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Old 04-08-2015, 12:30 PM   #1
Kizzys
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Default scraping bottom

We are brand new owners of a 2006 2720SL. Entering into even the most gentle of drainage swails, we hit bottom with the front of the TM (below the propane tanks). We've read much on this forum about lift kits, bigger tires, WD hitch, raising the tow vehicle, reversing or replacing the ball hitch on the tow vehicle etc.

We are towing with a Nissan Frontier and our ball hitch drops about 2 inches. It all looks nice and level currently, just too low. We do not have a WDH. The TM came with the brackets and the previous owner says we are welcome to the bars but we can't get them for 6 months as they are traveling. We don't feel we can even travel to get them with the current scraping issue.

So our question is ... of all the options mentioned above that will fix the issue, which is the first and foremost that we should do now? We are willing, just want to do the right and smartest things first.

LOVE OUR TM, LOVE THIS FORUM!! So happy to have found it.
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Old 04-08-2015, 01:24 PM   #2
Bill
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The Frontier has a nice towing capacity (6300 pounds properly equipped - is yours properly equipped?) That's a good thing. And it has a somewhat long wheelbase, depending on the specific sub-model. That is also a good thing for stability, but it affects the front-rear weight distribution. Each of my Explorers had a tow rating of about 6800 pounds, but only 114" of wheelbase - and each one definitely needed a weight distributing hitch. I think you will find that a WDH will do a lot of good in your case, too.

Since you can't lay your hands on your WDH for a while - and since your trailer is towing level - and since your tow vehicle is quite capable - I think your short-term solution is to tow your trailer a bit nose-high until you can get your WDH. In other words, buy a hitch with about 2 more inches of rise than your current hitch. This should keep the trailer's nose out of the asphalt. It will also lower the tail end of the trailer, of course, but because the axle is not in the center of the trailer, a 2" rise in the front will mean perhaps a 1" drop in the rear. These solid hitchbars are not expensive - maybe $20 if you shop around.

But get your hands on your WDH as soon as possible. And ignore suggestions to use air bags to raise the rear of the truck.

You have the same year/model TM as mine, and it is a pleasure to have on the road.

Final thought. You say your TM has the lift brackets for WDH springbars, and that you can get the springbars in about 6 months. I'm sure you realize that brackets and bars do not make a WDH. A WDH needs a special ballmount to hold the springbars. Is that part of your deal with the seller? If you have the ballmount now, you might be better off to simply buy a set of springbars now, and solve the problem that way. If you don't have, and won't get, a ballmount from the seller, you don't and won't have a WDH, so you might break down and buy the whole thing right now.

Bill
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Old 04-08-2015, 04:17 PM   #3
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The Nissan Frontier has a 126" wheel base and the tow package. You are absolutely correct in that we would NOT have the correct ballmount to hold the springbars I am beginning to wonder if we want to wait 6 months anyway to really solve this issue. I was also incorrect in that the ball on our hitch is dropped 3", not 2" ... so let me ask you this ... we want to boondock and dry camp mostly, therefore we are concerned about clearance and also concerned about the single axle and a blow out. If we lift the trailer 2" then could we put 15" tires on? Then if we change out our dropped hitch for a straight one we would be towing level again, correct? In that case, since we would be lifted 3" do we need WDH? or could we just use a sway control bar? I can't tell you how much we appreciate the advice. We are in over our heads at this point!
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Old 04-08-2015, 05:35 PM   #4
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kizzys
maybe a picture or two might of your set-up might lead us to giving some better answers, I have a low tv and I do not think I have ever hit the front, have hit the rear a few times , we have more than enough truck to handle, but the wdh makes a difference, won't tow without it
as Bill stated that my be your best bet , look around on craigslist , will be able to find one there for 150-200 dollars,
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Old 04-08-2015, 05:48 PM   #5
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Kizzys, when I received my TM my hitch was straight, but I very quickly realized I needed to bring the front of the camper up a couple of inches. Luckily I had a hitch that raised up my trailer about 3 inches. My Ram does have the tow package and I was surprised that I needed to bring up the front of the TM. If you can provide a picture hillbillyhotel as previously mentioned it will give a good amount of info.
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Old 04-08-2015, 06:25 PM   #6
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Your 2006 2720SL may already be lifted. Mine was. You can tell by looking under the TM where the frame rails cross the axle. If there is a short (18") piece of square steel tubing positioned between the frame and the axle, that is a lift. I wouldn't try to lift it further.

Another way to tell if it is lifted is to open the TM, and measure the height of the bottom edge of the TM box from the ground. Measure it directly at the center of the wheel, so that tilt doesn't change it. Mine is 21 inches. Since your TM presumably has 14-inch tires, and mine has 15-inch tires, you might be about 1/2 inch less if you have a lift, and 2 1/2 inches less if you don't.

If you are thinking of increasing tire size, make the famous 3 inch test. How much space is there between the top of the tire and the underside of the black wheel well liner? Dexter Axle suggests that you should have 3 inches of clearance, to allow the suspension to flex. Since their web site says that the suspension will flex only about an inch, many of us (including me) have concluded that 2 inches of clearance is fine.

Three inches under load is a big drop. Even with the long wheelbase of your truck, I bet the front end rises at least an inch, and that can bring problems with steering and braking. If you look around on this site (or outside), you will find discussions of how to measure rise/sink, and what it means.

You don't need sway bars on a TM. This is especially true because of the long wheelbase of your truck, as I mentioned earlier. You'll be a lot happier if you apply your cash to a WDH. Hillbilly has a good point about looking for a used one, but even if you have to buy new, $300 will cover it, and will buy a lot of peace of mind.

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Old 04-08-2015, 07:03 PM   #7
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Default Great points and on the WDH

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill View Post
Your 2006 2720SL may already be lifted. Mine was. You can tell by looking under the TM where the frame rails cross the axle. If there is a short (18") piece of square steel tubing positioned between the frame and the axle, that is a lift. I wouldn't try to lift it further.

Another way to tell if it is lifted is to open the TM, and measure the height of the bottom edge of the TM box from the ground. Measure it directly at the center of the wheel, so that tilt doesn't change it. Mine is 21 inches. Since your TM presumably has 14-inch tires, and mine has 15-inch tires, you might be about 1/2 inch less if you have a lift, and 2 1/2 inches less if you don't.

If you are thinking of increasing tire size, make the famous 3 inch test. How much space is there between the top of the tire and the underside of the black wheel well liner? Dexter Axle suggests that you should have 3 inches of clearance, to allow the suspension to flex. Since their web site says that the suspension will flex only about an inch, many of us (including me) have concluded that 2 inches of clearance is fine.

Three inches under load is a big drop. Even with the long wheelbase of your truck, I bet the front end rises at least an inch, and that can bring problems with steering and braking. If you look around on this site (or outside), you will find discussions of how to measure rise/sink, and what it means.

You don't need sway bars on a TM. This is especially true because of the long wheelbase of your truck, as I mentioned earlier. You'll be a lot happier if you apply your cash to a WDH. Hillbilly has a good point about looking for a used one, but even if you have to buy new, $300 will cover it, and will buy a lot of peace of mind.

Bill
Great points, everyone.
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Old 04-08-2015, 07:12 PM   #8
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along the line of ball height , , '
I would say ours is at least 5 inch above where it slides into receiver,
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Old 04-09-2015, 06:44 AM   #9
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Our 2720 was nose heavy with a 2" drop hitch, I couldn't find a straight (no drop hitch) so I just turned the hitch over inverted the ball and it raised the front. Some may scoff at this but I pulled a 2500 Lb popup for many years like this with no adverse effects.

It will decrease your tongue weight and maybe lower the rear somewhat so a cautious approach is needed such as take a drive to see how it handles in town and at highway speeds. I could tell no difference in the handling on ours. We wanted ours level so when we travel and stop all we had to worry about was side to side level and didin't have to unhook or what we call shoot from the hip overnight camping.
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Old 04-09-2015, 09:03 AM   #10
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Turning the hitch over is perfectly acceptable. Many hitches, in fact, are labelled something like "four inch drop / two inch rise". And of course when you raise the front of the trailer, the back will drop (like a teeter-totter), although the rear will be lowered only about half as much as the front rises, due to the off-center placement of the axle. I'm not at all sure why the tongue weight would change, but if it does it is by a tiny amount.

I'm with Hiram, go for it. It is a quick and easy (and cheap!) fix.

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