Hitch question

[TommyD]

Getting a White Hawk 23MRB. Empty wt 5600, tongue wt 510. Towing w/2016
F-150 3.5 V6. Tow limit 12,200
Some are suggesting a weight distributing hitch, others say all I need are airbags to assist the rear springs.
Wondering what all y'all think

[BroRobin]

WD hitch is always a good thing for a Half Ton PU unless you have a REAL LIGHT TT. Does what it name says Distributes weight to front of Tow Vehicle instead of keeping on rear axle.
My 2cents worth.

[rarobo]

A WD hitch is required for anything over 5000 lbs the equal-lizer 4 point hitch is a great one—-although heavy and noisy — it does a great job of stopping sway, when our new whitehawk 24MBH come in I’m going to use the Andersen w/d hitch, it weighs 60 lbs total, haven’t heard anything bad about it as long as you stay under 1100 lbs hitch weight on a half-ton

[Midnightmoon]

X2 on the Anderson. I have lots of towing miles on mine now. Great hitch.

[Bandit12]

Andersen is what I bought for my X23B. I haven't had a chance to get it out on the highway yet. We're taking our maiden trip this weekend, about 30 miles to a local lake.

[jimp]

Empty wgt of 5600 so find a WDH you like. I've got a Equalizer for my rig, but it tows very well IMO.

[Tinyhse]

Yup, these guys know their stuff.
Air Bags should not be used as a substitute for WD. There are some videos out there that demonstrate this exact issue.

Safe Travels!!

[Redwing]

I love my equalizer wd ! Wish I had got it sooner

[Vaquero]

Triple, or quadruple on equalizer.
I just finished a home stretch with New Mexico thunderstorms, dust storms, Albuquerque I-25 traffic.
Headwinds. Quartering winds from front and rear.
The previous hitch and sway bar would have left me parked.
The equalizer kept me on the road.
Only thing slowing us down was the headwinds.
That was only due to fuel economy.
I'd love to report a tailwind story.

[Mytwuk]

I just purchased a new 23mrb and I got the Anderson wdh and it works great but I am still going to add a set of timbren spring assist to help out more with the sag. I am towing with a 2015 F150 2.7 Ecoboost supercab 4x2. The truck does great but it has a soft rear suspension. I will report back after towing with the timbren next weekend.

[jlechmanik]

Originally Posted by rarobo

A WD hitch is required for anything over 5000 lbs the equal-lizer 4 point hitch is a great one—-although heavy and noisy — it does a great job of stopping sway, when our new whitehawk 24MBH come in I’m going to use the Andersen w/d hitch, it weighs 60 lbs total, haven’t heard anything bad about it as long as you stay under 1100 lbs hitch weight on a half-ton

X2 on this hitch. However mine is quiet. Lube the moving parts on the head and buy the plastic sleeves for the L brackets. Nice and quiet.....

[Murff]

I was a great advocate of the Andersen hitch and used it for three towing seasons on two trailers including the current White Hawk.

However, after going to a scale and weighing the rear axle, we realized that although the Andersen does a good job of making the trailer level and super sway control, it does a poor job of weigh distributuion. With our truck canopy and the items inside the truck (us!) and the stuff in the pickup bed, the rear axle was overloaded beyond the weight limit of the rear axle and the front axle a bit light.

Murff

[usmc616]

Originally Posted by Mytwuk

I just purchased a new 23mrb and I got the Anderson wdh and it works great but I am still going to add a set of timbren spring assist to help out more with the sag. I am towing with a 2015 F150 2.7 Ecoboost supercab 4x2. The truck does great but it has a soft rear suspension. I will report back after towing with the timbren next weekend.

I suggest looking into the Roadmaster Active Suspension. I installed one on my Excursion and really notice a big improvement on the soft rear suspension.

[nevermind]

Originally Posted by Mytwuk

I just purchased a new 23mrb and I got the Anderson wdh and it works great but I am still going to add a set of timbren spring assist to help out more with the sag. I am towing with a 2015 F150 2.7 Ecoboost supercab 4x2. The truck does great but it has a soft rear suspension. I will report back after towing with the timbren next weekend.

x2 on the timbren or supersprings/sumosprings. I tow a 24mbh with a f150 w/max tow pkg and the extra suspension help is, uh, well, helpful.



I use these:
https://www.supersprings.com/shop/ssr-108-40/

[smithmdsmith]

TommyD,

I've been right where you are. Your truck could tow that load with no sway control or weight distribution, but it wouldn't be fun. Airbags would make the whole thing look better, but probably not really help much when you look at the real reasons for weight distribution (WD) and sway control (SC).

You absolutely want a WD and SC hitch. I've had the ProPride ($$$) and Equal-i-zer ($$) brands. For your rig I would highly recommend the Equal-i-zer brand. Noise isn't a problem if you keep it lubed (really easy) and use the bracket jackets (plastic pieces that go on the brackets). I'd recommend a 1000/10000 rated hitch regardless of the brand you go with.

The WD/SC hitch will make your life on the road much easier on you, the driver. Air bags can help with the ride, but you'll need to reset your WD/SC hitch when you add the air bags.

Happy Camping!

Matt

[TWP723]

You need a WDH definitely. You'll be surprised what it'll do. Airbags are a great option. Put it this way, they won't hurt.

[TommyD]

I talked to my JAYCO Dealer Service Manager. Very smart & experienced lady She asked what truck I had. When I told her 2016 F-150 3.5, she asked if it had the "Active Sway Control" and I said it does. (I later confirmed that with Ford) She then told me that I should NOT get a WG Hitch. They have had problems with that combination. Seems the WB Hitch & Truck are constantly competing for how to control the trailer and the sway is much worse. They have been able to get the hitches adjusted to work with the Truck - but it's not easy And, per Ford, cant turn the Active Sway Control off. She suggested I hook up as it is and see if there's a problem but doesn't expect one.
I thanked her.
That also explains why the Skylark I've had the last 2 1/2 years started behaving so good after I upgraded to the F-150.

[Chet & Marie]

We pull q 2017 Jay feather model 23rlsw with approximate loaded weight of 6000 lbs. and 550 lbs. hitch weight with a 2014 Chev Silverado half ton V8 2wd and a Curt hitch and sway bars. we have no problems with it. We like our Curt Hitch as it sets the pick up down about 2" (level) when you cinch it up. Out of curiosity what does the W stand for? Nobody including Jayco seems to know?

[GrumpyDad]

Originally Posted by Tinyhse

Yup, these guys know their stuff.
Air Bags should not be used as a substitute for WD. There are some videos out there that demonstrate this exact issue.

Safe Travels!!

100% agree, air bags and weight distribution hitch have different primary purposes.

Your truck required WDH for anything over 500 lbs tongue weight OR 5000 lbs total weight. Get a good WDH, you shouldn't need the air bags.

[rarobo]

I hate to get off subject but I thought it worth saying, the sway control on the f150 has nothing to do with daily normal towing a w/d hitch is reqired by ford This feature only activates when the camera/computer sees a abnormal angle on the trailer in motion the computer will take over (stability control) to straighten the trailer... it has not happened to me but I talked to someone that it did