Confused to Tow

[Barb&Tim]

Originally Posted by TheBeeger

Howdy Everyone! I have a 2007 Sierra extended cab with a factory hitch and tow package. Towing rated @ 4800# with a GCVW of 10,000#, Will I need a WDH to tow a 2720SL? How about a 3124? Thanks for your help.

I think you will.

Tim

[Mr. Adventure]

Originally Posted by TheBeeger

Howdy Everyone! I have a 2007 Sierra extended cab with a factory hitch and tow package. Towing rated @ 4800# with a GCVW of 10,000#, Will I need a WDH to tow a 2720SL? How about a 3124? Thanks for your help.

I think the answer is probably "Yes", and I'm certain that your stopping and steering performance will be better.

The WDH keeps the tongue from unloading the front axle. Tongue weights run higher than we expect sometimes, particularly for people hauling extra batteries up there. Some have tongue weights that are more than 750#, but most of us are in the 500# neighborhood.

Here's the truck scale experience where one of our members found that his 480# tongue added 700# to the rear axle and took 220# off the front end.

Truck weights (with me @ 185 lbs):
Front Axle 3320
Rear Axle 2560
Total 5880

With Trailmanor hooked up (65 lbs. of WDH are included):
Front Axle 3100
Rear Axle 3260
TM Axle 2920
Tongue 480

(#8 in this thread for the rest of his post)
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=7041

Also, here's a site I found with lots of good info. This link is to a 2010 owners' manual where it says on page 5-59 that the maximum tongue weight without a WDH is 600#:
http://www.silveradosierra.com/downl...ado_owners.pdf

[T and C]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

They are kind of small, but it seems pretty much anything short of a motorcycle could pull a Trailmini. The mini is much nicer than any pop-up I've seen.

Short of a motorcycle?

In the late 1960's my next door neighbor told me he had towed a 30 foot travel trailer from Ohio to California behind his Harley-Davidson. According to him this took place just before WWII.

I must admit I was skeptical of such a claim. However, a couple of days later he showed me the LA Times article they had published about it. There was a photo of him sitting on the bike, which was hooked up to the trailer.

Tom

Yep, max tongue weight is 600#

OK, I'm convinced I need a WDH but do I need sway control too?

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by TheBeeger

OK, I'm convinced I need a WDH but do I need sway control too?

I haven't heard of anyone that really needs a sway control with the TrailManor because of the way that the axle is positioned and the tongue weight involved.

Some people like to use one for an extra measure of caution.

I have never needed one either with my current Silverado or my prior Chevy S10 pick-up with 127" WB. I had 60MPH cross winds (gusting to 75) going by Palm Springs with my S10. All of the big rigs and RVs were off to the side of the road. Even some vans were pulled over. We went through with absolutely no issue. We could really feel the gusts but the trailer never swayed @55MPH.

[Barb&Tim]

I agree with harveyrv. If you don't pay extra for sway control, it will not hurt, but it's not necessary. Our Sierra tows our 2720SL just fine without it.

Tim

[T and C]

Folks,

Here is a fellow that didn't check his tow rating.

Keep watching when the guy starts cleaning the camera lens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAfZ1N56qjY

Tom

[Bill]

Originally Posted by TheBeeger

OK, I'm convinced I need a WDH but do I need sway control too?

As Wayne says, you almost certainly don't need sway control. But you can hedge your bets. When you buy your WDH, buy one that has the little dipsy-doodle bends in the ends of the springbars. These bends enable you to add a dual-cam sway control mechanism at a later date, if you feel you need it. But you don't have to buy it now.

Do NOT buy a friction sway control, now or later.

You might start by reading the tutorial on sway control in the Reference Library, the first forum on this board. The Library is officially titled "Trail Manor Info You Won't Find Anywhere Else".

Bill

[thewayneo]

I totally agree with Bill's advice. About 15 years ago I had a small Ultralight trailer with WDH and what was then the best dual friction anti-sway devices. At about 45mph a cross wind hit and in about 5 seconds, truck and trailer were rolling sideways down the road. After that I bought a motor home, but have been spooked by wind ever since. I loved that motor home for 13 years but with the price of gas... So now with my 2619 I needed the extra confidence of the dual cam sway control and love it. I agree with everybody that I don't really NEED it but I just feel better with it. It's easy to use and my TM tows rock solid. I bought the entire like-new setup from Craigslist for $250.

Wayne-o