WD Hitches & Shocks -- Tire Failure Contributors ?

There's been a lot of discussion about using WD Hitches with a truck.
I really can't see why they're necessary with a TM. We've towed our
TM thousands of miles with our 2002 Tundra (most of the time carrying
a motorcycle) with absolutely no problem. We use airbags to level the
the load before we hit the road.
Just tossing in my bit!

[Bill]

Joe, the airbags will level the Tundra, which makes your headlights point in the right direction. But they won't do anything to put the missing weight back on the front wheels - the wheels which steer (and largely brake) your Tundra. That is what a WDH will do. If degraded steering and braking aren't important in your situation, then I guess you needn't be concerned.

On large / long / heavy vehicles, the tongue weight doesn't unload the front wheels very much. In that case, a WDH may not be necessary. A Tundra? Especially a 2002? Well, some people will tell you that it is "big enough" that it doesn't need a WDH. But the fact that you have to use airbags to level it says otherwise.

I wish you luck. But in your place, I wouldn't leave home without it.

Bill

You guys are the best. Thank you all for taking the time to write. I will honor the time and wisdom that you have shared with me by getting our fully loaded rig to a scale as soon as I can. It may not happen before we leave for Greer in a few weeks. Thank you for pointing out the center of gravity issues (I do tend to load the heaviest items forward of the TV's rear wheels), the weight distribution differences between pickups & SUV's, and thank you for reminding me that my 600 lbs. bars are really not capable of transferring significant truck loads to the TM. I'll do my best to make good choices and let go of the rest. I'm hoping for a better tire solution out of our Owner's Forum research team. Keep those tires rollin, rollin.