Learning WDHs weights and towing

**SC_2670tp** · 06-07-2022, 10:05 AM

New to the camping world this year, we bought an Imagine 2670 MK for our camper. Of course we bought the horse before the cart but confident in the Ford F150s capacities in it's configuration. When we bought the camper we included a WDH Blue Ox Sway Pro. Honestly I was sold on sway and not so much on weight distribution. So... After a trip of white knuckle driving (very windy) I've spent a number of hours on research on sway, weights, cargo and such and developed a spread sheet to amass my tow/camper info. Even took a trip to a CAT scale and that was interesting but I didn't have the hitch weight I wanted so I bought a hitch/tongue scale from etrailer. Now backing up a bit... the book hitch weight on a 2670 is 690 lbs and UVM is 6845 lbs (with ***s which GD does not describe). Our sticker UVM is 7302 lbs somewhat heavier and with cargo etc one would rightfully assume the hitch weight is heavier as well. My hitch weight was 925 lbs. Considering cargo, gas battery etc it seemed reasonable and about 12% of my calculated GVWR.

Back to the purchase of the camper, there was nothing in our paper work that described the WDH we bought but easy enough to research and I discovered I was sold spring bars w/ the bars rated for 750 lbs. Hmmm, I called Blue Ox and talked to a knowledgeable woman who said "yep you have the wrong equipment, you need the 1000 lbs bars." I called the dealer and they switched out the bars for me no problem. They could not however tell me why they picked those bars over the stouter ones. I would have thought math and knowledge would have dictated their decision. Next trip out (this week) I'll see how they ride.

No question here but happy for comments. At the end of the day for me, research, data and discovery gives me peace of mind.

**FlyStar** · 06-07-2022, 10:27 AM

What I have learned in doing this for years is that the truck’s cargo capacity is very often the limiting factor in towing. This capacity should be on a sticker on the drivers side door frame.

So. Along with all the other weights to manage, Add up the tongue weight, people weight and gear in your truck and keep that number below the max cargo.

You probably already know this stuff. But. Thought I would mention this learning that I had a long while back.

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**uwskier** · 06-07-2022, 10:36 AM

There's no shortage of complexity with these setups to be sure.

**goducks14** · 06-07-2022, 10:43 AM

How are you setting up the WDH?
Are measuring the front of the truck and returning it to Fords recommendations?
JMHO but being a Blue Ox owner I feel it is somewhat lacking in sway control.
The Equalizer is a better sway control hitch. It's more money, messier and noisier but it works better. I currently use a BO and wish I'd dropped the extra $$$ for the EQ. I used and EQ in the past and didn't like the noise and mess so I opted for the BO this time around. Big mistake. I think lots of dealers use the BO because it's super simple to set up.
No washers or other head adjustments needed so less time spent buy techs which is less money spent by the dealer.

You don't give us any details about your F150 like WB, payload, etc.
Not all F150's are equal.
IMO the 2760 is too much for most 1/2 ton trucks. Guessing you're close to 7800-8,000lbs loaded and at 32' OAL thats a load for most all 1/2 tons.
I highly doubt you'll get things under control with your combo and the BO WDH. Too much TT for that truck.

**SC_2670tp** · 06-07-2022, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by FlyStar

What I have learned in doing this for years is that the truck’s cargo capacity is very often the limiting factor in towing. This capacity should be on a sticker on the drivers side door frame.

So. Along with all the other weights to manage, Add up the tongue weight, people weight and gear in your truck and keep that number below the max cargo.

You probably already know this stuff. But. Thought I would mention this learning that I had a long while back.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep good stuff. I'm all about weight and according to my wife a bit anal about it but I don't want to be "that guy". I saw a facebook forum recently from a guy asking about his capacities and one response he got was 'quit asking for the information and do the homework yourself' Sage advice.

**SC_2670tp** · 06-07-2022, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by goducks14

How are you setting up the WDH?
Are measuring the front of the truck and returning it to Fords recommendations?
JMHO but being a Blue Ox owner I feel it is somewhat lacking in sway control.
The Equalizer is a better sway control hitch. It's more money, messier and noisier but it works better. I currently use a BO and wish I'd dropped the extra $$$ for the EQ. I used and EQ in the past and didn't like the noise and mess so I opted for the BO this time around. Big mistake. I think lots of dealers use the BO because it's super simple to set up.
No washers or other head adjustments needed so less time spent buy techs which is less money spent by the dealer.

You don't give us any details about your F150 like WB, payload, etc.
Not all F150's are equal.
IMO the 2760 is too much for most 1/2 ton trucks. Guessing you're close to 7800-8,000lbs loaded and at 32' OAL thats a load for most all 1/2 tons.
I highly doubt you'll get things under control with your combo and the BO WDH. Too much TT for that truck.

I thought about investing is another WDH but opted for type E tires for the 150 instead. Not a replacement but it came with standard load tires.

21 f150 xlt 3.5 turbos. Your are correct not all 150s are the same. Mine goes like this.

Curb Wt 5221
GVWR 7050
GCVWR 19400
Payload 1829
Towing Capacity 13900

So I feel good about what I have though I read and have heard other opinions on F150s or the standard response ' should have got a diesel".

**TerryH** · 06-07-2022, 11:44 AM

Unfortunately there are very few dealers that understand anything about correctly sizing and setting up a WDH. Seems crazy to even say that but it is an unfortunate truth. Good on you for doing what's necessary to figure this out on your own.

All the manufacturers publish dry weights only. The should have been a build sheet in your owner's packet that gives to all the dry weights for your particular trailer.

You really need 3 trips thru the Cat scale to learn what you need to know. One trip with the truck and trailer ready to camp with the WDH engaged. One trip with truck and trailer with the WDH hitch disengaged. And one final trip with just the truck. Once you have that information you can verify that you have the correct bars for your trailer. You will also be able to see exactly how much weight has been transferred back to the front axle of your truck by the hitch so you know if you have it set correctly or not. The most important thing you will learn is if you are within the rated capacities of your truck.

I much prefer the Weigh Safe True Tow to the Blue Ox but both should work once setup correctly. The Weigh Safe is fully adjustable on the fly and has a phone app that will tell you exactly how much distributed weight you need to pull well once you enter the measurements and weights of your truck and trailer into the settings.

Here's a video form our channel showing how the WS works and how it's setup on our very heavy Momentum 31G. The video also shows how different loading conditions affect the tongue weight.

**uwskier** · 06-07-2022, 11:57 AM

There's a used ProPride for sale on this site. I'd urge you to give serious consideration to spending the $ to make that yours. From one half ton owner to another, it's the only thing that's going to reduce your white knuckle experience, but even with that, it won't be zero if you get into high winds. That's a lot of trailer for a half ton wheelbase to manage. I just returned from a 900 mile round trip through mountains and high winds with my setup, which is shorter and lighter than yours. Even with the ProPride, LR-E tires, Roadmaster Active Suspension, and being under my payload limit, in those winds, I was sawing at the wheel like a NASCAR driver who needed new rubber 10 laps ago. I was never on the verge of losing control thanks to the ProPride, but it was several hundred miles of "active" driving. I likely would have had to stop and wait out the wind (it blew for 3 days) if not for the $$$ hitch.

**goducks14** · 06-07-2022, 12:31 PM

Just a hunch here but I believe part of the problem with F150's is that Ford went to all aluminum bodies and that reduced the vehicle weight. A lighter tow vehicle is always going to struggle towing a heavy TT. Towing a 32'-8,000lb TT is a lot different than towing a 32' flatbed trailer with weight 8,000lbs with a low profile load on it.

**Tawarwick** · 06-07-2022, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by SC_2670tp

I thought about investing is another WDH but opted for type E tires for the 150 instead. Not a replacement but it came with standard load tires.

21 f150 xlt 3.5 turbos. Your are correct not all 150s are the same. Mine goes like this.

Curb Wt5221
GVWR7050
GCVWR19400
Payload1829
Towing Capacity 13900

So I feel good about what I have though I read and have heard other opinions on F150s or the standard response ' should have got a diesel".

Have a similar set up. Dealership had Blue Ox Sway Pro. We went with that but asked for the 1400lb version. Didn’t check that they gave us that since we were in a two hour orientation of the trailer, lots of things to learn.
The ride to our first camping destination from the dealership was not great. Investigated a little and saw they put on the 1000lb one. We have the 2970RL so that was not big enough WDH for what we needed.
Camper is back at the dealership getting a few things done. We told them we are returning the Blue Ox because even if we go up a size from what I now have researched it may not work well with the F150. So I’m waiting on a weigh safe WDH we just ordered. Hoping that WDH will work for us. If not I guess we’d have to go to the ProPride.

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