I have a '04 SCREW 4x4 with the 3:73 gears, 5.4L V8, 18" wheels. It has the factory installed towing kit. I have a hitch with 2" ball that is rated for 6000lb.

I'm going to be towing a 2000lb open trail (24' nose to rear) with a 3200lb car. At this time I'm not hauling any extra tires, just a some tools, so maybe another 100lbs of gear in the bed of the truck. I figure with the trailer, car, 2 people in the truck and some extra gear, it's no more than 5800lb in all.

I put the car on the trailer and hooked it up to the truck. Putting the car as far back I was comfortable, the rear of the truck drops 4 inches.

Should I be getting a weight distribution hitch? It doesn't hurt I suppose, but I'm not sure if I "need" it.

The sticker on the hitch unit says: 990lb weight distributing max tongue weight and a 500lb weight carrying max tongue weight.

Brake controller is on the way.

 

I think a WD hitch is a must for that much weight.

 

Yea def. get a weight distributing kit or atleast get a hitch with swaybar chains. It saved us with our 24ft trailer coming through the Mtns and construction back from Jersey shore to Ohio.

 

You'll be fine. I pull a 20' open trailer with a large aluminum box on the front with about 600 lbs or so stuff in there. This is with a car that weighs 3,200 lbs on the trailer and eonugh crap for a race weekend in the bed. Guess around 6,800 lbs total. I practically live in Atlanta, so as soon as i get on the interstate I am in a whole lot of traffic. Hanldes the weight with ease, no sway or weight distributing hitch and never ever thought I needed one. I have a Prodigy brake controller and it stops towing better than when empty. This is with a 2003 Regular cab FX4 with 3.55s , so yours should do a lot better, although my truck does not sag much at all when loaded, sits nice and level.

 

If the rear of your truck drops 4 inches, you NEED a weight distributing hitch.

 

Do the Lariats sit higher than the FX4?

Moving the car back another inch or two should help bring the truck up a little more.

If I buy a drop hitch, will that even matter? My hitch now only drops about 1".

 

Sorry to be OT, but does the trailer really call for a 2" ball? I would have imagined a 2 5/16" ball for that thing.

 

I pull the my 4500lb tractor (plus god knows what for extra gear) on the flatbed trailer so the back of the truck is just under level and go. Your truck is set up better for this than mine so you should do better.

Get a brake controller for sure, and it might be a good idea to pick up a WD hitch if you plan on doing it often, but for my 6 yearly runs I get along fine without it.

If your trailer only has a 2" ball it may be too light for what you are doing, might check out what it rated for as well. You can not use a 2" ball in a 2-5/16" hitch if you are thinking of trying it, or haven't noticed what the trailer calls for.

 

If you move the car back, don't let the tongue weight get any less than 10%.

The correct drop is what will make the trailer appear totally level when hooked up, not tilting up or down.

 

I installed the Prodigy brake controller today. It sure makes a difference in the stopping power.

The trailer is set-up for a 2" ball. The ball and mount is rated for 6,000 lb. Total trailer weight will probably be around 5200lb.

I'm going to get a WD hitch w/ sway control on Thursday. The guy I bought the trailer from said he never had problem with sway, but it never hurts to have it.

I'll be taking a 9-10 hour trip later this summer with the trailer, so this is the trip I'm worried about.

Thanks for the input.

 

What is the trailer itself rated for? The one I pull has two 3500 axles so it can haul 7k counting the trailer itself, and it has a 2-5/16" ball on it.

 

The trailer is rated for 7000lb. It has two 3500lb axles.

The guy I bought it from was using a 2" ball. When I go to get the WD hitch from the RV place on Thursday, I can check then to make sure all is matching up.

 

I have tow package on 01 lariat with the 5.4. As most as it has ever went down is level.

 

I'm assuming an empty truck is level, although one could argue the Lariat rides higher in back than front, so maybe it's a matter of semantics.

My base measuring point was 23" above ground (to about the plastic covering on the rear bumper). With the loaded trailer the measurement to the same location was 19". The trailer is maybe slightly low at the tongue (a couple of inches), but I'm more concerned about how much the truck squats.

Considering this I may find the WD hitch does vary little to raise the truck or trailer.

I've towed the 12' Uhaul covered trailers with my truck squatting more than with this loaded open trailer, and I've never observed any issues, but now I'm towing an expensive car, so it's better to play it safe.

 

I tow with an 04 Screw Lariat. 33'-11" tip to tail, 8500# weight with 1200# tongue weight. I use a 12,000# Equal-i-zer hitch with 1200# bars and Prodigy controller. The truck and trailer sit dead level. Without the bars hooked up, I set the truck on the bumpstops. Get the WD hitch. I don't know how much you are going to spend but I suggest going to RVwholesalers.com and getting an Equal-i-zer for $399. Sway control is built in and the hitch is awesome! Get an 8000# hitch with 800# bars and you'll be good to go. I usually tow between 60-70 MPH. 63MPH with OD locked out is the sweet spot for the truck. Great power and decent fuel economy.