(Almost) New Edge M17 Owner question

Hello, looking forward to late May delivery of a 2012 M17. I have several questions but will start with this one. I will tow with a 2006 Nissan X-Terra. It has a 5,000 lb tow rating and full tow package with tranny cooler, but the shorter X-terra wheel base. My last hitch was really heavy, (sway and equalizer). Will need a new hitch as my Curt hitch is being sold along with the old TT. Any recommendations based on the above? I would like to stay with sway/equalizer bars and am looking for one that is lighter and allows for a tighter turning radius. I have looked at a lot of hitches and most look the same. Thought Edgers would have some good ideas. Really looking forward to delivery!
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Hi persillion,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and Family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge if needed.

I'm sure someone will be helping with your question soon.

Mean while enjoy the forum.

Jim M
 

Yellowreef

Well-known member
The hitch weight on the M17 is 300 lbs and the dry weight is 2900 lbs. Your tow capaciy is 5,000 lbs. Why do you feel the need for a weight distribution hitch? I seriously doubt your vehicle will sag hardly anything with the 300 lb tongue on it. Also there are some really heavy setups out there. You may end up adding so much to the tongue weight percentage wise that the end result benefit is negligible.

Now this may be just my opinion, but hear me out... Ultra light trailers are designed with the specific purpose of making them towable by lower capacity tow vehicles. I really feel that people with towing capacity of 5k spending money on a WDH for an Edge, do it because a) That's what they're used to with an old style heavy trailer, b) They get suckered into it by a salesman, or c) Simply don't do the math.

I recently bought an M18 which I tow with a Honda Ridgeline. Being the skeptical person that I am, you could have gotten the presidents of Honda and Heartland in the same room telling me I needed a WDH and I still would have asked to see the figures. Alas, it wasn't any of those bigwigs but the manager at my dealership who said "with that Ridgeline you're gonna need a WDH". I played halfway dumb and said "really? I thought I wouldn't need one because the tongue weight is 300, dry weight is 3000 and my vehicle is rated for 5." He looked at me like I was crazy, then turned to the salesman and went "that only has a 300 tongue weight???" That was the end of that discussion.

Next, I asked my friend who has a lot more trailering experience than me to come help me pick up the trailer from the dealer. He goes "I'll help you pick it up but before your first trip you're gonna need a WDH"... We had the same discussion and not fully convinced came along to help me pick it up figuring I would see the error of my ways. Got to the dealer, hooked the trailer up and the Ridgeline didn't budge at all. Scratching their heads, my friend and the salesman were impressed and commented on how well it handled the weight. Thats when I let out of the bag that I even had a generator and a bunch of tools in the underbed compartment. I guess i was right and 300 lbs is not the end of the world.

Moral of the story, I encourage you to try pulling it first without the WDH even if it's just once and you might find out you don't need it. Also if you look around in other threads you will see several people reached the same conclusion with good results on the smaller Edges. Good luck!

PS. I did install a sway control bar due to really strong winds on my main hroute to camping areas. They come with a tab that you can just weld on to your regular all mount.
 

hoefler

Well-known member
You need to look at your towing capacity a little closer. It will most likely have to ratings, a lighter one and a heavier one. Most likely the heavier one will say "with a weight distributing hitch". Every vehicle tow specs that I have seen, and the receiver mounted on the vehicle, has two tow ratings, including the receiver on my one ton dual wheel Dodge.
 

camr

Well-known member
Ahlthough the WDH may not be absolutly vital, I feel much better having one. When going over a heave in the road at speed, that 300 lb hitch weight could be closer to 600 lb. The additional cost of the weight distributiod portion of the hitch is insignificant when compared to the total cost of the trailer setup. I would also make sure that the transmission cooler is an external one. The ones that are a loop through the radiator simply move the tranny heat to the engine cooling system.
Great choice of trailer model.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
Ahlthough the WDH may not be absolutly vital, I feel much better having one.

I totally agree. I had pulled light trailers before and never used one, then I got an eaz-lift wd hitch when I bought an Edge M21 (4700 pounds). What a difference! No sway or bounce. Pulled like a dream. Now, I wouldn't pull anything without one. I have since traded for a North Trail 26LRSS, but I kept the hitch and just readjusted it.
 
Not sure if this goes back to all who input info, but thanks for the replies. I think the X-Terras short wheel base is what gives me cause for concern. My previous trailer had a 345 hitch weight and it definitely needed a WDH to bring the TV front end down. I was hoping the dual wheels on the edge would help, plus the lighter hitch weight. I know that on the EDGE web-site the Nissan X-Terra is not listed under Nissan products. That being said with the WDH pulling my old trailmanor was real nice. So, I think I will just look for a lighter WDH if there is such a thing.
 
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