Can Ford F-450 Super Duty Pickup Use Weight Distribution System

Updated 12/14/2016 | Published 12/13/2016

Question:

Can I use a load distribution system with a Ford F450?

asked by: Dana B

Expert Reply:

Weight distribution (WD) hitches like the Blue Ox Sway Pro # BXW1500 can be used with any vehicle and hitch that are rated for this type of application. Most vehicles that do not have uni-body construction can use WD and the safety sticker on a hitch will indicate if the hitch is rated for use with WD.

As an example, a 2014 Ford F-450 could have either a 2-inch Class III or Class IV hitch, or it could have a 2- or 2-1/2-inch Class V hitch. All hitches offered for this particular truck are shown on the linked page; all happen to be rated for use with WD/SC systems.

The key to choosing the right system is knowing your trailer's actual fully-loaded tongue weight (TW) and to that adding the weight of anything in the truck that sits behind the rear axle, such as a toolbox, loaded cooler or generator. This cargo weight acts just like trailer tongue weight and so it must be accounted for. We offer a handy scale # e99044 for measuring but other methods are outlined in the linked article. The ideal situation is that the total TW will fall in the middle of the system's operating range.

The Sway Pro system # BXW1500 works for TW from 1000-lbs up to 1500-lbs so it would be ideal for a total TW in the range of 1200-1300-lbs.

expert reply by: Adam R