Light tongue--weight distribution

[Belegedhel]

I have been engaged in my lengthy rebuild of my '73 Globetrooter for years now, and occasionally take the trailer out for a week or two of aluminum tenk camping. So far, towing the trailer, essentially empty, I have been towing on the ball (I call it "going commando") with no weight distribution, but with a friction anti-sway bar.

So as I get ready to move to a weight distribution set-up, my understading is that the spring bars need to be matched to my expected tongue weight. I suspect the trailer will weigh somewhere around 4500-5000 lbs when complete, and therefore the tongue weight will be around 750 lbs.

I find very traditional bar-and-chain type set-ups in which the bars come in very specific weight ranges (ie., 600, 750, 900, etc. ). However, when looking at the the Equilizer hitch, one description I find indicates that a single set of hardware can be used for a variety of tongue weights, up to 1000 lbs. Descriptions of some other hitches make something of the same vague ("up to") promise.

Am I misunderstanding that I need specifically sized weight bars, or can I use the "up to" approximation effectively?

thanks!

[OTRA15]

FWIW here are some search results for “Equalizer bar size” which will hopefully focus the possible solution.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Equa...com&gws_rd=ssl

Again FWIW, our FC20 has similar weight specs, and we use 800 lb. bars on the Reese WD.

Good luck,

Peter

PS — Possible thread to check:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...ves-49136.html

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Since trailer weight is *very* dependent on what you put in it and *where* you put things, the tongue weight of your rebuild could be almost anything. Weights in the 1,000 pound range are not unheard of, even on a 5,000 pound trailer. It could also come out below 500 pounds and not be insane.

I would get the big heavy stuff into the trailer and see where you are. In the mean time, don't drive very fast . Balancing things out is very much part of a rebuild. Watching how it all fits weight wise is a "real good idea"

Bob

[Belegedhel]

Thanks for the responses!

Well, I admit that I hadn't searched the previsous discussions very thoroughly, as I thought I had a novel question, but not at all, so it seems--lots of good discussion already out there and answers to my questions.

[Bill M.]

You do not need exact sized wt bars. You can and should use the “up to” idea. Wat bar selection depends on the tongue wt and a little on the TV. But the principle is that all of the systems are adjusted for the trailer TV combination and each set of bars allows a wide range and some overlap in range. And the bias at the sales places I visited is to push you to too heavy a set. At least it took me two tries to get them the way I like them. The softer the bars that will give you enough weight transfer the better in my opinion.

[CharlesinGA]

Be aware that with the Equal-i-zer brand of hitch, you CANNOT change the bars for a different weight. The entire hitch assembly must be changed out. The hitches come in 400/4000, 600/6000, 1000/10000, 1200/12000, and 1400/14000 models (thats Tongue weight/trailer weight). Equalizer says the bars of certain weights must be used only on that weight head assembly (somehow I don't think they physically will swap, but not sure).

See the second question in the FAQ frequently-asked-questions

From the "Store" section of the web site...... "Replacement spring arms for your Equal-i-zer® hitch. These arms are only compatible with the matching weight rating hitch head"

Charles

[cwf]

Maybe changing receiver heads, each set to different head tilt...

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Belegedhel

m I misunderstanding that I need specifically sized weight bars, or can I use the "up to" approximation effectively?

Take a look at the Fastway E2 hitch. It's basically a jr. Equalizer, has tapered bars but uses the same "L" shaped pads on the trailer.
My friend has one on his trailer of 450# tongue weight and he has no problems.

The "up to" is a range. So I wouldn't use a hitch rated for up to 1200# if the tongue weight was 500#.

[Belegedhel]

Follow-up: I ended up getting a good deal on an Equalizer hitch with (up to) 1000 lb bars. Spent a few hours getting my set-up properly adjusted, and felt like it was well dialed in at the end. Went on the mother-of-all-road-trips--drove 4500 miles in 18 days. I was happy with the new hitch--less sway than I experienced with my previous friction sway-bar set-up towing on the ball without weight distribution. Less "dolphining" as well. The other thing I noticed was that with the bars in place, it locks everything together so that I don't hear any of that hitch-rattle that I am used to.

The one annoyance is that there is an "L" shaped part of the hitch that goes into the receiver. I had to make the "L" point downward in order to get my ball at the right height. There is about 2" of the "L" hanging below the ball assembly, and it drags occasionally. I am tempted to saw it off, which would limit my future adjustability of the hitch (if I get a new tow vehicle with a higher receiver), but I don't see any other way of solving that issue.

[pteck]

Originally Posted by Belegedhel

Follow-up: I ended up getting a good deal on an Equalizer hitch with (up to) 1000 lb bars. Spent a few hours getting my set-up properly adjusted, and felt like it was well dialed in at the end. Went on the mother-of-all-road-trips--drove 4500 miles in 18 days. I was happy with the new hitch--less sway than I experienced with my previous friction sway-bar set-up towing on the ball without weight distribution. Less "dolphining" as well. The other thing I noticed was that with the bars in place, it locks everything together so that I don't hear any of that hitch-rattle that I am used to.

The one annoyance is that there is an "L" shaped part of the hitch that goes into the receiver. I had to make the "L" point downward in order to get my ball at the right height. There is about 2" of the "L" hanging below the ball assembly, and it drags occasionally. I am tempted to saw it off, which would limit my future adjustability of the hitch (if I get a new tow vehicle with a higher receiver), but I don't see any other way of solving that issue.

Most have to run the hitch shank in the drop orientation. Completely normal.

I would absolutely chop the excess material. Touching ground on that is incredible stress for the hitch/receiver/chassis. They're easily replaceable, and are offered in a multitude of extensions and drops if you ever needed more range in the future.

[HowieE]

For that trailer you want the lightest bars you can find. 600 most likely

[ROBERT CROSS]

^
X2

You won't be transferring enough weight to warrant heavier bars. 👍

Bob
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