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Old 09-25-2018, 08:17 AM   #1
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F150 Equalizer Set Up

I finally got around to a CAT Scale this last weekend. I set up my Equalizer hitch earlier using the measuring of the wheel well instructions and I thought I was pretty close. I have 1000lb bars and use a AirSafe hitch.

I have a 2018 F150-Payload of 1550-Truck GVWR 7050-Front GAWR 3750-Rear GAWR 4050. I pull a 2017 25" Airstream with a base weight of 5503 and a max weight of 7300

My CAT scale ticked showed Steer Axle 3060-Drive Axel 4150-Trailer Axel 5540-Gross Weight 12740.

Since I'm a newbie, is this set-up ok.
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Old 09-25-2018, 09:24 AM   #2
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Not an expert here and others will certainly chime in.

1. Impossible to answer your question without truck-only CAT scale weights.
This will indicate how much weight is being distributed back to steer axle.

2. From what you provided, am I wrong here or is your Drive Axle now 4150 over your GAWR?
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Old 09-25-2018, 09:50 AM   #3
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Thanks for the reply.

I'll try to weigh the truck alone this weekend. I thought the front and rear GAWR from the sticker told the story. Also there is noticeable slight sag at the rear of the truck.
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Old 09-25-2018, 09:53 AM   #4
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Nope. Those are only gross or max weights. Got to weight her to know actual numbers.
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Old 09-26-2018, 10:02 AM   #5
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Axle__________Truck Ratings__________CAT Scale
Front/Steer____ 3750 lbs______________ 3060 lbs
Rear__________ 4050 lbs______________ 4150 lbs
GVWR_________ 7050 lbs______________ 7210 lbs (Front+Rear)


Looks like you are exceeding your Rear Axle rating and GVWR. Looks like your WD hitch needs to be adjusted to distribute some weight to front axle and some to the trailer axles. In Equalizer hitch this can be achieved by adding more washers and/or adjusting L-brackets.
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Old 09-26-2018, 12:07 PM   #6
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AShar has it right. You are over on the gross vehicle weight and rear axle weight limits as measured based on the data you have provided. You didn't mention a tongue weight rating for your truck. That's one worth looking at, too.

I'm not familiar with, nor have I ever seen an AirSafe product used in combination with an Equal-i-zer. You mention both brands (Equal-i-zer is a brand) in your post. The AirSoft web page talks about their "Receiver" product having anti-sway properties. I don't see any mention of weight distribution. Tell us more about the hitch you are using and that will help people with knowledge share insight with you. I use an Equal-I-zer.

Either way, you actually need three passes over the scales to see what your hitch is doing in the weight distribution function. For all three, the truck and trailer need to be loaded ready for travel. That includes a full tank of gas, all passengers (or weight to simulate them), all gear you would travel with in both the truck and trailer (generators, bikes, food, clothing, etc), fresh water as you would load for a trip, etc.. The three passes are: truck alone; truck with trailer hitched but weight distribution deactivated; truck with trailer hitched and weight distribution activated. The first pass will give you two weights ("steer" and "drive"). The others will give you those two plus "trailer". The trailer axles are assumed to carry equal shares of the trailer load if the trailer is level, which it should be.

Post back when you have that data. The community is very knowledgeable and helpful when fed specifics.
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Old 09-26-2018, 01:18 PM   #7
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[QUOTE=GammaDog;2161361]AShar has it right. You are over on the gross vehicle weight and rear axle weight limits as measured based on the data you have provided. You didn't mention a tongue weight rating for your truck. That's one worth looking at, too.

I'm not familiar with, nor have I ever seen an AirSafe product used in combination with an Equal-i-zer. You mention both brands (Equal-i-zer is a brand) in your post. The AirSoft web page talks about their "Receiver" product having anti-sway properties. I don't see any mention of weight distribution. Tell us more about the hitch you are using and that will help people with knowledge share insight with you. I use an Equal-I-zer.

----+-+
Agree on the above two weight analysis that you are exceeding vehicle capacities

I too use a Equalizer and am interested in the AirSafe but can find info on how the two can be attached to work together. How do you do it? Can you post some pictures?
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Old 09-26-2018, 04:08 PM   #8
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I don’t know enough about the AirSafe to comment on that. However I am pulling about 6500 lbs with an F150 and an Equalizer hitch. the first thing I noticed was the sag (and the porpoising over roller coaster sections of road). Probably a combo of inexperience and not setting up the Equalizer as well as I could have. I put in Bilstein shocks and adjusted the Equalizer much better. No more sag and and less stiffness in the hitch settings to achieve level. A slightly stiffer ride when not towing but well worth it.
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Old 09-26-2018, 04:20 PM   #9
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AirSafe with Equalizer

Have an AirSafe with y Equalizer. The Equalizer head bolts directly to the AirSafe. The AirSafe has a stinger with goes into the receiver. Its a very easy installation.
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Old 09-26-2018, 07:51 PM   #10
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Thanks for all the replies--

Sorry this puzzle is coming in pieces. Ill try to get back to the scales by this weekend for the weigh in with the Equalizer unconnected.. I did have a run by the Cat scales tonight on my home from work with just the F150 and I was steer axel-3180 lbs , drive axel 2760 lbs and gross weight 5940. That was with the AirSafe still on.

To reprise my with my Equalizer connected to the AS my CAT scale ticked showed steer axle 3060-drive axel 4150-trailer axel 5540-gross weight 12740.

From the sticker-Payload of 1550-Truck GVWR 7050-Front GAWR 3750-Rear GAWR 4050. I pull a 2017 25" Airstream with a base weight of 5503 and a max weight of 7300.

Thanks again
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Old 09-26-2018, 10:07 PM   #11
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I have a 2018 F-150 with Max Tow same trailer, same hitch. My truck sits level only drips 1-1.5 inches. With the first initial set up at the dealer, with the equalizer hitch they brought it our hooked it up and she was squatting some.

I said please do it again boys as per the instructions and it came back out level and it handles great. Im afraid to run it over the scales because!

I should have got the SUPERDUTY! Boy do I regret that.
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Old 09-27-2018, 04:38 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nedmoto View Post
To reprise my with my Equalizer connected to the AS my CAT scale ticked showed steer axle 3060-drive axel 4150-trailer axel 5540-gross weight 12740.

From the sticker-Payload of 1550-Truck GVWR 7050-Front GAWR 3750-Rear GAWR 4050. I pull a 2017 25" Airstream with a base weight of 5503 and a max weight of 7300.

Thanks again
So you were already over on your GVWR and Rear GAWR before you add in the additional weight of the AirSafe product. Be careful with those numbers
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Old 09-27-2018, 10:00 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Life is a Highway View Post
I have a 2018 F-150 with Max Tow same trailer, same hitch. My truck sits level only drips 1-1.5 inches. With the first initial set up at the dealer, with the equalizer hitch they brought it our hooked it up and she was squatting some.

I said please do it again boys as per the instructions and it came back out level and it handles great. Im afraid to run it over the scales because!

I should have got the SUPERDUTY! Boy do I regret that.
My F-150 also has the max tow package also but I don't think that has any contribution to payload. I believe since the AirSafe extends the hitch by at least a foot there is leverage at play adding to tongue weight. I currently have all 7 washers on the Equalizer and have two available holes left to move up. I think I'll move it up one hole and weigh it again connected and unconnected from the Equalizer.

I too wanted a F-350 but it was a fail from a daily driver and garage friendly standpoint, hence I want to get the best set up.
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Old 09-27-2018, 01:24 PM   #14
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...drive axel 2760 lbs..."
To

"Equalizer connected drive axel 4150..."


Wow - that's an increase of nearly 1400 lbs!

Seems pretty high for a 25 ft'er.
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Old 09-27-2018, 07:32 PM   #15
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Got to scale tonight with the bracket moved up one hole on the Equalizer so here's a recap of all the weights, comments welcomed!

With the trailer the bars on:
Steer Axle 3080
Drive Axel 3920
Trailer Axel 5340
Gross Weight 12340

With bars off:
Steer Axle 2700
Drive Axel 4160
Trailer Axel 5280
Gross Weight 12140

Original Weigh in before bracket was heightened:
Steer Axle 3060
Drive Axel 4150
Trailer Axel 5540
Gross Weight 12740

Truck Only:
Steer Axle 3180
Drive Axel 2760
Gross Weight 5950
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Old 09-28-2018, 06:36 AM   #16
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Nice job, doesn't look like you can get it dialed in much better than that.
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Old 09-28-2018, 01:16 PM   #17
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The numbers are looking great now!

Axle__________Truck Ratings__________Latest CAT Scale
Steer_________ 3750 lbs______________ 3080 lbs
Drive_________ 4050 lbs______________ 3920 lbs
GVWR________ 7050 lbs______________ 7000 lbs (Front+Rear)

p.s. The engineer in me is still curious about why your Trailer axle weight didn't increase? The adjustment you did reduced drive axle weight by 230 lbs (4150-->3920). I see that 20 lbs got transferred to front axle (3060-->3080) which is good but I was expecting the Trailer axle weight to go up as well but that seems to have come down instead which is strange to me.
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Old 09-29-2018, 04:48 AM   #18
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I'm a bit confused about why the three GCW values (total of truck plus trailer) numbers vary so much. Something changed. CAT scale passes I've done vary no more than 20 lbs between runs. To see hundreds of pounds difference suggests the load changed.

Setting that concern aside, the setup is looking better. I think both axles are under rated weight now, as is the total on the truck... right? What about "tongue weight"? Does Ford publish a limit and a method for calculating that?

A helpful method for setting up weight distribution is the Front Axle Load Restoration (FALR) approach. Using that method, you take the front axle value for the truck alone (3180) subtract the value of the front axle with the trailer on and bars off (2700) and determine how much load is removed (480). You then target weight distribution to restore at least 50% but no more than 100% of the lost weight. At 3080 you've restored 80% ( (3080-2700)/(3180-2700) ). That's a good solution assuming the differences in GVW can be accounted for.
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Old 09-30-2018, 02:24 PM   #19
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I'm not the weight Po-po and am only trying to help, before anyone beats me up.

I don't know if you weighed "loaded for bear" meaning, all that you will carry in passengers, pets, water, bikes, coolers, etc., etc. on both trips to the scales.

It is my understanding that maximum ratings are to be considered before adding WDH. Because, that weight, although re-distributed, is still there. Which means you are over RAWR and probably GVWR.

It looks like "without bars" or with bars is 200# difference means you didn't weigh the disconnected bars on the "without" trip across the scales. True? Always weigh the disconnected bars.

With bars on, you transferred 140# to the trailer axle pair and 380# to the steer axle. That's more than I have ever needed to re-distribute to the steer axle. But, if you say that was it, I believe you.

Your tongue weight looks to be 920#.. but adding that 200# for the bars not weighed (if that is true) its 1120# and takes your GVWR to 7060#. Again, I am assuming things rather than knowing.

Odd that your original weight with bars is 600# higher, which is telling me you had less payload on the last trip to the scales. Also odd that the scale shows 3180 + 2760 = 5950 when its actually 5940...minor point for sure.

Note: a lot of people fail to realize that weight added into the bed of the truck behind the rear axle looks and acts the same as trailer tongue weight.

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Old 09-30-2018, 04:29 PM   #20
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The original weigh-in in bold had two additional kids at about 220 lbs, a dog 35 lbs, 3 bikes mounted on the tonneau cover 115 lbs, and a 1/2 tank of gas more of a 36 gallon tanks 120 lbs. In total that would be about 490 lbs.

That should have been made clear on the onset of this thread, so I'll hide my embarrassment behind the newbie moniker. That being said I do appreciate all the help and feedback. This weekend we'll be headed up to Door County Wisconsin and we'll loaded. I'll use that opportunity to do another weigh-in
with everything being equal.

Original Weigh in before bracket was heightened:
Steer Axle 3060
Drive Axel 4150
Trailer Axel 5540
Gross Weight 12740


With the trailer the bars on:
Steer Axle 3080
Drive Axel 3920
Trailer Axel 5340
Gross Weight 12340

With bars off:
Steer Axle 2700
Drive Axel 4160
Trailer Axel 5280
Gross Weight 12140

Truck Only:
Steer Axle 3180
Drive Axel 2760
Gross Weight 5950
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