Equalizer hitch rambling...

[bake315]

Originally Posted by Minnie's Mate

Now I have a really dumb question. As I am new to towing, I hope you will forgive my ignorance. The dealer didn't mention this, but I do recall reading that you have to disconnect the spring bars on Hensley hitches before backing the trailer. Do you need to with the Equal-i-zer? I haven't the few times I have backed our Airstream and haven't had any difficulties that I was aware of but I am currious if it would be easier to stear in reverse if they were disconnected.

Nope, not at all necessary.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by coriolis1

Nope, not at all necessary.

Good, I thought about that today and thought, perhaps, I had overlooked an important step that might have damaged my hitch.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Minnie's Mate

I do recall reading that you have to disconnect the spring bars on Hensley hitches before backing the trailer. Do you need to with the Equal-i-zer?.

hi minne's mate and others....

no need 2 touch any adjustment for backing the hensley...
infact the spring bars aren't removable in the normal sense...
they can be taken off but it isn't needed except to replace bushings or change spring bar sizes...

also it seems a little confusion on the super duty torqshift...
the 6 speed tranny has 2 gear patterns...
below zero operation....1,2,3,4,6
all other times.............1,2,3,5,6

tow/haul doesn't change this...
it's basically a 2nd computer program strategy that still allows overdrive (6th)...
with higher shift points, longer holds of gears when decending or coasting
and the 'apply-brake & gear-hold' feature which is really nice on long decents...

i've found this to be a good page for reading the basic on the powerstroke....
http://www.intellidog.com/dieselmann/60psd.htm
charles explains things clearly, with little jargon...

cheers
2air'

[redeagle313]

Backing up with the Equal-i-zer, you might hear some creaking and squeaking if you are backing in at a moderate to severe angle, but no worries.

We will pick our trailer up on the 3rd of August.

When will "Changes in Latitude" be ready to pickup at Jackson Center?

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by redeagle313

Backing up with the Equal-i-zer, you might hear some creaking and squeaking if you are backing in at a moderate to severe angle, but no worries.

We will pick our trailer up on the 3rd of August.

When will "Changes in Latitude" be ready to pickup at Jackson Center?

I hear that creaking and clunking noise quite a bit. Even in sharp turns going forward. Should have heard me trying to back into the first camp site...real tight.

Jean called this morning and said she is ready. My insurance company called yesterday to get the contact person and phone number so they could get the fed tax id number before they cut the check. So I should be able to pick her up on Monday, 7/31. If the check doesn't come by Saturday, I'll have to delay until August 14th because of work schedule. I think my wife will go stir crazy by 8/14 if we don't have her back in our driveway before then!!!

[Calvin]

Here's a link to a good article on RV NET for setting up hitches. http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...d/17730894.cfm
Happy camping!
Calvin

[B25guy]

I've been researching the various hitches and their sway/W/D capabilities. Just reviewed the DVD on the Hensley...is that a Dodge Intrepid towing a 34' Excella? I see the Crown Vic in other shots.

I guess you would need some (lots of) help if you tow with a front-wheel drive ~3L sedan!!

Just rambling...

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by Minnie's Mate

I hear that creaking and clunking noise quite a bit. Even in sharp turns going forward. Should have heard me trying to back into the first camp site...real tight.

Jean called this morning and said she is ready. My insurance company called yesterday to get the contact person and phone number so they could get the fed tax id number before they cut the check. So I should be able to pick her up on Monday, 7/31. If the check doesn't come by Saturday, I'll have to delay until August 14th because of work schedule. I think my wife will go stir crazy by 8/14 if we don't have her back in our driveway before then!!!

Got back last night at midnight. There were a couple of items to go over and by the time they were done, it was 2:00 PM! I drove straight through by myself stopping only once just north of Knoxville for fuel. Total trip of 595 miles! I got 12.6 mpg. That's about what I got before. Terrible amount of road work being done on the north side of Knoxville and just north of Atlanta wasted a good 1/2 hour in each location but she's home now.

Body work was excellent and the four or so warranty items were fixed to my satisfaction. Just glad to be back and ready for our next adventure.

As many of you know I had had some issues with my Equal-i-zer hitch. On Saturday before I left I had 70 psi of air pressure put in the front tires and 75 in the rear and that seems to have made a huge difference. The front only had about 58 psi. I also got stainless steel valve stem caps to help reduce the possibility of leakage under the higher pressure.

The extra air meant a rough ride on I-75 in Cincinatti and parts of northern Kentucky where the interstate is old and worn and where it's under construction, but at least the rig behaved. I had double checked the torque on the hitch head and they were still at 60 ft-lbs. So I'm thinking the front tire pressure may have been it or at least most of it.

My next project when I have a chance to catch my breath...about 2-3 weekends from now...is to track down a set of CAT scales and check the actual weight distribution to fine tune the rig. Then to throw a monkey wrench into the works, I'll add my golf cart to the bed of the truck and figure out how it should be set up for that load so we can have more ecco-friendly transportation within the campground when we reach our destinations.

[2airishuman]

hi minnie's mate...

good to read you are back safely and the airstream is better.
they do amazimg body work don't ya think?

it will be interesting to see what the truck weighs with the golf cart on board...

good to read your driving experience has improved too.

as for the harshness...if handling improves it's worth it imo.
try the fronts 2-4 psi higher than rears.
usually the harshness when not towing or hauling can be reduced by lowering the rear tires and with the big diesel up front leaving the fronts inflated.

these trucks all come with an antisway bar up front,
but the rear bar is an option....
mine has both and i like it better that way.

cheers
2air'

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

hi minnie's mate...

good to read you are back safely and the airstream is better.
they do amazimg body work don't ya think?

it will be interesting to see what the truck weighs with the golf cart on board...

good to read your driving experience has improved too.

as for the harshness...if handling improves it's worth it imo.
try the fronts 2-4 psi higher than rears.
usually the harshness when not towing or hauling can be reduced by lowering the rear tires and with the big diesel up front leaving the fronts inflated.

these trucks all come with an antisway bar up front,
but the rear bar is an option....
mine has both and i like it better that way.

cheers
2air'

Mine has the anti-way bar in the rear also. I'm glad it does.

My tire shop recommended not putting the max (80 psi) in either pair of tires. The door panel placard said max 65 psi max in the front. I'm thinking the 70 is better, though.

The golf cart weighs in at approximately 1,000 lbs. While at Ft. Wilderness I saw a number of trucks towing SOB's hauling golf carts in the bed. My hitch is 12,000 LBS rated and I'm thinking I will need to move the "L"-bracket up a notch to accomodate the extra weight in the bed of the truck, maybe even two to distribute some of the weight of the golf cart to the front axle. For permanet hauling, I will add washers in the hitch head later if the "L"-bracket adjustment levels the truck.

We plan to take a trip around 8/16 to the N. Georgia mountains and I plan to take the golf cart in the bed on that trip and another to FDR State Park over Labor Day Weekend. Those will be fairly short trips distance wise. The first long trip with the golf cart will be in October to Ft. Wilderness.

[BillTex]

Originally Posted by redeagle313

Yes, that was me, I needed to clear out my tanks at the dump station.

Your Ford doesnt hit high gear until 65 mph.....I can get my Duramax into sixth gear at 62 MPH, then I can slow to 60 and stay in sixth.

Towing my 28' to Jackson Center was nearly all 2 lans for me (100 miles) and I topped off my tank at the station next to Airstream and I got 14.4 MPG towing at 60 mph.

That is exactly what I got towing last week- 14.4 mpg (with only 2000 miles on the new truck...)

Bill

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by B25guy

I've been researching the various hitches and their sway/W/D capabilities. Just reviewed the DVD on the Hensley...is that a Dodge Intrepid towing a 34' Excella? I see the Crown Vic in other shots.

I guess you would need some (lots of) help if you tow with a front-wheel drive ~3L sedan!!

Just rambling...

I'm thinking that help would come in the form of a tow truck on the first major trip! I can't believe you would get very far with that kind of load on that kind of car. Also, you notice that, yes they are towing on a winding, mountain road, but that they are only going about 20 MPH! That's probably all they can get out of the Intrepid.

The Intrepid is a nice ride, don't get me wrong. I just don't think it was engineered to be a heavy duty tow vehicle. Bambi, yes. 34' tri-axle, no.

[redeagle313]

Some interesting theorizing in this thread about the Equal-i-zer hitch.

The modifications that some have made to remove the "slop" from the a-frame mounted L brackets was one of the more thought provoking.

Before our trip of this weekend I was checking over my setup and looking at performing that type of modification....bet then I thought.....so what if the L brackets on the frame are tight, the two (upside-down) L brackets that hold the bars on are will still allow for a lot of movement of the bars, which in effect really defeats the purpose of locking down the frame mounts, doesn't it?

So I just verified all of the proper torques and left it the same. Still works great.

[B25guy]

redeagle313,

The secondary point of friction (on each side) is between the load bars and the frame mounted L-brackets...in the vertical direction. With the loose brackets, any movement of those essentially negated the intended friction...sold as sway control.

The upside-down "keepers" are nothing more than that, they just guide the load bars or keep them from sliding off the L-bracket. There is very little force exerted on the keepers and have nearly zero contribution to friction/sway.

BTW, the primary source of friction/sway control is the horizontal (rotational/sliding) friction between the load bar sockets on the hitch head, assuming correctly torqued, and some (torsional) on the ball itself.

Marc

[Stream 1529]

Originally Posted by B25guy

redeagle313,

The secondary point of friction (on each side) is between the load bars and the frame mounted L-brackets...in the vertical direction. With the loose brackets, any movement of those essentially negated the intended friction...sold as sway control.

The upside-down "keepers" are nothing more than that, they just guide the load bars or keep them from sliding off the L-bracket. There is very little force exerted on the keepers and have nearly zero contribution to friction/sway.

Marc

I hae a question about your comment about the "keepers", as you call them. When I unhooked from a trip last weekend I noticed that both of my "keepers" were bowed. From what you said about little force exerted on them has me concerned.

I called the mfg and they told me that some bowing was normal. They couldn't define how much is "some bowing". Regardless, I ordered replacements. The bowing has ocurred in the shaft portion of the "keeper' that goes through the L-bracket.

Have you, or anyone else, encountered this, and what are y'alls thoughts about it.

________Tom

[B25guy]

Tom,

From looking at my setup, it appears that the L-brackets are designed to be perpendicular with the frame, in other words, the bars should "lay" on them nearly flat.

If you've seen bowing of the keepers, I can only suspect that your L-brackets are slightly bent in at the bottom, thus allowing the tremendous force of the bars to slide outwards and putting undue force on the keepers. I've not contacted the manufacturer, but don't believe they'd design the keepers to provide measurable friction or load bearing function.

For what it's worth, when I re-engineered the L-bracket attachment, they sit perfectly flat now. I did notice before my mod that the brackets had quite a bit of inward bending, obvious to me because they were only clamped relatively high and in only one place.

BTW, whenever I disconnect my bars now from the L-brackets they've always been tight up against the vertical part of the L-bracket...

Marc

[redeagle313]

I do have some "play" in my L brackets, that being said, now that you mention it, whenever I unhitch, the bars are also always tight up against the L Bracket.

I have noticed no wear on the "upside down L" keepers.

[Stream 1529]

Originally Posted by B25guy

Tom,

If you've seen bowing of the keepers, I can only suspect that your L-brackets are slightly bent in at the bottom, thus allowing the tremendous force of the bars to slide outwards and putting undue force on the keepers. I've not contacted the manufacturer, but don't believe they'd design the keepers to provide measurable friction or load bearing function.

For what it's worth, when I re-engineered the L-bracket attachment, they sit perfectly flat now. I did notice before my mod that the brackets had quite a bit of inward bending, obvious to me because they were only clamped relatively high and in only one place.

Marc

Marc,

The next time I'm out to the trailer I'll make sure the L brackets are aligned as you suggest, and torque the nuts to be sure. When I unhook, the bars are up against the frame.

I'm going to keep an eye on the new pins and see how they wear. Thanks.

_______Tom