Weight-Distributing Trailer Hitch for R-25

[Favunclerich]

I'm shopping for a new tow vehicle now and plan to buy an R-25 later this year or early next. I plan to use it for several extended trips. I’d like to get a Chevrolet Suburban. The owner's manual says that, with the trailering option package, it will tow 9100 lbs, but only with a weight-distributing hitch. With a weight-carrying hitch, the maximum tongue weight is 600 lbs and the maximum trailer weight is 5100 lbs. This clearly won’t work with an R-25.

The Suburban owner’s manual also states that safe towing requires a tongue weight of 10% - 15% of the combined boat and trailer weight. If I estimate 9000 pounds for the boat and trailer combined, I’d need to position the boat on the trailer for a tongue weight of 900 – 1350 lbs. in order to be in the safe 10 – 15% range.

I’ve been told that most trailers for boats similar to an R-25 have surge brakes that are better than electric brakes when they are dipped into salt water, but are incompatible with most weight-distributing hitches because the springs mechanically “short out” the trailer surge brake actuator. I’ve also found an adapter bracket that will bolt to the trailer to allow a weight distributing hitch to be installed, but it’s steel and I’m concerned about the corrosion that would result from attaching steel to an aluminum trailer.

As an alternative tow vehicle, I’d consider a Silverado 2500 pickup. The owner’s manual says that it will pull 11,000 lbs with 1100 lbs tongue weight maximum using a weight carrying hitch. This should work just fine with the boat positioned on the trailer properly.

I'd rather have the Suburban than the pickup, but only if I can find a weight-distributing hitch that will work on an aluminum trailer with surge brakes. Can you help? Do all R-25 trailers have surge brakes? Can you recommend a weight-distributing hitch that works well? Are there any such hitches also available with sway-control? Thanx.

Rich Odendahl
rich@odendahls.com

 

[pauley]

I use a 08 F-350 diesel duley for the long trips or a 65 D-200 Power Wagon for short trips , just about any 3/4 ton or bigger will get the job done some will just get it done better than outhers. The more important thing about the truck is ,how do you engauge the 4 wheel drive for steep or wet boat ramps.

 

[j&lgray]

We pull our Ranger 25 alot and have been satisfied with the surge brakes though I have heard good things about the electric over hydraulic brakes for very long hauls. One piece of information that is not included in your narrative is the difference in tongue weight between single and double axle trailers. The Ranger 25 is definitely a double axle trailer and these trailers do not fit the standard percentage ratios. They take less weight: 10% is pretty standard. You definitely want a rust resistant trailer. Also, 4 wheel drive is highly recommended for those steep or slimly ramps.

Many of the 3/4 ton trucks on the market came with a trailer towing package as standard and that included a weight distributing hitch, oil and transmission coolers and a better rear-end gear ratio.

 

[wynn 'n anniedear]

We chose the electrically operated 4 wheel disc hydraulic brakes and are very happy. We tow our R25 with a 2007 Escalade with the tow package.

 

[RICH002]

Hey,
Equalizer makes a weight distruting hitch with sway control that works with surge brakes. It uses plastic pads under the control arms so the surge brakes can slide. We have been using this hitch on RT Tug for a year and really like the additional sway control. We are towing our R25 with a 09 extended length ford expedition with the 5.4 and heavy duty towing package. Terry and i tow on pretty flat ground up and down the gulf coast.

Rich

 

[Spirit of Gratitude]

I towed my old boat which was around 10,000 pounds total and will tow the new Ranger 29 That will be around 12,500 pounds total with the same truck.
I have a 2005 3/4 ton Dodge turbo diesel. I cannot tell you how very happy I have been with the truck. It is truly the best truck I have ever had. When towing the old boat (10,000 pounds) I truly would have to look in the mirror to see if it was still back there. I live in the Colorado mountains and I would be able to be going up a steep pass, and if I was doing 50mph and I wanted to do 65mph then the truck would just exhilarate right up the hill. The truck already has all the heavy duty tow package standard.
I made about $1000.00 worth of changes. I added the superchip,cool air intake,and a intake elbow. The chip makes the truck way more powerful horse power and torch, and the air intake and elbow, allows more air flow. I was able to make all the upgrades myself in less then a hour.
When I am not towing I have the truck set in the performance settings. I get 26 to 29 mpg on the highway. When towing I get 20 to 22 mpg. If I am pulling a grade it could drop to 14 to 16 mpg. I have friends that have the fords or duramax diesel trucks they will get the job done also but there fuel bill is way higher.
When I got my other boat that was 10,000 pounds I first was towing it with a 3/4 ton chevy sub, Gas. It did ok but it would really work on the hills. I finely got the dodge and I will never tow with anything else again.
Now I am sure that I will know that the new ranger 29 is behind me because we are talking about a extra 2500 pounds then what I am accustom to. But it is still less weight then what the truck is rated for. I have friends with the same set up and tow more weight then me. Backhoes and big trailers and stuff like that. They have no problem at all.
Now if you are even remotely thinking of a dodge truck I would have to say that the best years for the dodge in my opinion is the 05 to 06. The new dodge with the 6.7(i think) is loaded down with way more smog crap and they do not do as well as the 5.9's. You may want to ask Andrew about it for ranger has a 06 and 08 dodge and he swears up and down the 06 pulls even better then the 08.
I was just talking with my buddy who owns a truck performance shop. He is the reason I bought my 05 dodge .
He traded his 05 dodge in for a one ton dodge with the bigger 6.7. He said now after a year he wants his 05 back. His new dodge tows fine but that 05 was a animal and did way better. Reason being, all the crap they added on to the new trucks.
I know a truck is not as plush as the suburban but if you really want to get the job done then a truck is the way to go in my opinion. If you do go with the suburban then look at diesel as a option. But if you want the power and the best fuel economy then you know what I think.
If you go with a dodge truck then you will be all set for when you upgrade to a 29 someday, and you know you will.
I will be towing our 29 all around the Colorado mountains, four corners, to southern California, and Mexico. I will be reporting on my towing experiences as we have them.
And that's all I got to say about that!
Stuart Spirit of Gratitude, Ranger 29

 

[Favunclerich]

Hey,
Equalizer makes a weight distruting hitch with sway control that works with surge brakes. It uses plastic pads under the control arms so the surge brakes can slide. We have been using this hitch on RT Tug for a year and really like the additional sway control. We are towing our R25 with a 09 extended length ford expedition with the 5.4 and heavy duty towing package. Terry and i tow on pretty flat ground up and down the gulf coast.

Rich

Rich,

Thanx. I had never heard of Equalizer hitches, but I've reviewed the technical information at http://www.equalizerhitch.com/productin ... ontrol.php and it looks like the perfect solution to the problem. Just a couple more questions;

What brand trailer do you have? Is it steel or aluminum?

Which model hitch did you buy? They have one for 10,000 lbs, 12,000 lbs and 14,000 lbs.

It looks like they also have different kinds of brackets to attach the weight-distribution springs to the trailer. Can you describe what you have, or take a couple of pictures and post them or send them to me?

Thanx for all the responses so quickly. You Tugnutters are all right.

Rich Odendahl
rich@odendahls.com

 

[Grumpy]

If you will permit a comment from "the Dark side" 🙂
We tow a Rosborough with a triple axle trailer using the equalizer and Electric over Hydraulic brakes and a Chevy 2500HD Diesel with Allison Transmission, and that is a very happy combination which we have towed from Whidbey to Port MacNeill more than once with no problems at all.
The 4wd "Low" setting is great as you can just idle up the ramp while the Admiral yells at you if anything is wrong.

Definitely go for electric over hydraulic if you intend any long distance driving with significant downhill sections. Suge brakes will get very hot.

We use a digital laser thermometer to check the hub and tyre temps regularly and rarely notice any increase.

It's not so much the towing, it's the stopping in one piece when a Honda Civic stops dead in front of you 😱

Merv & Kathy

 

[Spirit of Gratitude]

You are right on merv when it comes to stopping. That is equally as important to power if not more. We also use the electric over hydraulic breaks which are wonderful. It sounds like you have a wonderful tow package also. It makes all the difference! 🙂

Stuart

 

[RICH002]

Our trailer is aluminum, the brand is "Float on", We went with the 10,000 lb hitch as the truck is rated for 9,300 lbs. we used the pole tounge adapter to connect the sway arms to the trailer. I did not install and set up myself. I had an equalizer dealer do it for me. The whole deal was about 900 dollars installed. I will take some pictures the next time we hitch it up and post. For the record with half fuel and water an empty waste tank and our normal amonut of stuff onboard our boat and trailer weigh 8300 lbs on a certified truck scale. This was required info for the Equalizer dealer to set the rig up correctly.
You are so right this site and the folks on it are fantastic! i have been helped time and again from the info available here.
Rich

 

[Spirit of Gratitude]

We also are going with a float-on Trailer for our 29. They are very well built and maid for the salt water use. But one of the main reasons is, the difference in weight. The float-on is 1300 pounds lighter than the EZ Loader trailer.
Here is the website if you want to check them out. http://www.floaton.com/index.html

One other thing to consider is your hubs. I do not like the oil bath hubs for the simple reason if you get a grain of sand in them and all the oil leaks out you are done. It is not a easy roadside repair. I like the kind you can grease. I also carry spare bearings with me in case we need to do a roadside repair.
I had to do this once a few years ago. Every time I drove by a concrete retaining wall I would here this noise. The noise was a bearing going bad and it would bounce of the wall as I drove by and the sound was amplified.
We pulled off in a big parking lot and that is where my wife taught me how to change a bearing. It truly was a first for me but she being a Aircraft mechanic had it covered. It was at this time I learned how darn easy it really was,Given you have some tools with you that make it simple.
Now even if you are not the type to take on such a task, knowing the warning signs of a bearing that is starting to fail is very important. The kind you grease will give you warnings. Every time we stop I always do a walk around. kick the tires and feel the hubs for heat. They should be relatively cool. If they are hot or even very warm then that is your first sign that a bearing is bad. At this point you want to get it repaired ASAP.
I also carry a torch wrench with me and every 500 miles I re-torch all the lug nuts on the wheels. After having new tires put on one time I had a tire come off. I had about 1000 miles on the new tires and coming home one day from the lake I felt a shimmy and it was gone. I was able to limp into a trailer repair place. It turns out that the guy that installed my new tires did not torch my lugs. I sense learned that it is a good idea to check the lugs on a regular basis for they can loosen up. The torch wrench cost me less then $50.00 and it takes me three min to do my check before any trip.
The tire store that installed my tires was in California and The tire fell off in Colorado where i live. I called them and they were on it. They sent me a new chrome wheel and tire the next day. Everyone make a mistake sometimes but My hat is off to them for owning up to it and doing the right thing.
It is also good to have a good hydraulic jack that will lift the trailer with ease. Test it out when you buy it and get a system down. That way if you are on the side of a busy highway needing to fix a flat,bearing or whatever, you are not trying to figure out proper placement of the jack when your nerves are already on edge.
Now for many people AAA is good enough and that is fine. We travel in Mexico and to other remote places and I do not want to be waiting on the side of a Mexican highway for someone to come help. I want to know how to do the basic stuff to keep me going.
I think if you tow a lot then sooner or later you will have a story to tell. Being as prepared as possible my give you a cooler story.

Stuart Spirit of Gratitude R-29

 

[Stella Maris]

Stuart makes some very valid points here. We have towed a number of boats all over this country. We have had three flats, and one bearing failure in that time. All four times we were prepared.

We ALWAYS carry:
A spare for the trailer
A hydraulic jack
A lug wrench that fits the trailer lugs (don't assume the one for your tow vehicle will work until you try it)
A grease gun to keep the bearings greased
Wheel chalks to block the wheels when you have to jack up the trailer (in most cases you will not be able to jack the trailer up with it still conected to the tow vehicle)
A piece of 2 x 12 to place under the jack in the event that you are on the side of the road in the dirt
Emergency road side flairs.

On Solitudes trailer, the spare was actually mounted on a new hub that could be used to replace any hub on the trailer. This was a King Trailer though. I am not sure that Float On or EZ Loader has this available.

 

[Grumpy]

On the subject of jacks:-

I have found it quite difficult (and heavy) to find a hydraulic jack capable of lifting a triple axle (no, not the Olympic kind) torque spring, trailer with fully loaded boat attached to truck. 😳 In addition there is much fiddling around, flat on your back in the mud with 18 wheelers whizzing past your toes.

Much simpler solution can be made by nailing sections of 2x6 wood together to form a progressive ramp that you can haul the trailer up (or push back) onto until the wheel in question is off the ground. Then place a simple adjustable garage stand as a safety net before you dive underneath.

You need to work a bit to get the slope right and should try it in your driveway first but it is a simple and cheap solution and you just throw it in the back of the truck. You can, of course buy the same thing.

Merv

 

[Spirit of Gratitude]

Good Idea Merv,
I would think that it would be good to have both. I do have to say that my hydraulic jack that cost $60.00 will lift 12 tons. It was very easy to find and works great on what I have used it for in the past. I have lifted one side of a 10.000lbs boat and two axle trailer with ease. I will report back on how it does on the new triple axle float-on trailer for I will be testing all this out while we are spending time getting to know the new baby in the Seattle area next month for three weeks, before hauling her back to Colorado for the summer.
I am going to go to work building what you suggest for another option. I like to have options.
It sure is great to have so many different perspectives to on these issues. I learn a lot from all of you, Thanks! 🙂
Stuart

 

[commander bill]

I have an F250 (single rear wheels) with 7.3 diesel. It tows LENABELL on my Easy Load trailer with no issues even with the steep mountains in east Tennessee. I had previously considered a load distributing hitch. However, I talked with a local trailer hitch installer before I drove down to coast to pick up my R25 and the installer tolsd me that I really did not need a load distributing hitch for what he called a "real 3/4 ton truck". I have even beel oout on road alone and tried to cause boat to sway and been unable to make it happen. But my truck weighs more than the boat. I would guess a dually would work even better. So far the surge brakes work OK & I have no complaints.