Hitch loading

[Wanderer]

So glad you/we've got it all sorted now!

[Nana & Poppy]

Vern, hope those last posts helped!

[Vern]

All comments (and the education) greatly appreciated.

I'm trying to work my way through the maze of weight distributing hitch info so I won't be a blithering idiot when I talk to a dealer tomorrow.

One thing bothers me. I came across a fellow who said that you can't have a WDH attached when you back up. REALLY? That sounds bizarre. Could he be talking about a particular brand, or are they all like that?

[Wanderer]

It's best to take the bars off when backing up. On my first backing up attempt I forgot them on and I pinched my electrical cord. Live and learn!
It's no biggie as you take them off after you disconnect the truck anyway.

[Nana & Poppy]

WOW, we back up all the time with the W/D bars attached never had a problem!.....was he referring to a "sway control"? Yea I know another thing for you to look up!

[Wanderer]

N&P, We were advised by the dealer to unhook the bars before backing up. My first time I forgot (Brand new unit, just bringing it home from the dealer so a lot on my mind) and pinched the electrical cord.
I try not to forget now. The bars restrict your turning radius so if you're not making tight turns there should be no problems. I back up lots as back-in sites tend to be cheaper and nicer than pull throughs.
It's just a good habit to get into as a preventative measure.
Glad you've been OK so far!

[Nana & Poppy]

Understood Gordon, we camp mostly state campgrounds, and the good Lord knows here in the Adirondacks there are no flat, level sites!! LOL No-one ever told us to disconnect the bars, just the sway control - just saying - and thankfully we never had an issue....must tell my DH about this!

[Vern]

N&P

Do you have a sway controller? If you don't need to remove your bars, could it be something related to the brand of WDH you own? Do you have round bars or trunnions?

So, what brand do you have? And Gordon?

Sounds pretty convenient if you don't have to remove anything every time you want to back up.
That's my kind of backing up!!! And I agree about having great backup sites, especially in British Columbia. Those kinds of sites were the most secluded and prettiest. The pull-throughs seemed to be always out in the open.

[Nana & Poppy]

Vern, we have Draw Tite trunnion w/d hitch - we will be adding on dual cam sway to it come spring.....no need to spend the money to have it sit in storage until next May! We purchased our Toy Hauler in October, used it 14 days and then it sits waiting to be put into storage. DH husband is on the phone with the storage area and it sounds like it will be Friday YEA - been waiting for over a month to get the OK!

As stated above, we have never removed the trunnion bars while backing up...but according to Gordon that is not a great idea......when you go to the dealer check and see what they have to say.

[Wanderer]

I have an RV Pro model 22-8201 with a tongue weight of 800 lbs.

It weas during a tight turn that I pinched my cord which is why I suggest removing the bars prior to backing up. My dealer also stated this. There is no harm in removing them first as you will be taking them off once you park anyway.

If I'm in a parking lot or somewhere I won't be camping and will not be doing tight manouevers I don't take mine off either.

[Vern]

Thanks for the data, guys. Much appreciated.

According to my Dutchmen manual, "Use a weight distributing hitch rated for not less than the trailer Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and with spring bars rated not more than the ratings shown in the table below."

Unfortunately they don't give the "table below" or any other place in the manual.

If my GTW is about 6000 lbs and my tongue weight is 630 lbs, I was going to get a WDH rated at 10,000 lbs GTW and a tongue weight at 800 lbs. This seems reasonable, right?

But the manual says to not go over a certain rating. Anybody have any ideas what this means?

[Wanderer]

These hitches are heavy. Over-rating just adds unnecessary weight to the rear of your truck.
My hitch is 10,000 with an 800 tongue weight, that will be perfect for your application.

[Vern]

Thank you, Gordon

800# TW seems reasonable to me, too.

Trying to find one that size, good quality, with anti-sway is a challenge.

Reese w/dual cams looks good for $566. (Ouch!!!)

[Wanderer]

I paid a tad more than that for mine but then, things tend to be a bit pricier in Canada than the US. Where are you, BTW?

[Vern]

Bozeman, Montana. Nice "little" college town. With all the kids, we're somewhere around 30-35 thousand.

Yes, I did notice things are a bit pricier in Canada. Especially for U.S. beer!!!

[Wanderer]

I've been to Bozeman and yes, we thought it was gorgeous! We'll be through there again in the spring on our way to Yellowstone.

I never could understand why they sell US beer here in Canada. Must be for the tourists!

[Vern]

I drank Canadian beer. Couldn't afford ours. LOL

BTW how long are the round or trunnion bars? The one here is 27" as measured from the center of the ball to the rear of the back bracket. I was expecting more like a meter or so.

Then again, I've heard of short bars. I wonder if this was one of them?

I've searched all over the internet today looking for dimensions of these hitches, but couldn't find any. I can tell you that the whole hitch weighs about 60 pounds, but have no data on its size.

[knesdad]

Try Equal-i-zer. I have their 10,000/1,000 hitch. Have had it since 2004 and this is the 3rd trailer it's been used for...

[Wanderer]

Originally Posted by knesdad

Try Equal-i-zer. I have their 10,000/1,000 hitch. Have had it since 2004 and this is the 3rd trailer it's been used for...

This month's Good Sam magazine had a great article on hitches. One of the things they talked about was age of hitches and maintenance. They indicated that if you use a hitch across multiple vehicles and it's getting older to inspect it very carefully.

What you are looking for is ovaling in the receiving hole for the spring bars. If the holes have ovaled the hitch should be replaced. It can cause your spring bars to drop out of the hole and drag along the road. I've actually seen this happen. Fortunately the people were in the campground when it dropped and not on the highway. If it happens on the highway it will cause uneven leveling (is that an oxymoron?) and could cause dangerous sway control.

The other thing to check are the welds. If there are any cracks you need to replace the hitch. I do not believe it is legal to repair welds on a hitch.

I will re-post this information as a separate thread so that everyone will get it.

[knesdad]

Thanks Gordon. I'll take a look at it and check what you suggest above.