noise yes they do - esp the ones like the reese and equalizer brands that have a built in friction sway control.The only problem I see with WD Hitches is in getting them set up properly - I have seen "experts" get them wrong - if you see the ends of the bars touching the trailer frame or the truck and trailer are not level there is something wrong with the set up. Ideally the truck trailer and spring bars should all be level - you get there by some calculations and trial and error - actually a mix of ball height and head angle - however once set you don't need to make any changes. The problem I see with airbags is that you can get a superman complex and overload the truck and not know it until it is too late.

My bars attach to my trailer frame using chains. Is there a limit to how tight I make the bars? I know not to have them hit the trailer frame. My trailer is slightly pointed down in the front and I have 4 chain links left to use.

bdbake01 · February 20, 2014

Your bars should always, always be parallel to the trailer frame. There should be a few shims in the head assembly which are used to set the head angle/hitch pre-load. This is where you make the adjustment. If your trailer is pointed down, you probably need another washer/shim.