Weight distribution or hitch equalizer bars

DeanB7

I have a 2020 ford ranger xl with a tow package.  We are thinking of buying a 23 Tab 320.  Will I need a weight distribution or equalizer hitch?  We live in Indiana, so most everything will be fairly flat as far as travel.
Would appreciate any input or experiences.

webers3

I've been towing 2017 320s for fifth season now with Jeep Cherokee and never felt I needed weight distribution or equalizer hitch or had any issues towing. In my opinion weight distribution or equalizer hitch is not necessary.

Horigan

Agree for a 320 a WDH is not necessary, but check your manual for any restrictions. My Highlander manual states “sway control” is required above 2000 lbs. 

AnOldUR

A weight distribution hitch is only necessary if you are getting excessive squat in your rear suspension from the tongue weight. A friction sway bar is cheap way to control sway in an emergency situation. Think of it like your safety chains or seat belts. You'll probably never need them, but they have their place as another layer of protection.

ColMag

We tow a Tab 400 with a 2021 Ranger with no special towing accessories, and are happy with how it handles.

kottum

Our Tab 320 is as solid as a rock behind our full independent suspension Ridgeline, but I use a friction sway control bar as a safety device.  Like seat belts.

Yes it could benefit from a weight distribution hitch, my headlights are too high and blind oncoming drivers while night towing.  So I avoid towing at night.

It isn't just the hitch weight of the trailer, it is also the weight of any gear I carry behind the truck's rear axle.  The tendency is to put too much weight on the truck's rear axle, and taking some weight off the front axle.  This makes steering lighter than it should be.

I have no idea of a good weight distribution hitch for the little 320, but previous experience with an Andersen hitch tells me that is not a good one for weight distribution.  I like the bar style hitches, they lift the back of the truck like the handles of a wheel barrow and do a great job of transferring weight forward.

DeanB7

Thanks for your comments, they are very helpful.

crosstrnr

I also use a friction sway bar (from Harbor Freight). A nice add to my setup was air bags inside the rear springs. This fixed the issue I had with “squat” - the rear end of the TV sitting too low. Installed for a few hundred dollars and I inflate as needed with a small Ryobi inflator.

https://www.airliftcompany.com/products/air-springs/know-squat/
RYOBI P737 18-Volt ONE+ Portable Cordless Power Inflator for Tires (Battery Not Included, Power Tool Only) https://a.co/d/c9iOYfA

kottum

Air bags lift the back of the tow vehicle but do not transfer weight.  A weight distribution hitch does both.

If you overload the tow vehicle rear axle with hitch weight, plus gear carried in the tow vehicle behind its rear axle, the rear axle will remain overloaded even though leveled by air bags.  Only a weight distribution hitch can move (and return) some of that load forward to the tow vehicle steering axle, and a lesser amount to the trailer axle(s).

A simple weighing of the loaded and hitched combination at a CAT scale will give you weights on each axle (tow vehicle and trailer).  Then compare that with tow vehicle and trailer axle ratings to check for overload.  

The question remains how much load can be taken off the tow vehicle steering axle (by loading the rear axle) before steering control is compromised, especially on wet roads.  That is perhaps the greatest advantage of a weight distribution hitch, to restore braking and steering control.

With the Tab 320 or 400 hooked to a light tow vehicle, it is important to keep the tow vehicle rear axle load light.  You simply can't bring everything that will fit in the back of the tow vehicle, and then fill the seats with passengers.  To do that, you need a heavier duty tow vehicle, and possibly a weight distribution hitch with the Tab 400.  Again, a simple weighing of the loaded combo will tell you what you need to know.

FWIW, we do not use a weight distribution hitch with our Tab 320/Honda Ridgeline, but we do use a sway control bar as a safety precaution.  It's just the two of us and normal load; still our headlights are still too high for night driving bothering oncoming traffic.  So we avoid towing at night.  I suppose air bags would help in this case, but I like the handling and ride of the fully independent suspension without alteration.

AnOldUR

The short wheelbase on our 2D Wrangler makes balancing the load a little more difficult. Like @crosstrnr, I added airbags (and use a Ryobi pump) to help level it out. Before that I didn't notice any steering problems, even on wet pavement, but the headlights were a little high. This winter I also replaced the two AGM batteries in the tub with two lithiums. That alone reduced the weight in the tongue box by 100 pounds. It now take about half the pressure in the bags to compensate for squat. Before I was at the top end of having 10% to 15% tongue weight. Now I'm just above the low limit.

We just traded my wife's Renegade for a Cherokee Trailhawk with a 4500 pound tow rating. I have a weld shop welding a tab on the ball mount for our friction sway bar. Very curious to find out how it tows our 320. I love the Wrangler, but looking forward to having an alternative.