| |
Subject |
Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
|
 |
RE: Weight Distribution with sway control question
The Equalizer 4 point is a no drill installation and for me, easy to set up. It works great, even with a dab of grease on the L brackets for quiet. I’m using a Reese HP now without the cam arms so no sway control. I can tell a difference but nothing scary. With our trailer’s inverted coupler, the cam arms would be too vertical in my humble opinion.
|
Hannibal
|
04/09/20 05:24pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Destroying a truck
Core drill and dynamite would have quickly removed the concrete. :B
|
Hannibal
|
04/04/20 11:05am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Should we be going?
We don’t socialize but my bride has chronic asthma. When our reservations were canceled and refunded by the campgrounds and an email notification sent out, she was very relieved. My cousins like to hug and kiss everybody and socialize with crowds. So even though it would have just been us and them. It would have been dozens of people by proxi. I’ll be glad when this virus has run its course and goes away. For now, I’m on the carport next to our camper burning some burgers like I would be in the campground, pollen, skeeters and all.
|
Hannibal
|
03/22/20 09:15am |
RV Lifestyle
|
|
RE: Spring Shakedown Trip cancelled
Got an email from the state park this morning stating that out reservation is canceled and refund applied. Y’all stay safe and well!
|
Hannibal
|
03/18/20 07:15pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: What kind of RPM's do you get? What about MPG?
If people with gas engines are towing at 1,900 rpms or 2,000 they are lugging their engines in my opinion.
The idea of 1,700 or 1,400 rpms makes even less sense if you want your engine to last.
My 2010 5.4L Torqshift auto/3.73 runs under 2k rpm on the flats. Rolling hills will cause a downshift to direct to run 2700~rpm or to 3rd to run 3800~rpm at 60 mph. At 106k miles, it still runs and looks new. No driveline repairs yet.
|
Hannibal
|
03/16/20 11:57am |
Towing
|
|
RE: Not your dad's Airstream
Good grief! How high can you stack bovine biscuits in an attempt to glorify an old outdated trailer? So stable it needs a $3k hitch to keep it from flying off the road, rolling multiple times risking lives all around. A $140,000 AS has a particle board floor. The fuselage requires regular maintenance to keep it from leaking down to the particle board floor. Appliances are the same as the Walmart trailers. The chassis and running gear will rust and wear out just as fast as any other. I like a new trailer every 5-7 years. Cousin’s ‘87 24’ stick and tin Walmart special is still serving him very well. He tows it on a $40 tri-ball, stable and safe.
|
Hannibal
|
03/15/20 05:05am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Enough truck?
Our trailer advertises a hitch weight of 710 lbs. Add 50~lbs for a battery, 110 lbs for two full 30 lb LP tanks, 100~ lbs for the hitch, 50 lbs for the hammock in the front cross storage and whatever else gets crammed in there and our tongue weight is now 1,071 lbs. It adds up really quick.
|
Hannibal
|
03/10/20 07:02am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: The new ride came in
Man! What a beautiful truck! That thing would make child’s play of towing my trailer, no WD needed. I went black one time and she was just too hot to handle. :B
|
Hannibal
|
03/09/20 05:41pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: SHANK question
Which begs the question. Some engineers say use WD when towing a trailer above half the weight of the TV. In 2010, engineers decided I needed to use WD when towing a trailer above the total weight of my truck at 6k~ lbs. Now, the engineers at Ford have decided, with a 2020 duplicate of my truck, I can tow a trailer weighing over twice the truck’s weight without WD. What changed as far as physics goes? Leverage is leverage. Weight off the front is the same. Upgrading the hitch does not change the rating of the truck they say. Yet Ford has effectively done exactly that.
My hitch is rated for 600 lbs dead weight. Apparently, that includes a 500 lb motorcycle on a 100 lb carrier 24 inches out from the pin. This puts 1200 lbs of downward torque on the receiver. All peachy! If I tow our travel trailer on a short 6” drawbar, it’s 1,100 lb tongue weight would put 550 lb/ft of downward torque on the receiver. This, according to the engineers, would be way above the receiver’s weight rating.
Countless contractors tow dump trailers with often over 2,000 lbs of tongue weight on receivers rated to tow far less than half that weight with no trouble. Where do these arbitrary ratings numbers come from? Engineers? Lawyers? Marketing departments?
|
Hannibal
|
03/09/20 07:31am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: SHANK question
Years ago when this was discussed, Ron Gratz weighed in with the following comment.
" A first year engineering student would think that the longer drawbar would reduce capacity due to more leverage on the reciever. A second year student would know that the WD bar force is increased by this leaverage"Ron Gratz comment
Old thread on this with some manufacturer quotes
Me thinks perhaps the engineers at Reese realize not everyone uses WD when it’s not needed. Even still, side forces aren’t reduced with WD. A shorter draw bar will reduce side forces. In my humble opinion, WD is a crutch for not enough truck. Mine included.
|
Hannibal
|
03/09/20 06:44am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Newbie Seeking Some Information
What your missing is how misleading UVW is as it doesn't include Propane tanks, battery, any of the tanks contents, a mounted WDH and every item you stock into trailer.
What I've found on every trailer I've owned is the final weight will be much closer to GVWR and nowhere near the dry weight or UVW.
You got that right! Our advertised 710 lb TW turned into 1,071 lbs within the first couple of trips. It sure tows nice.
The first trailer that comes to mind with the OP’s query is the Winnebago Micro Mini 2106 FBS. Full size appliances and tandem axles in a smaller package.
|
Hannibal
|
03/07/20 09:59am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: SHANK question
I wish I could find a short drawbar like I had on a Quality S trunnion style WDH many years ago. The welded on head was right up against the receiver. It towed great with no sway control. Just the same, if you’re using a good hitch like a Reese dual cam or Equalizer 4 point, a longer shank shouldn’t be a problem.
|
Hannibal
|
03/07/20 04:44am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Not your dad's Airstream
Visually appealing. That’s about it.
|
Hannibal
|
03/06/20 06:35am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Rockerball trailer hitch -- has anyone tried it?
Someone figured out a way to complicate a trailer ball.
|
Hannibal
|
02/28/20 07:01pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Fifth Wheel to TT?
We went from our third 5th wheel back to a travel trailer in our quest to downsize. I much prefer backing a TT. In our experience, a TT rides better on the interstate aside from the occasional sway from passing trucks in a crosswind. I have no sway control on our hitch. When I use the Equalizer 4 point, no sway even with passing trucks. Along with not having to install a 5th wheel hitch in my next truck, I have my truck bed back. I’ll simply buy a truck with tow package and integrated brake controller and I’m ready to go. For me, a TT doesn’t mean a lighter tow vehicle. I’ll still want at least a 3/4 ton for a travel trailer. With the newer HD pickups, I might forego the WD hitch altogether. I like simple ball mounts while others like massive contraptions for hitches. I have no regrets going back to a travel trailer.
|
Hannibal
|
02/28/20 08:13am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: SWAY!
I was just ready to post if you'd bought a Kenworth T680 you wouldn't have sway issues
Truth! So somewhere between an Isuzu P’up and a Kenworth T680 is the proper tow vehicle for the trailer. No croaking magical collection of scrap iron contraption of a hitch needed. :B
|
Hannibal
|
02/20/20 07:41am |
Towing
|
|
RE: WDH Questions
Nothing says you have to restore all the weight back on the front. You've restored over 50%, if your GVWR if greater than 6640 I'd say you're good to go.
I agree with this. I’m not a big fan of putting unnecessary huge amounts of stress on the receiver and especially the trailer’s A frame trying to force it to sit like it doesn’t have 1100 lbs loaded out back. WD doesn’t lighten the load on the A frame. It doubles it if anything.
Just my humble happy towing opinion but moving weight to behind the trailer’s axles would be the worst thing you could do. Maybe over or slightly forward of the axles to help with tongue weight but not behind.
|
Hannibal
|
02/14/20 03:22pm |
Towing
|
|
RE: Covering your travel trailer
Keeping my 20' boat covered is easy, even with the T-top. Covering our 32' TT is a dangerous chore. I'm sure it would help preserve it from the blistering Florida sun but, It's off more than it's on.
|
Hannibal
|
02/08/20 07:00pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Daunting it's not...rooftop AC replacement
Good job! Getting the new unit up to the roof is the hard part.
|
Hannibal
|
02/08/20 06:53pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Trailer hitch
Something would give. Up to and including racking the trailer's chassis. I cringe at the concept of sway control and WD putting horrendous stress on the trailer's A frame. I can't imagine locking it solid. Practice is the only answer this side of going with a motorhome.
|
Hannibal
|
02/08/20 06:44pm |
Towing
|
