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Vikingr View Drop Down
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Joined: 25 Dec 2018
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Posts: 24 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Weight Distribution Towing
    Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 7:06pm
Originally posted by StephenH

After the accident I was looking for a bullet-proof way to avoid another situation where the sway control was insufficient to prevent the type of accident we had with ice and wind.

Would be curious to hear of circumstances/lessons learned from your accident.  I have been trying to avoid going WDH path as I thought they weren't recommended for snow/ice conditions.  Please let me know if there is a version out there which is good for use in winter conditions.

I've tightened the shackle with a StowAway Hitch Tightener to eliminate slop, seemed a little less prone to mechanical failure than those that are incorporated in the hitch pin.  It has worked well for the few trips we've taken so far.
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2628 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 7:25pm
Originally posted by Vikingr

Would be curious to hear of circumstances/lessons learned from your accident.  I have been trying to avoid going WDH path as I thought they weren't recommended for snow/ice conditions.  Please let me know if there is a version out there which is good for use in winter conditions.
I would think that a WDH would make the TV more safe if the conditions were worse? After all, it would be making the front wheels more secure (more weight on them).
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 8:08pm
Vikingr, I've heard of concerns with using sway control in the rain or snow (because lateral trailer forces are transmitted back to the TV so theoretically could break the TV wheels lose) but not weight distribution. Are you sure that it's WD that is the concern?
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6288 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 8:37pm
Originally posted by Vikingr

Originally posted by StephenH

After the accident I was looking for a bullet-proof way to avoid another situation where the sway control was insufficient to prevent the type of accident we had with ice and wind.

Would be curious to hear of circumstances/lessons learned from your accident.  I have been trying to avoid going WDH path as I thought they weren't recommended for snow/ice conditions.  Please let me know if there is a version out there which is good for use in winter conditions.

I've tightened the shackle with a StowAway Hitch Tightener to eliminate slop, seemed a little less prone to mechanical failure than those that are incorporated in the hitch pin.  It has worked well for the few trips we've taken so far.

See this topic: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9133
Lessons learned:
Don't trust weather forecasts!
Don't take the northern route in the winter.
If we encounter snow, be smart enough to stay put until we can be sure that the roads have been sufficiently treated to be clear. If not possible, be very leery of the roads if any appearance of black ice appear and slow down. Go the minimum speed to the next safe exit and get off and wait.
Having an accident will slow you down more than stopping and waiting until you are sure the roads are clear.
All season tires aren't! Tires rated M&S are not necessarily good on ice.
Highway department road condition reports aren't always reliable.
Never exceed the speed limit of each state for towing. It isn't always the same as the posted speed limit. Examples: Wyoming posted 80 legal towing 60 (which is what I was doing before we hit the ice). That is why the Highway Patrol trooper wrote it up as unavoidable instead of citing me for reckless driving. States like California have a legal towing speed of 55. Other states have a legal towing speed of 60 or 65. Texas allows 70 mph during the day but 65 at night. Other than that, I can't find any information about a faster legal towing speed.

https://rtrvg.com/blog/2017/04/01/527/

Weight distribution is okay for all conditions. Some sway control bars and hitches do not recommend using with the sway control active. Hitches like the Equal-i-zer, E2, and similar models can't be disconnected without removing the weight distribution bars. In the case of some vehicles, this may lead to greater instability than would otherwise be the case as the weight will then be taken off the front (steering) wheels of the tow vehicle
StephenH
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3219 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 9:55pm
Having traveled through snowy conditions with our 177 using the following vehicles '08 and '13 Explorer's and '94 F-150 using only a sway bar link has been sufficient for us in northern Michigan since 2011.  Granted, we have not traveled mountainous roads in the snow but have just used common sense when on the highway or 2 lane roads just by slowing down.
 
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6288 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 10:11pm
Towing a 171 is different than towing a 179. The dry weight of the 179 is over 400 lbs heavier and the tongue weight is also heavier. That additional tongue weight can make quite a difference in how the tow vehicle handles if too much weight is taken off the front wheels by the heavier tongue weight. A WD hitch is not always needed, but nearly always will lead to a better towing experience. If it has sway control, even better.
StephenH
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Vikingr View Drop Down
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Posts: 24 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jan 2019 at 2:02am
Originally posted by offgrid

Vikingr, I've heard of concerns with using sway control in the rain or snow (because lateral trailer forces are transmitted back to the TV so theoretically could break the TV wheels lose) but not weight distribution. Are you sure that it's WD that is the concern?

Offgrid-- you are right, the WD hitches I was looking at also had a sway device incorporated and I certainly can't think of any reason a properly adjusted WD would have an issue.

StephenH and Jato-- thank you for the additional information.
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