Need trailer hitch advice schooling

Everyone seems to have an opinion on this. I bent both axles on a 7000 lb trailer pulling 8000 pounds (a Case 401, 6200 lb plus 1500 lb trailer) last summer thinking I could get away with it. Well so much for over-engineering. Sure, pickups ARE over-engineered, but most of the trailers I've been around ARE NOT! If you're having a 10,000 pound trailer built, don't screw around, get a 10,000 pound equalizer hitch, relax, and have a safe trip....Is the 5,000 lb factory hitch adequate? Take a look at yours, then go look at a 10,000 lb hitch and use your own judgement. I was so impressed with my factory hitch that I gave it away.

You'll probably end up with a heavier tractor at some point, anyway.....so why not be set up for 10,000?

I'm sorry, I'm going to have to preach a bit here. I was a professional driver for many years. I've had a lot of close calls. Driving is the most dangerous thing most of us will ever do. Cutting corners on your equipment setup is nothing less than Russian Roulette...

...sorry if I've offended anyone.

Larry

I think you will be fine with your hitch and a weight distributing system. Make sure that your ball and the ball mount are both as heavy as you can get. Trailer hitches if properly made are an over-engineered kind of thing. They might have 5k stamped on them, but that is a pessimistic figure. They will really stand up to a whole lot more.

For example one time I had myself in a real tight spot and had to pull a 6000+lb travel trailer with a full size Chevy Blazer that had a rusted up old class three hitch on it.

That hitch held up like a trooper not only for that job but several other heavy jobs as the years passed.

I think the set up you have with minor tweaks will work just fine.

• Hobby farm

You should probably replace the receiver on your truck with something heavier, even if you use a weight distributing hitch. An H will be close to 4000lbs dry. Any weights, calcium chloride solution in the tires, implements or attachments will add to that weight. The trailer will be 2500-3000lbs on its own. Most likely you will be OVER the 5000lb limit of your trailer and the 6000lb limit of your ball and drawbar.

Sounds like you have a factory hitch. You want too much capacity, not too little. Get a 10000# hitch, get an equalizer, a 10000# slide tube, brakes on both axles, and balance your load to get a reasonable tongue weight when you load up. Most trailer sway is from having the weight too far forward or too far back on the trailer.

I don't know what an H weighs but your trailer empty weight will be around 2000# or more.

Larry

Gordo