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Old 04-11-2010, 02:19 PM   #41
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If the hitch has nearly an inch of slop in the x direction at that short of a distance, that translates into at least a foot or more of allowable side to side movement of the trailer, at the axles before the hensley can even START doing its job. That Reese hitch could be be the sole source of your problem.
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Old 04-11-2010, 02:36 PM   #42
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clearly a testament to your driving prowess...
... I'd rather be lucky, than good...
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Old 04-12-2010, 02:30 PM   #43
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Uh ... doesn't that photo of the right side of the receiver show a crack along the weld?

I know that photos can be deceiving, so correct me please if I'm wrong.

If it is a crack, add it to the receiver slop and you've got some serious obstacles to proper weight distribution. You'll need to fix this before you can diagnose anything else. A cracked/sloppy/bending hitch can cause every problem you've encountered.

In an earlier post you said the hitch was upgraded, and I mis-interpreted that as "new", but this hitch has clearly seen some heavy use. How old is it -- how many towing miles? Not that it matters, because if it is cracked you still have to fix it, but I'm just curious.
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Old 04-12-2010, 02:51 PM   #44
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no crack... it does appear that way, from the sharp afternoon shadows

the hitch is not that old!
I bought new, and installed in March 2008... or is two years considered old for components with this type of use?

A conservative estimate (I keep a very detailed log book, but I don't have it in front of me at the moment) would be roughly 12,000 miles of towing my current '08 30' Slide on this hitch... first with a 1200/12000 Equal-I-Zer, then the Arrow

What if I pick up some hardened steel 'shims' to jam in there?
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Old 04-12-2010, 03:49 PM   #45
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Two years/12k miles is not a lot for a receiver. But yours has serious slop issues and that really is worrisome. I think a call to the Reese guys is a good starting point.

You should be able to come up with a better and longer-lasting solution than shims, with some professional advice. You are at the point where a bunch of random people on the Internet can do you more harm than good. Time to seek out qualified assistance. There are those folks up on London Ontario at Can-Am RV who I am certain would be able to help ... whoops, did I say that? After all, nobody modifies hitches -- we all know how good the OEM ones are, right?
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Old 04-12-2010, 03:49 PM   #46
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What if I pick up some hardened steel 'shims' to jam in there?
Well, that looks to me like you have a class 5 hitch, more than enough capacity for any Airstream, but the receiver is 2 1/2 " (at least) and you need the proper sized sleeve to reduce it to 2" for the shank. Otherwise, you have way too much play and can't get the proper adjustment.
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Old 04-12-2010, 04:05 PM   #47
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Slop

THANK YOU all. I have a 2008 Silverado with a class 4 hitch receiver - and an insert to take it back down to 2 inches for my class 3 Dual Cam. Went out and checked for SLOP... yes I surely do have some. Now, can I get a Pro-pride or Hensley with a 2.5 inch shaft?

Paula
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Old 04-12-2010, 04:26 PM   #48
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. Now, can I get a Pro-pride or Hensley with a 2.5 inch shaft?

Paula
That would be the best way to do it. Sean needs to start making these if he doesn't already. I wouldn't expect it would be that difficult. Though a solid 2.5" shank w/ stinger would weigh a ton, heck the solid 2" shank and stinger nearly throws my back out.
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Old 04-12-2010, 05:53 PM   #49
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blame it on the romans...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Foiled Again View Post
THANK YOU all. I have a 2008 Silverado with a class 4 hitch receiver - and an insert to take it back down to 2 inches for my class 3 Dual Cam. Went out and checked for SLOP... yes I surely do have some. Now, can I get a Pro-pride or Hensley with a 2.5 inch shaft?

Paula
there continues to be a LOT of confusion about receiver CLASSification, ratings and hole sizes...

even for those that understand IV=4 or V=5.

part of that confusion is the RANGES for what defines 3, 4 or 5 are NOT standardized...

and vary from one hitch EXPERT or maker to next...

here are some examples...


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maybe the best way to view this spectrum is a bar graph with the notion of overlap or fuzzy edges for EACH class/rating...

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more coverage here (not necessarily the bible)...

Tow hitch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

sticking JUST to 3, 4 and 5...

class 3 and 4 HOLES are 2.0 inches.

while class 5 MAY be 2.5 inches.

but even THAT's not absolute because ford's oem class 5 comes as EITHER a 2 or 2.5 inch hole...

OR a 2.5 inch hole WITH a reduction sleeve down to 2.0 inches (this is sorta their 5 + receiver) ...
_________

a 2.5 inch stinger is NOT needed for either a haha or pp,

since neither is RATED up to the typical 15k-17k limit that defines TRUE 2.5 inch (mega class V) receivers...

((the pp may be able to HANDLE 1500/15k or 1700/17k or more but the rating isn't so stated))
_________

REESE reports occasional batch to batch VARIATION in the fit/tolerance of their receivers AND inserts...

users have often reported slop with one that became TIGHTNESS with a replacement.
_________

with the 30 SLIDE fc' may likely be OVER 1400 lbs at the tongue...

especially since he likes the '20% over rule' so much...

so the question becomes has the receiver ALWAYS been sloppy or has use created this situation?

the photos don't suggest OVERLY deformed metal (receiver, sleeve, stinger) so it seems wise to CONTACT reese...

and request a NEW insert OR receiver or BOTH....
_________

shimming is not gonna solve this long term.

WELDING a tighter sleeve inside might...

but that would very likely kill ANY reese warranty/replacement coverage.

these lasts few posts have almost nothing to do with enhanced OR diminished haha performance...

and might better be discussed in a CLASS specific thread like this old thing...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...ver-15683.html

where i receiver GREAT advice in mostly SHORT posts...

cheers
2air'
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Old 04-13-2010, 05:02 PM   #50
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2airishuman View Post
these lasts few posts have almost nothing to do with enhanced OR diminished haha performance...

and might better be discussed in a CLASS specific thread like this old thing...

cheers
2air'
it's possible the Hensley 'magic' could contribute to unusual stresses, leading to this increased 'slop'...
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Old 04-13-2010, 07:07 PM   #51
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I doubt it the Hensley is at fault for the slop. A lot of Hensley users log more miles than 12k and don't see this issue. The OEM receiver hitch on my Armada saw at least 50k miles with the Hensley and a 30-foot Airstream, and it was still a good fit when I sold it. My current receiver hitch has about 18-20k towing miles on it, mostly Hensley, and no such problems.
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Old 04-13-2010, 09:02 PM   #52
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i agree with rich on this 'stress from the hitch' causing looseness issue...

the receiver on my truck is 5 years and 80,000 miles into towing with these contraptions...

and is no looser now than when new.

of course it IS possible, especially IF the sleeve is very LOW grade steel and soft.

but more likely it's just loose, have u contacted REESE yet?

send them the pictures that show the MOVEMENT, i can't imagine they would NOT wanna help out on this.
___________

just don't mention ALL the other issues...

cheers
2air'
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Old 05-25-2010, 04:30 PM   #53
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hiya fc'

the last episode left us flopping and sloppin'...

any followup on this loose endz thread?

wez be hangin' here bro!

wut waz da fix?

cheers
2air'
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Old 05-25-2010, 06:37 PM   #54
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Joe,

I'm interested in any update on your tires. My Dodge has Michelins, LTX A/S, but I just put LTX A/T2 on the rear for a bit more bite with the 30' S/O. When I brought it home with the old rib tires, really solid as I remember, new A/T2's I definetly noticed "tread squirm" or tail wagging the dog.

I changed out back to old LTX A/S (I have a spare mounted set) and using the LTX A/S empty truck mild L-R R-L in the wheel, no issues. Same speed, same road, same L-R R-L with the A/T2's and you feel the back end swaying. My tire smith didn't offer any comments about the possibility of tread squirm with the new tires. Old tires about 60K miles, new tires maybe 1K miles.

Good luck Joe, looks like a mythodical detail orientated analysis is the way to go. I'll be keeping an eye on my Dodge hitch for pin wear and loosness.
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Old 05-26-2010, 05:27 PM   #55
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2Air,

Here's where I'm at

Spoke with 'Craig' at REESE (Cequent Towing Products, actually)

Short story: he recommended closely inspecting the receiver.

I did. It's fine.
So is the connection to the frame rails.

I hosed it down with penetrating oil, and pounded it out with a stone chisel and sledge.

It fought me the whole way.

What I found was an indentation on the inner, bottom surface of the sleeve- about an inch from the end, where the end of the shank presses down (under weight distribution). The dent had a 'wedge' profile that was only about 1/16" at its deepest point.

I 'rolled' the sleeve 180 degrees, hosed it down with lubricating oil, and pounded it back home.
It didn't seat like it did when new (that is, easily)

As you can see, 1/2" of slop.





After picking up the luvsub from storage, it appears 3/4" has a significant effect on weight distribution.
I didn't scale it, but visually I was getting excellent transfer without having to torque up the spring bars.

Performance was back to excellent- but I didn't do any highway speeds... I'll let you know after this weekend.

I got the locations of REESE dealers, and Craig told me they'd swap out the 'sleeve' (or 'bushing' as he called it), but was reluctant to commit to replacing the receiver unless there was some evidence of failure.

I understand there needs to be some 'play' between the shank and receiver, but I would be curious to know what kind of slop you all are getting.
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Old 05-26-2010, 05:55 PM   #56
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Hi Joe,

I just went out and measured the play as your picture shows.
I got a 1/2 inch of up down play.
Propride hitch and Dodge factory receiver.

Regards.
Ken
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Old 05-26-2010, 06:07 PM   #57
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ok fc,

good INFO!

and less SLOP should equal better set up.

u might wanna measure LATERAL slop too...

Quote:
Originally Posted by finalcutjoe View Post
...I would be curious to know what kind of slop you all are getting.
just checked using the same "end of stinger" position and ~1/2-5/8 vertically and 3/8s-1/2 laterally.

that's an 05 factory ford receiver with 80,000 miles of fancy hitch towing.

have a safe/fun memday rvn trip...

cheers
2air'
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Old 05-26-2010, 06:14 PM   #58
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Tx Ken and 2Air

Q: If the sleeve was hardened, would I be able to deform the lip (edge) hammering it back into place?
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Old 05-26-2010, 06:20 PM   #59
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dunno if hardening matters since the metal has MOVED twice now.

the question remains,

IF you were able to pound it back, how long before it gets TOO sloppy again?

might wanna have a 2nd sleeve in the parts box.

cheers
2air'
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Old 05-26-2010, 06:24 PM   #60
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Joe,

Bit of amateur advice. Take a file to an obscure point and run the file on it, I wouldnt use a triangular file and make a notch, but steel that is hardened will not take a file like un heat treated steel. Try it on some steel at the bench to get a feel for the steel.
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