Weight distributing hitch ???

I have a 3225 model . Do I need a weight distributing hitch to pull with a Suburban? I am moving up from a Coleman Niagara popup and used a friction sway bar. Can I use this to pull my Trailmanor?

If I need a weight distribution system what is recomended , what is the cost and where do I find it?

Thanks for your help. The used TM I bought had a lot of manuals but I found nothing to explain winterizing and dumping your sewage, etc.. Is there a manual just for the trailmanor? I have one for the gas system, toilet, oven and about every componet attached to the TM.

In my opinion, if the back of your truck drops more than a couple inches, you should use a weight distributing hitch. And wheather or not you do use one, I believe in using sway control. A couple weight distributing hitches have built in sway control. (Equal-i-zer, and Rease Duel-Cam for example). I use the Equal-i-zer myself. Or you can add sway control to any hitch, (weight distributing, or not).


Again, that is just my opinion, nothing more. Several people will probably say that you won't need either with your Suburban. They may be right. My Tundra tows my trailer fine with just a draw bar, but I got the Equal-i-zer for mainly piece of mind. Better safe than sorry.


Things like dumping and winterizing are covered in the TrailManor manual. I suggest you give the factory a call. I am sure they can fix you right up with a new manual.

Hope some of this helps.

Mack

Our hitch is a Reese with the sway control, and I recommend it highly.  We also have a 3225, and since they are the second heaviest trailer ever made by TM, it gives you great peace of mind.  Our tow vehicle is a Toyota Sequoia, which has the same engine as the Tundra, and it cam tow 6200 lbs., which when paired with the empty weight of the 3225 of 3200 lbs. gives us lots of stuff we can carry, but I prefer to have that kind of wiggle room.  

Regarding the sway control, I have forgotten it on a couple of occasions, then pulled off the highway and put it on once I realized I had forgotten it.  I never felt much of a difference during those short stints. However, I have the distinct feeling that I would have felt a difference had I been pulling in strong winds or been passed by a lot of trucks.  My advice: since the 3225 is a full 25 feet long when towed, it makes sense to have the extra peace of mind of the sway control.

F. J. & Ellen

i use the equal-i-zer and i have a 2720 model and a v8 1500 dodge ram. i tow at 60 mph. i feel safer with the knowledge of having the equal-i-zer.

jimmy davis is the rep at trailmanor he will help you out on a manual.

also since you have the bigger model you might want to consider a tranmission cooler.

1. Suburban's are great for towing provided they are setup for towing with all of the necessary options available for that purpose. Is yours?

2. I took a winter storage survey of Trailblazers at our Fall meeting and would gladly send the results to you if you email me directly at [email protected]. I have tried to send it to the website with no good results.

Dick_B

Also look in Maintenance, subject: Winterizing, in this website.

Dick_B

I use a weight distributing hitch with our 2720 behind the Excursion.   It's an E-Qual-Izer with bars that are probably too stiff.  This likely amounts to overkill, but I think it helps control the rig when something unexpected happens.

I like the Reese setup I had used on a tandem axle car trailer better, but not enough to go to the trouble of replacing what I'm already using.  My car trailer was heavier than the TM but I felt I could tune the balance better (behind my old F250 SuperCab).  They are both decent systems.

There are so many variables to consider that you won't get a single answer.  What's the tongue weight and axle weight of your TM (after you load it for a trip)?   How is your  'Burban sprung?  Is it a 1500 or a 2500?  2WD or 4WD?  What's the wheelbase?  What kinds of roads do you folllow?   What speed do you like to cruise?  Etc, etc, etc.

My 2cents?  Spring for the distributing hitch at the least.  Your 3225 is heavier than my 2720 and I notice a difference, especially on bumpy roads.   It is a very unpleasant experience having your trailer steer your truck.  Once is one time too many.   What happens without a weight distribution system is your front end can become light and you can loose some steering feel ...  not good.

Folks have likened the sway control to insurance, and I tend to agree.  If I were towing a 30+ foot tandem axle full trailer, I'd be using a Hensley!   I happen to be comfortable enough with my setup to do without sway control, though.   If you go without, and you start noticing your vehicle wobble when a tractor trailer blows by, go with the sway control.

[Van Isle TM]

I have a 31/24 - I taking over towing duties and moving from a Nissan Titan Truck which towed it like it wasn't there and will now be towing with a Nissan Pathfinder - it is rated for 6000 lbs. It is a 'truck based' SUV. The distribution hitch seems huge - I am older female and struggle with the bars on the hitch - I was hoping I could tow without it. Sounds like from this thread most people are using a weight distribution hitch. Does anyone not - or is it just not recommended? Thanks

[trailbiker]

I have a 2720 which I tow with a Honda Ridgeline. I have considered getting weight distribution hitch, but never felt like I really needed it. Honda does not recommend the use of WD hitches, but I am not sure why. I am not sure what I'm missing here.

[Larryjb]

One thing no one has mentioned is the axle ratings. Even if your Suburban doesn't drop when hooking up the TM, the weight is still mainly on the rear axle. I have a tahoe and I did exceed the weight rating on the rear axle even though I was still several thousand pounds under the towing limit.

Your Suburban will be fine with a WDH, so I'd go for it. There are weight ratings for the WDH, and I recall the medium (800 lb) was the best. I got mine from Cap-it, but there are many good places to get one.

I'm sure any WDH will do. No one here has ever felt the need for sway control.