Do I really need an EQ hitch with bags?

[3rail]

OK guys. I am driving myself a little crazy over this question. Here is some background.

My first rig was a 2006 TACO. The TACO had the tow package and I installed air bags on the rear. I used the TACO to tow my open Featherlite trailer (1400 pounds) and my '69 SS (3500 pounds). I used a 5 inch drop 10K bar and would pump the bags up to 75psi to level out the rig. I towed the trailer and car on several 1000 mile trips, on Interstates and up mountains. The TACO was at the rated limit and I am fairly sure I never exceeded capacity. The tongue weight was around 550 pounds due to the nose heavy big block. During the last three years, I never experienced any troubles driving / towing with just a bar and the bags. But it was time to move on.

Fast forward to this month. I got my new Tundra, 5.7 DC Rock Crawler edition. I still have the Camaro but sold the open trailer and purchased a 20 foot V-nose enclosed CarMate trailer for the SS. I pick up the new trailer next week.

I installed bags on the Tundra, I went with the Air-lift system "Load Lifter 5000". I already towed the Featherlite and car combo with the Tundra and obviously, it felt as though there was nothing back there compared to the TACO. With the same estimated tongue weight (550 pounds) and 5" drop bar, the truck hardly dropped at all. I did not air up the bags and kept them at the minimum 5psi to 10psi.

The enclosed trailer will weigh an additional 2000 - 2500 pounds which will add another 200 -250 pounds to the tongue. My trailer guy insists that I will not need an EQ hitch and if I need to level out the truck, to air up the bags.

I realize that towing an enclosed trailer is a lot different than towing the open and car. I read a lot of posts and still have not come to a conclusion. With the TACO, I never had any problems with cross winds or passing semi's. Even with the open, there was still a lot of surface area on the side (with the car on the trailer) for the wind to catch.

So, there is my problem that has me going crazy. Right now I am leaning towards trying out just the bar on a short 100 mile round trip. Opinions?

Thanks.

[tomhole]

Easy way to determine if you need a WDH or not:

1. Measure the height of the front wheel well before hooking up the trailer. Use the bottom of the wheel well to a point on the rims to measure.

2. Hook the trailer up, air the bags if you like, and measure the height of the front wheel well again. If the front height increases by anything more than 1/2", then you should use a WDH. That indicates that the front is being unloaded.

Airbags do not distribute weight, they just make you look level. A WDH does just that, distributes weight. It will also level the truck. If you unload the front too much, it will cause handling, headlight and possibly braking problems.

Tom

[TundraBay]

Originally Posted by tomhole

Easy way to determine if you need a WDH or not:

1. Measure the height of the front wheel well before hooking up the trailer. Use the bottom of the wheel well to a point on the rims to measure.

2. Hook the trailer up, air the bags if you like, and measure the height of the front wheel well again. If the front height increases by anything more than 1/2", then you should use a WDH. That indicates that the front is being unloaded.

Airbags do not distribute weight, they just make you look level. A WDH does just that, distributes weight. It will also level the truck. If you unload the front too much, it will cause handling, headlight and possibly braking problems.

Tom

I completely agree with this. Furthermore, if you try driving and the steering feels like it "isn't working right" it's for the same reason, you have offloaded too much weight from the front end and the steering wheels have too little weight. The rear wheels become a fulcrum, with too much weight behind them. You will likely actually need WDH to correct this.

[3rail]

Thanks guys, I guess I never really understood how a WDH works. I just figured it was for leveling out the rig, not actaully shifting weight to the front axle. When I pick up the trailer and load it with the car I will take the measurements and see how it is.

Thanks again.

Donald

[nomadic]

^ agree with the advice 100% that being said i keep the bars i have with me when i am towing my trailer. i an towing a 18 foot enclosed tool trailer and it is sometimes at the tundras max. i do not feel the need to use the bars when i tow but i know that they will do the job if something were to happen to the bags when i'm towing 500 miles from anything... and i would not tow without my swaybar, it really helps with cross winds