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Topic ClosedI was Sold the wrong WDH...What effects???
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: I was Sold the wrong WDH...What effects???
    Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 1:23pm
Yes for sure 2 different issues GlueGuy, I agree.

Yes the trailer should be as level as you can reasonably make it, but at some point you’ll run out of things to adjust and need to call it good at that point. An inch is not going to be significant in the way it handles and won’t impact the tongue weight enough to notice. It will change a little with load variation too. I get your argument about the point of rotation being the tire contact patch and not the axle but an inch out of level will only shift the trailer forward or back by about 0.1 inch which is not going to be noticeable.

I’m sure you’re fine on the weight on your front wheels, but if you’re concerned about it you can go weigh each axle on a public scale and compare what you get to the F150s Gross axle weight ratings. That gives you the gross combined vehicle weight and the trailer axle weight too which are good to know.


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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2630 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 10:59am
Originally posted by offgrid

Tearless Tom, lowering the tongue doesn’t change the tongue weight. The trailer is like a teeter totter, once you lift your kid sitting on the other end off the ground the weight stays the same.

As I understand the way that particular wdh works, the sway resistance is created by friction of the bars sliding in their holders. So, there needs to be a decent amount of tension on the bars for it to work. IOW, I suggest you keep some tension on the bars for better sway control even if that means the TV front end winds up a little lower. You have a very capable TV in the F150, it won’t hurt anything.
Those are separate issues. You want the trailer to be close to level. That's why he needs to lower the hitch ball to get to a logical starting place. The height of the L brackets and the down-tilt to the hitch assembly will determine the amount of tension on the WDH.

The F-150 is way more than up to the task, and you could probably put as much or as little as the WDH could be set to. I think that you need to get "enough" tension to take advantage of the anti-sway capability of the E2 hitch.
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Posts: 85 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 10:10am
Originally posted by offgrid

Tearless Tom, lowering the tongue doesn’t change the tongue weight. The trailer is like a teeter totter, once you lift your kid sitting on the other end off the ground the weight stays the same.

As I understand the way that particular wdh works, the sway resistance is created by friction of the bars sliding in their holders. So, there needs to be a decent amount of tension on the bars for it to work. IOW, I suggest you keep some tension on the bars for better sway control even if that means the TV front end winds up a little lower. You have a very capable TV in the F150, it won’t hurt anything.


I understand your point but not your logic or maybe you misunderstood mine.

I am lowering the tongue because it is at a slight upward tilt which as I understand is a bad thing. Can cause jack knifes in hard braking or bad weather.   It should be level or tilted slightly down. Mine is 1 inch higher  when attached to truck than it is when the trailer is level.   I need to get it down to level of just below.

I need to remove some washers as I am currently over-sprung about 1/2 inch. I am not concern about the actual weight  as stated my TV is more than adequate to handle it. 

Your analogy to a teeter totter (we call them see-saw down here because of the noise they make)
anyway your analogy is correct except for the fact that position of the axle makes it more of a fulcrum  in reverse which will apply more weight with varying  angles shifting more of the trailer weight forward which is fine for the tongue but I need to decrease the load off my front wheels as it is already more than it should be. Hence removing the washers.
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Posts: 2587 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 8:07am
I got a spare tire holder to put on the tongue of our 172 from Amazon.  It was a bolt on type that attached to one frame rail or the other.  I had no problem putting it on, but when I had to do a little sharp backing it got in the way.  I'd like to get a mounting system that would attach to both rails and hole the tire horizontally above the LP tank and batteries.  

Any ideas on where to look for one?
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Posts: 1215 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 8:02am
   As I had mentioned before I thought we needed more tongue weight when we owned our 171 so we bought a spare tire bracket from Norther Tool and attached it to the front A frame of our r-pod. Moving the spare tire to the front gave about 70 lbs. more weight to the tongue weight and that extra weight helped the camper tow better. I think maybe with your situation more tongue weight would be of help.
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 5:15am
Tearless Tom, lowering the tongue doesn’t change the tongue weight. The trailer is like a teeter totter, once you lift your kid sitting on the other end off the ground the weight stays the same.

As I understand the way that particular wdh works, the sway resistance is created by friction of the bars sliding in their holders. So, there needs to be a decent amount of tension on the bars for it to work. IOW, I suggest you keep some tension on the bars for better sway control even if that means the TV front end winds up a little lower. You have a very capable TV in the F150, it won’t hurt anything.
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Posts: 85 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2019 at 9:37pm
Originally posted by furpod

Tilting the head doesn't change the height of the tongue, It preloads the spring bars.

I plan on lowering  both the hitch and the L bracket to  the lowest position to lower the hitch height . Now debating on how many washers to use.  I understand that less transfer less weight to the front and as I am over-sprung  by about 0.4 inch with a full fresh water container.  By lowering the tongue I will be increasing the tongue weight so it may need slightly more adjustment. 

It is currently has 6 washers.  GlueGuy has 2,  Others 3 - 4.   I will try somewhere in that range.

Thanks for the help.
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2019 at 9:07pm
Tilting the head doesn't change the height of the tongue, It preloads the spring bars.
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Posts: 2630 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2019 at 8:20pm
The hitch/ball assembly on our 2015 F-150 is all the way down; bottom holes. 

Likewise, the L brackets on the trailer are also all the way down. I guess that's the "top" holes, as the hang down. 

We have two really thick washers on the hitch head. 

I'll get you some pictures in the morning.
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Posts: 85 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2019 at 6:40pm
Originally posted by GlueGuy

You may have too heavy of a hitch, but with the F-150 you could probably live with it. It will be a bit too stiff for the R-pod, but it will work.

How much is the upward tilt? When the trailer is disconnected, the top of the ball to the ground on the truck should be roughly equal to the top of the hitch to the ground. IOW, the trailer tongue and the ball on the hitch should be about the same height (disregarding the number of washers for now).

The number of washers will determine how much weight you're going to transfer. More washer = more weight. Fewer washers = less weight. I'm guessing you should only need a couple of washers, if that.

We have 2 (thick) washers on our E2 600/6000 hitch, and the transfer is pretty good.

GlueGuy, or anyone with the E2 600/6000 system .Especially if you have a Ford F150  could you possible send or include some photos of your set up , including the washers and thickness,  and how many holes top/bottom for the "L "bracket.  

I picked it up today and like the design better but it is still not quite right.   I took it up to Bucee's again for some flat ground and a BBQ sandwich.

The measurements are pretty good but needs improvement.   As they set it up I am over sprung as I understand it.

My Unlaiden (truck only) front wheel measurement was  : 36.625
My Trailer only measurement was :                                     36.875
My Trailer with WDH Bars attached :                                   36.3125

So my target height as I understand it is: between :  36.625 and 36.75

My rear wheel is:

My Unlaiden (truck only) rear  wheel measurement was  : 37.188
My Trailer only measurement was :                                     35.938
My Trailer with WDH Bars attached :                                   36.625

My Level trailer tongue height  is:         17.5
My trailer tongue height with WDH is     18.5
so I have a one inch upward tilt.

I have one hole left at the bottom of the hitch so if I drop it that should take care of the upward tilt.
And if I remove some washers. It has 6 now down to maybe 4 that should bring my front end up hopefully approx. 0.4 inch..

Is this right?

GlueGuy?
Anyone?
Tearless Tom
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