Weight distribution hitch

[Daren Todd]

I currently have a pro series weight distribution hitch for our camper. It's the style with the chains that attach the bars to the camper. With the stabilizer bars.

Here's a link to the one currently on the camper.

https://www.amazon.com/Pro-49903-Co...keywords=pro+series+weight+distribution+hitch

Haven't been really happy with how the camper pulled. Got to talking with some other camper owners. They recommended switching to the trunion style weight distribution hitch. This style has solid weight bars physically attached to the camper during travel.

So, I ordered one made by Curt off from ebay. Just showed up today. Planning on dragging the camper to a level vacant lot with my sockets and cordless impact to do the install this weekend.

So, got a couple questions about the set up for the guys that have one. For the most part it seems pretty straight forward.

According to the instructions you measure front and back ride height on the truck. The attach the bars. Raise the jack to place the load on the truck. Then measure ride height again.

Said also, if there is too much drop on the front end of the truck, to drop the bars down to the next lower setting and check again.

My question. How much drop between front and rear of the truck are you looking for?

Here's the hitch I'm switching too. It's a Curt 10,000 to 15,000lb hitch.

Here's the link to the one I purchased and gonna install.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/CURT-10-15K...ash=item2378e93400:g:cAsAAOSwOtdYTalF&vxp=mtr

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[BAP]

There should be instructions with it to tell you how to set it up. I know my Equalizer WD hitch came with detailed instructions on how to set it up properly. Usually you want the camper level or up to 1" nose down and the truck 1/2-1" lower in the back.

 

[Daren Todd]

There should be instructions with it to tell you how to set it up. I know my Equalizer WD hitch came with detailed instructions on how to set it up properly. Usually you want the camper level or up to 1" nose down and the truck 1/2-1" lower in the back.

That's what I was thinking. But the instructions didn't really say as far as that goes. The instructions were pretty brief

 

[WFM]

Interesting hitch. I've always used the old style that your switching from. By adjusting the chain tension you can add or remove tounge weight and adjust the level and balance. It looks like the chains are replaced by a flat bar slide with pin. I hope it works for you.

 

[Sammy3700]

I also had the chains and it said to lower the ride height 1-2" in the rear more than the front. This was on a 1500 suburban.

 

[jkcolo22]

My camper came with a curt installed. I love it. The guys with the chain style can't believe how easy it is.


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[BAP]

Darren, here is a link for the installation instruction manual for the Equalizer Hitch. It is a fairly similar hitch to yours. On the page the link takes you to, click on the 6k-14k owners manual and it will download a pdf. In there they explain how to determine the proper height to set the ball and how the truck and trailer should look after setting it up. Also, if you to the top of the page and click on support, there is some videos to help.

https://www.equalizerhitch.com/Equal-i-zer Support/installinstructions.php

 

[Daren Todd]

Thanks buddy Gonna check out the Curt website and see if I can find there manual. My hitch sets up slightly different from the equalizer hitch. Same bar meathod. Just slightly different with the spacers.

 

[Daren Todd]

Checked out curt's website. Found just the same basic manual I have. According to the manual though, it says when determining ball height, add 1/8" per 100 lbs of tongue weight. Which in this case is 1,000 lbs.



So, once I have the camper sitting level with the ground. I take a measurement to the top of the hitch. Then add 1/8 inches per 100 lbs of desired tongue weight to that number to determine my height of the trailer ball before it's loaded. When camper and bars are hooked up properly, I should have that added amount of drop at the hitch, and should have the original measurement for the camper being level

So I guess the next question How do you determine proper tongue weight? If the camper weighs 6,000lbs, do you figure 600lbs tongue weight?


Looks like the rest of the assembly is pretty straight forward

Here's what it says after install.

So, I'm assuming that the front and back of the vehicle should drop evenly according to this

 

[BAP]

Daren, usually rule of thumb on campers is 10-15% weight load on the hitch depending upon how you load your camper. Usually you aim to have the truck close to level with the back slightly lower if there is any difference.

 

[Daren Todd]

Got the hitch installed and set up. Got 1 3/4" of drop on the back of the truck.

Gave it a quick test run after around the block. Was pretty happy with how it handled. The real test will be when we take it out for our first camping trip.

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[eipo]

What is the tow vehicle? 1.75" will mean something different between a 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton.

I've got about 800 pounds on the ball on our trailer and I get about 1.5" drop with the weight distribution set up on a 16 Ram 2500.


Sent from a field

 

[Daren Todd]

Tow vehicle is a Sierra 1500.

 

[eipo]

1.75 isn't that bad then.

Were you able to bring the front down with the hitch? I believe the general consensus is you only want the front to come up about .5 inches.

 

[Daren Todd]

Didn't actually check. Gonna move the brackets for the bars back some more, but need to move the break away controller. Gonna get it as close as I can to the mark on the bars for the bracket location. So, I plan on another day adjusting it when I'm not racing a rain storm

 

[Daren Todd]

Got a chance to finish up the hitch installation today. Moved the brake away controller. Then moved the supports for the load bars back. Manual called for optimum of 4 inches from the end of the load bars. I was able to get 4.5 inches from the end.

Then had to readjust the angle of the ball/ hitch to get the correct tension and drop. Hitch angle is adjusted by a rod, bolt and washers. After adjusting everything, I got 1" drop on the back end of the truck. No drop or rise on the front end of the truck

Will find out in a couple weeks how the hitch really performs when we take it out camping for the weekend, with a 4 hour drive involved

 

[eipo]

Sounds good.

Have fun!

 

[Daren Todd]

Hauled the camper today for around 150 miles. Got a pretty good real world test on the hitch. Everything from rough paved roads, to interstate, to curvy mountain and cross breezes. There is a night and day difference between the chain and break over style weight distribution hitch to the trunion style hitch.

The trunion style has 4 way stabilization compared to the two way stabilization with the chain style.

With the chain style hitch, you can really feel when a car passes you, and get sucked over when a tractor trailer goes by you. With the trunion style, you barely felt it when a vehicle passed you, was very stabile in a substantial cross breeze, and tractor trailers passing was fairly minor compared to past experiences

 

[lugbolt]

Yes they make a HUGE difference. I am one who used to pull a 24' enclosed race car trailer (7000 lb actual weight) with a 1/2 ton, on the ball. Load it correctly and it didn't squat maybe 1". BUT, when an 18 wheeler passed, it was a white knuckle ride. So I traded it for a 3/4 ton, and what a difference that made-in itself. The 1/2 ton had plenty of power and good brakes so those weren't an issue. The truck itself had a 7500 lb towing capacity (read further down).

When I bought the 3/4 ton, and pulled with it, I could not believe the difference. It's built for work. Diesel, plenty of power, plenty of weight (truck alone is 7940 lb), it was fine. I just pulled from the ball.

Was at the races and a fellow racer had a truck like mine, but he had a 28' trailer, and had an E2 equalizing hitch on it. I asked him about it and he said "you ain't got one?". So I got to thinking about it. Saved up some pennies and bought one at the local camper store, took it to a nearby parking lot and installed it all, took about 30 minutes with basic hand tools and a tape measure. The instructions said to set it up so that the front end either had zero rise or maybe a little drop. Drop preferably as this is telling us that the weight of the trailer is being placed on the frame rather than the ball. So it ended up being about 1/2 drop on the front end and about 3/4 on the rear. Pulled around the block and got used to it, then headed out onto the freeway. OMG, the difference is, well daylight and dark.

So anyway I got to looking at the truck's owners manual and it was saying that towing capacity is only 7500 lbs. I am like what in the world? It's a 3/4 ton diesel for crying out loud? Then further down, on the chart, it shows towing capacity on the ball it 750 tongue weight 7500 trailer. Or with a weight distribution hitch, 1000 lb on the tongue and 12,500 total. That's better. And after reading it, it makes sense. And it makes sense that I could have used the 1/2 ton just fine with a WD hitch, and would not have needed the 3/4 ton. Well, at least I got 4 wheel drive now (old truck was 2wd).

IMO it's not so much the weight, but how the trailer is. A big box pulls completely different than a flat bed even if they're the same exact weight.

Something else that I learned, was that ST trailer tires (e.g. ST205/75R15) are only rated for 62 mph max sustained speed. Yet I see thousands of guys pulling campers, race cars, boats, etc down the highway at 80+ for hours on end usually with ST trailer tires. And all of the ST's are dirt cheap, Korean or chinese garbage. Even the old Goodyear Marathons-which were considered "good" aren't as good as they used to be, but I'm told that GY has now started building them again here in the USA due to demand. Good. I might try a set next time I put tires on the race trailer. Or maybe just go with 16" and use LT's if they'll fit.

 

[skeets]

And thats why the old 1500 Silverado had 1500 pound coil overs and air bags,, 2 1/2 tons of coal and you couldnt tell there was any weight in the bed, tires were 10 ply. The race car trailer with the car never gave a problem not sure what the total weight was, that 350 would run with the big guys. Friends of little brother built the motor, and tranny. And the one in the race car, for my nephew. Tires are as important as the hitch, I found that out the hard way