xbnkrbrkr

Need help to determine if I have the right pieces to haul a 8000# boat & trailer. Truck is a 2002 diesel 1 ton dually. I think Im ok so far. The hitch I believe is factory installed? It is attached to the frame. It has a sticker saying Weight Dist. 10,000#...Weight Carrying 5000# Need explanation here.

The draw bar is 2" Sq and has 5000 stamped on it oops think I need a stronger bar ... do they make them to fit my receiver?

Then there is the ball , I have 2" with 1" shank...the trailer will take 2 5/16" ball...I looked at one in Wal Mart and I think it had 5000 marked on it...is that like the bar to small for my purpose....confused and need some direction.

BTW Owners manual says class IV can tow up to 10k

Thanks in advance for your help.

Crimedog

You'll be just finewith the hitch... leave plenty of stopping distance if the trailer doesn't have brakes, but don't worry. Go to a trailer dealer and pick up a drawbar and ball rated for 10K. The factory hitches on these trucks are a lot stronger than they are rated for!

js

first of all you have lots of truck. I pull 9000 lbs. regularly. the factory hitch is all you need for your boat. You will probally want to go weight dist. hitch. just buy a draw bar that will meet your needs with the right drop for level trailer towing and get a 2 5/16 " ball with the right shank for the drawbar. the smaller the shank the lower the capacity. my draw bar and bar are good for 12000 lbs. go to a good hitch shop and they will help you out.

Fronty Owner

change draw bars and mail me your ball...

joel

You might want to check on the laws where you are. I think you need brakes if the trailer is over 3000# or something like that. Each state is different... check before you do any long distances to see if you need brakes.

Otherwise, I think you'll be fine. I towed ~7000# or so without a weight distributing system last summer and it felt just fine. I think anything over 7500 and I'd put the bars on.

rjordan

dont be scared i tow around 10-11,000 lbs with just the hitch, no bars, and it feels great on the freeway, no sway, just cruises.

displacedtexan

Not gonna swear to this in court but I'm 99% positive that a 2 5/16 ball must be on an 1 1/4 shank... My 2" is on an 1 1/4 shank so I could get a 6" drop draw bar with over 5000# rating, I had to go to a RV place to get the stuff, but for the peice of mind that comes with knowing everything is plenty strong enough was worth it.

thecatsfan

The stock hitch on your truck is a Class III. I would not tow that much weight with a stock Class III receiver, no weight distribution, and ***** and drawbars that are only rated for 5K. Also, if your boat weighs 8K, after you add fuel and gear into the boat you may be closer to 9K. You will be nearly double the weight rating of your hitch setup. If your boat was intended to be pulled with a class III and no weight distribution, it would have had a 2" hitch, not 2 5/16".

A weight distributing hitch may not be necessary for the truck to handle the weight, but it will take the tongue weight off of your hitch and put it on your truck and trailer axles. It will work with your existing hitch and it would be a much safer setup and would probably ride even better. That's why the rated capacity doubles if you use a weight distribution hitch head with your factory class III hitch.

Your boat weighs more than the TT I just got rid of (about 7K fully loaded). I have the same receiver hitch you have and I wouldn't have dreamed of towing it with just a straight drawbar. Just my $.02.

I have a lightly used Equal-i-zer hitch with a 2 5/16" ball already on it if you are interested. It might be kind of expensive to ship though.

xbnkrbrkr

Thank you all for the input. Looking at the owners manual nothing is mentioned about WD only the capacity of various hitch classifications. If the sticker (showing towing capacity only) on the bumper was missing how would I know what class hitch was installed? I think most would assume since I have the biggest truck)and factory installed hitch) it would have the biggest hitch short of a 5W. Guess you have to be an expert to keep from killing fellow travelers.

Thecatsfan let's talk... I have to go thru Colorado to pickup the boat and visit some properties I have in Highlands Ranch...If it's easy to install...price right etc I may be interested. How do we get in touch?

Xbnkrbrkr

2 busy

humm, my 2000 4x4 ctd has a combined vehicle weight of 11,000 #. wonder what my truch weighs with this ole heavy flatbed. dont think that leaves much weight to tow.

thecatsfan

xbnkrbrkr,

Good point. I'm not sure how you would know what yoiur hitch ratings were if it weren't for that little sticker. All I know is that everything I've ever read from DC or anyone else stated that Dodge Rams never came with a hitch higher than a class III.

You are welcome to email me at thecatsfan@yahoo.com. I hope posting my address doesn't violate the rules. Don't me to do anything wrong. I'm leaving to go camping for the weekend, so any reply might take a couple days.

I would be happy to take some pictures of it for you. You can actually download the installation instructions from http://www.equalizerhitch.com/. Lot's of information there about the hitch as well. I have the 12K lb. model.

2 busy,

Your GCWR should be at least 16K if not 18K. My 2001 has a GCWR of 20K. Where'd you get the 11K from?

killfast1

I pulled a 35ft Ocean Roamer from north of Seatle to LA with stock hitch and drawbar rated for 12000#. Boat weighed in at 19000#. Just take it slow and easy if you have any concerns.

xbnkrbrkr

Update on the boat weight...3600#-3800# ,spoke with MFG. (wow where did I get the 8k from ?) also trailer has dual axles and long neck and is rated for 10K. Gives me about 1200# allowance for the Alum trailer. No place to attach WD accordig to seller.

Seems like Im right at hitch max weight without WD. Will upgrade draw bar and ball anyway and take it easy...at least for the first couple hundred miles.

Thanks all for the great input I feel better about this hual now.

Xbnkrbrkr

Patrick Campbell

2 busy, your GVW does not mean how much you can tow, its how much weight can be laden on the vehicles tires/axles/brakes, i.e. the payload.

thecatsfan

Attaching a WD hitch should be easy as most are now bolt on and have a lot of room for adjustment.

But you will not need it with that setup. 3800#s plus fuel weight and trailer weight = not a problem at all. That boat will tow like a dream with a standard class III receiver hitch and the correct drawbar. Just make sure to get the correct height on the ball mount. My wife has a 20' Ski Boat and it requires a 6" drop to tow behind my truck.