Weight Distribution Hitch?

[dpope]

try this...



http://www.hensleymfg.com/

 

[Johnny5]

Another Steve question...

In my case I've increased the load carrying limit of the tires from stock but regardless

You mentioned the above in regards to your BFG AT KO's. What tire did you upgrade from? What is the load rating on your KO's? I would figure your KO is a D from the max PSI you mentioned which matches mine, but the LTX was 80 PSI max.



I went to the KO's and was a little bothered that I had to go with D rated KO and take my E rated Mich LTX off. I looked into the ratings of the KO's and they just barely cover axle weights but I would have preferred to go with an E KO but the salesman said they didn't make one for the 265/75. So in my case I lowered my ratings.



Johnny5

 

[The patriot]

When I got my 24' Chateau TT, the dealer told me that I NEEDED a weight dist hitch!!

I asked why? He told me that "the front wheels will come off the ground if you dont get one".

The regristration on the TT said 3450lbs. I called the dealer who origanally sold it when it was new. They said it's more like 5500 lbs.

I went to wallmart and got the 6" drop hitch for $30. 00, and a ball rated for 10K lbs. No problems since. I notice that if I fill the freshwater tank up, it rides smoother.

I've towed this trailer faster than I care to say here. It's steady.

Eric

PS The funny thing is, when I was ordering the truck from the dealer, he told me that if I put a snow plow on it, the BACK wheels would come off the ground.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

The stock tires were E rated but because of their size (I think they were 215's but they may have been 235's - I don't remember now) they were rated at 3042 lbs. The AT KO's are D rated but because they are 285's they are rated at 3305 lbs. Therefore they can handle a higher load even though they are a lower letter rating.

 

[stg2500]

I am purchasing a 7000# GVW 18 foot flatbed trailer to use as a car hauler. I have seen a few with the weight distributing and sway bar set-up. Would it be advisable to get a WD hitch as a precautionary measure?

 

[jgallentine]

stg2500



As you can tell by reading this thread, what you need all depends on your set-up and your preferences. Steve doesn't use a WD hitch and finds them unnecessary but he also has two motorcycles in the bed of his truck while he pulls his trailer. I pull my trailer with the bed empty and I find my pulling experience to be much more pleasureable with the bars.



I could easily set the car in the trailer so that my tongue weight was under 500 pounds or buy a new receiver and set it up for a 1,000 pounds of tongue weight. However, without the added weight in the bed of my truck, niether of those options produces the quality ride and handling I get with the WD bars and 1,000 pounds of tongue weight.



J

 

[jimk]

Towing

I to have a 18 foot flat bed trailer that is very heavy. I made the trailer to use to haul pipe, i beam or what ever. I have a 9k electric wench in the frount of it and a 20 gallon air tank under the deck. I tried to make the trailer a user friendly as possible. Electric brakes on both axles

I use a hitch that has the bars to level the load on the trailer also. This makes a huge difference when I have the trailer loaded. I had three layers of 10 inch pipe on the trailer and some of the pipe was full of dirt. The trailer pulled good with the bars adjusted.

I would reccomend the use of the equalizing hitch when the trailer is loaded. Some people wont pull the load in the frount trailer because of the load on the rear of the truck so the trailer will not pull right. With the bars you can pull the load to where the load and balance on the trailer is correct and not squat the rear of the truck. The trailer will tow good and not try to pass you when you let off throttle or brake. This may not be for every one but it works for me Jimk

 

[drees1]

Reducing sway

Regarding Steve's question about sway reduction on an equalizing hitch without sway control. When sway is induced, the removal of vertical load from a hitch behind the axle (such as a bumper hitch) will reduce one of the forces causing the sway. For example in a turn on a cloverleaf ramp, there is considerable force at the hitch due to tongue load pushing the hitch (and rear of vehicle) to the outside of the corner. Reduce that hitch tongue load and the force is less. Apply the vehicle brakes in a turn, and same situation. In a cross wind situation, not much difference, except the increased load on the front end may tend to help things to keep going straight. In general, load behind the rear axle of any vehicle is unstable, that is one reason too low tongue weight on a trailer will induce sway. Excess weight in the rear tries to force the vehicle out of line continueously. Same principle as backing up fast in reverse, when the weight is steered off to the side it is hard to bring it back and maintain stability. In physics terms an object in motion tends to stay in motion and does not want to change it's path. The weight on that hitch does not want to make the turn, and when back and forth sway develops, each sway motion is analogous to a turn. the driver must then constantly correct.



Therefore, removal of vertical load from the hitch by using the equalizing hitch will in itself reduce sway tendency, or at least the forces once sway is induced.



Doug Rees

 

[ARARAR]

WD hitches

Just got back from Texas and towed my TT 3500 mi. round trip. Getting to the subject: I have the heavy duty pullrite hitch and IMO there is no comparison with any other WD hitch out there. It has no sway control nor does it need any simply because it does not pivot on the hitch ball but on a point just behind the rear axel. I drive down the road with complete confidence that I'm not going to get blown away while either passing or being passed by a big rig or even two. No need to have both hands on the stirring wheel in those situtations either, even in high winds. You cannot tell the difference between the way a 5er rides and the pullrite.

 

[DBazley]

Hensley Arrow success

Good to hear your success with the Pull-rite, arar.



I chose to go the Hensley arrow route, which actually does about the same as the Pull-Rite.



It tamed the "untowable" 38' 10,000 lb TT, a Sandpiper, a double slide that is more like a park model than a travel trailer, if you can imagine.



The Hensley arrow reduced the "malox moments" by about 98 %, expcepting the moment when I got too many other things going wrong : [too fast, passing semi, cross winds & pavement undulations that upset the rig]



I am convinced, that without the Hensley Arrow hitch, had I done that same foolish maneuver, I would have lost it and flipped the trailer !



But, the Pull-Rite or the Hensley Arrow are the only choices for difficult to tow rigs, no doubt. Both are quite expensive, the first is truck specific, the latter, fits the trailer and can be transferred with little trouble if you sell your trailer.



If I was pulling various rigs (or for an occupation), I'd buy the Pull Rite. Being I only tow one trailer, mainly, I got the Hensley Arrow. Both are about $ 2500 + installed. Not cheap, but way cheaper than a trailer towing accident !!



Find out more at www.Pullrite.com or www.HensleyArrow.com if you want.



Safe Towing to all, God bless you & America



David Bazley

 

[Gene Arnold]

I started pulling my first Airsteam TT (a 1969, 31') in 1983. I used a 1979 GMC Heavy Half for three years, then pulled with a 1983 Chevy Heavy Half 6. 2 diesel until 1998 (gutless, but no real complaints). I used a Reese dual cam WD system on it. Never had a problem of any kind with sway, even in horrendous winds. However, I bought a `94 Chevy half ton in 1998 and pulled the 31' trailer once with it (still with the Reese system)—scared the daylights out of me! Sixty mph—semi passed me, fishtailed to beat the band.



Soon thereafter I replaced the old trailer with a 34' Airstream Limited (triple axle, with an Easi-lift WD hitch and a friction type sway control). First tow to Winnemucca, Nevada I lost the sway control (due to my stupidity of not putting in the safety pins) and twenty miles from home, semis on both sides, fishtailed! Discovered that the sway control was missing so did the remainder of the trip pretty carefully and pretty slow. While at Winnemucca, my wife read my Trailer Life book on How to Tow. She asked if I'd ever done what they said about checking the ratio of drop when the torsion bars were tightened. I reluctantly admitted I hadn't. Well, I found a nice level spot north of Winnemucca and did the prescribed measure and found I'd been towing with the bars about two chain links too loose. The return trip was a lot more pleasant and faster, even without the sway control. Got home and found the sway control one block from the house where it had dropped off. I surmise that the `94 Chevy with softer suspension (although it has a tow package) was a lot more sensitive about the torsion load. The older heavy halfs were stiff enough to be more forgiving. I pulled about 8-9K with the little Chevy before I found my Cummins.



Summing up, I wouldn't be comfortable pulling without a WD system, even though I know I could do it. I think my Reese system on the older trailer was superior in every way to what I now have, and I'll probably change one of these days. My only beef with the dual cam Reese was the low road clearance on the trailer end of the torsion bars.

 

[D6Diesel]

I enjoyed Doug Rees description of sway and turns regarding WD hitches. In considering the crosswind situation on the interstate : if there was no WD hitch and all the tongue weight is on the hitch, wouldn't all that weight want to keep going straight and therefore be less inclined to start to sway? Perhaps the weight thrown forward with the WD hitch setup is onto the front wheels where sway can be resisted better than at the hitch.

 

[keimmmo]

I tow 4-5 tons of trailer from Illinois to certral Mexico a couple of round trips a year. I don't mind towing a trailer for a short distance without the eqalizer and sway bars. However, on a LONG trip you will be glad to have them even if your trailer is light enough that you don't really need them. They make a huge difference in the ride and handling!!! I wouldn't go on a long trip with a trailer without at least the equalizer hitch and bars!!!



Steve

____________________

2001. 5 QC 4X4. . LOADED (Front hitch too)

1992 extended cab 4X4 with 300,000 miles (Also has front hitch)

several traliers of various sizes and weights

 

[tkirkpatrick]

W/D Hitches

Has any one had any experience with the Equal-i-zer brand hitch?