Weight Distributing Hitch? Yes or No?

S

Shooter33

New member
So I've been doing as much research as I can regarding the use of a WDH on my 2010 4R SR5, and I cannot come to a conclusion as to whether or not I can use one. I am in the process of buying a new travel trailer. Fully loaded, the camper will come in at around #4700. I will be towing relatively short distances over pretty flat terrain (100 miles or less). The owner is throwing in his Equalizer Hitch and I want to know if I can safely use this hitch.

I have read conflicting stories w/r/t the use of a WDH on the 5th gen 4Runners. Does anyone know definitively whether or not the hitch on this truck can safely use one? The manual is useless on this topic. The local shops just want to sell a hitch, so of course they say I'm good to go.

Anybody a "hitch expert" out there?
 
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I am absolutely no help on this topic, but considering it is a Class IV hitch, I see no reason NOT to use one?

I towed my boat for the first time (About 4,000) and though it towed pretty good, it definately didn't tow like my F250 did. Fuel economy was sluggish (expected) at 13 mpg, and going up hill it wanted 3rd gear pretty much all the way up.

No sway whatsoever, but I have a 5 ft long tongue (custom) and you will have a much shorter tongue on your trailer.
 
I haven't been able to find anything in the owners manual (haven't looked hard I have Tundra to tow with) that specifically says a wd hitch can or cannot be used. I remember reading about a guy with a Rav4 that had problems with his back door after using a wd hitch. The problem was the way the hitch works is by basically prying up on the rear and forcing the front down. This bent his hitch and rear bumber up into the back door. Not good. So if you do try it keep an eye out for the receiver twisting up into the bumper and then further. Heres another post with a guy that says no, but again, no definitive proof. Good Luck

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/91999-more-towing-weight-questions.html
 
Thanks for the replies, guys. I am not even sure I am going to need the WDH as this particular camper is a dual axle TT with only 263 lb. of tongue weight. However, the guy I bought it from threw in a very expensive WDH with integrated sway control so I thought I may as well use it if I got it. I wanted sway control at a minimum. All four wheels on the trailer have electric brakes, too.

Does anyone out there actually use a WDH that could report on it?
 
Shooter33 said:
Thanks for the replies, guys. I am not even sure I am going to need the WDH as this particular camper is a dual axle TT with only 263 lb. of tongue weight. However, the guy I bought it from threw in a very expensive WDH with integrated sway control so I thought I may as well use it if I got it. I wanted sway control at a minimum. All four wheels on the trailer have electric brakes, too.

Does anyone out there actually use a WDH that could report on it?
Click to expand...

Not an expert but had a recent experience in a situation like yours with my 4th Gen.
You are going to need the WDH. See my comments in this thread: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/79413-trailer-hitch-question.html#post802012
I hooked up a WD hitch on a weight carrying receiver but didn't snug the bars up completely (lightly loaded the bars.) This was a borrowed setup so I wasn't going to upgrade my receiver.
Bottom line if I were in your situation is since you are purchasing the trailer, and it's coming with a good WD hitch setup, then you should get a WD receiver (frame mounted) to take full advantage of loading up the bars correctly to keep weight loaded on your front steering. Avoid potential long-term damage of twisting up a frame cross member. Relatively small investment versus the expensive risks.
Tow safe. Hope others chime in.
 
Kmvreter said:
Not an expert but had a recent experience in a situation like yours with my 4th Gen.
You are going to need the WDH. See my comments in this thread: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/79413-trailer-hitch-question.html#post802012
I hooked up a WD hitch on a weight carrying receiver but didn't snug the bars up completely (lightly loaded the bars.) This was a borrowed setup so I wasn't going to upgrade my receiver.
Bottom line if I were in your situation is since you are purchasing the trailer, and it's coming with a good WD hitch setup, then you should get a WD receiver (frame mounted) to take full advantage of loading up the bars correctly to keep weight loaded on your front steering. Avoid potential long-term damage of twisting up a frame cross member. Relatively small investment versus the expensive risks.
Tow safe. Hope others chime in.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I'm taking it in this weekend to have the hitch professionally installed as I don't want to make any mistakes doing it myself. They are also going to adjust my brake controller as well.

Regarding installing a frame mounted hitch...isn't the 4R hitch a Class IV type and already bolted to the frame? I guess I haven't spent much time inspecting it. I did a quick search and couldn't even find an aftermarket hitch for the 4runner.
 
Shooter33 said:
Thanks for the advice. I'm taking it in this weekend to have the hitch professionally installed as I don't want to make any mistakes doing it myself. They are also going to adjust my brake controller as well.

Regarding installing a frame mounted hitch...isn't the 4R hitch a Class IV type and already bolted to the frame? I guess I haven't spent much time inspecting it. I did a quick search and couldn't even find an aftermarket hitch for the 4runner.
Click to expand...

Pardon my confusion with this response.
You say you are getting the hitch installed but later you say "the 4R hitch a Class IV type and already bolted to the frame?" Do you already have a 2" receiver on the truck?

There is another thread discussing the 5th Gen hitch (sorry, I don't have the link.) That's why I hope others chime in.

Glad you're getting a professional install. Make sure it is a frame mounted WD hitch.
Post some pics when you're done.
 
Nobody makes a frame mounted W/D hitch for the 5 th Gen yet. The factory hitch bolts to the rear crossmember, but not the frame like a true W/D setup would.
 
Antman said:
Nobody makes a frame mounted W/D hitch for the 5 th Gen yet. The factory hitch bolts to the rear crossmember, but not the frame like a true W/D setup would.
Click to expand...

I looked at it over at lunch. Antman is correct. Also, note that the crossmember to which the hitch is bolted to appears to made of the same fully-boxed cross-section material as the actual frame rails. This piece is welded (quite well, I might add) to the frame.

Now, I'm certainly not a hitch expert, but being an engineer myself, the structural integrity of this set-up seems stronger than any "tubular-style" hitch that bolts to frame rails. This might explain why there are no aftermarket hitches available for the 4R. There is no need seeing that this hitch is already fully capable of handling the 5000 lb max tow rating. I might be wrong (wouldn't be the first time), but it seems logical.
 
I agree with you, that crossmember is a pretty stout piece, and I think you would play he!! to bend that piece. I think the real issue is that the hitch setup lacks the long "arms" that attach to the framerails. These are necessary to leverage some of that weight towards the front of the vehicle. I am not an expert either ( nor am I an engineer!). Just my .02 :)
I hope someone developes a true W/D setup, as there appears to be a need for it judged by all the threads we see here about towing!
 
Well, seeing that I've already taken the plunge and the new camper is sitting in my driveway begging to be used, I'm going to go ahead and have the WDH installed along with sway control and a brake controller. I'll take some short trips to get the feel of how the whole system works and report back.

I have been towing a rather heavy pop-up (just under #4000 loaded) since I bought the truck new last year. I pull it with no WDH, sway, or even trailer brakes and she rides beautifully. But I know things will be different with the new TT as it is not only a little heavier, but will create a significant increase in wind resistance. Slow and steady.
 
My experience with the WDH

So, after much debate, I went ahead with the WDH install. And I am glad I did. It makes an ENOURMOUS difference in how this truck tows. My travel trailer was fully loaded and weighed roughly 4500# (this includes my occupants, too). I pulled the camper across three states for a round trip of about 600 miles. It pulled much better than anticipated. It was mostly flat terrain (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio). I averaged about 12.5 MPG....better than I thought. It never came close to heating up, either. This was in 90 degree heat, too. Note that I did install an aftermarket tranny cooler, and I have a Prodigy P2 brake controller. Not sure that I really needed the cooler, but I slept better knowing I had one. I averaged about 65-70 MPH the entire distance. Kept it in 4th gear at those speeds and the engine stayed at about 2800 RPM. All in all, I am completely satisfied with this truck's capabilities. Toyota says it can safely pull 5000#. Believe it. If you are one to believe in the 80% rule, even better. Your truck will last a LONG time. I love this truck more and more everyday. It does everything I ask of it. The best thing is the 19-20 MPG I get around town while I'm not towing anything. My buddies with full-size pickups can't even come close to that.
 
I used a WDH with a big trailer years ago with a Chevy Suburban.
It really did make a huge improvement.

Still can't figure out how it did it's magic.
 
Shooter33 said:
So, after much debate, I went ahead with the WDH install. And I am glad I did. It makes an ENOURMOUS difference in how this truck tows. My travel trailer was fully loaded and weighed roughly 4500# (this includes my occupants, too). I pulled the camper across three states for a round trip of about 600 miles. It pulled much better than anticipated. It was mostly flat terrain (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio). I averaged about 12.5 MPG....better than I thought. It never came close to heating up, either. This was in 90 degree heat, too. Note that I did install an aftermarket tranny cooler, and I have a Prodigy P2 brake controller. Not sure that I really needed the cooler, but I slept better knowing I had one. I averaged about 65-70 MPH the entire distance. Kept it in 4th gear at those speeds and the engine stayed at about 2800 RPM. All in all, I am completely satisfied with this truck's capabilities. Toyota says it can safely pull 5000#. Believe it. If you are one to believe in the 80% rule, even better. Your truck will last a LONG time. I love this truck more and more everyday. It does everything I ask of it. The best thing is the 19-20 MPG I get around town while I'm not towing anything. My buddies with full-size pickups can't even come close to that.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for information, makes me to love this car even more!:driving: :thanks:
I just love this forum!!!!!!:keyboard: :party:
 
Shooter33 said:
So, after much debate, I went ahead with the WDH install. And I am glad I did. It makes an ENOURMOUS difference in how this truck tows. My travel trailer was fully loaded and weighed roughly 4500# (this includes my occupants, too). I pulled the camper across three states for a round trip of about 600 miles. It pulled much better than anticipated. It was mostly flat terrain (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio). I averaged about 12.5 MPG....better than I thought. It never came close to heating up, either. This was in 90 degree heat, too. Note that I did install an aftermarket tranny cooler, and I have a Prodigy P2 brake controller. Not sure that I really needed the cooler, but I slept better knowing I had one. I averaged about 65-70 MPH the entire distance. Kept it in 4th gear at those speeds and the engine stayed at about 2800 RPM. All in all, I am completely satisfied with this truck's capabilities. Toyota says it can safely pull 5000#. Believe it. If you are one to believe in the 80% rule, even better. Your truck will last a LONG time. I love this truck more and more everyday. It does everything I ask of it. The best thing is the 19-20 MPG I get around town while I'm not towing anything. My buddies with full-size pickups can't even come close to that.
Click to expand...
Thanks for reporting back. Good to know that it handles well and yes, the tranny cooler is ALWAYS a good idea when towing. :thumb3:
 
@Shooter. Interesting. Thanks for the follow-up report. There's been a fair amount of interest in towing here, perhaps you'd expand what you did with some pics, brands, and so forth.
 
Good to hear your satisfaction with your hitch. I also have a travel trailer that i am about to pull. I have the same set up as you without the tranny cooler (havent had time). Our journy will be from Olympia, WA to Yuma, AZ. with a newborn. I am releaved to hear your results! our trailer is 4200 pounds empty and will be very close to 5k when loaded w/o water.
 
Franzmann said:
Good to hear your satisfaction with your hitch. I also have a travel trailer that i am about to pull. I have the same set up as you without the tranny cooler (havent had time). Our journy will be from Olympia, WA to Yuma, AZ. with a newborn. I am releaved to hear your results! our trailer is 4200 pounds empty and will be very close to 5k when loaded w/o water.
Click to expand...

Just take it slow and easy. There were times when I caught myself getting too comfortable and finding myself passing more people than I should have been. I've spent many years on a motorcycle, too, and as a result, I instinctively drive defensively. I recommend doing the same when towing.

As far as the equipment I used, I don't have any pictures handy. However, the WDH is a Reese Pro Series with built in friction sway control. I'm sure any good hitch will do. Even though I pride myself in DIY projects, I'd recommend having it professionally installed. It's not that it's hard to do, but I felt better having someone who does it for a living install it. Mine only costed me another $40 and I learned a few things from the installer....who does dozens of them a week.

The tranny cooler I installed was a B&M SuperCooler with the built-in thermostat (since we have cold winters here in Michigan). That was a piece of cake.

Hope that helps.
 
Great trip report and thanks for being one of many guinea pigs on this forum. I was hesitant to use my WDH system, which I got with my trailer when I had a mini van a few months ago. Btw, I did do a test fit and run but was too chicken to actual take it camping with WDH setup. I ended up using Airlift airbags and a ball mount with sway control. Worked great! Only downside was having to inflate and deflate the airbags.
 
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