The single biggest thing to consider when pulling a travel trailer (I live in one for most of the year, and tow it all over the country) is what you are carrying in the trailer as well as what you are carrying in the truck. Look at your total load capacity. If you exceed this, you'll lose transmission life. Period. Most vehicles will pull well over the rating. This doesn't mean you aren't causing damage that you can't see. If pulling a bumper pull trailer, a quality weight distribution hitch is a must. This will increase the life of your tranny immensely. It also makes it MUCH safer to pull the trailer. Sway bars aren't a bad idea either. However, a good weight distribution hitch has built in sway control. Don't go cheap on this, as it's probably one of the most important things you can buy. I see trailers on their sides on the interstate at least every second or third time that I travel. Most of the time, this is a half ton truck pulling a heavy trailer. If they had simply used a weight distribution and sway control, this probably wouldn't have happened. When the trailer begins to sway, it pushes the opposite direction on the frame of the tow vehicle. If you overcorrect, the sway just gets worse.

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Posted by rattlebucket

SELA

Member since Feb 2009

11555 posts

Posted on 8/15/13 at 8:05 am to BayouBrawl

quote:
: BayouBrawl

Thanks for advice. Just trying to get learned before I get the family going down the road. Looks like I've got an investment to make in the vehicle first then buy a trailer that'll fit it.

Good stuff here OB

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Posted by tehmidget

Prairieville, LA

Member since May 2004

1243 posts

Posted on 8/15/13 at 10:02 am to BayouBrawl

quote:
The single biggest thing to consider when pulling a travel trailer (I live in one for most of the year, and tow it all over the country) is what you are carrying in the trailer as well as what you are carrying in the truck. Look at your total load capacity. If you exceed this, you'll lose transmission life. Period. Most vehicles will pull well over the rating. This doesn't mean you aren't causing damage that you can't see. If pulling a bumper pull trailer, a quality weight distribution hitch is a must. This will increase the life of your tranny immensely. It also makes it MUCH safer to pull the trailer. Sway bars aren't a bad idea either. However, a good weight distribution hitch has built in sway control. Don't go cheap on this, as it's probably one of the most important things you can buy. I see trailers on their sides on the interstate at least every second or third time that I travel. Most of the time, this is a half ton truck pulling a heavy trailer. If they had simply used a weight distribution and sway control, this probably wouldn't have happened. When the trailer begins to sway, it pushes the opposite direction on the frame of the tow vehicle. If you overcorrect, the sway just gets worse.

I was in here to post this. If you are towing near your limit you must use a WD hitch. That limit assumes you are using one. Once you tow with one you will never go back to a standard hitch on a heavy load.

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