crcr
Phoenix, AZ
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We're trying to get ready to leave for a camping trip Thursday. I just got our new Reese 66153 Trunnion Bar WDH with Integrated Sway. Our TV is a V8 Toyota 4Runner. TT is a 21.5' Rockwood Mini-Lite, GVWR is 4777.
I have been trying to install this hitch per the instructions, and I find no matter what I do, there is no way I am able to get the trunnion bars up within 3-5" below the friction pad, as per the instructions. The best I can get is 5 1/4 - 5 1/2" below the friction pads. I have tried the hitch insert with it flipped both ways (long part up and long part down) and it doesn't matter what I do, I can't get the bars less than 5" below the friction pads. I have the head tilted all the way forward (toward the front of the TV). From there, there is tilt adjustment, but only to tilt it down toward the TT, which would take the trunnion bars lower yet below the friction pads.
I had a WDH (without sway) years ago, and had no problem adjusting it. So I am not new to this. But I don't know what the issue is here. Maybe I am blind to a simple solution. Does anyone have any suggestions? I posted a couple of pics below. Thanks!
Moderator edit to re-size pictures to forum limit of 640px maximum width to avoid scrolling and to correct URLs.
* This post was
edited 05/22/12 05:14pm by an administrator/moderator *
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bartlettj
Forest Grove, OR
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Are you on a perfectly level surface? How much of that tongue weight is resting on the truck? You could use the jack to lift the back of the truck up a little bit.
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uscgcolletti
Newport News, VA
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To me it looks like your friction plates need to come down slightly. I'm not sure if it's the angle, but if the bars were sitting on the friction plates they wouldn't be parallel to the frame
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five'er
Canada
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Joined: 09/25/2006
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"Using the tongue jack, raise the tongue of the trailer and rear of vehicle as high as possible and
attempt to set spring bars on top of pad hangers. If bars will not swing over the pad hanger, use of
the lift handle (W) will be required."
http://www.etrailer.com/instructions.aspx?pn=RP66153
PAge 5 and 6..
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camp-n-family
Canada
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You need to drop the friction pad brackets down. They appear to be at the upper setting and you have a few holes below to drop them.
'07 Toyota Tundra Crewmax Limited
'06 Forest River Flagstaff 26BH(sold)
'13 Keystone Bullet Premier 31BHPR
Hitched by Hensley, Viewed by McKesh
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five'er
Canada
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Do you have "lift handle (W)"?
Are the pads not supposed to be 3 - 5 inches away? as other suggested are the pads to high up as well?
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crcr
Phoenix, AZ
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bartlettj wrote:Are you on a perfectly level surface? How much of that tongue weight is resting on the truck? You could use the jack to lift the back of the truck up a little bit.
Thank you, yes, the surface is level. In the pic, the hitch is on the tongue, but no trailer weight is resting on the truck.
uscgcolletti wrote:To me it looks like your friction plates need to come down slightly. I'm not sure if it's the angle, but if the bars were sitting on the friction plates they wouldn't be parallel to the frame
Thank you.
The friction plates are designed to swing, so if it's not quite parallel, then when the spring bar is laid in there, it will bring it parallel.
I thought that the friction plates had to be at the bottom of the frame, but I just re-read the instructions, and I can lower them one or two holes, as you suggest. So I believe that is what I need to do.
five'er wrote:"Using the tongue jack, raise the tongue of the trailer and rear of vehicle as high as possible and
attempt to set spring bars on top of pad hangers. If bars will not swing over the pad hanger, use of
the lift handle (W) will be required."
http://www.etrailer.com/instructions.aspx?pn=RP66153
PAge 5 and 6..
Thank you. I have that in the instructions. But also per instructions, the trunnion bars should be withing 3-5" of the friction plate before attempting that.
It's over a hundred degrees here today and climbing. So I will see if I can manage to lower the friction pads today. If not, I'll have to do it after sunset or very early a.m. tomorrow. Thanks for your tips and suggestions!
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five'er
Canada
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I notice in your picture the trailer is off the ground or is that just the way it looks? It appears the front jack is not touching on at least the one pic. While connected (head locked on ball) put the jack down and lift the rear of the truck (as per the instructions) as was also suggested above.
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crcr
Phoenix, AZ
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five'er wrote:I notice in your picture the trailer is off the ground or is that just the way it looks? It appears the front jack is not touching on at least the one pic. While connected (head locked on ball) put the jack down and lift the rear of the truck (as per the instructions) as was also suggested above.
Thanks. I tried lifting the rear of the truck with the trailer jack, and the bars are just too far away from the friction pads for that to work as I presently have it set up. I have to lower the friction pads to get within proper range to do that. I will try to report back later today or tomorrow after doing that with the results.
Thanks everyone, for all your help!
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fla-gypsy
North Florida
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Sometimes the heat will just not let you think it through and see the answer. I think you are on the right track now with lowering the pads. Let us know how it works out.
09 SuperDuty Crew Cab 6.8L/4.10(The Black Pearl)
06 Keystone Hornet 29 RLS/(The Cracker Cabana)
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