Help With Weight Distribution Hitch??

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CassandraS

Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2017
Posts
22
Location
Minnesota
Okay, so last year my husband and I purchased a 2015 Jayco 23MBH. Its the definition of our perfect camper! We took it on many adventures towing it with my husbands 2008 F150. It has airbags to make sure the camper is towing straight and we've never had any issues with it.

Now our my summer plans for this year don't cooperate with my husbands work schedule. And I still want to use the camper, even if he isn't able to join me. So in January I bought a 2011 GMC Yukon Denali. My tow capacity is 8300 LBS (our TT dry weight is right around 5045) and total tongue weight recommended for the Yukon is 600LBS. Our TT tongue weight is 590. I know I'm pushing it. We hooked up to the camper with the Yukon and after the Yukon's level ride kicks in, I'm sagging in the back but just barley and the camper is pulling level.

I'm looking to get a weight distribution hitch to help relieve some of the tongue weight from the rear axle of the Yukon and maybe help the Yukon level out, but when the Yukon is level, the trailer wont be. So I need a dropped weight distribution hitch.

To sum up my long story.

TT dry weight is 5045, with a tongue weight of 590.
The tow capacity of the Yukon is 8300LBS, tongue weight max of 600.

I don't want to get the 600LB WDH because my tongue weight is soo close to 600 anyway. Should I get an 800LB WDH or should I just jump to the 1000LB hitch?

Which way do you guys suggest??
 
That 590# tongue weight is the dry tongue weight as advertised. That changed after you loaded the trailer. Dry weight and dry tongue weight are almost a meaningless numbers. The GVWR of the trailer is what most of us go by here to determine capacities. Your's is 7,250# for that trailer. The tongue weight of your loaded trailer should be 10 to 15% of the loaded trailer's weight. Assuming it's loaded to the max, your tongue weight should be between 725 to 1088#. The best way to determine your actual tongue weight is by running your rig across some scales, or use a tongue weight scale. Being you have been using the trailer, it's probably loaded with all the stuff you normally carry, so that is a plus. Get the actual tongue weight, then make your decision from that information.Also, I would recommend spending the extra money to get a WDH with built in sway control, not one with an add-on friction type sway control.
 
Whatever the responses say, I like my Equilizer WDH. They sell them at General RV for almost $1000.00. A rip off, you can get one on craigslist for $150.00 on up.    Shop around
 
Ditto on built-in sway control, e.g. E2, Equal-I-Zer, Reese Straitline, etc. The E2 is a budget-priced WD with sway control that should be OK for a modest size trailer like this.

Your trailer weighs 6000-7000 lbs when loaded for camping, so the tongue weight is in the 650-750 lb range. If 600 lbs is the Yukon's max tongue weight even with WD, it is going to be overloaded. By all means get the 800 lb WD, and an adjustable height ball mount as well.  Adjust the WD with the Yukon's air level turned off if possible, then let the air leveling self-adjust afterwards.
 
I suspect the hitch is rated at 600# for conventional towing, and higher (maybe 1000#) with a WD hitch.  You definitely need a WD hitch for this setup, and there is good advise above on that topic.
 
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