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10-13-2016, 02:39 AM
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#1
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Rivet Master
2018 27' International
Southeastern MI
, Michigan
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2,344
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New Tow Vehicle - Thoughts on setup
Thinking I may want to take on some hills eventually, I traded the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland in for an F-350, 6.2 gas Lariat. I chose this after looking at some 1/2 ton trucks with payloads around 1400 lbs. The Ford has a payload over 4000 lb which will come in handy if I haul cars, etc and I'm guessing will work with the Bambi. The trailer controller is integrated (the gain is set at 2.0, I'll need to figure out how to adjust the gain). Using the drop hitch I hooked up to the Bambi 19' to see how things lined up. I was pleased with the results, looks like the same drop hitch from the Jeep will work, but will take the rig to the dealer where I got the AS to get it checked out.
The rear of the truck dropped about 1.5" and the trailer sits level. The tongue weight on this trailer was about 800lb when I purchased it and it weighs about 4000 lbs ready to camp.
I'm planning to use the single friction sway control but wonder whether the WD bars are necessary. Can't see any reason to transfer any weight on this truck. I'll keep the WD bars for the larger Airstream that now seems inevitable. Thoughts?
__________________
2018 International Serenity 27' FB
Michelin 16” tires
Hensley Arrow hitch
Tow Vehicle: 2020 F-350 6.7L Diesel
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10-13-2016, 02:42 AM
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#2
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Rivet Master
2018 27' International
Southeastern MI
, Michigan
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2,344
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Here's the drop hitch, hooked up for measuring.sorry, tried to rotate the pic?..
__________________
2018 International Serenity 27' FB
Michelin 16” tires
Hensley Arrow hitch
Tow Vehicle: 2020 F-350 6.7L Diesel
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10-13-2016, 03:43 AM
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#3
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Rivet Master
2007 Interstate
Normal
, Illinois
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 18,051
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If you use your edit function to crop a picture down a bit, it will post correctly.
Maggie
__________________
🏡 🚐 Cherish and appreciate those you love. This moment could be your last.🌹🐚
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10-13-2016, 04:04 AM
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#4
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Rivet Master
2017 30' Classic
Loretto
, Ontario
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 507
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Nice Truck !!
To increase/decrease the gain use the + and - buttons on the controller.
No one will say you don't have enough truck for your Bambi.
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10-13-2016, 05:28 AM
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#5
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Rivet Master
2021 25' Globetrotter
Jamestown
, Rhode Island
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,720
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Nice truck!
My thinking is that the anti sway hitch won't hurt anything...
All it takes is one bad event and you will wish you'd had one.
As for the weight distribution bars, take it to the scales and check the numbers. It is easy to do and then you will know. We run the bars but it is part of the hitch so we don't really have any choice.
Anyway, welcome to the "Towing a Bambi with a Big Truck" club!
Bruce
__________________
Loving our 2021 Globetrotter 25 and our 2022 Ford F-150 King Ranch 5.0!!! Plenty of payload, not even close to axel limits and it drives and rows beautifully…
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10-13-2016, 07:12 AM
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#6
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Rivet Master
Vintage Kin Owner
N/A
, N/A
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 989
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Boy, you had a change of heart for sure. It was like last week you were voicing all sorts of concerns about pickups :-)
Its a great looking truck, and you were smart to bypass 3/4 ton and go directly to 1 ton. Congratulations!
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10-13-2016, 01:17 PM
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#7
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4 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
Vintage Kin Owner
Sonoma Co.
, California
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 297
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With a truck this large you certainly have no need for WD bars...at least until you get that much larger trailer that you hinted at.
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10-13-2016, 02:21 PM
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#8
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Rivet Master
2018 27' International
Southeastern MI
, Michigan
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2,344
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rostam
Boy, you had a change of heart for sure. It was like last week you were voicing all sorts of concerns about pickups :-)
Its a great looking truck, and you were smart to bypass 3/4 ton and go directly to 1 ton. Congratulations!
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I can definitely feel the high center of gravity I mentioned in my posts. Lots of people get into trouble with these trucks in winter around here. But I've driven these before, just have to change some driving habits form the Jeep. The biggest concern I had was merging and payload, both are nonissues now, neither is the 800 lb tongue load lol
__________________
2018 International Serenity 27' FB
Michelin 16” tires
Hensley Arrow hitch
Tow Vehicle: 2020 F-350 6.7L Diesel
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10-13-2016, 06:57 PM
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#9
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Rivet Master
2015 25' Flying Cloud
2016 30' Flying Cloud
Blenheim Ontario
, Ontario
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,263
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Setting the gain is easy.
Just drive slowly on a deserted road, (? is there such a thing??) with the gain set at it's lowest.
Try the brake lever, without using the TV brakes. Keep going higher with it until the trailer brakes lock up and slide. Then back off the gain by one or two 'kliks'.
There you are for a start. You may or may not decide to adjust it as driving conditions give you feedback on it. Easy-Peasy.
"Look after your equipment, it will look after you."
"Trailer trash comfortable in a tin can shed."
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10-14-2016, 04:32 AM
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#10
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Rivet Master
2018 27' International
Southeastern MI
, Michigan
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2,344
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Is the brake control supposed to be set so the trailer wheels lock when the lever is squeezed on a dry road? Seems like this would cause a problem when towing in wet weather. I don't think the Bambi is gonna pull the F350 too hard but would hate for the trailer wheels to lock during moderate braking on a curve in wet weather. I'm going to do about a 300 mile tow this weekend and see how everything shakes out. Can Am has new leather cushions for the Bambi and I figured this would be a good time to pick them up.
I've towed lots of utility and car trailers without worrying but I'm a little more picky about the Airstream.
__________________
2018 International Serenity 27' FB
Michelin 16” tires
Hensley Arrow hitch
Tow Vehicle: 2020 F-350 6.7L Diesel
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10-14-2016, 05:34 AM
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#11
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
Mantua
, Ohio
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,062
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No lockup, that's why you back off the two or so clocks. A locked brake is not as good as a brake near lockup.
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10-14-2016, 06:02 AM
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#12
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3 Rivet Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 129
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One time I forgot to take the weight distribution spring bars and our 25' was bouncing up and down on the hitch. It was very annoying and not the safe feeling of
having the tongue locked down on the ball with spring bars attached. Also, someone mentioned on the forums they thought weight distribution hitch was required in some states for trailers over 2500 lbs?
__________________
Sun City Center, FL
1988 25' Excella
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10-14-2016, 08:00 AM
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#13
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3 Rivet Member
Vintage Kin Owner
Warrenton
, Virginia
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 168
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Holy overkill. You barely need trailer brakes for that on a F350. (jk, but you could in a pinch)
But it is good to have extra truck capacity if going bigger in the future.
__________________
Trailer: 1948 Spartan Mansion 30'
Tow Rig 1: Hers 2010 Cadillac Escalade ESV
Tow Rig 2: His 2010 Porsche Cayenne S
Others: 1971 Chevy C-10 with 5.3 LS and T5 conversion, 1983 Jeep Cherokee Pioneer (FSJ) with 5.3 LS and SM465 conversion, 1979 Porsche 911SC
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10-14-2016, 11:07 AM
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#14
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Rivet Master
2018 27' International
Southeastern MI
, Michigan
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2,344
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pat Conway
One time I forgot to take the weight distribution spring bars and our 25' was bouncing up and down on the hitch. It was very annoying and not the safe feeling of
having the tongue locked down on the ball with spring bars attached. Also, someone mentioned on the forums they thought weight distribution hitch was required in some states for trailers over 2500 lbs?
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Not sure the Bambi is gonna bounce much on this truck. I Thought the function of the WD bars was to transfer some of the weight to the front axle by adding a torque to the hitch, not prevent bounce. Never used them on the large pickups I had before and I towed pretty heavy stuff.
Any of you large truck/Bambi guys use WD BARS? Or just the sway device?
__________________
2018 International Serenity 27' FB
Michelin 16” tires
Hensley Arrow hitch
Tow Vehicle: 2020 F-350 6.7L Diesel
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10-14-2016, 04:44 PM
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#15
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Rivet Master
2021 25' Globetrotter
Jamestown
, Rhode Island
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,720
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Countryboy59
Not sure the Bambi is gonna bounce much on this truck. I Thought the function of the WD bars was to transfer some of the weight to the front axle by adding a torque to the hitch, not prevent bounce. Never used them on the large pickups I had before and I towed pretty heavy stuff.
Any of you large truck/Bambi guys use WD BARS? Or just the sway device?
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It seems like the bars change the bounce. Not sure why...
Bruce
__________________
Loving our 2021 Globetrotter 25 and our 2022 Ford F-150 King Ranch 5.0!!! Plenty of payload, not even close to axel limits and it drives and rows beautifully…
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10-15-2016, 11:34 AM
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#16
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Rivet Master
2018 27' International
Southeastern MI
, Michigan
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2,344
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Towed it to Can Am, looking at a 25' or 27' now. No issues towing, even carefully passed a few semi trucks without issue. Averaged 10 mpg...😁
__________________
2018 International Serenity 27' FB
Michelin 16” tires
Hensley Arrow hitch
Tow Vehicle: 2020 F-350 6.7L Diesel
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10-15-2016, 01:15 PM
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#17
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4 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
Vintage Kin Owner
Sonoma Co.
, California
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 297
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Look, all this hair pulling over a Bambi behind this huge pickup is nuts. I've towed my Argosy 20 (sim in size to a Bambi) thousands of miles over all kinds of roads behind my 2014 Tacoma TRD with the factory option tow pkg. There has been no problem with sway, bounce, braking or anything else to be worry about. The tongue weight slightly changes the front-to-rear balance of the truck, but not enough to warrant distress. The worst effect is night driving where the headlights aim a little too high. To correct that I added a set of rubber air lifts over the truck's rear springs. No discernible effect on ride and problem solved. So hook up your Bambi with nothing more than the ball hitch, my friend, and drive away with confidence.
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10-15-2016, 09:37 PM
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#18
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Rivet Master
2018 27' International
Southeastern MI
, Michigan
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2,344
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce B
It seems like the bars change the bounce. Not sure why...
Bruce
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The bars did make a difference. I ended up putting them on. The setup is rock solid. The hitch height needs a slight change but I'll get that done later.
__________________
2018 International Serenity 27' FB
Michelin 16” tires
Hensley Arrow hitch
Tow Vehicle: 2020 F-350 6.7L Diesel
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