THSCC Forums

I'm thinking I may spring for a weight distribution hitch sooner than later. Since I don't actually keep the trailer hooked up for more than a day or two at a time, can any one comment about their experiences with different brands.

In particular, how easy is it to get the trailer hitched.

My typical usage will be:
1) Pick up unladed trailer from storage.
2) Dive it home, load it with the car.
3) Drive to an event.
4) Drive home (usually with someone else's' car on it).
5) Unload car and take the unloaded trailer back to storage.


Bonus points if I can *easily* unhitch while at the event so I can run out for food, or drive to the hotel without the trailer attached.

Robyn hitches are much more affordable than Reese & Draw Tite. Comments on that brand?

Scott

The ones I've used/seen are EASY to connect/disconnect- so that should not be an issue.

I would HIGHLY recommend one, especially if your tow vehicle is at or near it's limit with what you're towing. The weight distributing hitch, when properly used, will make a horrible towing experience much more pleasant.


Can't comment on the Robyn brand, I've never heard of it.





Bret

I had one on a camper and hated it, personally. They are annoying to hook/unhook and seem a little on the dangerous side to be monkeying with (there's a goodly amount of tension loaded into those things when you attach properly). I had one on a 10k pound camper that I was towing with a full sized Chevy extended cab pickup, and it was a necessity. The truck just didn't like the tongue load without it.

But if you can get by without, I say get by without. On my Excursion I chose to go with air helper springs and a self leveling control system instead, but that's going to be probably twice the cost, too.


--Donnie

Scott - the club bus has one and I have connected/disconnected several times. It adds a minute or two, makes your hands dirtier, and you need the lever bar. And there is more stuff/heavier items to store. I think we got it from Agrisupply for like $100. It's not too bad and I think the added safety would be worth it.

I am thinking about doing it on the Durango as well. "Need" it? Since I've been towing for a year I don't "need" it.

I just want it to get back some front tire grip -- I have locked up the brakes on the Durango while towing a few times (wet) and at a LOT less pedal pressure than I feel comfortable. I am sure braking performance and emergency turning grip will improve with WD. Yes my trailer brakes work fine.

This is only a big problem on short wheelbases where the tongue load lifts the front end. I can see the front bumper of the Durango raise maybe an inch or so when hooking up the trailer. That probably means that I'm getting a few hundred pounds of weight reduction off the front axle.

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

I got the Draw-Tite Round Bar Weight-Distributing Hitch. It's pretty easy to hook up. To install just insert the bar in the receiver and push it up until it latch. Then install the chain on the binder and lock it in place. To unhitch unlock the binder remove the chain, pull the latch on the receiver and the bar will drop out of it. Would add about 1 min. to the hitching process. That hitch should work well for your intended used.

Patrice

I have an old WD hitch you can have. It is in great shape and has less than 5000 miles on it.

I used to tow a 7000lb 24' enclosed trailer behind a '97 5.4L Expedition and adding the hitch was the best thing I did for towing stability. The Expedition was equipped with the factory air suspension and always remained level but it was very sensitive to crosswinds (even without the trailer) so perhaps that was a factor.

The biggest annoyance I had with that setup was the fact that there was no way to manually release the air pressure in the suspension. I would start jacking up the trailer to get it off the ball and the Expedition would rise right along with it. You would be amazed how much rear suspension travel those things have! I would have to wait 15-20 minutes for the suspension to settle so I could finally unhook the trailer.

Anyway, let me know if you want it and I'll dig up the pieces.

Jim

I'm surprised that you didn't look for one after that little agricultural excursion that you had coming back from Laurinburg a couple of years ago.

_________________
Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Sold. It seems like a fine way to see if it's something I want. If it's great, and it's out of date/inadequate somehow, then I could always upgrade.



It was only the trailer that went agricultural, the truck was rock solid through the entire event. I never felt the trailer trying to pass the truck, I only saw it in the mirror.

The new truck should do everything better than the old one (longer wheel base). I ran helper air-springs on the old truck (and they went with it) in order to do load leveling with a trailer attached. That was my band-aid. Since I never used them for anything else, I've just decided to get the right tool for the job this time around.

Come to think of it, I may have had the front brakes lock up a few times on damp roads, specifically for the reasons Mike mentioned.

The other "issue" with the air springs was the damping of the stock shocks, I could add enough spring rate that the truck was under damped and was just as bouncy with the springs inflated as without. A weight distributing hitch eliminates much of that "bounce."

Scott

Cool. It will take me a day or 2 to find everything. Actually, I know exactly where the hitch is (it's a Reese if that matters) but the other parts are a bit of a mystery at the moment. Worst case is that if it doesn't work for you or you just don't like it, it makes a *great* boat anchor!

Jim

There is an adjustment procedure that you have to go through if you are running into this problem. This indicates you need to lower the hitch ball mount a notch or two. Then when the vehicle levels out using the hitch bars, the rear will be drawn up relative to the front. Most weight distributing hitches have a range of adjustment for the height of the hitch ball to allow for this.

What you do is you measure the ride height front and rear before hitching up, then afterwards. You should get roughly similar decrease in ride height front and rear. If not, you need to raise or lower your hitch ball accordingly.

I've been using a WDH for years, and highly recommend them in most cases. If you have a HD 350/3500 series truck though, they aren't necessary, but anything less with a big trailer and they help.

_________________
Mark O'Dell
THSCC member since '96
www.grandamadventure.com

If towing a trailer with a lot of side area in crosswinds or wavy roads in addition to the LL hitch I'd recommend a sway control. Unless you have a brake controller with a manual lever, once you get a trailer swaying it's hard to stop it. Twice I saw a travel trailer get swaying in the wind on the NYS Thruway to the point it flipped the tow vehicle over.

_________________
SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

Hey mark - I am not using the WD hitch now. This is due to simple tongue weight using my standard hitch.

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Sorry, I misunderstood.

_________________
Mark O'Dell
THSCC member since '96
www.grandamadventure.com

If you are towing a trailer large enough that you need either WD or sway control and have a brake controller that *doesn't* have a manual lever, UPGRADE YOUR BRAKE CONTROLLER TO SOMETHING DECENT NOW. That is all.


--Donnie