Let's talk WDH for a moment

[Mavster Mechanic]

Let's talk about weight distribution hitches for a moment.

I have a trailer that puts ~350 to 375 lbs on my standard ball.

Something like this weighs a striking 87 lbs.

80 pounds more than my plain ball. Wow.

The "benefit" is advertised to put an additional 100 lbs to 200 lbs (adjustable) on the front axle of the truck.

But I'm adding 80 lbs to the rear.

It's a bar spring. Leaf spring concept, that ideally reduces rear end sag. I added air bags. I don't have much sag.

Not sure if this is for me.
I've towed similar trailers for more than 25 years.
Probably 40,000 miles towing them.
Never owned a WDH.

My only concern is sometimes I have front wheel slip on gravel.

comments?

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[Backin15]

The idea is to distribute the weight to both axels, too much weight on the back can reduce the weight on the front axel and potentially cause steering and braking issues.
I use one and highly recommend them, but go with one that also includes sway control, especially with a high profile trailer like yours. I use the Fastway E2, it is easy to set up and does a great job.
https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/Fastway/FA92-00-0600.html

 

[todd92]

Absolutely unnecessary for the trailer weight. Also not recommended for any unibody vehicle.

 

[Tbone289]

How spring force from a WDH can the Maverick unibody withstand? This is an unknown, and I don't think it's much of a factor on a body-on-frame chassis.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

I'm skeptical it's hurtful.

I'm also skeptical it is very helpful.
Maybe a little helpful.

I realize there's one good way to find out. But they are not cheap. Or light weight.

Wouldn't some lead bars on the front bumper do more and be less risky and less costly?

These come to mind. Probably ordinary steel.
About $100 for 100 lbs.

 

[Tbone289]

I have seen tears in unibody structures from the use of a WDH. However, these were chassis that were more than 10 years old and probably weren't as strong (from flexing, corrosion, etc.) as a new Maverick. I can tell you that WDH use will certainly increase FWD traction.

I think I would try combining the use of air bags to take up sag along with low tension on the WDH bars only to the point where you feel you have enough traction for your use cases.

 

[notfast]

In my opinion, a WDH is a supplement but shouldn't be a requirement. In other words, if your vehicle needs a WDH in order to get the tongue weight in check or if the manufacturer requires it to tow over a certain weight...I think you should consider a vehicle with a higher towing capacity.

WDH's reduce tongue weight but they also add a tremendous amount of leverage to both the trailer tongue and the trailer hitch on the tow vehicle. After reading numerous reports of broken trailer tongues, I disconnected my WDH if I knew the road ahead was especially bad (like concrete interstates that feel like washboard roads). And this was on an F-250 towing a 20' enclosed car hauler.

The WDH did make a noticeable difference in steering improvement but again, I was not afraid to tow in a standard weight-carrying format, and my F-250 was rated to tow the trailer that way.

 

[Tbone289]

In my opinion, a WDH is a supplement but shouldn't be a requirement.

That's how we've been approaching it in this conversation. He's towing without one now, so it's not required.

 

[Backin15]

In the manual for my Grand Cnerokee which is unibody, a weight distribution hitch is required over a certain tongue weight.

 

[Escapologist]

I'm skeptical it's hurtful.

I'm also skeptical it is very helpful.
Maybe a little helpful.

I realize there's one good way to find out. But they are not cheap. Or light weight.

Wouldn't some lead bars on the front bumper do more and be less risky and less costly?

These come to mind. Probably ordinary steel.
About $100 for 100 lbs.

If there was a decent brush bar, I'd be planning on strapping bikes and extra spare on the front.

 

[BillHanna]

I was pulling a 16 foot enclosed trailer with my Tundra. When the trailer was loaded heavy (7,000 lbs gross), the truck was quite unstable. After adding the WDH, the truck handled much better. But we're talking about a truck with a full frame, and much heavier load than a Maverick would be hauling.

 

[Blue316]

I have used a Reese WDH and definitely felt it to be a benefit while towing a 3500# trailer with the Maverick.

 

[MiMav]

I'm no expert on the subject but have put thought and research into it. My feeling is that if you keep the tongue weight within the 400 lb limit (assuming 4k tow package) and the tongue weight percent of trailer weight in the 10-15% range you will be OK. I agree that WDH will help with front wheel steering and braking but at the cost of adding an additional 80+ lbs to the hitch (even though it's redistributed through forces). Ford specifically states that WDH is not required with a 400 lb tongue limit. I have been towing a ~2900 lb loaded travel trailer with ~390 lb tongue weight for a few thousand miles and it handles well. I have also had some front wheel slip on gravel, but only when on an incline and starting from a stopped condition. The slip is temporary until the AWD kicks in. My trailer is slightly under 7' high and hasn't had any sway issues. Braking is quite good with the trailer brakes.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

If there was a decent brush bar, I'd be planning on strapping bikes and extra spare on the front.

 

[Escapologist]

I am circling back around in consideration of WDH, because of a weird-ish trailer I am considering. Weird-ish because it's a long bugger with lots of moment arm, and also when empty has a low tongue weight, like 250lb... which isn't quite 10%... Now we might say fine, just load it front heavy, but as far as can determine, the fresh tank is ahead of the axle and the black tank is behind...

This means that "dry" camping will tend to shift 200lb from in front to behind. Also a consideration is that peak season camping, I've seen it a few times that when everyone tries to dump and leave on a Sunday or holiday Monday, the site has the black dump back up, needing pumping, or mayhap they added more sites than they had leach field for or something. So you might have arrived with finely balanced weighting, but now you gotta leave 200lb out.

So pondering if WDH do anything for "strapping the weight down" when tongue is getting lighter than intended. They are supposed in the main to help with sway, which is your big concern with low tongue weight.

Only considering this problem because the trailer has a really nice layout for me, and is cheapish. Also because a lot of trailers have different problems, like dry weight is damn close to 400lb on the tongue and there's not seeming to be much room in the back to stash stuff. Or they only have a few hundred pounds CCC, like 300-500. Was one that seemed great, 2700lb, but then it had 3000lb axles, where the hell do you get those even? So if it's not one thing it's another.

So really, just pondering if WDH might be good to involve on this prospective unit, as easier solution than solving other problem matchups.

Though I just had an interesting thought, if stuck hauling black, maybe take spare off back of trailer, and off mav, and ratchet strap them in a "trailer tongue sandwich" to the tongue of the trailer. Though a bit of a pain in the ass.

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