Weight distribution hitches

[securityguy]

Tongue weight on my Trailer is 1500# Dry lol. With my KRX loaded, Trailer level and nothing else it drops down to about 11-1200#. I set my trailer a little nose down and with everything else loaded I'm at about 1400#. My Trailer's GVWR is with 1500# tongue weight. My hitch is the new style Heavy. I got it right about the time they changed them. Actually had to wait a little bit for them to become available after I ordered. You don't hear the spring bars while driving. When you are pulling in and parking you can hear them some. Specially if you have the windows down and you are on uneven ground turning sharp. But just normal driving on the road you don't notice them at all. The APP is easy. Once everything is setup, each time you hook up you just enter your current tongue weight and the app tells you how much pressure you should add to the bars. Takes the guess work out. If nothing changes you don't have to change anything. If you need to add more or take some off the bars you just loosen one nut and turn that bolt in front of the ball. It's a pretty neat setup.

View attachment 23251

Is this what you have? What drop height did you buy?

Heavy Duty Weight Distribution Hitch | Weigh Safe

Get the most reliable heavy-duty weight distribution hitch on the market. Designed for strength, precision, and safer towing performance.

www.weigh-safe.com

 

[8ball_99]

Is this what you have? What drop height did you buy?

Heavy Duty Weight Distribution Hitch | Weigh Safe

Get the most reliable heavy-duty weight distribution hitch on the market. Designed for strength, precision, and safer towing performance.

www.weigh-safe.com

Yes sir, Drop height just depends on your trailer's height. My bar is just a 4", But for my trailer to sit level, I actually flip it over in the rise position, lol. That's why I got the shortest one so it wouldn't be in the way of the tailgate. But now I actually pull it with the nose down some. With my trailer level I don't quite have enough tongue weight with everything loaded. Some of that is because I removed the lead battery from the trailer's tongue. With no load my trucks hitch height is 26". So you just park your trailer level and measure from the ground to the bottom of the ball coupler. You subtract that from your trucks hitch height and that's the drop you need. My trailer is 28" is why to be level I need the bar flipped over in the rise position. Most trailers are more like 19". So probably a 6" or 8" drop would cover most.

 

[8ball_99]

Put some light grease on the springs and rails and it will articulate easier and reduce or eliminate the noise. You have to clean and regrease often cause it'll collect dust. Just wipe as much off as possible and spray it was some carb/brake cleaner.

I don't mind what little noise they make. The friction is what does the sway control part. Aftermarket companies make plastic wear pads to quiet them down, but still allow friction for sway control if the noise bothers you.

 

[AXE]

I guess the quality of all RVs has dropped drastically.

The worst thing you can do is buy a Chevrolet and an RV nowadays.

 

[AXE]

I don't mind what little noise they make. The friction is what does the sway control part. Aftermarket companies make plastic wear pads to quiet them down, but still allow friction for sway control if the noise bothers you.

I've never heard mine cause I grease it. Mine's never swayed cause its set up right, mine doesn't bind cause I level it with bags installed on on day 10, not day 500.

Also if you are going offroad or off camber you can unhook the sway bars and use an HD rubber strap to tie them out of the way. The camper can then articulate more easily and wont bind up. Also works if you are backing into tight corners or spaces, like in the desert or woods.

No wierd gimmicky plastic kits needed if you think about it all bit. Towing is easy!

 

[8ball_99]

OK guys...so please edumucate me Besides taking up valuable bed space, what are the reasons to buy a travel trailer over a 5th wheel? I haven't pulled the trigger yet and have been looking and settled on Brinkley as my brand of choice. They make both beautiful travel trailers and 5th wheels. The thing that moved me towards the 5th wheel was the extra headroom and not feeling so claustrophobic. I was also told by several folks they are far easier to tow. As many of you know, I am an anal EE that likes to research things fully before pulling the trigger. I would love to hear your thoughts on why a travel trailer may be a better option over a 5th wheel and what I would need to successfully pull one comfortably that may differ from a 5th wheel. I fully trust you guys (even @AXE ) Thanks!

I just like TT better. I always end up hauling stuff in my bed. Not to mention 5th wheels can be a bit tricky to get right. Trying to keep enough bed rail clearance while still keeping the trailer level can be a challenge. All my friends with 5th wheels have hit their bed sooner or later. It's just really hard to avoid on toyhaulers where you aren't always on level ground. Especially because you have a over all height limit and trucks keep getting taller. So you can't always just lift the camper for clearance. People like them because they pull better. But as long as you setup your TT right, they pull good too. My speed is limited by the trailer tires and Johnny law, not because it's a bumper pull. One other big advantage to a bumper pull is if your 6 hours from home and your truck goes down. It's much easier to get your trailer home. You can just rent a truck from enterprise truck or even a Uhaul to drag a TT home with. A 5th is going to require phone a friend or a pricy tow fee to get it home.

 

[securityguy]

I just like TT better. I always end up hauling stuff in my bed. Not to mention 5th wheels can be a bit tricky to get right. Trying to keep enough bed rail clearance while still keeping the trailer level can be a challenge. All my friends with 5th wheels have hit their bed sooner or later. It's just really hard to avoid on toyhaulers where you aren't always on level ground. Especially because you have a over all height limit and trucks keep getting taller. So you can't always just lift the camper for clearance. People like them because they pull better. But as long as you setup your TT right, they pull good too. My speed is limited by the trailer tires and Johnny law, not because it's a bumper pull. One other big advantage to a bumper pull is if your 6 hours from home and your truck goes down. It's much easier to get your trailer home. You can just rent a truck from enterprise truck or even a Uhaul to drag a TT home with. A 5th is going to require phone a friend or a pricy tow fee to get it home.

Great points my friend and thanks for the reply! I've been looking at the Brinkley TT online and this one may be worth looking at with the wife:

https://www.brinkleyrv.com/rvs/travel-trailers/model-z-air/297/

I also just finished looking online at both the WS and the Ultimate Hensley anti-sway hitch systems...maybe this is a better solution for me this go around. In the end, the wife will decide but I know the size of the 5th wheel was scaring her based on its massive size. We are going to look more seriously at the next upcoming RV show when you can get crazy deals! The 5th wheel we last looked at was $115K "retail". They were selling them for $86K at "show prices".

 

[Je942010]

Great points my friend and thanks for the reply! I've been looking at the Brinkley TT online and this one may be worth looking at with the wife:

https://www.brinkleyrv.com/rvs/travel-trailers/model-z-air/297/

I also just finished looking online at both the WS and the Ultimate Hensley anti-sway hitch systems...maybe this is a better solution for me this go around. In the end, the wife will decide but I know the size of the 5th wheel was scaring her based on its massive size. We are going to look more seriously at the next upcoming RV show when you can get crazy deals! The 5th wheel we last looked at was $115K "retail". They were selling them for $86K at "show prices".

I just ordered the Propride P3 1400 hitch with the 2.5” hitch for my setup. I was going to wait but they had a $400 rebate for the 4th so I figured just to get it. Came to $3,655 shipped. Seems like there’s significantly more people using that than the Hensley’s and the Propride is rated to 20k lbs. I figure between that hitch and the airbags on my truck the setup will be just about perfect.

 

[securityguy]

I just ordered the Propride P3 1400 hitch with the 2.5” hitch for my setup. I was going to wait but they had a $400 rebate for the 4th so I figured just to get it. Came to $3,655 shipped. Seems like there’s significantly more people using that than the Hensley’s and the Propride is rated to 20k lbs. I figure between that hitch and the airbags on my truck the setup will be just about perfect.

Thanks for sharing...I'll have to look that up now and watch a few videos this evening. Where did you but it from?

 

[Je942010]

Thanks for sharing...I'll have to look that up now and watch a few videos this evening. Where did you but it from?

Directly from propride. Seems like a very overbuilt version on the Hensley’s from everything I saw. I’ll let you know what I think once it comes in.

 

[AXE]

If you spend more than $30k on an RV your not doing it right. Remember your gonna be in that thing for 10-15 days a year and then you add in insurance, accessories, storage, upkeep, and all the time you waste keeping them on the road.

RVs are basically a fucking cracker jack box on wheels that rattles apart when you bounce it down the road.

I would find a lighty used one and spend a lot less to see how committed you are.

Once you realize you could have went on three vacations a year or shit in your own bathroom and sat on the couch and looked at four walls and a TV just the same, you'll regret spending $80k on plastic and aluminum bits put together with staples and chintzy screws and caulking.

Anyway, have fun RVing..........mine's been pretty solid since 2008 and I only paid $28, averaging down each year. Still looks good!

 

[8ball_99]

Great points my friend and thanks for the reply! I've been looking at the Brinkley TT online and this one may be worth looking at with the wife:

https://www.brinkleyrv.com/rvs/travel-trailers/model-z-air/297/

I also just finished looking online at both the WS and the Ultimate Hensley anti-sway hitch systems...maybe this is a better solution for me this go around. In the end, the wife will decide but I know the size of the 5th wheel was scaring her based on its massive size. We are going to look more seriously at the next upcoming RV show when you can get crazy deals! The 5th wheel we last looked at was $115K "retail". They were selling them for $86K at "show prices".

If it's your first RV I wouldn't go crazy. I wouldn't go too cheap, But I wouldn't go all out either. They are like boats or SxSs. They depreciate like crazy and a lot of people get them and never use them much. Plus if you have never had one, there is about a 80% chance you will want something different in a year or two, lol. But not trying to discourage you. I've been around them all my life, we spend about 4 weeks a year in ours, usually 3 to 7 day trips at a time. We spent 4 days in ours last week up in the mountains in TN. Definitely not cheaper then just renting a place unless you go a bunch. But I like sleeping in my own bed and using my own bathroom, lol. We just leave ours packed and ready to go. Makes it nice to just grab the trailer and have everything vs having to do a bunch of packing. We mostly just use ours for going SxS riding. So I'd be hauling a trailer either way. When my dad retired he went full time and lived in a big 5th wheel traveling all over. He loved it. I'm good for about a week though before I'm ready to be at the house.

 

[securityguy]

If it's your first RV I wouldn't go crazy. I wouldn't go too cheap, But I wouldn't go all out either. They are like boats or SxSs. They depreciate like crazy and a lot of people get them and never use them much. Plus if you have never had one, there is about a 80% chance you will want something different in a year or two, lol. But not trying to discourage you. I've been around them all my life, we spend about 4 weeks a year in ours, usually 3 to 7 day trips at a time. We spent 4 days in ours last week up in the mountains in TN. Definitely not cheaper then just renting a place unless you go a bunch. But I like sleeping in my own bed and using my own bathroom, lol. We just leave ours packed and ready to go. Makes it nice to just grab the trailer and have everything vs having to do a bunch of packing. We mostly just use ours for going SxS riding. So I'd be hauling a trailer either way. When my dad retired he went full time and lived in a big 5th wheel traveling all over. He loved it. I'm good for about a week though before I'm ready to be at the house.

Thanks guys and I totally get it. We are looking at this to both camp and live in when we travel to see our new granddaughter in VA. Instead of buying a condo or renting an apartment to stay in for a few months at a time, we thought setting up shop at a nice long-term campground not far from their home may be a great solution.

 

[AXE]

Thanks guys and I totally get it. We are looking at this to both camp and live in when we travel to see our new granddaughter in VA. Instead of buying a condo or renting an apartment to stay in for a few months at a time, we thought setting up shop at a nice long-term campground not far from their home may be a great solution.

Then I would definitely buy a 5er and spend the extra money.

I know a guy with a 40 foot Brinkley that is four season rated and it cost a fortune. But he lives in it year round and travels for work, so he's got his Harleys in the back and he loves it. I think for him the extra creature comforts make it liveable. He tows this with a 3500 SRW. Here it is when he was doing some work for me last summer.