Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Air bag helpers, equilizer hitch or both?

2012 F-150 w/EcoBoost. Towing a camper (3300 lbs dry) and minimal load in the truck's bed.

Which upgrade would make the most sense?

We will be making a trek from South Dakota to Fairbanks in April, so I'd like the best ride possible for the investment.

https://www.suspensionconnection.com/59568-f150-air-springs.html

https://www.eaz-lift.com/product-page/eaz-lift-1000lb-elite-hitch-kit

(Not the exact products I am necessarily wanting to get, but simply examples of each)

I have a tacoma and was pulling a dual axle trailer and did both... all good.

For a camper which might run 5000 lb provisioned, I would use EZ-lyft load leveling hitch on a soft suspension like an F150. Depending on length of trailer I would consider sway stabilization. On a 16 or eighteen footer, side sway is not a big deal. But side winds against a 24 foot trailer or larger hitched to a softly sprung pickup or SUV can cause terrors which the memory of will keep you awake at night.

Air bags do a great job of lifting the rear bumper away from the ground. They do not prevent the tongue weight of the trailer from lightening the front axle of the tow vehicle. That teeter trotter effect will reduce breaking ability of the front wheels, and may possibly cause the front wheels to skid and understeer while breaking.

A load leveling hitch like an EZ-lyft actually transfers weight from the back axle of the tow vehicle onto the front axle where you need it.

Start with the equalizer hitch with anti sway. I'm talking about the equalizer brand hitch. Get it dialed in /well adjusted and use it a bit. Then decide what you want to do from there. The equalizer weight distributing hitch will make a big difference. I doubt you'll need air bags.

The air bags will help more if you have weight in the bed. I have them on my 3/4 ton. When I put a stock rack with 1000lb of llamas in the bed and hang a camp trailer with a 500lb tongue weight on the hitch, it sags. The air bags nicely bring it back up to level and it handles great.

I've been using a Reese equalizer hitch for over 40 years, the one with a T-shaped ball mount that allows the ball height to be adjusted up or down several inches, 1" at a time. A properly set up equalizer hitch will drop both the front and rear bumpers the same distance when the ball height and spring bar tension is adjusted properly. Use the air bags to level the tow vehicle before connecting the trailer, and don't get tempted to add more air to correct sag at the rear bumper. If that happens, your hitch is set up wrong. Incorrect front/rear weight distribution can get deadly, with too much rear weight making the steering squirrely, and too much front weight will cause the rig to jackknife if the brakes are applied too vigorously in a turn. Also add trailer brakes and a good electronic brake controller. If the trailer starts to sway and tail-wag, apply full trailer braking manually, and go to full throttle on the tow rig to stop the sway.
Jerry

I would go with the Reese equalizer hitch and a electronic sway control from Tuson. The Tuson control is the only unit that controls the sway from the correct end of the lever. The friction controls is at the wrong end of the lever. I've been running the Tuson control from 2011. I consulted on the development of the design. There is no trailer sway even in extreme cross wind conditions.

https://tusonrvbrakes.com/products/tuson-sway-control-tsc-1000

I pull a larger trailer without the equalizer hitch. My setup is a RAM 2500 6.4L with Timbrens and the Tuson anti-sway control module.

29' travel trailer 1204# tongue weight.

Hitch by far.

If it is adjusted right the trailer will pull like its not there.

Key being right.

I put Air Lift brand air bags on a couple of F150 pickups.

The 2013 hauls an ATV in the bed and pulls a 6' X 12' single axle cargo trailer with elk camp in it. The bags level it up and put the headlights back on the road. Handles nice

The other pickup carries a vet unit and sometimes has a 7000# hydraulic squeeze chute hooked on it. It's pretty tongue heavy. Even leveled out with the bags you need to drive like you've got 7000 lbs behind a half ton.

Not a Ford but on my old Sierra 1500 I pulled a toy hauler for a while ~4500 lbs dry. The toy hauler came with an equalizer hitch and it was a piece of cake to tow had good manners. As has been said you need to learn how to adjust it right. Mind you the truck had an extra leaf that came with a leveling kit I installed too so I was slightly stiffer than stock I guess. fwiw.....

2012 so you have haul mode, did they have the ten-speed by then?
Assuming dual axle.
Length and height are a consideration. One your moving the weight is of less influence then frontal area (except for stopping).

The hitch first. So effective That I could tell if I hooked just one chain link short by the handling.

Do you have a sway bar on the back of the truck ? Airbags will level you out, but won’t help you if the end is trying to swing around

3300 pounds?


Whats the problem again??

You're likely right in that I am worrying about little to nothing...I just want the best, safest and most comfortable way to haul the thing 3000 miles. I figure it will be about 5K when loaded and such, maybe off on that though.

Yeah, I get it. I was needlessly sarcastic with my comment.



You are no doubt on the right track.


Do you have a brake controller? Put new....heavy tires on the trailer.

I realized the satire and it is appreciated! 😁

The truck has a factory installed brake controller and the camper will be brand new.

I go with the bags. At some point you have stuff in the bed while the trailer is hanging on the back.

The hitch is good but won’t help the bed weight

Thats good about the brake controller.




The old bird that was my wife's grandmother was of the opinion that you should re-sew the button on a new shirt.

I am of the opinion that you should schit can the "tires" that come standard with a new trailer.



Wouldn't run those junkers on a wheel barrow.



The bags will help with your headlights and just generally make the experience more comfortable.


The hitch will turn you into a truck driving sombitch. They really do help.

Excuse my ignorance, but what is a good trailer tire? I know about nothing as to their attributes and what makes a good one good or bad one bad.