Towing with or without a WD hitch/sway control?

[switters]

We just bought a 25' Airstream with 6,300 dry weight and 7,600 GVWR, with a tongue weight of approximately 950 lbs when loaded for camping.

 

Will be towing it with a 2024 6.6L gasser with the following specs:

• GVWR 10,850 lbs
• RGAWR 6,600 lbs
• Payload 3,524 lbs
• Max tongue weight 2,760

 

My family, the dogs, and typical cargo in the truck = 600 lbs. Add that to the tongue weight of the trailer = ~1,600 lbs. Gives us 2,000 lbs of payload capacity to spare. 

Given these numbers, seems I should have no trouble towing this trailer without a WD hitch. I do plan to go to the scales on our first trip to check the weights. I will also measure the distance between the ground and the top of the front wheel well before and after the trailer is on the hitch, and see if there's any difference. 

Even if the weight is distributed properly, I still might benefit from sway control. But I've read that the Silverado 2500 has some built-in sway control, and they don't recommend using third-party systems. Is that accurate? 

 

What do you think? 

 

Edited August 30, 2024 by Chris Kresser

[ssgballistics]

We have a 27 ft travel trailer that we tow with a 2500hd gasser. I have a WD hitch from when I had a half-ton. I used it for a while with the 2500 but I haven’t used it in quite a while. I don’t notice much difference either way. 

[switters]

I was hoping I'd hear that. I got an HD truck in part because I didn't want to worry about payload and weight distribution as much. (I also had a 1/2-ton before getting the 3/4.)

[Flatus]

I tow a 23 ft travel trailer that weighs around 5200-5400 loaded. It has a pretty heavy loaded tongue weight for it's size at around 800lb. I tow without a WD hitch. I have pulled this way at least 2500 miles worth of towing and through different types of weather conditions without any issues at all.

[rjgvt]

17 hours ago, switters said:

We just bought a 25' Airstream with 6,300 dry weight and 7,600 GVWR, with a tongue weight of approximately 950 lbs when loaded for camping.

 

Will be towing it with a 2024 6.6L gasser with the following specs:

• GVWR 10,850 lbs
• RGAWR 6,600 lbs
• Payload 3,524 lbs
• Max tongue weight 2,760

 

My family, the dogs, and typical cargo in the truck = 600 lbs. Add that to the tongue weight of the trailer = ~1,600 lbs. Gives us 2,000 lbs of payload capacity to spare. 

Given these numbers, seems I should have no trouble towing this trailer without a WD hitch. I do plan to go to the scales on our first trip to check the weights. I will also measure the distance between the ground and the top of the front wheel well before and after the trailer is on the hitch, and see if there's any difference. 

Even if the weight is distributed properly, I still might benefit from sway control. But I've read that the Silverado 2500 has some built-in sway control, and they don't recommend using third-party systems. Is that accurate? 

 

What do you think? 

 

 

Are you sure the max tongue weight is 2760 lbs for a conventional trailer? My truck sticker shows max tongue weight for the gooseneck at 2760 lbs and 1600 lbs for conventional trailer.

 

 

[switters]

Oops, you're right. The max tongue weight is 1,600 lbs. 

[Pryme]

Airstreams are built extremely well and track very straight. I don’t think you’ll have any issues. 

[Truston Gunter]

I too had a WD hitch that I used on my half-ton. Continued to use it when I initially bought this truck and after a couple of trips decided to try it without and haven't used it since! My TT is a 2020 Grand design imagine 2400BH which is about 30ft and has a GVWR of 7500. Truck and trailer pull great, gas mileage sucks on the highway maintaining Texas highway speeds (not speeding just going the speed limit) but never feels unsafe. Once you try it without the WD hitch I'm sure you"ll likely never use it again!!!! 

[Ben Jardine]

I haul campers with mine i own a towing company . I hauled all kindas from 5th wheels to tag alongs . Abything from 5000 pounds to 15 000 pounds sometimes more . Every trailer hauls differnt . In my experince the trailer tires make the biggest differnce . A good brand name tires properly inflated helps alot . Dont cheap out on trailer tires . I never use any forum of anti sway . I have good luck but every trailer is differnt 

[bruceb58]

I still use a WDH towing a 25' 6500# camper. Just got back from AZ with 25MPH crosswinds and even with the WDH still had some sway. Glad I had the WHD on.

 

I travel at 62 MPH max even in states without a trailer speed limit.

Edited January 12, 2025 by bruceb58

[BuckWallace]

4 hours ago, bruceb58 said:

I still use a WDH towing a 25' 6500# camper. Just got back from AZ with 25MPH crosswinds and even with the WDH still had some sway. Glad I had the WHD on.

 

I travel at 62 MPH max even in states without a trailer speed limit.

Sounds like we have a similar setup. I definitely don't think I need a WDH for weight distribution at that trailer weight, but I'm hesitant to stop using it for the reason you mentioned. We frequently tow through the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and get some really nasty crosswinds where I'm glad I have a WDH for the sway control.

[UWSkier]

I have a ProPride WDH because I started out towing my Imagine 2600RB with a half ton.  I still use it on my HD because at this point, it's paid for and it simply can't be beat for towing and handling dynamics.  I tow in mountains and in some wild cross winds and the thing just tracks.  The truck and trailer move in unison as it's physically impossible to get one of those "tail wagging the dog" moments.