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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2630 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: WDH or no WDH???
    Posted: 26 Sep 2019 at 10:18am
Originally posted by Olddawgsrule

I tow with my Tacoma. I would think the same option for all 1/2 ton TV's.. 
What's the thought on air-bags vs. WDH. 
You would want to go with WD first and air-bags second. Air-bags will lift the rear, but will not affect the weight transfer from the front wheels. Keeping the front (steering) wheels firmly planted is more important than just leveling the vehicle.
bp
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Sep 2019 at 9:43am
The Hensley (what we now have) has a lot going for it which it should. Not only does it remove the primary cause of sway (the truck can turn the trailer, but the trailer can't turn the truck), but it also offers WD. The Hensley Cub (with the jack screws) is easy to use. I tried the Swift Cub (with chains and snap-up lever and less expensive than the jack screws) but found that too difficult for me with my arthritis. One big down side though is the WD bars are low. I wish they would redesign it to have bars like the trunion bars that plug into sockets like the Equal-i-zer. That would make for better ground clearance.

As for air bags, I opted for SumoSprings, which are urethane springs that replace the bump stop on our Frontier. The leaf springs are well worn and soft so the SumoSprings improve the ride and keep the truck from bottoming out when we hit bumps. Even with WD, it was not the best ride before I installed the SumoSprings. I still need the WD of the Hensley Cub, but think they would be great with a different WD hitch also. The WD is still needed to transfer weight to the front axle for steering, even if it isn't needed to lift the back end as much. With this combination, I find I am no longer bottoming out when I exit or back into my driveway.

I started with the blue (1000 lbs) springs but switched to the black (1500 lb) springs. I have been quite pleased with the performance of the SumoSprings. The yellow (2000 lb, I think) springs would have been too much. The advantage of the urethane springs is that they are not subject to punctures and loss of air. For us, they really improved the ride also.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Sep 2019 at 9:36am
+1. Air bags and helper springs don’t transfer any load back to the front axle, or reduce the load on the TV rear axle. What they do is make the TV ride more level by lifting the rear axle height. I’d go with a WDH first and only add airbags if you’re still not satisfied with the rear ride height of your tv after adjusting the wdh properly. If you do run both then adjust the wdh after airing up the bags. If you do it the other way around the two systems will be fighting each other.
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mcarter View Drop Down
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Sep 2019 at 8:47am
They function differently, simply air bags lift the rear but do not have the same weight transferring capability as a WDH.
Mike Carter
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Olddawgsrule View Drop Down
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Posts: 1014 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Sep 2019 at 6:30am
I tow with my Tacoma. I would think the same option for all 1/2 ton TV's.. 
What's the thought on air-bags vs. WDH.
Byways no Highways
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Sep 2019 at 5:46am
The basics of this article are fine, and it gives a great explanation about how to weigh your rig at a public scale.

I don't agree though with their hitch recommendations (other than the Hensley being the best of the best). The Anderson chain system is under a lot or tension so puts some weird stresses on the trailer frame. Despite their disclaimers it sure reads like an Anderson advertisement....I'll stick with spring arms myself, thanks. 

Also, the weakness of the designs where the spring arms also provide the antisway friction is that you can't separately control the two functions. That is probably fine for most folks but I like being able to set up the two functions independently. I often want to have full weight distribution with little or no antisway when on wet pavement or low speed twisty mountain roads. And, when backing into a tight campsite it only takes a couple of seconds to take off separate antisway bars because they aren't under tension. 
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2630 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Sep 2019 at 6:13pm
I just came across this article as a link attached to a story about someone's receiver failing, and losing their trailer (it was in a campground, and at low speed, so no great damage was done). It is interesting as it states the "general rule" is that you "should" use a WDH if the trailer weighs more than 50% of the tow vehicle weight. To quote the statement:

As a general rule, if your trailer weighs 50% or more of what your tow vehicle weighs, you need one. There are definitely other factors to consider. Most travel trailer/tow vehicle combinations really should be using this type of hitch.

The owner's manual of our F-150 recommends using a WDH if the tongue weight is over 500 lbs. That is well above the recommendation of the above article, but none-the-less there is a lot of good information in this article and all in one place. Not a bad place to start.
bp
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Posts: 163 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Sep 2019 at 8:59am
Greetings:
I have owned 2 pods and for years I did not have a WDH.  I purchased and installed one this past spring.  I have found that it does make a difference even with my long wheel base PU.  It is easier to steer, feels better on the road,  It reduces wear and tear on the truck.  It was a good investment.  My 179 has dual LP tanks and a electric hitch jack, so it very likely has a hitch weight in the upper 400 pound range. The hitch I installed is a Equal-izer  R3 

Crankster78  F-150 R-179
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Pod People View Drop Down
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Posts: 1067 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Sep 2019 at 8:04am
We tow our 179 with a Ford Expedition El.  I'm sure we don't NEED a wdh--however, I am also sure that the wdh adds a safety factor in 2 ways that it is designed for.  One, it does help the ride by making the tow vehicle and rpod more of a unit as well as leveling the vehicle.  secondly, the anti-sway properties have made it safer and also peace of mind.
This is our second rpod-we had a 173 prior to the 179.  we have towed both units all over the country, including 2 cross country NC-California round trips.  We have never experienced sway.

We use an Equalizer 4 point hitch system with 600 pound bars for both pods withut issue. maybe the best
$550 I have spent on rv items.

There are several other important considerations in thinking about eliminating sway.  Good tires(Goodyear Endurance ) with a stiff sidewall and properly inflated go a long way in eliminating potential sway issues.  the second important thing is properly loading the pod with weight forward of the axle and having the correct amount of tongue weight. tow vehicle suspension and the pod being level when towed are also considerations.
Vann

Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Sep 2019 at 6:28am
Originally posted by mcarter

5 years with a Chevy Silverado 4X4, 2015 178, sway control, no WDH, no issues. It's a personal choice. Last time I had a WDH was a 25' plus Airstream, towed with a 3500 Chevy dually. My current tongue weight is @370.

+1. With a 3/4 ton pickup, you shouldn't need a wdh, but you might prefer the ride with one. Sway control couldn't hurt. Some wdh's have integrated sway control, some are completely separate systems. 
1994 Chinook Concourse
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