I have a Silverado 2500HD crew cab Duramax and looking at towing a 292 Formula Fastech (7000 lbs dry) on a tri-axle Prestige trailer. From the truck manual and hitch ratings, it looks like I am borderline on needing to use a weight distribution hitch. I never see these things on boat trailers, mostly just on big campers, etc., plus the weight distribution hitch messes with the surge brake system (must go with a larger brake package). I hope that it is not necessary, but I want to make sure there is no chance of handling problems (sway, etc.) with this rig. If you have a similar rig, please comment on how it handles and the tongue weight of the trailer (if you know). I am looking for some reasurance. Thanks.

You don't need a weight distributing hitch due to the truck you need it due to the hitch in your case. If youw ant piece of mind the best thing to do is to ditch the factory hitch and get a real weld on hitch, they make there are a few companys that make em all the way up to 15k gross and 1,500 tongue wieght.

simple answer...NO

just don't pull anything bigger than a landscape trailer with that junk factory hitch.

CC DMax pullin' a 353
straight as an arrow as fast as you would want to go.

Hitch: Putnam XDR, installed with the very best hardware including oversize backing plates and double nutted with lockwashers

drawbar: solid steel

ball: raw steel heat treated big shank 24K rated

Quick and dirty answer: No, you do not need a WD hitch IF you install a Putnam XDR hitch on your truck.

Read both pages on this thread for just about all you want to know about WD hitches and boat trailers (they ARE compatable): http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...ht=hitch+balls

Nothing wrong with factory hitch. I believe if you read the limits written on the hitch it says 15K max with 1500 lb tongue weight. I tow a Sunsation 32 Dominator that has a dry weight of 6600 lbs riding on a triple axle trailer with the same crew cab 2500 GMC duramax and haxe trailered that rig over 5,000 miles this year with no issues at all. I recently bought another truck for my business(05 GMC 1500, 5.3 V8) which can tow like 8500 Lbs and just towed boat to gas station. This was a 3 mile trip that quickly showed the smaller truck would never be a safe alternative. Lots of sway, no pulling power and the ABS would go off constantly under what I thought was easy braking. Hope this helps in your decision.

Don't worry man..
That's not much load for that truck, or the hitch...
Yea, it would certainly be better to upgrade the hitch..no doubt.
But I can vouch for the hitch. I worked at a boat dealer that had a few GM trucks, all with stock hitches. the trucks pulled BIG loads every day.... How big? try 46 Cigs on steel trailers. That's 18,500+lb. I wouldn't worry about your 8,000lb.
I'm not saying I'd pull 18k on that hitch, but I am saying it didn't break..

I have the asme truck, and wouldn't hesitate pulling a 38' with the stock setup.

Here is a link to a company that makes the Equilzer Hitch that works with boat trailers and surge brakes. I use one and it works like a dream.

http://www.equalizerhitch.com/produc...patibility.php

Stand corrected: Factory GM hitch is rating at 12,000 lbs and 1500 lbs tongue weight. I said 15000 lbs earlier.

*WITH a Weight Distribution Setup. (WD) Check it out.

WC means Weight Carrying. That's probably rated for 7500 lbs. with your stock GM Class-III hitch.

WD means Weight Distributing, as in full WD trunnion bars, etc, as described and shown in the thread I linked to above. (You need to invest in a paid membership to view the pics.)

go to the GM truck, or RV forums and read about the failures!

straight pull rated MUCH, MUCH lower than your quote.

and 9 out of 10, if it fails, the truck frame gets bent.