Need to Buy First Hitch

[SJBaily]

Just bought a 2014 Tundra. Tows up to 10,000 pounds. Going to rent a travel trailer before we buy. We will be in the 24 to 29 foot range. We don't have the hitch/ball/weight distribution/swaybar thing yet. Sorry about my lack of correct terminology-- I'm a newbie! Looking at a CURT on Amazon for $286 #17062 and #17022. 17022 Honestly, I cannot even tell the difference between the two except for about $4. Can someone tell me if this is good and in the price range for what we should be spending? Is this the Cadillac or the VW bug of hitches. And why is it $200 more on the CURT site?

Any info much appreciated. THANKS in advance.

 

[Germanrazor]

Okay…..what you need to know is the tongue weight of the travel trailer you will be towing to get an idea of a HWD setup. As to the so-called Cadillac of HWD, nope. You will spend about $1800+ for a subjective HWD that is best or purported by RV’ers.

I have a Recurve6 which works just fine for my setup. As I recall maybe $600 for the setup installed.

Also, once you get the TT tongue weight (actual) plus any weight you put in your truck subtract that from your trucks payload which is way more important to fall within.

It is not hard to get to these numbers, you just need to know them to calculate out if you are towing within the safe area with some budge room.

 

[Germanrazor]

Here is the one I purchased to give you an idea.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T36E3Q4/?tag=rvf01-20

Our TT is overall 31.7 feet, weighs dry around 6080 lbs. Tongue weight roughly 700 lbs as I recall or maybe 800. My payload on my truck is 3061 lbs.

 

[SJBaily]

So we can't buy the hitch until we buy the trailer, it sounds like. But we were just going to rent travel trailers to try until we're ready to buy, just a couple nights here and there. Don't people get a decent hitch so they can do that or do the rentals come with the hitch? Or maybe we just need a ball???

 

[SJBaily]

Thanks Germanrazor. So when you say installed, do you mean this isn't something we just hook on when we're ready to go? THanks. Sorry to be a newbie.

 

[Germanrazor]

So we can't buy the hitch until we buy the trailer, it sounds like. But we were just going to rent travel trailers to try until we're ready to buy, just a couple nights here and there. Don't people get a decent hitch so they can do that or do the rentals come with the hitch? Or maybe we just need a ball???

You can but the deal with a WDH setup is, it is setup specifically for your tow vehicle and trailer. Each truck will have different measurements that could affect the ability to do its job properly. Do people interchange all day long without going through the setup, yippers! But I would want mine to be specific to my trailer.

 

[Germanrazor]

Thanks Germanrazor. So when you say installed, do you mean this isn't something we just hook on when we're ready to go? THanks. Sorry to be a newbie.

I would highly suggest going to YouTube and just watching a generic WDH setup to see someone install one so you get the idea. Can you do it? Yes. If I were new to this I would get it done professionally or find someone you know has done it and knows what they are doing to assist you.

 

[SJBaily]

So anything we rent on Outdoorsy or RV Share will have it. Do we need the ball? I cannot find that answer. Or more than one size ball?

 

[SJBaily]

Germanrazor, yes, my gentleman is doing that, but we won't have a trailer of our own this year. Just rentals and the season is nearly over anyway.

 

[Germanrazor]

Here is a video on install of a WDH…..

 

[SJBaily]

Here is a video on install of a WDH…..

Perfect!! Thank you. Best wishes,
Sydney

 

[Fish]

The last 2 new travel trailers I bought the hitch was thrown in as part of the deal.

 

[SJBaily]

The last 2 new travel trailers I bought the hitch was thrown in as part of the deal.

Well thank you, Fish, for telling me. Maybe when we get to the point of buying, we will be so fortunate.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I'm from a different school. The side of the tracks I guess no one wants to admitted they grew up on.
But one thing I know. I don't have to throw money around to be safe.

Curt makes a good product. But the weak link is what will give you problems. Let me explain.

A 10000# ball carier will safely tow 10000# trailer. If the receiver will only tow 7000# . If the ball will only pull 7500# the setup will only pull 7000#. The ball carier will not have a problem hauling 7000# even if it was designed for 10000#.

Although the spring bars maybe oversized they can be adjusted for the trailer weight you tow with little change in handling.

I would buy a hitch designed for 10000# the spring bars that come with it will likely work well for whatever you pull. However if you need lower rated springs you can buy them later without replacing the entire hitch. Oh heck, not that I would, I did buy a 10000# hitch. Guess what, the spring bars work just fine with my cargo trailer that weights in under 5000#. The key to setting up your rig is to keep everything parallel to the ground, it's not rocket science, more like common sense.

So to expound on what I said:
From tow vehicle to the ball all equipment should be designed for the maximum you want to tow ,EVER!

You should not ask your tow vehicle to tow for long periods of time more than 80% of the manufacturers tow capacity (10000 maximum =8000 maximum for any distance).

Tip:

If you buy a ball from Uhaul they will install the ball so you will not have to buy a wrench. They will not install a ball that has to low a rating. They will get the bolt tight so it won't come loose.
I have never seen a travel trailer with anything less than a 2 5/16 ball so even the ball can be reused between camping trips.

 

[SJBaily]

I'm from a different school. The side of the tracks I guess no one wants to admitted they grew up on.
But one thing I know. I don't have to throw money around to be safe.

Curt makes a good product. But the weak link is what will give you problems. Let me explain.

A 10000# ball carier will safely tow 10000# trailer. If the receiver will only tow 7000# . If the ball will only pull 7500# the setup will only pull 7000#. The ball carier will not have a problem hauling 7000# even if it was designed for 10000#.

Although the spring bars maybe oversized they can be adjusted for the trailer weight you tow with little change in handling.

I would buy a hitch designed for 10000# the spring bars that come with it will likely work well for whatever you pull. However if you need lower rated springs you can buy them later without replacing the entire hitch. Oh heck, not that I would, I did buy a 10000# hitch. Guess what, the spring bars work just fine with my cargo trailer that weights in under 5000#. The key to setting up your rig is to keep everything parallel to the ground, it's not rocket science, more like common sense.

So to expound on what I said:
From tow vehicle to the ball all equipment should be designed for the maximum you want to tow ,EVER!

You should not ask your tow vehicle to tow for long periods of time more than 80% of the manufacturers tow capacity (10000 maximum =8000 maximum for any distance).

Tip:

If you buy a ball from Uhaul they will install the ball so you will not have to buy a wrench. They will not install a ball that has to low a rating. They will get the bolt tight so it won't come loose.
I have never seen a travel trailer with anything less than a 2 5/16 ball so even the ball can be reused between camping trips.

A ball from Uhaul? Who knew? I didn't. Thank you! This is all good info and we were looking at Curt contraption that said 8000 to 10,000 pounds. I assume that means they really intend it to pull up to the limit. Thank you for all the advice. Best wishes!

 

[Kevin D Pem]

A ball from Uhaul? Who knew? I didn't. Thank you! This is all good info and we were looking at Curt contraption that said 8000 to 10,000 pounds. I assume that means they really intend it to pull up to the limit. Thank you for all the advice. Best wishes!

The hitch is rated for 10000# and the spring bars work best between 8000# and 10000# is how I interpret your numbers.

So you know, I think that the curt and harbor freight wdh are name plate branded China sourced hitches.
I didn't say they are bad or I would not own one.

One more thing! I like the saying " an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure " in this case it is a two edge sword. If you take caution with loading your rig you will not need sway control.
If you have loaded wrong sway control will do no good.
I won't use sway bars because I feel (justified or not), the device stresses the tow vehicles frame in ways it was not designed to handle. Do your own research.

 

[SJBaily]

The hitch is rated for 10000# and the spring bars work best between 8000# and 10000# is how I interpret your numbers.

So you know, I think that the curt and harbor freight wdh are name plate branded China sourced hitches.
I didn't say they are bad or I would not own one.

One more thing! I like the saying " an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure " in this case it is a two edge sword. If you take caution with loading your rig you will not need sway control.
If you have loaded wrong sway control will do no good.
I won't use sway bars because I feel (justified or not), the device stresses the tow vehicles frame in ways it was not designed to handle. Do your own research.

Again, thank you for the info. All very helpful.