Boat Trailers and Weight Distributing Hitches

[kodiak]

NautiqueJeff do you know if Boatmate and or Phoenix trailers with electric brakes can use a weight distribution hitch? I have emailed boatmate twice and no reply's, I have heard so many different things, I remember reading something about them but that was a while ago thanks.

This is what's on boatmates website.

There are many vehicles being sold today that claim larger towing capacities, but require additional accessories to properly achieve that capacity. Many of these vehicles require a WDH to achieve these higher capacities. Boatmate Trailers does not advocate the use of WDH due to the adverse effects they can have on the surge brake systems found on most of our trailers. This does not mean they cannot be used, but there are several factors across our product line that make them difficult to manage. If your vehicle does require a WDH to manage the GVWR of your Boatmate Trailer then please contact a professional regarding the installation and setup of these systems.

[Stevemo14]

Weight Distribution Hitches should really only be used with electric brakes. When you setup a WDH you have to put the support bar brackets on the trailer, which then the support bars from the hitch connect to. When this is done, and the bars are tensioned to distribute the weight. A trailer with a surge system will not operate properly, since the support bars will greatly limit the travel that the surge tongue can move, hence not activating the brake cylinder.

I do not know what you are towing with, but in these size boats I don't think I have ever seen one with a WDH. WHD are designed to spread the tongue weight out evenly, not increase tow capacity. The newer trucks now, even 1/2 ton, have more than enough tow capacity for any Nautique. Unless you are heavily weighing down the nose of the boat while on the trailer, I do not see when you would even need one.

[kodiak]

I'm getting a 21 G23 in the spring and trying to determine what truck I need. I like the new F150 but the majority of the people I talk to say you should use a 3/4 ton. In the ford towing manual it says if your load is over 5000lbs your should use a weight distribution
hitch on the F150. If something where to go wrong I just want to be within specs for insurance purposes.

[Stevemo14]

Please feel free to correct me if i am wrong here ( I probably am ) but the WDH only decreases the overall tongue weight of what you are towing. So if your vehicle can tow 13,000 pounds conventional, they you can tow 13,000 pounds. The Idea of the WDH is that your tongue weight might be more at that higher tow weight. Like seeing a camper being pulled down the road and the tow vehicles rear bumper dragging the pavement.

I personally have a 2500 Denali Diesel so I worry less about this, plus my 05 SANTE is under 4,00 pounds, so worry even less. I do also have a 5th wheel I tow with it, and have installed air bags on the rear axle to help with the pin weight. those bags don't raise my towing capacity, but they do level out the truck with a larger load. Same as a WDH. If I were in your shoes, and wanted to go the 1/2 ton route, I would get one that the tow capacity is ample, and add air bags if you are worried about the tongue weight.

[shag]

You would likely need something like this, that uses Trunion bars. This would effectively allow the weight distributing 'bars' to slide somewhat so that braking is minimally or not affected.
https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...e/RP66560.html

What is said before about Max GVWR should still true though. If you are rated XXXXX, then you can not increase that number with a WDH. What you may do, is take more tongue weight and place it more on the front axle.

[kodiak]

I'm planning on getting electric over hydraulic brakes, and after seeing this video I'm confident the F150 can handle it.

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[Gtsum2]

Generally you don’t use wdh with boats as the tongue weight is light (in relation to overall trailer weight) and surge brakes and wdh don’t play nice. It isn’t the same as a travel trailer for instance.

That said, I have a 3500 diesel I tow my g23 with. If towing any distance or often, I’d recommend a 3/4 ton over the half ton every time, unless you use it twice a year - to load into the water and then at end of the season pulling it out of the water. The 150 can certainly tow it, but use the right tool for the job imo. Good luck


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[Nautiquehunter]

You are just kidding yourself if it doesn't have 8 lugs its just a car with a bed. You won't really know if you chose poorly until you are in a emergency situation. Then its too late.

[Tigerxj]

a couple of points. as others have mentioned, the WDH doesnt increase your tow capacity, only your ability to handle the tongue weight. Vehicles are rated both for max towing AND max tongue weight. Generally shooting for 10% of the total weight as tongue weight, it you have a 13000lb load, you would have a 1300lb tongue weight. that's where the WDH comes into play, but again not with surge brakes. When towing, you dont want to exceed the limits of BOTH capacities listed.

A point on the airbags. They will level the vehicle, but they dont distribute the tongue weight. in fact, they may actually increase it in some circumstances. There is some very interesting physics going on, but you can find some youtube videos done with the tow vehicle and the trailer on actual weight scales, and see how the different modifications impact the weight on each wheel. In the video i'm referencing, airing up the airbags actually increase the load on the rear axle, because the airbags are acting like a fulcrum for the lever of the back half of the truck. since it was lifting it higher with the bags, that translated to more weight on the rear end, and less on the front end. It was not a huge amount, but the point was explaining that airbags dont replace a WDH, they only help level.

[Tigerxj]

in reference to my post above about airbags vs weight distribution hitch. Not that the WDH is pertinent to boat trailers, but the airbags are. In this video, they showed that leveling with airbags may actually increase weight on the rear axle and unloaded the front axle relative to no airbags. So they may only be good for making your tow vehicle appear less squatted, but maybe not actually helping. It also unloaded the trailer axles in their specific setup. Obviously these numbers and effects might be changed depending on the wheelbase of the truck, trailer, and positioning of the load. Point is, airbags aren’t always the answer for every setup. What would have been interesting is if they had leveled the truck with the WDH engaged.

[srock]

If the information presented is correct, the trailer load is too far forward and skewing the results on the heavy side. The load should be over the axle with 10% of the total load on the hitch.

[Tigerxj]

If the information presented is correct, the trailer load is too far forward and skewing the results on the heavy side. The load should be over the axle with 10% of the total load on the hitch.

I don't disagree, which is why I mentioned you can only draw a few conclusions about this specific setup, but possibly extrapolate to personal experience. I'll admit I was surprised that leveling with the bags would have unloaded the front axle more. But to your point, ever truck, trailer, load, and distribution is different, and wheelbase will play a role as well.

[Stevemo14]

The reason the front axel would unload is you moved the height of the hitch ball when you added air to the air bags. Without the air bags, your hitch was, lets say, 5" off the pavement. When you added air to the air bags your hitch is now, lets say. 8" off the pavement. Get a bigger drop hitch to lower the tongue back to the original height, or level trailer height, and you will have equal weight on the axels, and you will not have the sag in the rear of the tow vehicle.

[kodiak]

You are just kidding yourself if it doesn't have 8 lugs its just a car with a bed. You won't really know if you chose poorly until you are in a emergency situation. Then its too late.

Yeah after really looking at everything I decided to get the Ram Laramie 2500 Diesel. I was worried about the ride quality but it drove nice, a little stiffer for sure but way better than I thought.

[Smindustries]

Good move on the diesel. I hope the Ram treats you well.