Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

[sdef]

I have had a couple WDHs and like them a lot. My latest is a Blue Ox Sway Pro and includes sway control in the hitch head. No adjustments to this other than the typical chain length when hooking it up depending upon how much weight transfer one wants. Its a keeper. I would start here and investigate all options at camper/RV sites. Blue Ox is the best bang for the buck for me. Blue Ox Sway Pro 1���� Lb Hitches

I have a 2015 Ram 2500 diesel crew cab that is rated for 17.1k pounds towing on the bumper with no WDH. However, I use one for heavier loads as they provide a more rigid connection between the trailer and tow vehicle, less bouncing and in general a more comfortable ride. Not to mention the sway control is automatic, works great and no worries when being passed by an 18 wheeler, etc.



Note the tire clearance in the wheel wells. Stock height setup even though there is ~ 1500 - 1700 pounds of tongue weight. Part of the weight is transferred to the truck's front wheels.

 

[dodge man]

I've got an engineering degree and I can't wrap my mind around how a WDH works. I just know if you get them hooked up correct, the more the nose of the trailer wants to sag, the more it levers up on the hitch and prevents the sagging of the truck and trailer.

 

[Egon]

A WDH may be a legal requirement depending on load ratings and trailer size.

 

[joefromga]

I've got an engineering degree and I can't wrap my mind around how a WDH works. I just know if you get them hooked up correct, the more the nose of the trailer wants to sag, the more it levers up on the hitch and prevents the sagging of the truck and trailer.

They add two more points of connection to the hitch and also cause some lift and that puts more weight on the front wheels.

They also keep the trailer from twisting freely like they can on the ball alone.

Those 2 bars you see in the photo are under a lot of tension and most have a lever to crank them down and lock in place. They're not just free hanging bars. So they are like tension springs.

 

[Ford850]

I thought the WDH sort of locks the trailer to the truck, forming a straight plane. When the trailer tongue pushes down, that force is extended through the truck to the front axle. Without it, the trailer hitch is a hinge, so as the tongue goes down the rear of the truck goes down too (which pulls up on the front axle).

 

[downsizingnow48]

The Airstream website has a nifty calculator that shows what weight is distributed and where.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=48827&d=1194373130

 

[sdef]

I thought the WDH sort of locks the trailer to the truck, forming a straight plane. When the trailer tongue pushes down, that force is extended through the truck to the front axle. Without it, the trailer hitch is a hinge, so as the tongue goes down the rear of the truck goes down too (which pulls up on the front axle).

Yep. And that causes bouncing to one extent or another, which the WDH lessens a lot. Using my Blue Ox setup I have never had to deal with trailer or truck sway caused by the trailer and the ride is much more comfortable than without it. I seem to recall I paid ~ $350 on eBay for a new 1500/15k unit in the factory box.

There is a lot of force on the spring bars. I find it FAR easier to attach the bars/chains by raising the trailer tongue attached to the truck enough to attach the bar's chain with little down pressure from the spring bars. And then lower the tongue jack to the travel position. With full tongue weight it is far more difficult to deal with.

 

[94BULLITT]

Can you remove the bars from the WDH head on the blue ox?

 

[sdef]

Yes. They insert into the head and a spring loaded pin snaps into place. Simply pull out on the pin ~ 1/4" and pull the bar out of its socket to remove the bar for storage. And the bars stay clean as they are not greased. BTW on the Blue Ox SwayPro system all parts are rated at full product weight capacity of 20k pounds. The only difference between capacities are in the spring bars. So one can purchase one complete kit and then multiple weight spring bars for various circumstances, if needed. My previous WDH was a Reese ~ 7k or so for a boat trailer and I had to purchase an entirely new system to increase the weight capacity for my tractor's trailer, which is the primary reason I went to the Blue Ox. Plus it has built in sway control and no adjustments in the head to mess around with.

 

[94BULLITT]

I saw those pins but I was not sure if they were removable. Curt makes a hitch like that. I never thought about not having to grease it or and having greasy trunion bars laying around.

Here is my WDH. It is not a great picture since I am not sitting on level/even ground. Like sdef says the truck rides great with it. The truck rides better with a load and the WDH hitch hooked up than what is does with the trailer unloaded and the WDH not hooked up. I probably have 800-900lbs of tongue weight in that pic.

 

[sdef]

I saw those pins but I was not sure if they were removable. Curt makes a hitch like that. I never thought about not having to grease it or and having greasy trunion bars laying around.

The head is greased with a fitting and the grease stays mostly inside. Curt is my go-to place for most other things trailer hitch related, especially ball mount shanks. That is a Curt shank on my Blue Ox WDH and its price was ~50% less than any other I could find and is high quality.

 

[Lkohan7373]

Congrats. I purchased the a 2015 Laramie Longhorn ED. It was a leftover so I made a deal. I was $13k under the price of the F150 I was looking at. I had a 2013 F150 that I fell out of love with. I was having problems with the GPS and radio. I went to the local Ford dealer with both sets of keys and said my lease is up in 2 months and I want to buy a new F150 Lariat. I previously had the FX4 with heated and cooled leather and every option I could want. They stopped making that model in 2014. So they gave me a price of just under $63k and I almost fell out of the chair. I asked what incentives they had and the dealer told me if I didn't need a pickup he could get me into something else for less money. I thanked him and left. 2 months later I returned the Ford and he asked me what I bought I told him and that out the door I was at $50K he was surprised. I have just under 4,000 miles on it and I like the mileage I am getting but I was hoping for more. I was averaging between 15-16 mpg combined in the F150. Now I am in the 19-20 mpg range. Not quite what everyone claims. I actually sat down and did the math for a trip and of course the trip computer was off slightly on the mpg. Taking into consideration the difference in fuel prices and the extra mpg it is a negligible cost difference. So in my opinion it's a matter of preference. I actually spent about $3500 less than the Hemi but that's because I bought a 2015 in late 2016. Good luck with your purchase.

 

[TheGoose]

I hand calc'd the computer mileage and it came out within .5 mpg, close enough for me. I'm avg all-time 18-19 mpg, which is at least 5 mpg better than my F150. This number includes towing several times per week.
The best my F150 could get on a daily driver basis was 16-17 mpg. Mostly avg. less due to towing of about 12-13 mpg. Without towing it avg about 15 mpg.

Today I took the truck on a typical drive and it avg. just under 24 mpg. This is a mix of city/hwy driving. I'm very pleased with the truck and I got it for less much less than any comparable F150 and it gets the mileage they say it will get, unlike the EB.

I've got 3K miles so far. The truck drives and rides extremely well and quiet. So far I'm very pleased.

 

[Green Power]

Im glad to hear you are liking the pickup. Sell the ecoboost yet?

 

[TheGoose]

Yes. I sold it for $19,500. I thought I could get at least $21 or better but had to drop the price after a few weeks.

 

[zing]

I thought the WDH sort of locks the trailer to the truck, forming a straight plane. When the trailer tongue pushes down, that force is extended through the truck to the front axle. Without it, the trailer hitch is a hinge, so as the tongue goes down the rear of the truck goes down too (which pulls up on the front axle).

So does this mean that if you have a heavy load in the truck bed the WDH will transfer some of that weight to the trailer axles in an effort to keep the truck and trailer level?

 

[aczlan]

So does this mean that if you have a heavy load in the truck bed the WDH will transfer some of that weight to the trailer axles in an effort to keep the truck and trailer level?

Yes.

Aaron Z

 

[zing]

Yes.

Aaron Z

Cool.

 

[94BULLITT]

I wonder what the EPA is going to find in the Ecodiesel investigation.

 

[handirifle]

I wonder what the EPA is going to find in the Ecodiesel investigation.

I am about fed up with these eco ****'s. I am 100% convinced they are out to take diesel off the road, period. All they want to see is electric and hybrids, and I am sick and tired of these pigs. They have tried to take claim to even small ponds saying the water belongs to them, or it is a "wetland" and needs (has) to be protected, BY THEM!!

I hope they are straightened out soon, they have overstepped their purpose and are pushing an agenda that does not have our interest at heart. I have gotten to the point that I do not trust them, nor do I car if they ever find out any of my business. I guess towards the EPA and those like them I have become a cynic. It just sickens me at their overreach.