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Old 04-13-2012, 12:04 PM   #1
clown9644
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Default Weight Distribution for 2004, 3023 with swing away

I have read the threads about wdh, swing tongues and am now very confused. Most of the information comes from folks with other models than mine. I am pulling with an 2010 F150 with all the tow package and the hitch does have a 500 pound rating unless using WDH. The TM tows great but I have concerns with the 500 pound rating of the factory installed hitch.

Some say never with a swing tongue, others say its great, but all for 2720 units. Some have had issues with length of the spring bars.
I do store in a garage and need the swing. I do have a slight bending when weight put on the hitch, at the pivot points but cannot see any wear anywhere.

If anyone has a 3023, with swing away tongue and uses a WDH would you just put down what make and model you got, was there any modifications needed, doe you have issues with the bars hitting the hing points, etc.
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Old 04-13-2012, 01:46 PM   #2
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Are you sure that you NEED the WDH.

My 2720 is certainly smaller than your TM. I tow with a Chevy 1500HD. I was advise by the factory that there was no reason to use a WDH.

Actually, for me a WDH is a bad idea. My TM axle is already at 3380 pounds. Anything that adds weight to the TM axle will put me over the axle documented limit.
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Old 04-13-2012, 03:35 PM   #3
rvcycleguy
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I have a 3124KB and do not need a WDH for my Tundra V8. Tows fine without it.
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Old 04-13-2012, 07:25 PM   #4
brulaz
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Like the OP, my hitch receiver also says 500# max without a WDH.

Not sure why, but that's what it says. And I'm closer to 600# tongue weight, so I usually use a WDH at a fairly light setting. It levels the truck a bit by lowering the front ~1/2 the rise w/o the WDH (Ford's instructions).

I've tried it without a WDH, and there *may* be more squirm, but with my P-rated tires, it's hard to tell if there's any handling differences.

Would love to dump the WDH, but that 500# hitch limit is bothersome.

(sorry, no swing-away tongue)
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Old 04-14-2012, 07:31 AM   #5
clown9644
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No, I have towed several miles (round trip from Toledo OH to Central Florida just finished) and was loaded to the max, and it tows very well. My TM dealer said no, and he would have made a buck by saying yes.
My concern is that the 500 limit of the receiver is exceeded. I was wondering if there is the possibility of damage to it, not in handling. I have been led to believe that there is no concern. I have only weighed for tongue weight, never been on the scales.
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Old 04-16-2012, 06:06 AM   #6
Mr. Adventure
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The WDH allows greater tongue loads at the hitch ball because it reduces the bolt loads at the hitch receiver mounting points: Without a WDH, the aft bolts carry the tongue load with a pretty good lever arm, and the front ones carry zero. With a WDH there is lift at the aft receiver bolts which gets applied at the front. By spreading the tongue load better across all the mounting points, the WDH provides the ability to carry more tongue weight. The spring bars are a bonus too, in that they provide some buffer for dynamic loads on bumps.

The swing hitch is an interesting wrinkle, in that the spring bars attach at a worst case point on the trailer frame from a load perspective (the WDH more than doubles the frame load right at the bar chain attach point). But TrailManor has always recommended WDH's, and there's no reason a swing hitch shouldn't work with a WDH as long as it was built strong enough. A swing hitch bears watching, like most everything else.

It's easy to put 750# on the rear axle with a 500# tongue weight unless you use a WDH (with a 250# reduction up front) (Ballpark rule of thumb without a WDH: rear axle gains 1.5 x Tongue weight, Front axle loses .5 x Tongue weight). That can be a lot of load in most of our tow vehicles, especially when we have substantial other things to carry.

Pickup truck owner's manuals may suggest loading the WDH bars so that they pick up less (half?) of the front-unloading instead of trying to crank the bars up enough to get all of it. This might be especially important if you're worried about the swing hitch or if you have limited capacity for the extra trailer axle load. A longer truck wheelbase and a shorter trailer are factors that give you less WDH effect per extra pound it puts on the trailer axle, too.

The spreadsheets I built to estimate these things are here:
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=12552

3023 note: To reduce tongue weight, I moved the battery to the rear storage cabinet and replaced it with a lighter sealed battery at the same time. I intentionally travel with 1 propane tank empty as well.
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Old 04-16-2012, 07:40 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clown9644 View Post
....I do have a slight bending when weight put on the hitch, at the pivot points but cannot see any wear anywhere.....
I have had 2 swing hitch 2720SL's and have never noticed any bending near the swing hitch pivot points. I used a 1000# WDH when I towed with an F150. Bending and flexing can lead to frame failure, check this out: http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=3728
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Old 04-16-2012, 01:36 PM   #8
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Took a look on my TM and could not see any cracks, will get my high intensity light out and recheck soon, hoping no cracks! I am also going to open the garage so I can put the hitch back together and run a straight edge to see if I can find the sag point, or prove I am day dreaming. Hope I don't have a bad swing tongue, I need to use that so I can close the garage door. No I have never put weight on it folded, but I am not original owner so cannot speak to the other(s) actions.

I ordered my wdh today so will be getting in by weeks end. Oh boy, another project!
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Old 04-16-2012, 05:35 PM   #9
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Well I crawled all over the camper frame, no cracks so good news there. I ran the power lift on the tongue up and down a dozen times and am convinced that the movement I am seeing is at the NON hinge side of the moveable tongue but at the pin location. The holes the pin goes into are ever so slightly egg shaped and the extra piece of steel tack-welded onto the inside of the crossbeam has a very slight wear spot where the pin meets it. The movement is less than a 1/16th of an inch and there is still lots of steel so I do not feel I have a safety issue. I hope that when I am at the Falls this year Ed can take a peek at it and tell me if I have a problem or not. Would love to send him pictures but he and the service email are not responding to emails yet- been waiting a few days for reply on other minor items. If I needed a new tongue would be nice to have them bring it with them.
Anyone else have this movement?

edit-- I have jackstands about a foot from the pins for the tongue that supported the trailer, I lifted trailer off them in the test
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Old 04-17-2012, 09:26 AM   #10
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I had a cracked frame in 2006 on my 2005 2720.

I attribute the crack to a flaw in the weld for the bracket for the swing tongue on the street side.

The fix was to weld an additional strap along the bottom of the channel.

I have seen other TMs newer than mine with this strap. I have concluded that the fix for mine bacame a permanent design point.

Yours being 2004 I suggest that you might keep an eye on that particular area because it is a high stress point and some welders are better than others.

My crack wrapped half way around the channel.

Pictures are posted under my name in the archives. PopBeavers around spring 2006 as I recall.
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