wd hitches

[jumpstreet]

I need to buy one. What are the differences between them? Is one as good as the other, or is one better than the other? What do I need to look for in one? Thanks.

[RockyMtnRay]

I need to buy one. What are the differences between them? Is one as good as the other, or is one better than the other? What do I need to look for in one? Thanks.
There are 4 considerations to look at with a WDH:

First is vertical adjustability of the ball mount relative to the hitch bar to accomdate differences in heigth above the ground of the trailer tongue and tow vehicle hitch receiver. Typically WDH's have about a 6 inch adjustment range...1 inch drop, 5 inch rise...and most hitch bars can be flipped over to give a 5 inch drop and 1 inch rise. However you can get them with as much as 14 inches of adjustment range. Before you order you need know how far off the ground your trailer is as well as how far off the ground your TV's hitch receiver is. A mini van will have a very low hitch receiver; a "lifted" 4WD pickup on oversize tires will have a very high receiver. A TM with a lift kit or 15 inch tires will have a higher tongue height than one that has 14 inch tires and no lift kit. From the differences in height between trailer tongue and tow vehicle receiver you can determine how much adjustment range in the hitch bar you will need.

The second consideration is the needed strength of the spring bars and this depends greatly on the trailer's tongue weight. You need spring bars that are rated for at least the expected tongue weight with some margin extra. "Round" spring bars typically are available in 550, 750, or 1000 lb ratings; "trunnion" bars typically are available with 600, 800, and 1200 lb ratings. A very lightly equipped and loaded TM2619 will have a tongue weight around 350 lbs and would do fine with 550 lb bars; a very well equipped and heavily loaded 3023 (or 3124KS) could have a tongue weight as high as 750 lbs and really needs at least 1000 lb bars. I've gradually added both load and equipment to my TM2720SL and now have a tongue weight somewhere around 600 to 650 lbs...I have 750 lb bars and they're just about at their limit of adjustability. So you really need to know your tongue weight with the trailer loaded for travel to pick the right size bar.

The third consideration is bar type...round or trunnion. Both work equally well, the difference is the trunnion type are a bit easier to connect to the ball mount and they are far easier to attach cam type anti-sway to. A trunnion type hitch is also about $200 more costly than the round bar hitch and, since anti-sway is not needed with TMs, a trunnion hitch would be costly overkill. Save your money and get a standard round bar hitch.

The final consideration is the type of anti-sway...friction or cam. Since TMs are inherently very sway resistant, this isn't important as long as you properly load the trailer (i.e. don't put excessive amounts of weight well behind the axle....like several heavy bikes on a rear mounted bike rack). You do not need to buy an anti-sway device for the hitch (cam or friction) to safely tow a correctly loaded TrailManor trailer.

Interestingly, brand has very little to do with the decision...some brands may be a bit easier to hookup than others but all brands (Reese, Equil-i-zer, etc.) apparently perform equally well (other than perhaps in anti-sway...there are differences in this consideration). I'd recommend that you pick a bar for its adjustability, it's bar strength, and it's bar type...and buy whatever brand of hitch you can get a good deal on since you don't need to worry about the anti sway differences of the brands.

Click here for Reese's Round Bar Hitch Page (http://www.reese-hitches.com/heavy_duty_round_bar_wd.htm)

You can find more information about how to adjust a WDH in the " TrailManor information you won't find anywhere else" forum.

[Denny_A]

get a WDH that functions exactly the same as the Reese which Ray cited, but pay about $78 less. I used this model for 3 yrs. Worked very, very well. It's made by Quality S, Phoenix, AZ, and can be seen here:

http://www.mooretruckaccessories.com/mooretruckaccessories/Weight_Distribution.html

The standard adjustable hitch. I used the 750 lb unit for my 2720SL.

Heres a PDF of the installation instructions:

http://www.quality-s.com/PDF/wdh1002a.pdf

Denny_A

[Frenchy]

Place to buy an "Equalizer" WD anti-sway for $399. I have one with 1000 lb bars for a 3023 TM. I love it. After the initial set-up which takes about 30 minutes, it is easier than WD's with chain link type bars I used to have.

[jumpstreet]

Thanks for the info guys.