What to look for in a WDH for a 2500RL?

[Calbar]

I use a Reese Straightline hitch. Nothing to disconnect when backing up, very quiet and works very well.

Rob

[SJMaye]

In addition to traditional trunnion/spring bar there are other alternatives. I use an Andersen 3350 and am very pleased with the results. My dealer knew about the Andersen, but did not carry them. The Andersen s not cheap, but I find the convenience and performance to be worth it.
With the Andersen, the ball turns in a sleeve with respect to the truck, it stays fixed in the trailer coupler. This means no grease is required, cleaner and easier to handle. It is light, well under 60 pounds in total. Adjusts with the socket they provide, although once your set up is known, using your trailer tongue jack you can finger adjust and then use the jack to apply equalization. Simple and fast with little or no effort required.
Basic set up is simple and similar to any WD hitch. Measure the distance from ground to fender, front and back for the truck as reference for how much WD is applied. For the trailer, measure the distance from frame, in front of axles and behind axles when trailer is level - that is measurement is the same. For my 2150RB, that is 22-1/2”, which is also the measurement from ground to top of the trailer coupler. Set the top of the ball on the truck at 24”, 1” to 1-1/2” higher than the top of the trailer coupler. The Andersen ball mount will allow about 6” of adjustment. Fine tuning is possible depending on load.
Once connected, the hitch is quiet and allows tight turning when backing into tight spots. Ratings are 1400/14000.

Skiddy,

You really have piqued my interest. Can you tell me how long you have had the Andersen and how it compares to any previous WDH you may have had?

[BeerBrewer]

Wow! Those Hensley's are pricey. So, what's the deal with the chains vs no chains thing? I looked at one use trailer and the owner was raving about his E2 hitch not having chains.

We (my wife and I) are also new RVers. We picked up our Transcend 26RLS (our first TT) in early May and had the dealer install our Hensley Arrow hitch (we bought it before hand). I agree the Hensley is expensive, but sometimes Hensley sells refurbished hitches at a reduced cost, that's what we purchased. Hensley buys back their hitches from people who either have given up RVing or moved up to 5th wheel or drive-able. You can get the arrow with either jacks or chains. These are used to pull up and put tension on the weight distribution bars. They both do the same thing, its a personal preference, but I went with the jacks, because they seemed easier. To increase tension on the weight distribution bars I put a wrench on the bolt on the top jack and turn it clockwise to increase the tension.

Our Transcend 26RLS has a similar layout to the 2500RL except that the 26RLS has pull-out sofa and in addition to the two recliners, but it's a couple feet longer. So far we've towed our trailer about 2000 miles and we have not experienced any sway at all, not even on very windy days. The hitch works just like they claim it does. While traveling 65 mph in the right lane on Rt 78 in Pennsylvania, I had someone cut in front of me as they exited the freeway from the middle lane. I had to swerve to the left onto the shoulder while slamming on the brakes and I never once lost control of trailer. It stayed directly behind the truck. Hensley customer service is excellent too. While towing the trailer home from the dealer I had a concern about the initial setup, so we called Hensley. They had us text them a few pics of the hitch and trailer to them. They called us back within seconds. They told us the setup was fine, but they thought that we needed to increase the tension on the weight distribution jacks. While on the phone, they walked me through it and we were on our way within 15 minutes. So far I very impressed with Hensley. So yes, I agree that Hensley hitches are expensive, but in my opinion they are worth every penny......every penny!

If you are considering this type of hitch, there is another company (ProPride) that has has a very similar design. Both the ProPride and the Hensley hitch were designed by the same guy (Jim Hensley). Apparently he started Hensley Manufacturing and for some reason he left the company, tweaked the design that ProPride now sells, unfortunately I don't know how or why all that transpired. All I know is that I was told that the ProPride is a newer version of the Hensley Arrow, but both are fantastic hitches. There are a lot of videos out there on the web that go over the Hensley and the Propride.

[Skiddy]

SJMaye - have had three WD hitches, Eas-Lift (curved spring bar) single axle trailer and Fastway (?) trunnion tandem axle Terry. Both these were stick and tin units. Hard to compare directly as this was all with different trailers and TVs. I’ve only had the Andersen a year since purchasing the Imagine 2150RB last July and only towed the Imagine with F150.
All provided good towing once you fine tuned the amount of equalization, dialled the combination in. One or two links of chain or cradle pin up or down for trunnions. Like the coach, you adapt to the equalizer, IMO.
Both my previous trailers had manual, crank until red in the face tongue jacks. Power jacks have been a game changer. The ability to couple, then lift the TV and trailer would make, i think, levering spring bars or trunnions much easier.
First report I heard about an Andersen was actually negative. Trailer was over 33 ft long and I think using a 1/2 ton that was at or over its payload limit. The issue was sway in moderate to heavy crosswinds.
The Andersen offered convenience and promised performance that were important to me. Checking the trucks display, total towing to date has been just over 4000Km, so still on the honeymoon, still satisfied.
As far as performance goes, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the WD hitches on the market. It comes down to ease of use and weight. The Andersen is light, and as I always remove the hitch from truck receiver when camped, easy to toss it into the stowage along with the actual tension chains. Good luck!

[riven1950]

We are using a Equalizer E2 10000 lb and it works fine. No sway.

[SJMaye]

We are using a Equalizer E2 10000 lb and it works fine. No sway.

Same one that will come with my new 2500RL.

[Pap and Mimi]

I will also recommend the Equalizer hitch, but not the 1,000/10,000 model. In '17 we purchased a FR camper with very similar specs to the 2500RL and it came with a 1,000/10,000 Equalizer. The camper pulled great on the way home when the camper was dry and completely empty. When we loaded all our stuff, I couldn't get the front front of the truck down where it was supposed to be, even with a very aggressive setting on the bars.
There seems to be a magic number of 13% tongue weight for a camper to pull well, so by multiplying this number by the published gross trailer weight you get the expected max tongue weight. The 2500RL shows 7495 gross weight x .13 is 974 tongue weight which is really close to the 1,000 rating.
All that to back up me saying to go with the 1,200/12,000 model so you aren't right at the upper limit of the hitch.

[Dreamin' Dreamers]

I initially went with a EQ 14/14k and was unhappy with the sway. Upgraded to a BLU Ox that more closely matched the max numbers on my TV, NOT the trailer. A different way of looking at it and I am pleased with the 2k/20k Blu Ox. Also moved some weight and tire pressures around an after last tow from Kerrville trip was drama free!

[Sail96]

I have a 2500 rl and had a 4 point equalizer 10 k installed. When driving at 55 and a semi passes me at 65 I don't even feel it. Very happy. TV is 2014 chevy express 2500 with 7200 tow capacity.

[Saldog]

I had the equalizer brand on our previous TT and on our current Reflection we have the Blue Ox, very pleased with it. Easy to use and adjust, quiet, and durably built.

The spring bars can be changed out with lighter or heavier bars and utilize the same hitch mount head should you have different trailers you pull. This type of design utilizes spring bars instead of friction on a L bracket for stability.

I found it easy to set up, the main thing is purchasing the correct spring bars for your trailer.

Some people will say you have to disconnect your WDH when backing, that is not the case since the hitch can't differentiate between forward or rear movement. What does occur when backing is the need to make tight turns which can interfere/ damage the WDH components or other items. Become familiar with your turning tolerances and you will be fine.

Hope you have smooth travels.