TV Question

[thewarden]

I tow a 27FB with a 1 ton SWD Duramax. The loaded tongue weight is around 900lbs. Hitched up without weight distribution, the front of the truck raises about 2 inches. This causes a number of undesirable attributes. It changes the suspension and steering geometry from the engineered specs. There is an obvious difference in the feel of the trucks front end stability and handling at highway speeds as a result. Taking weight off the front tires also reduces front braking, which is not good as most braking is from the front wheels.

It also causes the headlights to point higher than they are supposed to, which negates any night time driving, lest you want to have every oncoming vehicle flash their high beams at you.

Adding WD to return all the weight back to the front axle corrects all of these issues. From a practical point of view, I can tell you that the truck feels a lot better at highway speeds, which I am sure is a result of returning the steering and suspension geometry back to engineered specs.

Now, if I was towing something with half the hitch weight, say 500lbs, I am sure that WD would not be necessary. But with the hitch weight of 25s and above, (900-1000lbs), WD and sway control are musts based on my experiences.

[KCCO]

That f150 will tow that trailer just fine - don’t let the diesel boys scare you into thinking a 1 ton is necessary.

If you want one, go for it - it’s not necessary.

Contrary to the opinion of some on this thread, the WDH is a necessary tool for towing - don’t go without it.

[Daquenzer]

Tow 28’ with F150 and Propride hitch. Love the set up. Tows great. There are a few things I’ll probably put on when I put new tires on. Such as a bit stiffer side wall tire and Bilstein shocks.

By the way you should also look at www.tfltruck.com. They give really high marks for the RAM 1500 with airbags and the 5.7 liter Hemi. If I were to buy a 1/2 ton I would really consider that truck. Everyone I’ve heard raves about it.

[thewarden]

Originally Posted by Daquenzer

Tow 28’ with F150 and Propride hitch. Love the set up. Tows great. There are a few things I’ll probably put on when I put new tires on. Such as a bit stiffer side wall tire and Bilstein shocks.

By the way you should also look at www.tfltruck.com. They give really high marks for the RAM 1500 with airbags and the 5.7 liter Hemi. If I were to buy a 1/2 ton I would really consider that truck. Everyone I’ve heard raves about it.

The one with 1250lbs of payload capacity? Not if you are planning to tow a 25' or longer AS.

[Profxd]

Originally Posted by thewarden

I tow a 27FB with a 1 ton SWD Duramax. The loaded tongue weight is around 900lbs. Hitched up without weight distribution, the front of the truck raises about 2 inches. This causes a number of undesirable attributes. It changes the suspension and steering geometry from the engineered specs. There is an obvious difference in the feel of the trucks front end stability and handling at highway speeds as a result. Taking weight off the front tires also reduces front braking, which is not good as most braking is from the front wheels.

It also causes the headlights to point higher than they are supposed to, which negates any night time driving, lest you want to have every oncoming vehicle flash their high beams at you.

Adding WD to return all the weight back to the front axle corrects all of these issues. From a practical point of view, I can tell you that the truck feels a lot better at highway speeds, which I am sure is a result of returning the steering and suspension geometry back to engineered specs.

Now, if I was towing something with half the hitch weight, say 500lbs, I am sure that WD would not be necessary. But with the hitch weight of 25s and above, (900-1000lbs), WD and sway control are musts based on my experiences.

That’s pretty lame for a 1 ton TV. 25 years of using 3/4 ton TVs and none of them raised more than 7/8 in at the front with 1,000 lbs TW. Once I would get past 50% FALR handling went right down the crapper. If you want to gauge how well the WDH is setup travel a steep winding downhill route in the rain. Under these conditions the consequences of removing all that weight off the rear axle will show its ugly head. This is how I learned the down side of a WDH a long time ago, long before SAE j2807 was released. Straight line performance seemed good but obviously once something caused any lateral acceleration things went bad fast. I ended up putting 12k miles on a 2500 CCLB Chevy towing a Nash 22H with no WDH or sway control from Florida to Maine in all types of weather and conditions. My current setup I do use a WDH with minimal tension, the last scaled weight was about 40% FALR but I’ve removed a washer from the Equalizer since then. My pathetic Titan XD will tow my 8k lb TT with 950 lb TW at 65 mph with no WDH just as well as it does with one.

[J. Morgan]

It's interesting to me how so many WD threads focus so intently on "restoring" all weight to the front axle, while so few posters consider the implications of making the rear axle too light....

In my experience, when trailering, a light TV rear axle is a serious safety concern.

I think it's a misconception of what a jackknife is. People think of a jackknife as the trailer swinging around and striking the tow vehicle, and it is, but what most people don't grasp is that most every jackknife starts when the rear TV axle breaks loose and moves laterally across the pavement.

There is "right" by the book, and there is right what drives the best and is safest, sometimes these are the same, and sometimes they aren't.

If I set up my WD "according to the book" it isn't as stable going down the road as it is if I leave the rear axle a little heavier than the published standard allows.

"Your mileage may vary", but for me, being setup "right" means my combination driving great is a key metric that isn't compromised. (Tires, steering, brakes.....)

[out of sight]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

It's interesting to me how so many WD threads focus so intently on "restoring" all weight to the front axle, while so few posters consider the implications of making the rear axle too light....

In my experience, when trailering, a light TV rear axle is a serious safety concern.

I think it's a misconception of what a jackknife is. People think of a jackknife as the trailer swinging around and striking the tow vehicle, and it is, but what most people don't grasp is that most every jackknife starts when the rear TV axle breaks loose and moves laterally across the pavement.

There is "right" by the book, and there is right what drives the best and is safest, sometimes these are the same, and sometimes they aren't.

If I set up my WD "according to the book" it isn't as stable going down the road as it is if I leave the rear axle a little heavier than the published standard allows.

"Your mileage may vary", but for me, being setup "right" means my combination driving great is a key metric that isn't compromised. (Tires, steering, brakes.....)

I agree. You want a decent load on your rear axle to give you stability, and also for better braking. Tire pressures are important, too. I keep my rears at 80 PSI.

My truck, when unloaded, has 60% of it's weight on the front axle and 40% on the rear axle. When I drop my trailer onto the ball I have 52% on the rear and 48% on the front. In effect, the trailer tongue load balances out the weight of the 1000 lb engine sitting on the front axle. The rig is very stable and I have no use for a wd hitch. The axles are loaded to 78-79% of their GAWR. Concerning sway, it doesn't sway or wobble at all. The load on the rear and the tire sidewall stiffness keeps the rig in line.

You want your truck to ride level. When unloaded, by design, the rear is about 2 1/2 inches higher in the back than in the front. After loading, again towing on the ball without WD, my front goes up only 1/4" while my rear drops 2 to 2 1/2".

[Foiled Again]

When it comes to ANY argument, there is a simple question, " Is this the hill I want to die on?"

In 2013 I totaled my 2500 diesel Silverado and my 2006 25 ft. Safari. And yes, it had a Reese dual cam WD hitch and I was driving below the speed limit on a section of I-64 which allows 70 mph. Never knew how or why it happened. A local said there were wicked cross winds that funneled into a narrow area where I wrecked that frequently tipped over tractor trailers.

Not long ago I met the now retired patrolman who was surprised that I was alive when he walked up to the hole in the side window that my head had created. It took us both a few minutes to figure out why we KNEW we had met before.

When I remarked that I never knew what caused the wreck, he said there was a big chunk of tractor trailer tire tread lodged in plain sight in the truck's rear wheel well. A Road Alligator! I walked right past it and never saw it. I was "unharmed" and cracking jokes... hmmm.

I got a bill for the next year's OnStar service several weeks after the truck was totaled, and called them to say... duh, the truck is gone and then... huh wait, I never got an Onstar call when the wreck occurred! (Also, while the seat belts locked up properly, neither the main airbag nor the side curtain airbag deployed... hmm?!)

So the moral of the story.... weight distribution hitches won't prevent every accident, safety systems won't always function perfectly, having a thick skull isn't always a bad thing, and for crying out loud... do whatever you can to avoid a wreck! Even if you walk away and replace a Safari with an Eddie Bauer... it is still expensive, time consuming, and traumatic to go thru.

The pebble glass in the window did NOT cut my face to ribbons, the seat belts kept me in the vehicle instead of launching me thru the windshield.... and I am still here

Being "safe" is impossible, being SAFER is.
Stay alert. Never believe your "superior skills" make it okay to speed, talk on a cell phone, or drive aggressively. Don't be a putz. The hill you will die on is out there; meanwhile seize the day joyfully.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by out of sight

I agree. You want a decent load on your rear axle to give you stability, and also for better braking. Tire pressures are important, too. I keep my rears at 80 PSI.



My truck, when unloaded, has 60% of it's weight on the front axle and 40% on the rear axle. When I drop my trailer onto the ball I have 52% on the rear and 48% on the front. In effect, the trailer tongue load balances out the weight of the 1000 lb engine sitting on the front axle. The rig is very stable and I have no use for a wd hitch. The axles are loaded to 78-79% of their GAWR. Concerning sway, it doesn't sway or wobble at all. The load on the rear and the tire sidewall stiffness keeps the rig in line.



You want your truck to ride level. When unloaded, by design, the rear is about 2 1/2 inches higher in the back than in the front. After loading, again towing on the ball without WD, my front goes up only 1/4" while my rear drops 2 to 2 1/2".

I use WD on my half ton, but I hardly tighten the jacks unless I have my 900 pound tool box in the pickup bed.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

When it comes to ANY argument, there is a simple question, " Is this the hill I want to die on?"

In 2013 I totaled my 2500 diesel Silverado and my 2006 25 ft. Safari. And yes, it had a Reese dual cam WD hitch and I was driving below the speed limit on a section of I-64 which allows 70 mph. Never knew how or why it happened. A local said there were wicked cross winds that funneled into a narrow area where I wrecked that frequently tipped over tractor trailers.

Not long ago I met the now retired patrolman who was surprised that I was alive when he walked up to the hole in the side window that my head had created. It took us both a few minutes to figure out why we KNEW we had met before.

When I remarked that I never knew what caused the wreck, he said there was a big chunk of tractor trailer tire tread lodged in plain sight in the truck's rear wheel well. A Road Alligator! I walked right past it and never saw it. I was "unharmed" and cracking jokes... hmmm.

I got a bill for the next year's OnStar service several weeks after the truck was totaled, and called them to say... duh, the truck is gone and then... huh wait, I never got an Onstar call when the wreck occurred! (Also, while the seat belts locked up properly, neither the main airbag nor the side curtain airbag deployed... hmm?!)

So the moral of the story.... weight distribution hitches won't prevent every accident, safety systems won't always function perfectly, having a thick skull isn't always a bad thing, and for crying out loud... do whatever you can to avoid a wreck! Even if you walk away and replace a Safari with an Eddie Bauer... it is still expensive, time consuming, and traumatic to go thru.

The pebble glass in the window did NOT cut my face to ribbons, the seat belts kept me in the vehicle instead of launching me thru the windshield.... and I am still here

Being "safe" is impossible, being SAFER is.
Stay alert. Never believe your "superior skills" make it okay to speed, talk on a cell phone, or drive aggressively. Don't be a putz. The hill you will die on is out there; meanwhile seize the day joyfully.

Driving time is driving time, not for texting or yaking on the phone, driving is serious business.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

Driving time is driving time, not for texting or yaking on the phone, driving is serious business.

There have always been distractions. Learning to handle them is part of life. My flight instructor used to light matches, open side windows, or ask silly questions to illustrate the need to manage distractions.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by Countryboy59

There have always been distractions. Learning to handle them is part of life. My flight instructor used to light matches, open side windows, or ask silly questions to illustrate the need to manage distractions.

Distractions are one thing, inviting and embracing distractions are quite a different thing.

When driving becomes routine and almost autonomous, it becomes exponentially more hazardous.

Eyes and mental focus on the road is always a good thing.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

Distractions are one thing, inviting and embracing distractions are quite a different thing.

When driving becomes routine and almost autonomous, it becomes exponentially more hazardous.

Eyes and mental focus on the road is always a good thing.

True, and there’s no excuse for texting or reading while driving. But if a person can’t use a hands free phone while driving they are probably a crappy driver to begin with. As a motorcycle rider I’m amazed some of the stuff I see that does NOT involve a phone.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by Countryboy59

True, and there’s no excuse for texting or reading while driving. But if a person can’t use a hands free phone while driving they are probably a crappy driver to begin with. As a motorcycle rider I’m amazed some of the stuff I see that does NOT involve a phone.

I think that depends on where a person is driving and the traffic conditions.... and the fact is, SOME people can't talk and drive at the same time. I see them all of the time....

[Profxd]

Here’s my current rig loaded up for a week trip. No airbags, Timbrens, or helper springs with no WD bars. TW in the 940 to 1000lb range and still carries over 4,000lbs on the front axles.

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

That’s a goofy looking airstream [emoji85][emoji86][emoji87]

[Profxd]

I’m hoping to have a 25 or 27 by the end of this year.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by BigSxyWhtGuy

That’s a goofy looking airstream [emoji85][emoji86][emoji87]

Hey, your right! Looks like an SOB model!

[out of sight]

Originally Posted by Profxd

Here’s my current rig loaded up for a week trip. No airbags, Timbrens, or helper springs with no WD bars. TW in the 940 to 1000lb range and still carries over 4,000lbs on the front axles.

The Nissan is sitting quite level without a w/d hitch. How much load is on the rear axle, and what are the GAWR's?

[Profxd]

4900 rawr, +/- 4600 raw .