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Babysaph View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Weight distributing hitch
    Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 9:06pm
I have a haul master from HF. I think if I had bars for 600 lbs rather than 1000 it would be better. I didn't know that one size doesn't fit all . Wasted $200
Dr. J.R. Chambers II
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 9:11pm
If your WDH hitch has chains, it "probably" does not include sway control. Poke around on etrailer to see which of the various WDHs have integrated sway control. There are several.

Also, what mjlrpod was saying about your tongue weight is absolutely correct. If you do not have at least 10-12 percent of you trailer weight on the tongue, you are going to induce sway. One of the ways to control that is with water in the fresh water tank (FWT). Generally, if the FWT is in front of the axle, adding water will increase tongue weight. If the FWT is behind the axle, it will lighten the tongue weight.

You need to know what you got.
bp
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 4:47am
I looked up your wdh.  Its rated at 5000 lb trailer/500 lb hitch without the bars installed and 10000 lb trailer/1000 lb hitch with the bars installed.

It does not provide any sway control itself, you have to add an additional $30 kit that bolts to the side of the trailer tongue to do that. Or, you can add one of the kits on each side of the tongue. That's the kind of separate sway control I have (from a different manufacturer) and it works well allowing me to adjust the sway control separately from the weight distribution. 


Your wdh does have adjustment for both the hitch height and the bar angle (see figures E and F on page 6 of the manual) so you should be able to get it set how you want. 

I really think that hitch will probably work fine for you.  The only thing that would change if you got a lighter duty wdh is the ride might be less stiff, which is a matter of personal preference. You own it already, why not get it set up and see what you think? 

As GlueGuy says, if you are getting sway, you first need to understand how you have the trailer loaded. Sway control is important to have but you don't want to have to depend on it to save you from a wreck due to an improperly loaded trailer. 

Check out this video:


If you're getting sway, you almost certainly have the trailer loaded too far aft. \

 Is there a public scale where you can weigh it nearby? I use the one at my local waste transfer station. Run through the scale with the fully loaded rig and without the wdh tensioned.  First get the weight of the tow vehicle only and then add the trailer axle to the scale and get the total rig weight. Then drop off the trailer and go weigh the tow vehicle by itself. The total rig weight minus the tow vehicle by itself is the trailer weight. The tow vehicle with trailer attached less the tow vehicle without the trailer is the tongue weight. 

If your tongue weight is less than about 11-12% of the trailer weight then you need to readjust your load.  The fresh water tank is forward of the axle in the 189. As a start, try filling it with water and drain the gray and black tanks.  Move anything heavy inside forward and/or try podwerk's trick of adding some water containers forward.  Then see if the sway goes away. It should. 

I would do any load weighing and readjustment before setting up the wdh as changing tongue weight will effect both the wdh setup and rig ride quality. 

All this sounds frustrating and complicated and it is the first time, but once you know what you have and get everything set up correctly you won't need to do it again unless you significantly change something, so it will be back to just enjoying camping. 



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Babysaph View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 8:15am
Thanks off grid. I think you may be right about keeping what I have. I was just concerned that I had no adjustments in the chain. Not sure how to correct that. My trailer had nothing in it except the water tank was full. I will locate that. I was also told that since my rig doesn't even approach 500 lbs that my hitch was too stiff. Kind of a shame that you can't buy say 600 lb bars to replace the 1000lb bars. If I get it set up correctly it may work. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 9:20am
Originally posted by Babysaph

Thanks off grid. I think you may be right about keeping what I have. I was just concerned that I had no adjustments in the chain. Not sure how to correct that. My trailer had nothing in it except the water tank was full. I will locate that. I was also told that since my rig doesn't even approach 500 lbs that my hitch was too stiff. Kind of a shame that you can't buy say 600 lb bars to replace the 1000lb bars. If I get it set up correctly it may work. 

My 179 which has a listed tongue weight of 292 has an actual tongue weight of around 550 when loaded with a full water tank and dual batteries.  The 189 has listed tongue weight of 281 lb, so it doesn't start out much different. I'd be pretty surprised if you weren't quite a bit higher in tongue weight when you get everything loaded. 

That's why its important when you take your weight measurements and set up your hitch to load up the trailer and tow vehicle first, it makes a big difference.  Like I said, I got a 1200 lb wdh with my trailer when I bought it used and I was initially concerned like you are about having too stiff a ride, but its actually just fine once I got it all set up. 

The manual explains how you adjust the hitch to get the right angle on the bars so you have the chain length where you want it. There are some shims it looks like. 
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 9:43am
Originally posted by Babysaph

Kind of a shame that you can't buy say 600 lb bars to replace the 1000lb bars. If I get it set up correctly it may work. 
With some WDH brands you can swap out the bars within a range of weights. This allows you to change the stiffness (and weight rating) just by replacing the bars. I know the E2 is one of those, but I don't know about yours.
bp
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 11:27am
I don't think I can with mine
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 2:40pm
Originally posted by Babysaph

Thanks off grid. I think you may be right about keeping what I have. I was just concerned that I had no adjustments in the chain. Not sure how to correct that. My trailer had nothing in it except the water tank was full. I will locate that. I was also told that since my rig doesn't even approach 500 lbs that my hitch was too stiff. Kind of a shame that you can't buy say 600 lb bars to replace the 1000lb bars. If I get it set up correctly it may work. 


I didn't read the whole thread, BUT, on EVERY torsion bar WDH system I have worked with, you adjust the basic chain length by adjusting the angle of the head/ball mount. Looking at the picture on the HF website, there is a large bolt, center bottom of the mount. That's what it is for.
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