M758

If the rear end sags on the sport trac then you need a weight distribtuing hitch. It is very likely that the rear end will sag. Most mid-size SUV's will sag with an open car trailer. Most full size trucks have enough rear springs to get away without it. Rear end sag is a result of too much tongue load. In some cases playing around with where the sits can help, but you need to proper balance the trailer too an it may then cause you to have just a bit too much tongue load for the truck (about 10% of the total trailer should be on the hitch). Remember this will be worse if you load stuff in the bed. So the answer is a weight distributing hitch as it will put more weight on the nose of the truck and less on the rear axle. I'd bet if you rear the manual the 6900lbs rating is with weight distributing hitch. Too little weight on the front wheels will allow them to lock up (or activate ABS) easily under hard braking and greatly increase stopping distances. Reason is simple as you just are not getting enough weight transfer to the front wheels.

BTW... I don't use one on my dodge, but a 2500 dodge is such overkill for an open trailer I can get away with with it. It has 10,000 tow rating and 1,000 lbs on hitch (wt distrubuting) then there is that 3300 lbs payload. If I towed and enclosed box I would get weight distributing hitch to ensure balance.

bbh03

Gavin's Auto Body Supplies. It's right at the intersection of Rt 20 and 33rd street.

Gary R.

I'll defer that to people here that tow with light vehicles but again, if it were me I would install one of these combination weight distribution/cam sway control systems and never look back.. I have a heavier one for pulling my 24' enclosed and I can't feel it even in windy conditions..

http://www.reese-hitches.com/WD/dt_strait_line.html

Jimbo951

Z,

Is there a spare tire for the trailer? I don't see it in the pictures.

JPhillips-998

How long is the trailer? You can mount some galvanized or black pipe vertically in front of the car and bolt them to the trailer. Put your tires/wheels over the pipe and tie them down. Saves a bunch of fuel economy over a vertical tire rack

Z-man

I have a spare for the trailer -- it's currently in my garage.

The trailer is 18 feet long, so I definately have some room to work with in getting a non-conventional tire rack solution.

-Z

AndyT

don't worry about the wood Z. if you do anything don;t paint it, seal it. Paint may be slippery when wet. Also I did the bearings and shackles on my open trailer but it was 10 years old. I think you just need to do a service. My ATC is up at Perfromace now. Andy

lwilkins

"2. Any ideas on how long the wheel bearings last on such trailers?"

If you just bought a new trailer, I'd say two years. If your trailer is used, I'd say, repack them now, and every two years thereafter.

My personal experience on this is from not doing so. My trailer stranded me for a full day enroute from Dallas to Road America, about 150 miles from any city. The wheel bearing wear was so great that I had to get a new axle before I could proceed.

Wheel bearings are things that are easy to overlook or take for granted, since they don't get much use. I won't make that mistake again.

Good decision on buying a trailer, and on seeking advice. Best wishes.

LiveNupe

This isn't a great picture to illustrate how I mounted a spare set of wheels/tires to my trailer, but if you look closely, you can see 4 wheels for the car + 1 spare for the trailer stacked vertically on top of the A arm of my trailer. I'll try to take some better pictures over the weekend and post them for you.

LiveNupe

My trailer, car, and gear weigh approx 6,200 pounds. I have two tow vehicles that I use that are both rated at 6,500 lbs and I don't use a weight distribution hitch and never felt as though I needed one. My longest tows were between Dallas and LA (3 times). Up hill, down hill, cross winds, etc, and it's been fine. That being said, I've only been towing for a couple of years. The guys with more experience may have a different opinion.