Serious Thoughts About Safe Towing - G-Series Nautiques

[xxrb2010]

Do not want to mess up with your joy about WDH but here is an answer I got from etrailer about a WDH for a boat trailer:

"Unfortunately, since your trailer has a fold-away, or swing-away, tongue, there is not a weight distribution system that will work for you. As you said, WD systems are not designed for use with these types of trailers.

When I spoke with my contact at Reese, our only manufacturer who makes a WD pole-tongue adapter, he confirmed that WD should not be used on trailers with fold-away tongues because of the stress that is put on the tongue's pivot.

The best solution I can offer to overcome your vehicle's rear-end sag is suspension enhancement."

Yes, the truck manufacturer specifies above 5000 you should use a WDH system. However, the way the boat trailers are design seem to be non compatible with WDH. I guess there is some issues about towing heavy boats such as G with the current trailer design.

If anyone has find a solution that is backed up by all parties involved, thanks to let me know.

[hondaprlud]

Do not want to mess up with your joy about WDH but here is an answer I got from etrailer about a WDH for a boat trailer:

"Unfortunately, since your trailer has a fold-away, or swing-away, tongue, there is not a weight distribution system that will work for you. As you said, WD systems are not designed for use with these types of trailers.

When I spoke with my contact at Reese, our only manufacturer who makes a WD pole-tongue adapter, he confirmed that WD should not be used on trailers with fold-away tongues because of the stress that is put on the tongue's pivot.

The best solution I can offer to overcome your vehicle's rear-end sag is suspension enhancement."

Yes, the truck manufacturer specifies above 5000 you should use a WDH system. However, the way the boat trailers are design seem to be non compatible with WDH. I guess there is some issues about towing heavy boats such as G with the current trailer design.

If anyone has find a solution that is backed up by all parties involved, thanks to let me know.

Interesting to know for sure. I wondered about the pivot point myself but since I'm not in that situation I didn't research it. Thanks!

[xxrb2010]

A mechanic at Ram Lin said to me that the tongue weight is heavy on such boats (450-500 Lbs) and they advice a F250 or F350 to pull or beef up the rear suspension on a F150, especially the new version of F150 for which Ford put very smooth rear suspensions for ride quality. Note that 500 lbs is exactly 10% of 5000 lbs, so I think the Manufacturer limit of 5000 lbs without a WDH is still ok with such a boat.

[Ryan CA]

has any body tried towing the G23 with a yukon denali?

[Tallredrider]

3. This 11,000 lbs. capacity is only valid when using a weight-distributing hitch.

4. Like many tow vehicles, the towing capacity of the 2005 Excursion without use of a weight distributing hitch is limited to 5,000 lbs.[/INDENT]I feel confident that the trailer itself, the axles, and the tires are within spec for the weight of my G23 as I normally load it (including the lead). The limiting factor appears to be the axles, at 9,090 lbs. capacity.

I am sorry to resurrect this thread, but it is always a good discussion on safe towing. I read in detail the 2015 ford document that you quoted here, since that is my year of truck. There is a little blurb on page 28 of the document for 2015 that states that the F150 towing capacity is also 5,000 pounds, and diesel truck F250 is 6,000 pounds. Then if you add a WDH you get 14,000 pounds with a diesel truck, and 12,200 with F150. It is really placed in an obscure location and that is after pages and pages of specs that state the higher towing capacities, and no mention whatsoever of the weight distribution hitch. I find it very misleading on Ford's part.

I repeat that several previous pages of towing specs do not mention the WDH clearly.

So I went and took a closer look at my hitch, and boom, there it is. Shame on Ford for publishing pages and pages of charts that state ratings that are super high, and then installing a hitch that is the weak link.

[Sailfun]

Something I will mention also that no one wants to consider. Every manufacturer that I am aware of rates their tow capacity with the smallest diameter tires available. If you option larger tires or add them yourself the towing capacity drops considerably.

[Cpan13]

Everyone just go buy a diesel dually and laugh at these puny over weighted SUVs struggling to pull and stop our excessively heavy wake barges!!!

[jjackkrash]

Duramax/Allison for the win.

[jjackkrash]

I use a WDH for the travel trailer, but use a standard 14K hitch to pull my 14k rated dump trailer.

[jjackkrash]

Man, your boats are heavy, it takes me almost 2.5 yards of crushed concrete to push me over 10k.

[Tallredrider]

Everyone just go buy a diesel dually and laugh at these puny over weighted SUVs struggling to pull and stop our excessively heavy wake barges!!!

Go look at the sticker on your hitch, it is still going to have less of a weight limit than your boat is. IIRC the dually was only 500 or 1000 pounds more. The DRW increases the capacity with a fifth wheel or the WDH, but not so much without. The weight limit is the hitch, not the truck. It burns me more than a little that Ford advertises 12,500 tow rating, but forgets to tell me that you need a WDH to be over 5K. I even have a 19,000 pound trailer tow rating if I use the 2.5 inch receiver. That is more than a Chevy, IIRC.

It wouldn't surprise me if the Duramax is the same way. Someone with a Chevy go take a picture of the sticker on your stock hitch, if there is one.

[jjackkrash]

2500HD is either 13k or 14.5k from a ball hitch depending on configuration.

http://www.gmc.com/trailering-towing/towing-charts.html

Edit: My understanding is 1500s require WDH for 7K loads or more; no WDH is required on the 2500HDs for the full 13k or 14.5k rating for the ball hitch.

[Tallredrider]

2500HD is either 13k or 14.5k from a ball hitch depending on configuration.

http://www.gmc.com/trailering-towing/towing-charts.html

Edit: My understanding is 1500s require WDH for 7K loads or more; no WDH is required on the 2500HDs for the full 13k or 14.5k rating for the ball hitch.

I breezed through that and it seems that it is exactly like the Ford pages...no mention of WDH anywhere. Ford finally puts it on page 28, after quoting 12-14K tow ratings much earlier in the document.

Can you point out which page mentions anything about a WDH in the GMC document, I could not find it? EDIT: Where is it says Trailer Weight Ratings in bold capital letters it then says those weights are for WDH. I think that applies to even the 2500 and 3500 charts because there is not any other bold letters until after all of the towing capacity charts. It would have been nice if this document had page numbers.

[Longhorn1186]

The older Fords (pre 2016) had the same weight distribution hitch note. I traded my older F250 in on a 2017 F350 with the 6.7. I will post a photo when I get home. The 2017 F350 SWD 6.7 is 18K weight carrying and 18K weight distributing. The limit for me is my hitch which with a 2 5/16th hitch is limited to a max GTW of 14500 and tongue weight of 1500. I am using the weight safe adjustable two sided hitch. (We love it by the way). It has a built in tongue weight meter on the hitch and have used it for a few commercial projects as well. So, with our full loaded G23 (500 lbs ballast, full tank of gas and est 300 pounds of other BS) the total tow package comes out to roughy 8,890lbs, well under both the conventional tow (18K) and hitch limits (14.5K) as well as tongue weight sitting at about 700 pounds. It tows like a champ and the engine has so much power.

https://www.ford.com/resources/ford/...U_r2_Sep29.pdf (2017 Super Duty Tow Info)

http://www.utvunderground.com/featur...tch-44441.html (Hitch we use..LOVE IT)

[Cpan13]

Go look at the sticker on your hitch, it is still going to have less of a weight limit than your boat is. IIRC the dually was only 500 or 1000 pounds more. The DRW increases the capacity with a fifth wheel or the WDH, but not so much without. The weight limit is the hitch, not the truck. It burns me more than a little that Ford advertises 12,500 tow rating, but forgets to tell me that you need a WDH to be over 5K. I even have a 19,000 pound trailer tow rating if I use the 2.5 inch receiver. That is more than a Chevy, IIRC.

It wouldn't surprise me if the Duramax is the same way. Someone with a Chevy go take a picture of the sticker on your stock hitch, if there is one.

Nope, I'm good up to 17,000 for weight carrying and WDH. Sorry about your Ford....