Air Bags vs Air Shocks

[Bill]

There is nothing wrong with the bags in this situation. The important thing is to distribute the weight, which only a WDH can do. If you've done that, and the bags improve the quality, go for it. And if it increases gas mileage - hey, that's a welcome bonus!

This situation also arises when your tow vehicle comes from the factory with automatically-inflated air bags/shocks. As noted in the WDH tutorial in the TM Reference Library (TM Info You Won't Find Anywhere Else), if you have factory-installed bags, you should turn off the compressor, hook up the TM and adjust the WDH - and then you can turn the compressor back on again. This should be a one-time only event - you do it when you need to figure out which chain link is the proper one to use on the spring bars. From then on, you just use that same chain link, and let the compressor do its thing.

Bill

Just read all of the posts and got many more questions answered than I had been pondering. Time to start shopping for a good WDH.

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by RealJeep

Just read all of the posts and got many more questions answered than I had been pondering. Time to start shopping for a good WDH.

Yes, there is much collected wisdom here and we veterans are very appreciative of you taking the time to read and research what's already been posted.

As Bill posted over on the thread you started about hitches, these are the salient considerations for getting the right WDH to tow a TrailManor:

• By comparison to other travel trailers, TrailManors have very high tongue weights relative to their total weight. Assume the tongue weight can be as much as 15% of the trailer's GVWR. IOW, the tongue weights will be in the 550 to 750 lb range depending on the size of the trailer. For instance, my 2720SL which I do somewhat front-load, has a tongue weight around 650 lbs.
• The "approximate" hitch weights posted on the TrailManor company website are majorly, even dangerously understated. Multiply TM's hitch weight numbers by a factor of at least 1.5 to get more realistic weights.
• Because the real world hitch weights are in the 550 to 750 lb range, you need to get a WDH with at least 750 lb ratings on the spring bars and 1000 lb bars are not at all overkill, especially on the longer TMs.
• As long as you load them properly, TMs are inherently very sway resistant. Accordingly you don't have to worry about or buy the various and sometimes expensive "sway control" devices that owners of standard travel trailers must have on their WDHs. Therefore pretty much any standard WDH from almost any reputable hitch manufacturer will work just fine. As long as it has a reasonable (roughly 5 to 7 inch) range of adjustability for hitch ball height, almost any of the run-of-the-mill Drawtite or Reese brand WDHs will serve you just fine. No need at all to get fancy or expensive here....and that will save you some signifcant dollars.

[Padgett]

Every TV is different & the whole geometry will affect whether a WDH is needed or how it will react to different suspension components. Some there is no question, others might be good.

In my case I simply did not want to add any more load to the 3500lb axle on my TM & IMNSHO the geometry of my Jeep is as near to ideal as you can get in a production vehicle.