Do I need a WDH for 2700-3000lb boat?

Have a 3rd gen tacoma with a 6400 tow capacity. Do I need a WDH? Some people have told me if I unload the boat off the trailer I could potentially lift my truck too high. The trailer itself is only 1000 lbs.

 

My trailer weighs about 3000 pounds and the wdh makes towing alot more enjoyable. Not sure about it lifting the rear of the truck with the boat in the water but even if it does I can't imagine it would be enough to hurt anything.

 

Thanks, in my head it doesn't make sense that i would lift the truck that much. It's all leverage right? So if the boat is off the trailer there isn't any leverage pushing the bars up on the truck.

Question, how big of a pain is it to hitch and unhitch?

 

The way I understand it in my head is that it just ties everything together. It doesn't necessarily lift the rear of your truck. Once you get the chain length set and stuff it probably only adds a couple minutes to hooking up. It's pretty simple to do. I set my whole system up with the sway bar and everything in about a hour. That was with drilling into my trailer frame to mount the sway bar ball.

 

You don’t “need” a wdh for 2700 to 3000lbs. I pull a 3500lb boat/trailer with my mostly stock 2009 v6 double cab 4x4 and I have no problems. It tows great. The only suspension upgrade is new 4600 bilstein heavy duty shocks and new leaf springs. Wdh might provide some benefit but it’s not an absolute necessity. So if you absolutely want a wdh go for it but I think for 3000 lbs the difference you’ll see will be minimal.

 

Tbh, I've never used a wdh in my life.

 

Do you guys have any issues swaying? like in rain or high winds? Or passing/getting passed by semis?

 

Generally with boats you have no such problems. Wind and weather affect things like travel trailers much more because the the larger surface area and the lack of aerodynamics. Things like travel trailers are kind of like big sails which catches the wind. Also as far as sway be sure that your trailer has “trailer” tires and not automobile tires. Trailer tires have stiff sidewalls to help prevent trailer sway.

 

Thanks, I guess I might've been worrying too much. I've been towing this boat for a while and haven't had any sway issues yet (crossing my fingers). I was worried that towing cross country could introduce more extreme conditions but I bet 95% of the time it's just like anywhere else in California. I recently switched my tires from china bombs to Goodyear endurances so i'm good on that front. Just need to install electric brakes and i'm good to go.

 

Towing cross country the thing you have to watch is your speed. Unlike California where the speed limit while towing in 55 mph, other states it’s what ever the posted limit is. The speed max for most trailer tires is 60mph. Exceeding that speed will heat the tires excessively and can cause failure/blow out. Check the max speed rating on your trailer tires. One last thing be sure to run your trailer tires at the max inflation as they are meant to be run. Under inflated trailer tires are the number one reason for failure.

 

Thanks, luckily i changed to goodyear endurances which are rated for 81 mph, but fuckkkkk that I ain't gonna go that fast. 60-65 tops.

 

You shouldn't ever really need a WDH to tow a boat, unless it's maybe the Queen Mary. WDH is for loads where you can't distribute the weight on the trailer and have a high tongue weight; about 70% of most pleasure and bass boat's weight is in the aft 4 feet, where the engine and fuel tanks are. You adjust the beds and bow post on the trailer so that when the boat is loaded and secured, you get around 150-200 pounds of tongue weight. If you get swaying on the road in the absence of wind, readjust and add a bit more tongue weight. There's not much you can do when it sways when a truck passes, except to be ready for it.

I can't imagine a circumstance where unloading a boat (launching) would lift the front of the trailer and rear of the truck. A proper launch is to float the rear of the boat and it just slides off the beds. The opposite is also true when loading it, drive the boat onto the trailer, the bow should slide onto the beds/rollers to within a few inches of the bow post, you clip it to the winch and pull it the rest of the way. No change in tongue weight at all, really. How big a pain to hitch and unhitch? Well, you don't need the WDH, so no more than hitching or unhitching any other trailer.

I've owned three boats in the past, had six of the happiest days in a boat owner's life. Last boat was a 23 foot with a cuddy cabin, big V8 and stern drive, and I pulled it with a first gen Ford Explorer (1991). Never came close to needing a WDH, but did need a better transmission, lol.