Weight Distributing Hitch ?

[fcatwo]

Dave

I would get 800 over the 1200 in the Trunnion but that's assuming you are not going to carry your Harley in the back of your truck while towing. I also think you'll be OK with 1000lb bars because the TM you are buying has two axles and will be much less likely to suffer tire/axle damage from bars that are a little heavy. Another argument for the heavier bars is that, in my experience, WDH spring bars tend to "take-a-set" or lose some of their lift capability with age and use. 800lb bars may be only 700 three years from now.

I'm reluctant to say this because I don't want to appear to be pushing the Equal-i-zer over anything else but Equal-i-zer makes 1000lb bars if you want that weight with some sway control. I should mention that we have the 600 Equal-i-zer but the tongue weight of our 2619 is only about 400-450lbs. We were actually able to level our rig with equal weight on front and back axles with a 400lb single-arm hitch when we were towing with an Odyssey minivan -- but we've added a lot of weight since we got the Tundra.

Dave,
Why don't you try my WDH calculator spreadsheets in the link below. They are in both Works and Excel formats (different posts in the this thread). You just put in some weights and length measurements for your TV and the TM and the spreadsheet calculates the WDH. The first spreadsheet automatically calculates what the WDH tension needs to be for equal load change on the TV's front and rear axles. The second spreadsheet allows you to plug in your WDH bar size (lbs) and see what happens to the loads on the front, rear and TM axles.
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=3962

-Paul

Thanks for all the great info. I will talk it over with my Dealer.

Dave

Talked to my Dealer and all things considered, I will go with the Reese 1200 lb Trunnion WDH.

Dave

I bought my TM with a WDH used from a Stu Warren in Albuquerque. I don't know what brand or model it is; I can't find any labels or stampings that would identify it. The bars are labeled as being 600lbs. It seems to do a good job of distributing the weight of my 3124KB. It doesn't appear to have any anti-sway mechanism. See attached pictures. Does anyone recognize this particular WDH? I don't remember the brand even being on the documentation that Stu provided me. I'll have to look more closely the next time I open my TM and pull out the manuals. Anyway, the pictures will hopefully give those that unfamiliar with WDHs and idea of what we're talking about.

That would appear to be a Valley Hitch which is sold by U-Haul - at least here in the Spokane, WA area. I have that hitch and have had no problems whatsoever. (I think they may now be called Husky Hitches.)

[fcatwo]

I do have one further comment on WDHs. While it's true you can adjust the lift of a WDH while sitting level by the number of chain links left hanging, that's not the full story. When you drive through a road dip, for instance, and your trailer is still going down one side while your TV is going up the other side your spring bars will be giving you close to their full capacity. I doubt it will matter in most situations but with a TM whose axle/tires are already close to max loading it will likely create a brief period of overloading. Is that a problem -- I don't know but it's something to be aware of when choosing a WDH. Bigger may not always be better and there may be a reason they make them in different weights.

[Bill]

Rob -

Just to confirm your thought - no, there is no sway control on that setup, and that is fine. You do not need one.

Frank -

Yes, driving through a swale as you describe will change the weight distribution until you get level again. However, if the hitch weight is 600 pounds and you are already distributing 200 of that back to the TM and 200 to the front wheels of the TV (leaving 200 on the rear wheels), then I think the worst that will happen is that the rear wheels will be further unloaded, and you will put maybe 100 extra pounds on the front wheels and 100 extra pounds on the TM wheels. Since you are travelling at maybe 5 mph over a deep swale, and the extra load happens for only a few seconds, I can't imagine that this will cause any problem.

I will admit that I have not performed a weight check under these circumstances, though. It is possible to (mentally) consider an outlandish situation in which the spring bars are absolutely rigid. In that case, of course, you could end up redistributing a lot of weight, right up to the total rear end weight of the tow vehicle! That would not be good, so as you point out, bigger is not always better! My feeling is that anywhere in the 600-1000 pound range is appropriate for TMs.

Bill (who has 1200-pound bars, for some reason that is lost in the mists of time)

[commodor47]

Originally Posted by Scopegeek

I bought my TM with a WDH used from a Stu Warren in Albuquerque. I don't know what brand or model it is; I can't find any labels or stampings that would identify it. The bars are labeled as being 600lbs.

The pictures you posted are very helpful. As Jim surmised, you probably have a Husky system. Your WDH looks exactly like mine . . . and mine is a Husky. The original owner threw in the WDH when I purchased the unit in February of 2004. The bars are labeled 1000 lbs.

I am a new owner of a 3124KS and tow it with a 2002 Tundra, 4WD, AC. I went with the Reese with 1,000 pound round bars. This was after much research on the TM site as well as Tundra Solutions site. Rocky Mountain Ray is the towing expert on the Tundra site and you would be well served to read his advice. My TM tows like a dream with the set up that I am using. Absolutely no sway and on a smooth road you cannot tell the TM is behind you.

Good luck on making your choice.

Bill