Equilizer Hitch

Well we did it. We have been camping in a couple of tent trailers for 20 years. We found the Trailmanor and decided to go window shopping to see what it is like. Well 3 hours later we had the papers signed and our grown kids getting a great laugh. Well having pulled only tent trailer in the past, we have not had to think about equilizer hitchs so my knowledge is limited. The dealer wants $750 to set me up when I pick up the unit next weekend. Now that does include the brake controler as our tent trailer has surge brake system. I am open to what ever discussion and suggestions that you might sle. We will be pulling with a 2004 Ford f-150 crew cab. 5.4 The unit is a
2720 sl.

Question is do I need a equilizer hitch and what is your recomendation if I do.

[Bill]

With a crew cab (long wheelbase) you might not need a WDH. You might read the article in the Technical Reference Library (aka Trail Manor Info You Won't Find Anywhere Else).

In my opinion, $750 is a lot of money for a setup. A weight distributing hitch (WDH) should cost about $200 and take half an hour to install and adjust, assuming that your truck already has the Class III/IV hitch receiver. A brake controller is about $150, and an hour of labor if your truck is not pre-wired with a 7-pin trailer connector (many are). Perhaps this $750 amount includes some other goodies, like some big removeable mirrors, that increase the package cost. But if your truck is prewired, and you don't need a WDH, you should pay for the brake controller and a half hour of labor, and that's about it.

By the way, your post was titled Equalizer hitch. Be aware that there is a brand name called Equal-I-Zer. It is a good hitch, but rather expensive. People who have Equal-I-Zers tend to love them, but you can get just as good for considerably less money from Reese, Draw-Tite, Hidden Hitch, and others. This is just a heads up - salesmen sometimes exploit the name. If I put "Kleenex" on my grocery list, that doesn't mean I have to buy Kleenex brand when I get to the store.

Bill

Bill is spot on with all his comments. The only thing I would add is that our Equal-I-zer hitch probably is overkill and it is extremely heavy compared with the others Bill mentions. He is correct in that we love the hitch, know that it will handle a larger TM if we decide to get one, and we never have to worry about hitch-related issues; no sway, etc.

Thanks for the info. I will take care of this some other way than the dealer. It is prewired with the seven pin so will find someone local to take care of that also.

F150 with a 5.4l is rated to tow 8,000 to 11,000 lbs! If it needs a WDH for a TM, that would be a pretty sad. This is a truck built for pulling toy haulers and fifth wheels!

Brake controller should be a minor install considering the prewired setup. I and many recommend Prodigy. I wouldn't tow without one of those by choice. Stopping takes several times longer without those trailer brakes.

Tent trailers which have all the appliances of the TM will weigh and tow the same as a TM BTW. You likely won't notice a difference in towing.

Jacob,

If you have the short bed F150 Crew Cab, then you and I have the same basic pickup......I have the Super Cab with a 6.5" bed, and your Crew Cab probably has a 5.5" bed, keeping close to the same wheelbases.

There has been a recent thread on WDH use on these sized pickups:

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=7495

Mr. Adventure posted some information that I had written in a previous thread about the weight differences when adding 500 lbs. to your trailer hitch. The F150s that we use should pull the TM with no problem as long as you keep the tongue weight under the Ford recommended 500 lb. tougue weight carrying capacity of the factory hitch, and you kept the bulk of your extra camping weight as far forward of the rear axle as possible......being aware that on the F150 Crew Cab short beds the rear axle is foward of the center of the bed. But I am convinced that a WDH gives me a safer, smoother, and better handling trip while pulling the TM. I even adjust the chain lengths depending on the load in the TM and truck to try to get the best feel on the road.

I think a WDH with a 800 lb. tongue weight seems to be about the best size for our TMs.

Chap

I have been towing our 2005 TM 2720 with our 2002 Chevy 1500HD truck since March 2005 and never had any reason to use a WD hitch. I have about 5/8 inch sag at the rear bumper of the truck when connecting the TM. While discussing a different issue with the factory a couple of years ago even the factory recommended no WD hitch as it was not necessary. I would not hurt anything, but if there is no sag to correct then why bother.

Well, this past weekend we towed the TM with the 1500HD and towed the ATV trailer with the 1997 Dodge Dakota. We were running heavy. Both trucks sagged more than I have ever seen them sag before. The bed of each truck had a motorcycle in in and stuff packed all around it. I had to jack the front of the TM up with a bottle jack so that I could remove the wheel from the front of the TM when we got to camp. I have never had to do that before.

I have not decided what to do aout it. This was a somewhat unusual situation for use. We just aded the two motorcycles and two ATVs a few months ago. This was the first big trip with all this gear. The previous trip had 5 adults, this time we had 7 adults.

One thought is to add a WD hitch. Another thought is to replace the Dakota with a Chevy truck that has a full 8 foot bed instead of the 6.5 foot bed. I would perhaps get the extended cab but not the crew cab. This truck being bigger than the Dakota could carry some additional load, reducing the load on the crew cab.

So, on many occasions I have stated on various threads that witha big truck you do not need a WD hitch, I will now modify that that to stipulate that it also depends on how much load is in the back of the truck. Maybe a bigger truck than my 1500HD would have carried the load a little better.

[Bill]

Wayne -

There is probably an easy answer in your particular case - get a WDH, but use it and the springbars only when you are running heavy. Most of the time you won't need them, but occasionally you do.

For people with a lighter vehicle, "occasionally" may translate to be "almost always" - and that's OK. I always use mine, but my vehicle is not as long or as strong as yours.

Bill

Originally Posted by Bill

Wayne -

There is probably an easy answer in your particular case - get a WDH, but use it and the springbars only when you are running heavy. Most of the time you won't need them, but occasionally you do.

For people with a lighter vehicle, "occasionally" may translate to be "almost always" - and that's OK. I always use mine, but my vehicle is not as long or as strong as yours.

Bill

Thanks, it had not occurred to me that I could choose to use either the WD hitch or the standard hitch, depending on load, distance, etc.

If it is just DW and I and we do not take the ATVs then we will be traveling light enough that WD is not useful.

Jacob:
Sounds like your truck is pre-wired for a brake controller If so, it is possibly a simple plug-in under the dash. You just screw in the controller to an appropriate spot on your dash, get the proper wiring harness for $10, plug one end into the controller and the other into the plug under your dash and you are good to go. Should you decide to have someone elso do it, be aware that it is likely not a big job at all...maybe 1/2 hour max. As far as the WDH goes, I would agree with all the comments you have received so far. Isn't this a fabulous forum???

Note to LisaJo...when you changed the subject of the thread, you 'hijacked' it. Best to keep on the specific topic. If you have something else in mind, start a new thread regarding your question. Of course, that would involve you joining the forum as a member. Might be the best $12 you ever spend...

[Note: thread de-hijacked. Good reminder, Scott.
Bill]