Advice on my hitch set up please! Can you look at his pic and tell me if this okay?

[Jacob D]

Judging by your photos your set up appears pretty good. Slightly nose down is desired in my opinion as it adds a little more tongue weight to the TV which can be distributed by the WD bars to provide added steering traction. It also gives a little more clearance at the rear when turning into an up-slope or driveway and better resistance to sway. A low center of gravity is a positive characteristic of A/S as it reduces wind effect and gives better stability in general but too low may indicate sagging axles.

[jimfa440]

Photos can fool you at times, however it looks pretty good to me.

[GMFL]

Looks good to me. How does it pull is the question

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by nickclifford

Can you you explain that for a dummy , new to this. Find a scale station .. Drive truck and trailer to weigh together or just trailer assume, can't quite wrap head around this !

The DOT scales along the roadway that all the truckers are required to go in are "generally" not for people towing camping trailers. Go into a public scale. For examples: a truck stop, a shipping/moving company, a grain elevator might have a public scale.

https://catscale.com/how-to-weigh/

[SpletKay06]

Dot scales are public scales I've been using them for years.

[ijustlee]

Hitch set up looks good to me. Have co-pilot keep an eye on bars and remove them when necessary which will give you better traction when off pavement. Then you will have to watch dragging the spare tire mount which can be damaging; dragging the rear a bit usually won't hurt anything. I really try to stay on smooth ground with my long trailer.

[Pressdr]

Good evening fellow Airstreamers..
So far, it sounds like there are many good facts that can be used to determine if the hitch you are using is set up properly for your AS and tow vehicle.
A couple of simple specifications.
1. Start with AS and tow vehicle on dead level ground
2. Check level of AS: place level on inside of floor, and also measure from the ground up to a fixed point on the AS such as the lower" rub band" at the front and rear of the trailer. The distance should be equal.
3. Check the owners manual for the recommended "Ball Height" when connected to the tow vehicle.
4. When properly adjusted, the torsion bars should be parallel to the frame of the AS.
5. The tow vehicle should not drop more than 1.5 inches when hitched to the AS. 1 inch is really ideal.
6. Make certain that the torsion bars are rated for your trailer weight.
7. To make the torsion bars work properly, and support their rated load, it may be necessary to tilt the ball back toward the AS.

Keep in mind, that setting up the hitch and torsion bars properly is somewhat trial and error. There are sever combinations of adjustments that will create the perfect towing set-up. Changing one adjustment affect other adjustments.

When finished, the next trip you take will tell if the set up is correct. I actually made several adjustments to create the perfect towing set up.

Hope this helps

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by SpletKay06

Dot scales are public scales I've been using them for years.

I realize they are public in the sense that they are open to the public, but I have never used them.

It takes at least three trips across the scale to check the weight distribution, once without the trailer and twice with the trailer. Will they let you disconnect the trailer and weigh a few times so that you have adequate information?

[nickclifford]

Originally Posted by shadrick5

I have the same hitch on a 75 Sovereign and have gone down a dirt, two track, and at least a 75% grade, while dragging the rear in order to reach the best site. Wally designed these trailers to do just that. The rear tail is designed to slide over obstacles and continue the adventure no matter the incline.

Cool !! I like your spirit of adventure !

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by Pressdr

Good evening fellow Airstreamers..
So far, it sounds like there are many good facts that can be used to determine if the hitch you are using is set up properly for your AS and tow vehicle.
A couple of simple specifications.
1. Start with AS and tow vehicle on dead level ground
2. Check level of AS: place level on inside of floor, and also measure from the ground up to a fixed point on the AS such as the lower" rub band" at the front and rear of the trailer. The distance should be equal.
3. Check the owners manual for the recommended "Ball Height" when connected to the tow vehicle.
4. When properly adjusted, the torsion bars should be parallel to the frame of the AS.
5. The tow vehicle should not drop more than 1.5 inches when hitched to the AS. 1 inch is really ideal.
6. Make certain that the torsion bars are rated for your trailer weight.
7. To make the torsion bars work properly, and support their rated load, it may be necessary to tilt the ball back toward the AS.

Keep in mind, that setting up the hitch and torsion bars properly is somewhat trial and error. There are sever combinations of adjustments that will create the perfect towing set-up. Changing one adjustment affect other adjustments.

When finished, the next trip you take will tell if the set up is correct. I actually made several adjustments to create the perfect towing set up.

Hope this helps

Excellent instructions. There are exceptions though. On my one ton I must have a drop of two inches approx on rear to get the proper ride and traction for the tv. One tons are designed for payload and have traction and handling problems when empty. Putting the trailer on the hitch gives that payload and improves ride and handling. Some will disagree.

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by Pressdr

Good evening fellow Airstreamers..
So far, it sounds like there are many good facts that can be used to determine if the hitch you are using is set up properly for your AS and tow vehicle.
A couple of simple specifications.
1. Start with AS and tow vehicle on dead level ground
2. Check level of AS: place level on inside of floor, and also measure from the ground up to a fixed point on the AS such as the lower" rub band" at the front and rear of the trailer. The distance should be equal.
3. Check the owners manual for the recommended "Ball Height" when connected to the tow vehicle.
4. When properly adjusted, the torsion bars should be parallel to the frame of the AS.
5. The tow vehicle should not drop more than 1.5 inches when hitched to the AS. 1 inch is really ideal.
6. Make certain that the torsion bars are rated for your trailer weight.
7. To make the torsion bars work properly, and support their rated load, it may be necessary to tilt the ball back toward the AS.

Keep in mind, that setting up the hitch and torsion bars properly is somewhat trial and error. There are sever combinations of adjustments that will create the perfect towing set-up. Changing one adjustment affect other adjustments.

When finished, the next trip you take will tell if the set up is correct. I actually made several adjustments to create the perfect towing set up.

Hope this helps

Excellent instructions. There are exceptions though. On my one ton I must have a drop of two inches approx on rear to get the proper ride and traction for the tv. One tons are designed for payload and have traction and handling problems when empty. Putting the trailer on the hitch gives that payload and improves ride and handling. Some will disagree.

[nickclifford]

some really great advice here, thanks everyone, is there a consensus on which hitch does actually offer the best ground clearance (without spending a small fortune, as some of these can run...)

nick

[kdickinson]

Looks pretty much like my TV hitched to the trailer. Given that, before I shift into drive I visually make sure the pin is in the hitch and locked, the chains are securely connected, the coupler is locked down, the emergency break away cable is connected, the power cord is connected and I have turn signals and rear view camera working, the sway bars are locked down and ... whoosh off I go. I accept the ground clearance is less and account for it as much as possible - 10's of thousands of miles and no issues

[m.hony]

What is the actual ground clearance?
I have never measured.
It seems like no more than 8-10".
Seems like the clearance at the weight bars is about the same as the clearance at the trailer axles, trailer spare tire, sewer drains, truck's pumpkin and front end components.

[A W Warn]

Quote:
Originally Posted by A W Warn
.......

A perfectly level trailer is ideal. If the tongue is low there will be slightly more weight on the front trailer axle and this shifts the pivot point forward. If the tongue is high there will be slightly more weight on the rear axle and shift the pivot point rearward. If you cannot get it level it is better to be slightly high. Pivot point forward will contribute to sway because there is more length and weight behind the pivot point.
...

Originally Posted by rostam

My understanding also is that trailer being a bit nose down is OK, but nose up is not OK, as it increases the chance for fishtailing (due to center of gravity being pushed backwards).

Originally Posted by aftermath

I have been led to believe that this is OPPOSITE what you should do. Level is the goal but slightly down in front is better than high. Maybe we can get some support from those more in the know.
<<< snip>>>

I did not see this before, but I want to comment.

In regard to resisting trailer sway (also called yaw):

The true answer is in the physics of a simple lever.

The further the fulcrum (the point of the trailer weight where it pivots over the trailer axles) is away from the force (the tow vehicle) the less force is required to move the load (the weight of the trailer). In this example the lever is the trailer frame.

[m.hony]

Slightly nose down on my rig is about 1/4" on a 30' trailer- barely perceptible- and probably not enough more weight on the front trailer tires to notice. I see no noticeable tread wear on my 1 year old tires.
It is as close to dead level as I could possibly get it.


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[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by williker

as long as the trailer and truck are both level while loaded, you're good.

concur! :d

[AldeanFan]

I have about the same ground clearance and have only dragged once, at a gas station in West Virginia I had no business trying to get in to.
Your hitch looks good to me

[JCWDCW]

Re comments about trailer sway.
The longer the wheel base tongue to wheels the less the sway, is pretty common knowledge. The longer wheel base harmonic rhythm is slower than a short wheel base (simple pendulum mechanics). However the whole rig is involved in the rhythm; the truck wheel base, the location of the hitch on the truck, the stability/stiffness of the truck suspension and the tendency for the trailer to sway all come into play. So some rules help but every rig is different. I had serious trouble with my 23 Award...so did almost everyone else no matter what the TV pulling that model. Short wheel base and probably tongue configuration were likely the primary reason. I have never had a harmonic sway on the 25 AS's that I have pulled. Doesn't mean others won't. Some sort of damping is good insurance for the time you need the sway control such as in an emergency maneuver. As others have pointed out on this post some changes that seem contrary to common knowledge actually work on their rig. That's likely because the changes interrupted the natural harmonics of the rig. Start with the rules and then systematically break them if they aren't working
JCW

[m.hony]

On my rig the lowest point on the truck is the bottom of the hitch shank at 7" and the lowest point on the trailer is the low point drains at 7".
Everything else is 8" or more- truck exhaust, pumpkin, front end components and trailer weight distribution hitch bars, spare tire and covers on holding tanks.


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