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Topic ClosedI was Sold the wrong WDH...What effects???
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2587 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: I was Sold the wrong WDH...What effects???
    Posted: 08 Feb 2019 at 3:33pm
Tearless Tom, Fastway has their installation and set up instructions online here: https://www.fastwaytrailer.com/pdf/e2-round-bar-hitch-instructions.pdf
You should have been given a copy by your dealer.  
When the dealer set up our hitch, among other errors, they set the L brackets too far aft so that I had <3" of distance from the middle of the bracket to the end of the bar.  I moved it forward to have about the same distance as you ended up with.  The propane tank mount is a problem for getting the L brackets in the right place, but you should be able to get it close enough.  The other thing the dealer failed to do was to torque any of the bolts to the proper tightness.  Thankfully nothing happened before I caught it.
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Posts: 85 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2019 at 2:44pm
Originally posted by TheBum

As I recall, I had to install the E2 L-brackets on our 179 at a little shorter distance than ideal due to the location of the propane bottle mount, but still within the spec'ed range.


Mine were jammed up next to the propane tanks. I moved it aft about an inch or so. They measure 3.5 inches from the tip of the spring bar to the center of the hole. I read somewhere it had to be at least 3 inches and the further back you put the bracket the less effect it has on the weight distribution. Moving mine back made about 1/10 of an inch difference with the same set up.
Tearless Tom
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Posts: 1407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2019 at 11:33am
As I recall, I had to install the E2 L-brackets on our 179 at a little shorter distance than ideal due to the location of the propane bottle mount, but still within the spec'ed range.
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2019 at 2:22am
Glad it’s worked out for you Tearless Tom. One reason for the setup difference might be trailer wheel size and ride height. Maybe I missed it but what wheels and lift setup do you have? If normal for the Midwest/East you will be sitting a little lower than GlueGuy.



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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2630 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 10:14pm
Originally posted by TearlessTom

Originally posted by GlueGuy

Good to hear Tom! Your F-150 is a beast for pulling something like the RP-179. We have had absolutely zero issues with ours. It tows like a dream. No muss, no fuss, no sweat, no bother. Just exactly what you need on a camping trip.

Thanks you were a big help..  

I did find it curious that  with 2 washers and the L bracket in the position you use  vs 3 washers and the L bracket with 2 holes left under the frame (one hole lower than yours)  gave me the exact same front wheel height but I felt with 3 washers I was getting a bit more sway control.

Probable all in my head but then again maybe not?
No worries Tom. The WDH distributes some of the tongue weight to the front wheels, and a smaller amount to the axle of the trailer. I don't think you have to worry at all how much is actually going to the front wheels of your particular truck.

There may be a minor concern about how much is transferred to the trailer axle (the RP-179 axle is just adequate for a fully loaded RP-179). So it's theoretically possible to overload the R-pod axle, but you would still have to work on it a bit.

Also, our 2015 F-150 is a complete re-design of the truck (from prior years), and I think there is enough difference between the 2014 and the 2015 to make some minor rigging changes. 
bp
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Posts: 85 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 9:35pm
Originally posted by GlueGuy

Good to hear Tom! Your F-150 is a beast for pulling something like the RP-179. We have had absolutely zero issues with ours. It tows like a dream. No muss, no fuss, no sweat, no bother. Just exactly what you need on a camping trip.

Thanks you were a big help..  

I did find it curious that  with 2 washers and the L bracket in the position you use  vs 3 washers and the L bracket with 2 holes left under the frame (one hole lower than yours)  gave me the exact same front wheel height but I felt with 3 washers I was getting a bit more sway control.

Probable all in my head but then again maybe not?
Tearless Tom
2017 R-Pod 180
2014 Ford F-150 XLT 2WD 5.0
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Posts: 2630 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 9:16pm
Good to hear Tom! Your F-150 is a beast for pulling something like the RP-179. We have had absolutely zero issues with ours. It tows like a dream. No muss, no fuss, no sweat, no bother. Just exactly what you need on a camping trip.
bp
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Posts: 85 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 8:49pm
Finally got it where I am happy with it.  There were quite a few errors I found in the dealers installation  which wasn't helping the performance of the hitch.

Everything was set up as a generic install, Not at all my truck and trailer specific which is what I thought I was paying for.  The hitch was one notch or an inch to high.  The hardware that mounts the L bracket was not properly mounted to the frame as I could put a finger between the frame and the bottom bolt so the L bracket was shifting as it could not be tighten down enough to hold it stable like that.

I understand why they did it.  My Propane tank line was run under the right side to the external propane connection on the right side.  It was a easy fix. I had to remove x1 3/8 self tapping screw and relocate the line.   Just dealer being LAZY!
The brackets were also not the correct distance  from the hitch.  Also some washers lock washers were missing and a mixture of No-stop and nuts with lock washers were used.

So  I dropped the hitch height by one notch or about one inch.   I removed some washers. I ended up at 3. and my L bracket with 2 holes open below the frame.  I felt this gave me a good balance between sway control, while decreasing the up down bounce from the hitch being too high .  My front end height is currently 1/10 inch over sprung.  I can live with that.  I may experiment some more later but for now the ride is good and the sway seems to have been mostly eliminated and it tracks well. Big smile

Thanks again for everyone input and help.  
Tearless Tom
2017 R-Pod 180
2014 Ford F-150 XLT 2WD 5.0
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 2:41pm
+1 GlueGuy, I agree.
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Posts: 2630 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 2:05pm
What I'm saying is that he's about an inch out of level, and the hitch assembly goes up/down about an inch at a time. Go for it. Start at a level place, or as close as you can get, and go on with the rest of it.
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
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