Let's talk hitches

TrickTruck

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I've been pulling this albatross for about a year now. We've put about 5,000miles on it, the other 7months I've had it it's been in the shop with a laundry list of problems - mostly sorted out. Forest River quality control gets a D- in my book. But wifey and I like it most of the time (when it's not in the shop).
truckandtrailerLarge.jpg

Went with the Reese Straightline 17,000lb with the 1,700lb load leveling and anti sway feature. Not a friction system, they are cams in the leveling bars and seem to do the job fairly well once you get the silly things adjusted.
Truck is a short bed quad in my sig, trailer is a Work&Play w/ 8000lb axles G rated ST tires and it a ton of hitch weight. According to the CAT scales, when it's empty w/o the leveling bars it's putting 2500lbs on the hitch. Loaded with a couple toys it's much better, but still, one heavy trailer. We've grossed out at 25klbs several times. Truck is 8500lbs empty and full of fuel. That puts the trailer in the 16,500 range.
Box length is 34' and we can add a few feet for the aerodynamic nose and the hitch. Call it 40' tip to tail.

I've fiddle farted around with this hitch for a year now and IMHO it's as adjusted as it's going to get. Far, far better than it was when I left the factory when professionals did it and the darn thing was whipping me all over the road. Talk about white knuckle driving all the way back from Indiana!

Truck is now also sporting a set of airlift airbags which seem happiest right around 70psi.

I'm well aware that the speed rating on tires is 65mph so I've dropped back to a max speed of 70. Still, moving pretty fast.

Just got back from the outer banks and a 1000mi trip and I'll tell ya, it was one of the best tows this trailer has made yet. Virtually no wind and like I said above, I believe I've gotten all I can from this hitch.

It still sucks. No white knuckler, but passing semis (or getting passed) is done with both hands on the wheel and I am paying full attention in those moments when the semi sucks me in. Letting wifey drive it is out of the question. Going thru humps and bumps of I95, the bridges over the sound and all the other obstacles can be quite hairy.

It was 8hours each way of high stress, on your toes driving.

Yes, I know the tires on the truck are not suited for heavy towing by their specs, but I've put BFGs on there which are and the thing is a boat. The stock Michelin tires sucked azz, IMHO the Nittos when kept in their weight range are just fine. Maybe a little squishy but they are not the problem. The short sidewall of the 22s works well.

I do want traction bars as I feel that'll help keep the rear axle better planted.

Also would like to do a set of helwig sway bars front and rear.

IMHO the traction and sways will make the truck as rigid as possible.

But, I'm leaning towards ditching the Reese and going with either the Hensley or the 3p. But both of them max out at 14,000lbs and I'm a good bit over that. Do they make a 17k hitch and it's just not on their site?

So, what to do? All advise is welcome, I don't guarantee I'll take it, but I will certainly listen.
 
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rosspulliam

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Blue Ox has a 2000 lb hitch system. Not quite to your 2500, but close. I don't have one, but I've read good things about it.

http://blueox.com/trailer-towing/swaypro/

One hitch I do have experience with is the Pullrite. I honestly don't even know if they still make it. My dad put one on his E-150 conversion van when he and Mom first got their travel trailer. That thing is an absolute beast of a hitch. The only thing you have to get used to is because it moves the pivot point forward you're basically pulling a 43' fifth wheel instead of a 40' travel trailer. My dad had a 29' trailer and had no problems. The travel trailer will swing an inside track like a fifth wheel using this hitch. Again no 2500 hitch weight though, just 2k/20k on the rating. But I know for a fact this hitch is the real deal if they still make them.

http://www.pullrite.com/products/pullrite-worry-free-travel-trailer-towing
 

dsmracing1

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I had a Reese and ditched it for the Blue OX Sway pro. Big difference and now I don't even feel the trailer back there it's so smooth... 32ft toy hauler, only about 12000 loaded though...
 

TrickTruck

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I don't see how the blue ox is an improvement over the Reese straightline. It looks worse to me. The Reese has cams on the leveling bars that mechanically lock in place when the truck is straight and unlocks for a turn.

I can't find anything on pullrite's site other than an extension bar pad space. That would seem to make the problem worse, not better.
 

HeavyAssault

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I'd be looking hard at the ProPride, but didn't see the weight rating on their site. Is that rating what they quoted you??
 

TrickTruck

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Had a long convo w/ them, he's taken my trailer specs and is looking into a few things.

The load leveling on the p3 is rated at 1400lbs w/ 14,000 trailer weight.
 

TrickTruck

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I had that opportunity when I bought it.

I run w/ a cap, so every time I hook up I'd have to take the cap off.
The hitch I'd buy is 300lbs. That is a LOT of weight for someone to pick up. Even with 2 big men, wrestling that into the back of the truck every time...not happening.
5ers are a lot more money than I paid for this tag trailer.
5ers put more weight on the truck, I'm a SRW w/ 3300lb tires. The 5ers push me deeper into the tire rating.

Just had a long conversation with Terry at Hensley. I think the SwiftArrow is for me. $2245 delivered.

Anyone wanna buy a Reese Straightline?
 

mikeeg02

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With that much weight and that much trailer. DRW is your friend. I have a lighter 30' camper, no fancy hitch, and you can hardly tell when a truck comes up on you. I mean you just can't. If you're spending 3k on a hitch, why not go with a DRW kit for trips? You'd never believe it until you used it. Go borrow someone's and take a test pull. Between that and the hitch you have you can't go wrong, until you go 5 er/ gn. Until then I fear you're fighting a losing battle.

Pulling heavy weight with DRW is a night and day difference.
 

My09Ride

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Dually will help a lot, but with the tow behind hitch you are going to get pushed around by the wind and other large cars passing. It is the nature of the beast.
I run a 5er and a CGVW of over 22K lbs., F-250, single 20's The large cars are not an issue, but even running a large car at 80K lbs. you will feel a little push from another large car. A lot of the situation is in the drivers hands. What is coming, what is the road like, how is the weather effecting me. I have driven both the large car at 80K, my F-150 with and 30 ft. 8K trailer, 09 F-250 with the trailer, and the 09 F-250 with the 38 ft. 5er. None are as easy as the Large Car at 80K. Not trying to be a smart butt, but it is up to us as drivers.
 

valvetick

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Trade in for a 5ver/GN......you'll never go back to a tag.

Billy T.
[email protected]


Best advice on this topic! Just got back from a trip last weekend with strong side winds and head winds the whole way my gooseneck never swayed while I watched several bumper pulls swinging back and forth all over the road as I passed them.


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dmd

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I have a Hensley and feels like the truck and trailer are welded together going down the road. No sway or pushing. Usually travel around 70mph so it really helps when driving 1000 miles in a day to have a stable ride. As good a ride as a 5er without the weight and I have my truck bed back now.


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Arconalloy

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Im running the blue ox, just got it and im about to put it through its 4th haul. Its better than anything else so far without busting the hensley cash. Everytime ive hooked up ive made a little different adjustments to it only making it worse once by playing with my bag pressure. But as agreed with everyone on here with that much weight behind the axle i think it can only get so good
 

mikeeg02

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I hate to sound like I'm beating a horse here. But I've towed our john deer 250 anf 280 skid loader with SRW, and DRW, and the difference is night and day.

Then my 30' camper which is also bumper pull, only weighs about 6k, but it's also a 30' sail. Also towed it a shorter distance (~100 mile trip) SRW 6.0 excursion and 600+ mile trips with my DRW, again night and day difference. If you've already got a sway control or weight distribution hitch, but some wheels and tires for the rear axle and go for a drive. You cannot believe the difference. It's comparable from going from bumper pull to gooseneck. (Though a little less dramatic, but still very impressive)

There is only so much you can do without going to gooseneck or 5th wheel. But with a 40' overloaded trailer going passed GCVWR of the truck, I'd certainly start with adding wheels to the rear axle.
 

Dirtclod

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I've got a 35' tag a long @12k. The first time I pulled it,it was a nightmare. I have the load leveler chains and 1 sway bar pulling with 01 250 cc/sb. I was bout 3" too high at the tongue. I made an adjustable drop hitch plate and that made a difference. But it's still a handful at times(wind,heavy traffic) I'd much rather have a 5er,and drw over 30' from now on. This is my last pull behind.
 

AllGo'N'Show

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I have a BlueOx and didn't notice too much of a difference on a mediocre bumper pull except when I have weight behind the trailers axles then I notice it working a little better than without. The 5th's pull like a dream and I'll likely never go back, even looking at getting rid of my dump and single car bumper pulls for all 5th's
 

2006.1f250

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The torklift stuff is the only one I could find that is rated for the tongue weight you quoted!
 

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