Selecting WD Hitch for Travel Trailer Towed by GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab

Question:

Im looking to purchase a travel trailer and truck. The trailer Im interested in is just under 30 foot long, including the tongue, and unloaded weigh of 5857. It has hitch weight of 581 lbs and gvwr of 7495. I dont think I will have it loaded to the max, probably not over 1000 lbs. Im also wanting to purchase a gmc sierra crewcab with 5.3 engine. The truck has gvwr of 7200 lbs and a payload of around 1650 lbs. I think the towing capacity is 9100 lbs. If I keep the payload weight within limits and use a WDH would this truck do a acceptable job towing this travel trailer without too much sway? Im wanting a 1/2 ton truck for better ride and fuel economy when not towing. Or should I purchase a 3/4 ton. We plan to take a few long trips to different parts of usa. Thanks

asked by: Guy B

Expert Reply:

We recommend towing a travel trailer with a weight distribution hitch (WDH) when the trailer weighs more than half of the tow vehicle's weight. The hitch evens out the trailer tongue weight (TW) load across both truck axles and it also works to control or prevent trailer sway. The linked article and video will give you good background on these systems.

The way to select a WD system is to determine the actual loaded trailer TW, with all of your usual gear and supplies in place and with your water and propane tanks filled, using a scale # e99044. The scale gets rid of the guesswork. Just 25 gallons of fresh water weighs over 200-lbs!

You want your fully-loaded trailer TW to fall in the middle of the operating range for the WDH you select. A properly loaded trailer with a GVWR of 7500-lbs will likely have TW in the range of 800 to 900-lbs so a system like the Equal-I-zer # EQ37100ET would be a good choice since it works over a range of TW from 600 to 1000-lbs.

You will also want to confirm the towing capacity of the specific truck you're considering. For example, a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500, depending on its specific equipment, can tow from 5500 to 9400-lbs. The towing capacity depends on the engine, cab style, bed length, axle ratio and whether it is 2WD or 4WD. Naturally it is a good idea to choose a vehicle whose towing capacity exceeds the actual loaded trailer weight.

expert reply by: Adam R