Randy, the truck just has a tow rating no mention of w/wo wdh. The rating, with my configuration, as John Davies points out is north of 13000 lbs. I originally bought the truck to transport horses which it did admirally. the hitch I installed was bolted to the frame and I was told was a class v hitch.
Buzzy, I understand about the handling being something one needs to determine what they are comfortable with. With all horses I hauled , I never used a wdh, in fact I'd not even given it any thought before. But as with many things once you become aware of something you begin to wonder if its worth looking into in more depth. As most of my driving was across the western states, and more rural areas the aggressive driver challenges you face are not somthing i needed to,worry about so much. I guess I'm going to have to include these into my thinking. Thank you.
John, all valid points and yes, someday Ill likely be forced to update. The unfortunate or fortunate situation, is the 7.3L diesels can reach 1,000,000 mile if properly cared for. As for soot, ive not seen much,but i havent been towing in a couple of years,so the engine tends to lope easily. If this becomes an irritation, ill need to look into a tv update.
thanks all for your great insights they are always valued.