Weight distributing hitch
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Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
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Topic: Weight distributing hitch
Posted By: Babysaph
Subject: Weight distributing hitch
Date Posted: 28 Jul 2019 at 10:46pm
i bought a WDH at Harbor freight but the bars say 10,000 pounds. I'm sure this is too big for my 189. Can I buy replacement bars and how do you know what size to buy?
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Dr. J.R. Chambers II
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Replies:
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 5:01am
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That's a weirdly high number, are you sure its not 1000?
Not knowing what tow vehicle you have or how you load your rig you want a wdh in the range of 600-1200 lbs, because it needs to be able to handle both the trailer tongue weight and any load you have behind the rear axle of your tow vehicle. Most likely 600 is a bit on the low side and 1200 is a bit high.
The bars themselves should each handle at least the same load as the wdh itself, in order to have a reasonable safety factor for bumps and swales. My bars are each rated the same as the wdh itself, which is 1200 lbs. I have a fairly heavy tongue weight so I don't have too stiff and bouncy a ride with my rig with a 1200 lb wdh, YMMV.
Whether you can get different bars or not will depend on the manufacturer, often you can. But if you really have 10,000 lb bars that wdh is too heavy and you should return it.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 7:32am
Yes 10,000 is to rigid for your pod. You should probably get the 6,000 pound setup. If you know for sure your going to keep the pod, and you wont pack much weight into it, even the 4,000 pound setup will work. My dealer told me that you want your wdh rating to be the closest one to the actual weight of the camper you're pulling, but not less. I dont know if you can simply change the friction bars only.
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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 7:46am
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Lets not confuse the trailer tow rating with the weight distribution rating. There are really three ratings for a wdh: the GTW (gross trailer weight), the TW (tongue weight) and the bar capacity.
So, the hitch itself might be rated for 10,000 lbs GTW and 1,000lb TW (tongue weight), which is fine. The bars for that hitch might each be rated for 1000 lb, so 2000 lbs total, which provides for a 2x safety factor before the bars bend when you go hit a bump load.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 8:40am
I didnt confuse anything. I was completely accurate in what I said. I "don't" know about the hitch, and I stated that. YOU don't KNOW either. I correctly told him that he should use the setup that is nearest to the weight of the camper he will be towing. You said the same thing, in a different way. I guess they sell all different weight Wdh systems cause it doesn't matter. I guess they should confer with you.
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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding
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Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 9:09am
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The hitches typically are classed by the gross weight of the trailer. For example, the E2 "600", is meant for 6000 lb trailers (and/or 600 lb tongue weight). A WDH with a rating of 10,000 is meant for a trailer up to 10,000 lb (or about 1,000 lb tongue weight).
In any case, 10,000 is probably too much for an R-pod. It would work, but it would be too stiff. Something in the 5000-6000 lb range would be more typical. We use a Fastway E2 "600", which is rated for 6000 lb trailer weight. The particular model we have is FA94-00-0600.
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
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Posted By: Babysaph
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 9:12am
Ok let me go back out and check. If these bars say 10,000 pounds is that too much for my 2016 Toyota Tacoma? Don't want to damage anything. Btw. It sways big time on the highway.,I am a newbie
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Dr. J.R. Chambers II
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Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 9:50am
Well, if it sways "big time" on the highway, something must be done. But over compensating the wdh isnt whats needed. I saw the ad for the 10,000 pound hitch setup they are selling, and its not what you want for the pod. Glueguy was right on with the recommendation of the Fastway E2 600, or equivilent brand name. You probably just need to be more aware of how to pack weight into the camper. Try to have more weight toward the front of the camper if possible. I dont know if you tow with water, if so, is the water tank infront, or the rear of the 189? If its in the rear, only carry minimal amounts of water. Generally speaking, weight in the front of the camper will help to control sway. Weight in the rear of the camper will help to cause/worsen sway. If that doesn't work, you may want to add a sway bar, although I think that will be unlikely. Let us know how it goes, I/we like to know we helped to solve your problem.
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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding
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Posted By: Babysaph
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 12:59pm
I am trying to figure out the dry weight of the camper and what it weighs with the tanks full. I am looking at a Camco recurve 3 hitch with sway control. Just trying to decide about 400 or 600. which is 10 percent of gross weight
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Dr. J.R. Chambers II
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Posted By: Babysaph
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 1:00pm
you are right Glue guy.
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Dr. J.R. Chambers II
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Posted By: crw8sr
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 1:11pm
Tires inflated correctly?
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Chuck & Lyn
Izzy, Morkie. RIP
Zoe Joy & Gracie, Yorkie
2018 R Pod 190
2019 Traverse
In moments of adversity;when life's a total wreck, I think of those worse off than me and really feel like heck.
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Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 1:55pm
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If the fresh water tank is aft of the axle, it might be a good idea to buy several of those Reliance 6 gallon plastic water jugs, and fill those and place them in your pickup bed forward of the rear axle. When you get to your campsite, fill the r-pod fresh tank from those. If you are not able to lift them easily when full, you can buy a small pump to do the job.
(closed circuit for off-grid: this is not an alternative to a wdh, just stating a possible method of helping to reduce trailer sway.)
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r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 2:34pm
Originally posted by mjlrpod
I didnt confuse anything. I was completely accurate in what I said. I "don't" know about the hitch, and I stated that. YOU don't KNOW either. I correctly told him that he should use the setup that is nearest to the weight of the camper he will be towing. You said the same thing, in a different way. I guess they sell all different weight Wdh systems cause it doesn't matter. I guess they should confer with you. |
I never intended to suggest you had confused any of the ratings. Babysaph had said that his bars (not the hitch) were rated at 10000 lbs. That can’t be correct. Just trying to clarify the differences between the 3 ratings.
I do disagree that a 1000 lb rated wdh (if that’s what this one is) is too much for an rpod. Mine is rated at 1200 lbs and it works just fine. The bar tension is set to bring the weight on the front axle back to where it was without the trailer. This can easily be 1000 lbs if the hitch weight is 500-600 lbs (pretty common) and there is 400 lbs of gear in the rear of the tow vehicle. I would set it up properly and see. If the ride is too stiff then get some lower rated bars which will be more compliant. Otherwise it will be fine. Mine rides very well with the 1200lb rated hitch.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 2:38pm
Originally posted by podwerkz
If the fresh water tank is aft of the axle, it might be a good idea to buy several of those Reliance 6 gallon plastic water jugs, and fill those and place them in your pickup bed forward of the rear axle. When you get to your campsite, fill the r-pod fresh tank from those. If you are not able to lift them easily when full, you can buy a small pump to do the job. (closed circuit for off-grid: this is not an alternative to a wdh, just stating a possible method of helping to reduce trailer sway.)
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+1. If there is sway it’s really a good idea to actually weight the trailer and hitch. The hitch to trailer weight ratio should be at least 10-11% if not more. Readjust load to be sure, especially for the return trip when water weight tends to move aft in most rPods.Sway is nothing to door around with.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Babysaph
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 5:59pm
I had trouble hooking the chains up. Could only use the top link. The bars hung low, what am I doing wrong.
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Dr. J.R. Chambers II
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Posted By: Babysaph
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 5:59pm
Can I add sway bars to what I already have?
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Dr. J.R. Chambers II
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Posted By: Babysaph
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 6:04pm
Ok guys it says it is a 10,000 pound capacity wdh . I swear it does. Guess in means tongue weight of 100 lbs
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Dr. J.R. Chambers II
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Posted By: crankster78
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 6:27pm
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Greetings:
I purchased the EAZ LIFT Recurve R3 With 600 lb bars. It came with a 2 5/16 ball installed and I bought the 2 inch ball for my R-179. I tow with a F-150. It works perfectly. I bought it from Amazon and it was delivered win 3 days, free shipping. The WDH is rated for 8000 lbs. If I ever purchase a larger TT, I might have to change the bars. I installed it myself. You do need some larger tools and sockets and should be familiar with handling heavy parts. Hope this helps.
Crankster78 R-179
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Crankster 78 R-179 2015
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 7:00pm
Originally posted by Babysaph
I had trouble hooking the chains up. Could only use the top link. The bars hung low, what am I doing wrong. |
There should be a way to rotate the hitch upwards and towards the truck, that will rotate the bars up as well so you can shorten the chains a bit. The manual should explain it.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 7:12pm
Originally posted by Babysaph
Ok guys it says it is a 10,000 pound capacity wdh . I swear it does. Guess in means tongue weight of 100 lbs |
The 10,000 lbs would be the gross trailer weight (GTW) capacity. Probably the tongue weight capacity is 1000 lbs, and the bars should be good for about 1000 lbs each to handle bump loads without bending.
Once you get the chains shortened a bit (you don't want too few links either) then set it up so that it brings the front axle back to where it was before you attached the trailer. Do this on a dead flat surface. Load the trailer ready for travel.
You can use some blue painters tape on the front wheel wells to have a good place to measure to. Measure from the ground to the tape on both sides, connect the trailer, and then tighten the chains until you get the front axle back down close to where it was. A little more or less is OK, you won't get it perfect.
Also try to get the trailer as level as possible when its hooked up, that will make it easier to stop overnight or for a few hours without unhitching. There should be different hitch mounting holes you can use to adjust the ball height up or down for that.
Once you have everything set up take it for a drive and see if the ride is to your liking or too stiff.
Re adding anti sway, some wdh's have that capability built in, some you have to add it separately. What brand and model wdh did you get?
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Babysaph
Date 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
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Dr. J.R. Chambers II
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Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 9:11pm
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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.
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 4:47am
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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.
https://www.harborfreight.com/trailer-sway-control-kit-96462.htm - https://www.harborfreight.com/trailer-sway-control-kit-96462.htm
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:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2fkOVHAC8Q - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2fkOVHAC8Q
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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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Babysaph
Date 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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Dr. J.R. Chambers II
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Posted By: offgrid
Date 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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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: GlueGuy
Date 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.
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
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Posted By: Babysaph
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 11:27am
I don't think I can with mine
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Dr. J.R. Chambers II
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Posted By: furpod
Date 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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