Weight Distribution Hitch

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RCE42342

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Mar 26, 2024
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My tow vehicle is a 2021 Ranger with tow package rating of 7500lbs. My trailer is a Keystone Mini with max weight of 4400 lbs. {3300 lbs empty} Tounge wgt of 465 according to mfg. Bought the trailer used and it came with a 10000# WDH. I've seen some videos where they say this WDH is too heavy and may damage the trailers frame. Fords 2021 towing guide says a WDH is not necessary for the Ranger. Rangers payload capacity is 1650#. Previous owner said he towed the trailer and never used the WDH without a problem. Any advice ?
 
RCE42342 said:
I've seen some videos where they say this WDH is too heavy and may damage the trailers frame.
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That just depends on the trailer involved. Our lite weight travel trailer had an aluminum frame and the manufacturer's warranty was void if one used a WDH. It too was 19' long on the inside living space and had a GVWR of 4000#.
 
You will have a better overall towing experience with a wdh, in my opinion. I do think the one you have is not sized correctly, a 6k or 8k tops in my opinion. I'd bet you could sell or trade on marketplace.
 
RCE42342 said:
My tow vehicle is a 2021 Ranger with tow package rating of 7500lbs. My trailer is a Keystone Mini with max weight of 4400 lbs. {3300 lbs empty} Tounge wgt of 465 according to mfg. Bought the trailer used and it came with a 10000# WDH. I've seen some videos where they say this WDH is too heavy and may damage the trailers frame. Fords 2021 towing guide says a WDH is not necessary for the Ranger. Rangers payload capacity is 1650#. Previous owner said he towed the trailer and never used the WDH without a problem. Any advice ?
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I am pulling a 17 ft., 3100 lb. dry (empty) weight, 396 lb. hitch weight trailer (similar size to yours) and recently installed a new WDH on my Chevy 1500. Did a lot of research and asking around and found that if you use a WDH that is too large, you will have trouble with it being to stiff. Took me awhile to find the right one, but got a Reese #49911 WDH, up to 6000 lb. capacity, up to 600 lb. hitch weight. Sounds like this might be the WDH you need. Took the trailer on a run last week and was very happy with the way it pulled, and really helped eliminate the sway at speed and with semis blowing by. Got it on Amazon for less than $400. Installed it myself !n two hours. Highly recommend for smaller trailers. Check it out. I will add that proper load balancing is very important.
 
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Another thing to consider is that in the towing section of your manual, there should be figures listed for maximum tongue weight - one figure for "weight carrying" and another for "weight distributing". For the Ranger, my guess is the weight carrying number will be 500 lbs but it could be higher. If it's higher, then you technically don't "need" a WD hitch but if it's 500, you will be right at the limit and it would be prudent to use one.
 
Joezeppy said:
Another thing to consider is that in the towing section of your manual, there should be figures listed for maximum tongue weight - one figure for "weight carrying" and another for "weight distributing". For the Ranger, my guess is the weight carrying number will be 500 lbs but it could be higher. If it's higher, then you technically don't "need" a WD hitch but if it's 500, you will be right at the limit and it would be prudent to use one.
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Max tounge weight for the Ranger is 750#
 
The hitched needs to be sized to the trailer. If the trailer has a placarded GVWR of 4400 lbs and you use 15% of that for a tongue weight (13% is nearly ideal for many situations) then the tongue weight is ~660 or less. A 10,000/1,000 hitch is too much, the bars are too stiff, and yes, lots of stress on both the truck and the trailer frame.

What brand and model hitch is it?

If an Equal-i-zer® brand, you have to purchase an entire new hitch (except for the shank), as bars are not interchangeable between hitch weights. Any other brand of hitch, you can easily find a 600 lb or so set of bars for it.

Try towing without the bars. If you have the trailer loaded correctly and it does not sway or make the rear of the Ranger squat too much, then yes, don't use the bars. If the trailer has any sway tendencies (but the truck is not squatting), you could use a friction type anti-sway device on the trailer and truck.

Anti-Sway kit

Charles
 
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Hook the trailer to your truck. If your front end stays down and you have, not acceptable, but great steering, ie., your steering isn’t loose at all, you’re good. If it’s even a little squirrelly, overtaking big trucks are going to blow you around quite a lot. The trailer is going to be a tail wagging the dog.
 
The tongue weight should be a minimum of 10% of trailer weight, 12% is better. You can weigh that yourself at home:

B. Measuring with a Bathroom Scale​

An alternative method for measuring tongue weight is to use a common bathroom scale. If the tongue weight is expected to be less than 300 pounds, simply place the tongue or jack directly on the scale. You may wish to protect the finish of the scale by placing a small piece of plywood down first.
If the weight is likely greater than 300 pounds, you can use some boards and pipes to set up a test as shown in the diagram. Using this setup, take a reading off the bathroom scale and triple it to find your actual tongue weight.

Measuring Tongue Weight with Bathroom Scale
 
With that size/weight trailer, I see no value in using a WD hitch on that Ranger. The pickup suspension and receiver are easily capable of handling the trailer max tongue weight, even if loaded to produce a high tongue weight. Employing a 1000 lb WD simply adds 100+ lbs of weight with no benefit - the bars aren't going to be applying any pressure anyway. Or should not be, if adjusted properly (per the hitch manual).

I suggest selling the WD hitch and using the proceeds to buy fuel for a camping trip.
 
www.ranger5g.com

2019+ Ford Ranger and Raptor Forum (5th Generation) - Ranger5G.com

2019 Ford Ranger Raptor Forum pickup truck 5th Generation
www.ranger5g.com www.ranger5g.com
Above is a link to a Ford Ranger forum that I spend some time on. Lots of good towing advice. I also have a 2021 Ranger that's new to me and have a TT on order that will be 5k lbs loaded with around 550lb tongue wt. From reading through that forum, there's a consensus that factory suspension is lacking, shocks in particular. I just finished doing what was recommended, installing Bilstein shocks and Blue Sumo springs. It's said that this will reduce porpoising and stiffen up the rear end. I can't say for sure, haven't towed with it yet but am being proactive.
Some conflicting advice about wdh's there. Some say yes, some no, others recommend adding the RAS system to the leaf springs in addition to Bilsteins and Sumo's and no wdh. It's a rabbit hole. Your trailer is lighter than mine so I'd be tempted to add the upgraded suspension and then drive/tow for a bit and then decide if you need one.
Me, I'm going to buy a wdh with 600 lb bars and take off for 2 months as soon as the trailer comes in. Don't want to be wishing I had one while on the road. If you have time at home and are making short trips, maybe you can wait. Just be safe. Best of luck.
 
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Compadre said:
www.ranger5g.com

2019+ Ford Ranger and Raptor Forum (5th Generation) - Ranger5G.com

2019 Ford Ranger Raptor Forum pickup truck 5th Generation
www.ranger5g.com www.ranger5g.com
Above is a link to a Ford Ranger forum that I spend some time on. Lots of good towing advice. I also have a 2021 Ranger that's new to me and have a TT on order that will be 5k lbs loaded with around 550lb tongue wt. From reading through that forum, there's a consensus that factory suspension is lacking, shocks in particular. I just finished doing what was recommended, installing Bilstein shocks and Blue Sumo springs. It's said that this will reduce porpoising and stiffen up the rear end. I can't say for sure, haven't towed with it yet but am being proactive.
Some conflicting advice about wdh's there. Some say yes, some no, others recommend adding the RAS system to the leaf springs in addition to Bilsteins and Sumo's and no wdh. It's a rabbit hole. Your trailer is lighter than mine so I'd be tempted to add the upgraded suspension and then drive/tow for a bit and then decide if you need one.
Me, I'm going to buy a wdh with 600 lb bars and take off for 2 months as soon as the trailer comes in. Don't want to be wishing I had one while on the road. If you have time at home and are making short trips, maybe you can wait. Just be safe. Best of luck.
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Compadre.... Read my above post on the 600 lb. bars WDH. Might be just what you need.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
With that size/weight trailer, I see no value in using a WD hitch on that Ranger. The pickup suspension and receiver are easily capable of handling the trailer max tongue weight, even if loaded to produce a high tongue weight. Employing a 1000 lb WD simply adds 100+ lbs of weight with no benefit - the bars aren't going to be applying any pressure anyway. Or should not be, if adjusted properly (per the hitch manual).

I suggest selling the WD hitch and using the proceeds to buy fuel for a camping trip.
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Thanks for the info.
 
Kirk said:
On mine, I did use an antisway device and that helped with trailer behavior when in a crosswind or uneven road.
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Thanks for the reply. I'm going to add a sway device and try that. I've been on a few short trips , 100 miles or so , without a WDH and didn;t have any problems. I'll try a few test drives before I head to Yellowstone in May.
 
Note that friction sway control devices can be used without a WD hitch. The spring bars of the WD are often referred to as "sway bars" but they are not - they are weigh management assists. Some brands of WDH also include some sway management, i.e. the Equalizer or Curt TruTrack, but that's an extra function and not inherent in the WD.
 
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