Does TM owners use a weight distribution hitch.

Gapopper · 08-16-2016, 08:05 AM

Do y'all go commando with no weight distribution or sway controls ? Do y'all use a weight distribution and sway bars ?

Padgett · 08-16-2016, 08:47 AM

I find that between the weight ratings for the Class III on my Jeep and the traction & sway control handled by the computer, I have not needed anything extra.

Something smaller probably would.

TrailManorMan · 08-16-2016, 08:51 AM

I do not but many here do. Either way it is a "each vehicle/ TM model" answer.

**Bill** · 08-16-2016, 09:21 AM

TrailManorMan is quite right regarding the Weight Distribution Hitch. The answer depends very much on which TM you have, what kind of tow vehicle you have, and how it is equipped. Why don't you add this information to your signature line - it helps when questions need to be answered.

The need for a WDH is one of the most popular topics on this board. You can use the Search tool on terms like "WDH" or "Weight Distribution" to bring up more discussion than you want to wade through. Another answer - a quicker one - can be found in the TM Technical Library. This is the very first forum on the board, officially titled Trail Manor Information You Won't Find Anywhere Else. Scroll down through the titles, and find the ones that address your questions. You will find info on what a WDH is, how to tell if you need one, and how to properly adjust it.

Regarding sway control, the answer is quite different. Trail Manors are specifically designed not to sway, and there is general (though never quite universal) agreement that they don't. Therefore most of us don't use sway bars. Again, the Technical Library has at least one article on this topic. It outlines the method that TM uses to avoid sway, and discusses sway control methods if you decide you still want to use them. (Hint. Don't use friction sway bars!)

Most of us who use their TMs a lot (including me) have experienced situations where sway would be inevitable with other trailers. These include the easy ones - big rigs blowing past, and sudden crosswinds - as well as the tougher ones, such as blowouts, idiot drivers forcing emergency maneuvers, dropping off the edge of the pavement, and so forth. I've been through all of these, and although I have no sway control device, I have never experienced any sway. Most members agree.

Bill

BrucePerens · 08-16-2016, 01:18 PM

I have a 3023, a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee with trailer tow package IV (similar vehicle to Padgett), and the Blue Ox WDH with 550 lb bars. It is easy to install and remove as long as you have an electric jack on the A-frame. It would be a lot slower otherwise. Raise the trailer and the tow vehicle all the way up to install or remove.

I had an issue with up-down sway, not side-to-side. The Grand Cherokee has a fluidic load balancing shock system which might have resonated with the up-down motion. And I think even the brake controller could resonate. It doesn't seem to have a problem with the WDH on and properly adjusted. And it's really easy to drive.
I don't recommend the Blue Ox, unfortunately. The buttons that hold the bars in are not captive, they are just held in with a little leaf spring. They pull out too easily, are hard to reattach, and can get lost in motion if the leaf spring gets loose. Some people put hose clamps over the buttons, the kind with a finger-tightener, just to keep them secure.

Padgett · 08-16-2016, 02:22 PM

Bruce and I really have two different Grand Cherokees. His fluidic load balancing is something my Jeep does not have. In fact mine is the lightest of all the GCs at 4475 lbs (others can be 1,000 lbs heavier) and my suspension is static not dynamic.

This is probably why it is quite nimble despite having a gas V6 engine.

tentcamper · 08-16-2016, 02:31 PM

We did not for the first 600 miles with our sienna. It did great with no issues. I started using a wdh to take out the the hitch noise and the share my TV rear shocks with the camper. I fell any trailer has a better ride using a WDH.

I stopped using a sway controller, I can not get the camper to sway.

bheisser · 08-16-2016, 07:59 PM

i was going to buy a wdh. however the person at etrailer recomended i see how it went... i have towed it numerous times. in a multitude of situations without any issues

Riwright · 08-16-2016, 09:17 PM

I use a weight distributing hitch. The front of the truck (2005 Tundra) is less "up" than it is without it.

I don't have any sway control and have never needed it.

Padgett · 08-17-2016, 07:58 AM

Have said before ms case is special since my nose only rises about a 1/2" when hitched and feel the TM axle is near its 3500lb limit so do not want to add any more load to it. I'd add the air lifts to level the Jeep before a WDH and haven't needed that either.