RockyMtnRay
08-28-2003, 12:07 PM
When I bought my TM (2720SL) last year, my dealer sold me a Reese WDH with the 550 lb round bars and sent me down the road with 4 chain links dropped. During my first trip with the trailer loaded for camping, I noticed the TM was a bit low in the front and my Jeep was distinctly setting lower in the back. So, after checking with the dealer who said "there shouldn't be any problems", I upped that to 5 links dropped. That leveled the TM and substantially reduced the rear end droop of my Jeep. However, every once in a long while...like during sharp turns while backing into a camping site, I've heard a distinct groan from the hitch indicating something was binding up. (I never heard any groans with 4 links dropped.)
Then this week on the way back from a trip, I tried it with 6 links dropped. That totally leveled the Jeep and noticeably improved the steering preciseness (more weight on the front wheels). But I was getting the binding groan even going around corners in a parking lot. Clearly there was not enough chain left above the bars to allow sufficient fore-aft movement of the bars during turns.
In checking Reese's web site, I find they make these bars in 750 and 1000 lb ratings. Unfortunately none of the local RV or hitch dealers have just the bars in stock. They can order them....but it'll take a week to get here and I'm leaving next Tuesday for a 10 day trip. However, both an RV dealer and a hitch place recommended simply tilting the hitch ball part of the hitch shank backwards 5 to 10 degrees...that will cause the spring bars to tilt downward and thus require fewer dropped links to get the same amount of bar tension. Both said this was a better solution than going to heavier rated bars because the heavier rated bars would overly stiffen the flexibility of the TV/trailer connection when crossing gutters, etc.
In reviewing previous threads on WDHs, I didn't see any mention of tilting the ball/bar mounts. Has anyone done this and, if so, were there any adverse outcomes such as unusual wear on the ball or trailer's ball socket?
Then this week on the way back from a trip, I tried it with 6 links dropped. That totally leveled the Jeep and noticeably improved the steering preciseness (more weight on the front wheels). But I was getting the binding groan even going around corners in a parking lot. Clearly there was not enough chain left above the bars to allow sufficient fore-aft movement of the bars during turns.
In checking Reese's web site, I find they make these bars in 750 and 1000 lb ratings. Unfortunately none of the local RV or hitch dealers have just the bars in stock. They can order them....but it'll take a week to get here and I'm leaving next Tuesday for a 10 day trip. However, both an RV dealer and a hitch place recommended simply tilting the hitch ball part of the hitch shank backwards 5 to 10 degrees...that will cause the spring bars to tilt downward and thus require fewer dropped links to get the same amount of bar tension. Both said this was a better solution than going to heavier rated bars because the heavier rated bars would overly stiffen the flexibility of the TV/trailer connection when crossing gutters, etc.
In reviewing previous threads on WDHs, I didn't see any mention of tilting the ball/bar mounts. Has anyone done this and, if so, were there any adverse outcomes such as unusual wear on the ball or trailer's ball socket?