Tri-toon Trailer - Weight Distribution Hitch System?

jayd

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Does anyone use a weight distribution hitch system for towing their boat? I see these hitches used a lot with campers, but have rarely seen them on boat trailers.

I'm considering adding one to our boat trailer, since the tow weight for the trailer & boat will be close to the towing capacity of our vehicle. It's a unibody SUV with a 5,000 lb towing package upgrade from the factory. We have a 22' tri-toon Bennington with a Hoosier brand trailer. Both are built very sturdy, and consequently, are probably heavier than other brands of boats and trailer. I'm estimating 4,500 to 5,000 lbs total when towing.
 
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Does anyone use a weight distribution hitch system for towing their boat? I see these hitches used a lot with campers, but have rarely seen them on boat trailers.

I'm considering adding one to our boat trailer, since the tow weight for the trailer & boat will be close to the towing capacity of our vehicle. It's a unibody SUV with a 5,000 towing package upgrade from the factory. We have a 22' tri-toon Bennington with a Hoosier brand trailer. Both are built very sturdy, and consequently, are probably heavier than other brands of boats and trailer. I'm estimating 4,500 to 5,000 lbs total when towing.
I’ve thought about this too. Just because your vehicle says it “can” tow say 5,000 lbs you may be over loaded at 4500 lbs. You also need to look at payload. That can be more important (I’m new to pulling but watched lots of YouTube videos on this as I have a camper and now the boat).

I will just assume you have determined it is “safe” to pull with your vehicle then I think if you are pulling over distance regularly it would be a good investment. In MN and the Dakotas here there is always wind (or when passing semi’s) the sway control would be helpful. I ended up getting a Curt Rebellion XD hitch so at least every bump doesn’t get transmitted back to the truck. The only drawback is the hitch hangs low. They also make just a cushion ball. Keep us posted on what you decide and how things go. I’ll be looking forward to more expert opinions here. Happy boating!
 
Tow capacity is also affected by tongue weight. You may have a 5000# tow but 300# tongue weight. Can make a big difference in towing ability. Also, remember the weights spec’d are empty. Add batteries, gear, fuel, etc. and you may easily surpass the 5000# you think you are at. Also, many “unibodies” don’t recommend WD hitches as theres no “frame” to transfer the load. I’d recommend finding a proper tow vehicle.
 
We have a g23 and a 2016 sequoia, I wouldn't want to pull it with anything less, unless we have the whole crew going we tow with my f350, you should also factor in the amount of wind drag these boats have, it's massive and will milk the life out of under size and under powered vehicles, just a thought,
 
Does anyone use a weight distribution hitch system for towing their boat? I see these hitches used a lot with campers, but have rarely seen them on boat trailers.

I'm considering adding one to our boat trailer, since the tow weight for the trailer & boat will be close to the towing capacity of our vehicle. It's a unibody SUV with a 5,000 lb towing package upgrade from the factory. We have a 22' tri-toon Bennington with a Hoosier brand trailer. Both are built very sturdy, and consequently, are probably heavier than other brands of boats and trailer. I'm estimating 4,500 to 5,000 lbs total when towing.
The weight distribution hitch system I use for the 7K Toy Hauler (9K once loaded) is AMAZING, greatly reducing sway, affects of wind, and leveling out my SUV/Trailer stance by a significant amount (almost 900 lbs on my tongue). As noted, this does NOT increase towing capacity, it just makes it safer, more manageable. NOTE - I do have to pull my sway bars off when I am backing into my driveway which has a steep incline.
 
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