# hitch for a 1/2 ton



## joshc017 (Oct 5, 2010)

I've been doing some research trying to find the appropriate hitch system for my 2010 Silverado. I just bought a 2007 Puma 19FS and need something. Seems like there are a ton of options out there, but I want to spend money in the right place. Any opinions?


----------



## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

Consider the following:

Get a Weight distributing hitch (WDH) that matches the maximum Tow rating for your truck, not your trailer. It might be more than you need for your Puma, but going over the rating for the trailer beats having to buy another hitch if you ever upgrade the trailer and it won't hurt the trailer at all. Don't forget to consider the weight of the hitch when calculating your weights, then get to the scales to know for sure.

Besides the WDH (aka equalizing hitch) you'll need a sway control of some kind. If you have deeper pockets there are WDH hitches that have integrated sway controls. These are alleged to be better than the friction type of sway controls but work better (from what I hear). Travel Trailers are very prone to swaying because of how far they sit back from the tow vehicle, and strong winds especially from the sides, large vehicles passing you or fast moving large oncoming traffic will definitely cause you to sway a lot more if you do not have a sway control.

Lastly, unless you are going to get in and out of the vehicle to check you can consider a backup aid for when you are hitching. There are hitch/ball match devices, backup cameras, convex mirror mounts and some pretty heavy duty hitch aids that when you back up, these strong aids will redirect your trailer right onto the hitch ball. 2-way radios will also work or someone with good hand signals but these are best used for those familiar with getting you hooked up so they can anticipate where you need to be and not try to direct you until it's too late and then you have to drive forward and correct.

Another thing that helps with hitching is a motorized tongue jack (beats hand-cranking). Don't forget to lube the ball, the sway bar and the WDH rods. This prevents rust from metal to metal contact which weakens components over time.

I hope these hints help you with what you'll need.

Congratulations on your new RV!


----------



## joshc017 (Oct 5, 2010)

Wow what an awesome reply, thanks so much! I've already hooked up a reverse camera, but didn't know about the built in sway control for the hitches. I'll have to look into that one.


----------



## joshc017 (Oct 5, 2010)

Is there any particular brand better then another?


----------



## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

Not necessarily. The differentiation is features and ease of use based on the importance of what you determine as your priority factors - hitch, sway bars, price, availability.

First, here's a website that describes what you need to know about hitches for travel trailers including terminology and purpose:

Common Weight Distribution and Sway Control Questions | etrailer.com

Many brands are available and will have different prices. Reese, Drawtite, Husky/Valley, Pullrite EAZlift, Blue Ox, Demco, and many others.

Then they will have seperate provisions for a sway control (may require drilling into your trailer tongue to attach the sway control hardware - the other side is attached to the WDH - make sure the WDH provides for this (most already do, but check to make sure). There are also some WDHs that have integrated sway controls but you can imagine the price will be higher but generally this is a better system.

It's a good idea to see this in operation if you have not done this before. Much of this will not make sense until you see it in operation and then you'll have a "I shoulda got that feature" moment. This happened to me, but since I have since moved to a fifth wheel and the WDH components sit in my garage in case I have the urge to help someone with their travel trailer.


----------

