weight distribution hitch - Page 2

MarkoPolo · 02-07-2015, 10:04 PM

I measured my tongue weight at 510 lbs. We carry a lot of stuff and I suspect my loaded weight is between 4500 and 5000 lbs. It does seem that the 2922 has more reported sway issues, maybe because of the extra 2ft behind the axle. At any rate, I don't think the tongue weight is too light. I really don't know what causes it. I just know that I will not tow this trailer without the WDH. Been there, done that...scared the peewaddy out of me

This is the only model Trailmanor I have towed, but have been towing since 1999. This is the only one with significant sway issues.
I know not many folks have had this issue, but the time to find out you do....is not during a highway emergency.

davlin · 02-08-2015, 05:49 AM

Roger that, Mark. Does your F150 have the factory mounted receiver hitch? If so, it's rated at 500 lb tongue weight capacity, which means without a WDH, you're exceeding it at 510 lbs. So you have two very good reasons for weight distribution. I don't recall reading a thread on this forum about catastrophic hitch failure...and I don't ever want to!

Dave

Padgett · 02-08-2015, 07:24 AM

I had one happen on an Interstate in Ohio while pulling a 3,000 lb race car on a friend's tandem axle trailer. Hitch assmbly on the trailer sheared off.

Fortunately the safety chains were mounted farther back and held. Nestled the spoiler into the rear door of the van and got stopped on the shoulder. Had visions of an expasnion joint incident the whole time so pulled onto the shoulder ASAP. Was a long time ago but the type of thing you remember.

tentcamper · 02-08-2015, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkoPolo

I measured my tongue weight at 510 lbs. We carry a lot of stuff and I suspect my loaded weight is between 4500 and 5000 lbs. It does seem that the 2922 has more reported sway issues, maybe because of the extra 2ft behind the axle. At any rate, I don't think the tongue weight is too light. I really don't know what causes it. I just know that I will not tow this trailer without the WDH. Been there, done that...scared the peewaddy out of me

This is the only model Trailmanor I have towed, but have been towing since 1999. This is the only one with significant sway issues.
I know not many folks have had this issue, but the time to find out you do....is not during a highway emergency.

One of the first times I pulled a trailer, it swayed as much as the tail on a happy dog. I agree, it scared me. After that, I will almost not tow a trailer without a sway control. Looking back on that first trailer when I was a teenager, it was a boat with the big outboard and the tongue was very light.

I have pulled the TM without a sway controller 600 miles when we bought it, and I have no sway.

Padgett · 02-08-2015, 08:37 PM

Only time I had any sway issues (and just learned about sway control and WDHs this century) was when a trailer tire was either low or overloaded or about to come apart. Have hit some oddball harmonics on some roads but that was more of a bounce than a sway and was just at one speed.

Worst tow vehicle I ever used was a 69 Econoline Van but that was mainly because it had no heat.

Will say of all the towcars I've had/borrowed/been caged into driving for a friend the Jeep is by far the best.

**Bill** · 02-09-2015, 11:09 AM

Just to be sure we are all on the same page, this thread is titled Weight Distribution Hitch. The posts have morphed into a discussion of sway control. These are not the same thing!

As its name suggests, the purpose of a weight distributing hitch is to move some of the trailer's hitch weight off the ball, and off the rear suspension of the tow vehicle. None of this will have any effect on sway.

You can also buy a friction sway control apparatus (Reese is the most common). It is not expensive (and not very effective), and it has nothing to do with weight distribution.

Finally, you can buy a weight distributing hitch that ALSO has a sway control function. The extra function costs extra money, often substantial, as you would expect. And the specs and advertising for that particular hitch will make it clear that it has an anti-sway capability.

Bill

Mr. Adventure · 02-19-2015, 10:24 AM

Sway is one thing. An unbalanced load is another. Both are situations where the tail wags the dog.

I think of sway as being caused by forces that make the trailer swing relative to the tow vehicle. On the other hand, an unbalanced load can cause a sloppy, difficult to control situation, even without towing a trailer.

Once, when I wanted to learn about how my tow vehicle was going to handle 500# of weight aft of the rear axle, before I bought the TrailManor, I went to Lowes and bought 500# of lime for the lawn. I piled it several bags high across the back just inside the tailgate. The ride was awful, with exaggerated swings adding on to even minor steering corrections. Braking was significantly affected. It was very clear that a Weight Distributing Hitch was going to be mandatory.

An adventure combo for us about 15 years earlier was a Ford conversion van and a 29 foot travel trailer. Yes, the tongue weight was an issue for the WDH to manage. But the sway caused by side forces from winds or overtaking vehicles made it impossible to safely tow going faster than 55 or 60. We never really found a satisfactory fix for this problem except, of course, that speed multiplies all towing problems and slowing down reduces them.

Towing without a WDH takes weight off the front and adds it to the back of the tow vehicle. Weight taken off the front reduces steering control and braking. The rear axle weight from a 500# trailer tongue is more than 700# beyond the other stuff you're already planning to carry back there (If you don't believe me, check it out on the truck scale and report back).

Therefore, I believe that the WDH is a necessity for most of us, except perhaps those with very long wheelbase tow vehicles and stout rear axles. I do not believe that sway is a big problem with TrailManors, or that sway control can ever be a good substitute for a properly adjusted WDH.

Padgett · 02-19-2015, 01:52 PM

I must be missing something, just pulled 180 miles from South Florida at 65 with bursts to 70 when passing and while getting passed by a semi at speed was noticable (Turnpike is not very wide) I never felt any real sway (and have experienced it before, usually when a tire was about to go)

Jeep's wheelbase is 115" but it does have a short tail (38" from center of rear wheel to hitch ball), IRS, and while the lightest GC it has a 50/50 weight distribution and the factory tow package. All of these are stability factors and I have never seen the traction control light while towing (was why I dumped the Goodyears early and now have Michelin LTs but was mainly felt in wet weather).

Another is that I carry very little in the TM, other than the furniture, and at most a 1/2 tank of water: most travel gear goes in the Jeep.

It is as I've said before, the best tow car I've ever had (and that goes back to 1970 and a lot of miles towing). YMMV.

My tongue weight was measured at 460 lbs (after removing the WDH mounts) and while only a 9% margin on my 500 lb TW max. I really do not want any more load on the TM 3500 lb axle and that needs to be a consideration as well.

funpilot · 02-20-2015, 07:20 AM

I took my 3124 to a CAT scale (as I have posted before) and ended up with these readings after installing a BlueOx Swaypro. 2980 steer axle (same as without the trailer), 3660 Drive Axle (2800 before), and 3380 trailer axle. So it moved 800 pounds to the truck which can carry 4000 pounds.

Padgett · 02-20-2015, 09:39 AM

What does that make the effective tongue weight ? I thought most people went the other way, increasing the weight on the trailer axle.

This is getting confusing.