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Old 08-24-2014, 09:50 AM   #61
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So if I'm figuring this out right - here is how the numbers are working out on my rig:

Truck Base weight (fueled): 6371
Add 825 lbs for (passenger, generator, truck shell, tools, hitch stinger, golf clubs, misc)

TOTAL truck travel weight: 7170
------------------------------
Trailer weight with water: 6834lbs
------------------------------

Truck GCWR: 13,500 - 7170 (actual truck weight) = 6330 weight remaining.

So with actual trailer weight being 6834 that looks like I'm 500 lbs overweight before I add food and cloths into the trailer.
Is this correct?

Thanks
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Old 08-24-2014, 10:23 AM   #62
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Hi Doug

A couple of things. First there is plenty of overbuild in an F150 so you could likely drive it 25000 miles as it is and never have a problem. You are within your axle ratings and well within tire capacity. Still it would be nice to move more weight forward. You can do that by adding more downward angle to the PP shank.

We sometimes make changes to reduce hitch weight on some Airstreams but I don't think it is necessary on yours.

Andrew T

Have we welded the extra piece of steel on your shank?
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Old 08-24-2014, 10:33 AM   #63
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew T View Post
Hi Doug

A couple of things. First there is plenty of overbuild in an F150 so you could likely drive it 25000 miles as it is and never have a problem. You are within your axle ratings and well within tire capacity. Still it would be nice to move more weight forward. You can do that by adding more downward angle to the PP shank.

We sometimes make changes to reduce hitch weight on some Airstreams but I don't think it is necessary on yours.

Andrew T

Have we welded the extra piece of steel on your shank?
Thanks VERY MUCH for this Andrew!
Your input it invaluable!

Just so I understand - to add a little more weight to my front axles I would raise the back end of the truck up by raising the distribution bars on the hitch?

Do you have a guess how much I should move it?

sorry Extra piece on shank - don't know anything about this. Can you articulate what piece your asking about?

Thanks

Doug
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Old 08-24-2014, 10:52 AM   #64
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We have seen a couple of broken shanks on pp's. The weld on the bottom of the"L" portion that goes into the trailer has massive pressure trying to pull it apart. We add a 4" piece of 2x3/8" steel over it to reinforce the joint.

The good news is it will only break at low speed in a deep dip.

Andrew T
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Old 08-24-2014, 11:05 AM   #65
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew T View Post
We have seen a couple of broken shanks on pp's. The weld on the bottom of the"L" portion that goes into the trailer has massive pressure trying to pull it apart. We add a 4" piece of 2x3/8" steel over it to reinforce the joint.

The good news is it will only break at low speed in a deep dip.

Andrew T
Instead of putting a patch over the problem you can just grind out the brittle MIG weld and weld it properly with 7018.
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Old 08-24-2014, 11:07 AM   #66
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You could but that is considerably more work and you don't spread the load along the steel.
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Old 08-24-2014, 12:04 PM   #67
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Doug, I think what Andy is suggesting is adding a couple more washers in the shank to get more downward tilt to the stinger that slides into the hitch head. That tilts the back of the w.d. bars down and allows more lift, or weight transfer.
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Old 08-24-2014, 01:40 PM   #68
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arcticfox View Post
truck gcwr: 13,500 - 7170 (actual truck weight) = 6330 weight remaining.

So with actual trailer weight being 6834 that looks like i'm 500 lbs overweight before i add food and cloths into the trailer.
Is this correct?
Yes, you are overloaded by at least 500 lbs.
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Old 08-24-2014, 01:47 PM   #69
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew T View Post
We have seen a couple of broken shanks on pp's. The weld on the bottom of the"L" portion that goes into the trailer has massive pressure trying to pull it apart. We add a 4" piece of 2x3/8" steel over it to reinforce the joint.
WHAT! Did I read that correctly? Several $2,500 hitches have broken! They require reinforcement to work safely at low speed! Thank you for saving me $2,500.

How many of you H/PP hitch owner's have made this upgrade? If you haven't, why not? Will you at least be carrying a spare shank with you?
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Old 08-24-2014, 01:50 PM   #70
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Joy in driving.

My Hensley was only $1,246 delivered.




But it drives SO SWEET that I would pay full price if I had to....
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Old 08-24-2014, 01:52 PM   #71
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Don't get too carried away. I have only seen two broken ones. Enough to make us take the precaution, remember nothing is perfect.
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Old 08-24-2014, 02:12 PM   #72
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Now I can get my head around the truck axle numbers changing with the trailer hooked on as my ProPride hitch is doing its job and distributing some of the trailer weights to the truck axles. I'm just not sure if it's doing it correctly, as my front axle got lighter (-132 lbs) and the back axle got heavier (+1058)?
Do these weigh differentials sound about right?
Quite normal.

Quote:
So does this tell me I have a hitch weight of 926 lbs? (1058-132)
No, your weight distributing hitch has transferred some of the tongue weight to the TT's axles.
Based on your measured TV GVW weight change, I would estimate the tongue weight was approximately 1110# with approximately 180# being transferred to the TT's axles.
A 1110# TW would have removed about 500# from the TV's front axle and added about 1610# to the rear.
When WD was applied, about 370# was restored to the front axle and about 550# was removed from the rear axle. The difference of 180# was transferred to the TT's axles.
The indicated front axle load restoration (FALR) ratio was 370/500 = 74%. Ford specifies that the WDH should be adjusted to restore about 50%, so, according to Ford, you have achieved more than sufficient load transfer.

Quote:
Yet the trailer is weighing in 71 lbs under the stated base weight. This should not be possible, as the trailer was full of water and had our normal things that we leave in it all the time. (dishes, pots, bedding etc.) So it should have weighed more than the "base weight" not less?
As stated by "cory_can", the indicated trailer weight is 12183-6349 = 6834#.

Quote:
Any input of comments into the above would be GREAT!
Your numbers (so far) look good to me:
GCW=12183 GCWR=13500
GVW=7275 GVWR=7350
TTGVW=6834 TTGVWR=7600
TW=1110 TV TW rating = ????
TW% = 1110/6834 = 16%
frontGAW=3373 frontGAWR=????
rearGAW=3902 rearGAWR=????

The ratings indicated as ???? can be found on stickers on your TV. Many F-150s have a rearGAWR of 3850 or less, unless you have the MAX or HD tow package.
It's also possible the estimated TW of 1110# might exceed the receiver's TW rating.

Ron
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Old 08-24-2014, 02:26 PM   #73
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcticfox View Post
Truck Base weight (fueled): 6371
Add 825 lbs for (passenger, generator, truck shell, tools, hitch stinger, golf clubs, misc)

TOTAL truck travel weight: 7170
------------------------------
Trailer weight with water: 6834lbs
------------------------------

Truck GCWR: 13,500 - 7170 (actual truck weight) = 6330 weight remaining.

So with actual trailer weight being 6834 that looks like I'm 500 lbs overweight before I add food and cloths into the trailer.
Is this correct?
No. The "actual truck weight" includes 926# of load from the trailer.
The "trailer weight with water" (6834#) also includes the 926# which was carried by the TV.

The correct calculation is 13500-6349 = 7151# remaining for trailer weight.
The numbers indicate unused GCW capacity of 7151-6834 = 317#.

Ron
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Old 08-24-2014, 02:53 PM   #74
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Originally Posted by Andrew T View Post
Don't get too carried away. I have only seen two broken ones. Enough to make us take the precaution, remember nothing is perfect.
Andrew, was the failed ProPride drawbar discussed in this thread one of the two broken ones you've seen?

Do you reinforce all of the ProPride drawbars you install?

Ron
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Old 08-24-2014, 05:58 PM   #75
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dkottum View Post
Doug, I think what Andy is suggesting is adding a couple more washers in the shank to get more downward tilt to the stinger that slides into the hitch head. That tilts the back of the w.d. bars down and allows more lift, or weight transfer.
Hi Doug:

Are you talking about the washers that are located here?



and your thinking Andrew is recommending I add (2) washers?

Thanks

Doug
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Old 08-24-2014, 06:05 PM   #76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Gratz View Post
No. The "actual truck weight" includes 926# of load from the trailer.
The "trailer weight with water" (6834#) also includes the 926# which was carried by the TV.

The correct calculation is 13500-6349 = 7151# remaining for trailer weight.
The numbers indicate unused GCW capacity of 7151-6834 = 317#.

Ron
Thanks very much for this Ron:

After reading your post I can see that I'm counting the 926 twice. As a result, I'm not 500 lbs over weight - but 317 under weight!

Either way, it's looking like i'm just to close to the top end of the ability of the truck and that worries the hell out of me!

Thanks again

Doug
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Old 08-24-2014, 06:18 PM   #77
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You can offend me if you want to. I don't mind. Actually, I'm pretty hard to offend.

However, I had a point I wanted to make and almost forgot what it was.

Oh yeah. Blow and suck. I have driven semi trucks, trucks pulling big and small trailers, and motorhomes towing a toad for decades and have always experienced the old blow and suck as big trucks and busses go rumbling by.

If you have a hitch system that totally eliminates that phenomenon, I want one.
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Old 08-24-2014, 06:45 PM   #78
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Here are the numbers I found to fill in your ??? areas....
I looked high and low and cannot find anything that indicates my TW-rating. your comment about exceeding the TW rating is a concern but I cannot find it anywhere.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Gratz View Post
Your numbers (so far) look good to me:
GCW=12183 GCWR=13500
GVW=7275 GVWR=7350
TTGVW=6834 TTGVWR=7600
TW=1110 TV TW rating = ????
TW% = 1110/6834 = 16%
frontGAW=3373 frontGAWR=????3900
rearGAW=3902 rearGAWR=????4050

The ratings indicated as ???? can be found on stickers on your TV. Many F-150s have a rearGAWR of 3850 or less, unless you have the MAX or HD tow package.
It's also possible the estimated TW of 1110# might exceed the receiver's TW rating.

Ron
Thanks

Doug
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Old 08-24-2014, 06:49 PM   #79
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Hi Doug

It looks like your angle is pretty well maximized but if you can add a washer or two it will help. When you tighten your torsion bars how far are they from the trailer frame?

There are thousands of people towing much larger heavier trailers than yours with F150's and they have been doing it for years. I have yet to hear of a problem due to overloading in any of them. All the F150's you see towing fifth wheels are well over your weights.

Andrew T
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Old 08-24-2014, 07:15 PM   #80
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Hi Andrew:

I just ran out to the shop to have a look at the hitch. Cranked the torsion bars up to the point they would normally be when hooked to the truck and it looks like there is about 4.5" between the torsion bar and the bottom of the frame.

While out there I also noted that there is (no) washers at all in the stinger pin. (the one I circles in a photo earlier) Not sure why but there is only the pin. Also noted that the adjuster bars that run from the Torsion cranks to the torsion bars have (three) adjustment holes. My hitch is hooked in the centre hole of the three adjustment holes.

Hope this helps

Thanks

Doug

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew T View Post
Hi Doug

It looks like your angle is pretty well maximized but if you can add a washer or two it will help. When you tighten your torsion bars how far are they from the trailer frame?

There are thousands of people towing much larger heavier trailers than yours with F150's and they have been doing it for years. I have yet to hear of a problem due to overloading in any of them. All the F150's you see towing fifth wheels are well over your weights.

Andrew T
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