2012 Tundra-2014 25'International-Equalizer Hitch

[GammaDog]

When I take my rig to the scales I make three passes and get three weights per pass as m.hony says - truck steer axle, truck rear axle and the two trailer axles combined. Passes: 1.) truck and trailer with WD active 2. Truck and trailer with WD bars removed from the hitch but in the far back of the truck bed so their weigh is still included and close to where they are when in use 3.) truck only without any hitch components.

When setup properly, the steer axle weight in pass 1 is close to but not over the steer axle weight in pass 3. This is the "Front Axle Load Restoration" method of WD hitch setup. The specific formula and guidance for FALR using Steer Axle weights (SA) for the three passes above is: ( (SA1 - SA2) / (SA3 - SA2) ) = Between 50 and 100%. In plain English: The WD setup should return at least half but no more than all of the weigh the front axle loses when the trailer is added to the truck.

The "measure the wheel well height with a tape measure before and after" method is (at best) a crude effort to calibrate FALR. I've used it but with little confidence or success. If I didn't have access to certified scales and needed to set up the hitch I'd use it but place more emphasis on handling.

In every story in this thread (including mine) I believe dealers use the "that looks about right" method. No wonder there are so many threads about WD setup! This season I called RV dealers of all sorts in my area - including Equal-I-zer dealers - looking for someone with a torque wrench that would read the 320 ft lbs needed for the shank bolts. None of them had one. In most cases they said "we set an impact wrench to 'full' and tighten them that way". Yikes!

[KJRitchie]

If you only can perform the vendor measurement technique if your front axle fender clearance is returned to the the solo height under WD wouldn't that mean the weight on the front axle is now similar to solo weight?

Kelvin

[wulfraat]

Hey there equalizer friends - I've been running an equalizer with my 25' international for 7 years... Finally got it dialed in this year and found the sweet spot for wd and vehicle handling... Really runs well now after lifting the L brackets just one hole, steering feels very solid now vs "light". front wheel well now returns to its original height and my rear is down just 3/4-1 " so I'm very happy with how everything is sitting and handling (trailer itself is dead level)


Question for this group - I've read a lot about the equalizer being too "stiff" and "harsh" for an airstream and folks like Andy at can am prefer tapered spring bars that are more forgiving... I don't know any difference as I've not towed with anything else.

I really like the equalizer in its simplicity and effectiveness for both WD and sway control... Just curious as to your collective opinions around the spring arms being to firm/stiff and transferring more vibration / shock than necessary to the AS? I've only lost 3-4 interior rivits in the past 7 years so I haven't given it much thought... But then again I now realize that I should have had more tension on the spring arms for optimal vehicle handling...

Thoughts?

[GammaDog]

To Kelvin: Absolutely, the front wheel well height measurement method is better than the "eye ball... looks good to me" method that dealers seem to use. I noted in an earlier post in this thread that when I've used that approach the difference on my Tundra (before versus after WD) is generally small and could be affected by the mere process of jacking the truck and trailer to set the tension bars onto the "L" brackets. In the absence of scales I would use it (and have).

To Wulfraat: I don't know Andy, but his reputation on the forum is stellar. I'd put his opinion over mine on the question you posed. Like you, the combination of Tundra/Equal-I-zer/Airstream seems to be working for me and I'm not planning to drop another $500-$3,000 on a new hitch to see if I might become an even happier camper.

[KJRitchie]

The issue I have in raising the L brackets and adding more washers to angle the head more is you have to raise the tongue and the tow vehicle higher or start using the special tool. While using the tool to put the bars works fine I'm not sure it's designed to easily remove the bars. Add bracket jackets and you have more distance to raise the bar onto the L bracket.

I seem to have an easier time with my Equalizer now on the Ram 2500 vs my Tundra. I"m using just 4 washers and the front height doesn't seem to change from solo to towing. The Tundra seemed to be more finicky and I'm not sure I had it adjusted 100% to my satisfaction in my 2 1/2 years of ownership.

Kelvin

[m.hony]

I have never used the special tool.
In fact I never remove my bars.
I use the tongue jack to lift the truck and trailer high enough to slid the bars out of the hitch head by hand.
Then I leave the bars sitting in the L-brackets to store them.
I slide the bars back till the back end goes just under the trailer and let them "cantilever" out over the L-bracket.
I seldom ever uncouple from the truck at home- only when my old car breaks down and I need the truck for a daily driver.


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[m.hony]

Like this:

The special tool was put in the outside storage under the dinette in October 2012 when I bought the trailer and the Equal-I-zer.
It's been in there ever since.
I've never touched it, much less used it.


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[TheCabin]

I was told not to use the jack to load/unload the bars. Just read a PDF from equalizer and sure enough they just used the jack. So I guess I don't need the pry bar.

[cabinetmaker]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

I have been towing our 2014 25 foot International with a 2012 4x4 Tundra 5.7L Crew Max and the Airstream dealer's Equal-i-zer hitch with 1,000# bars #90-00-1000 for several years without incident. I have a Snug Top shell on the short bed of the Tundra. Even in high cross winds, no sway and pulls stable on paved and gravel roads in the Rocky Mountains.

I have NO confidence in this Dealership in Denver to be of any help.

The trailer is level while towing, but the back of the Tundra is sitting low and no weight seems to be transferring to the front of the Tundra. There were three washers, so I went to five washers with no change in the Tundra's sitting low in the rear, but the trailer is 1.5" higher in the front than the rear with the addition of two washers.

I reduced the washers to four... same situation. No weight transfer to the front of the Tundra and the trailer is 1.5" higher in the front than the rear, still.

I am trying to get the Trailer to tow LEVEL and the Tundra to be LEVEL, or close to level, while towing. If it helps, I can give before and after fender well measurements and front trailer frame and rear frame clearance from the pavement.

I have tried to make sense of several Threads concerning Equalizer hitches. There is a lot of opinion and a lack of details to give me any insight as to what I am doing wrong... if anything. The Equalizer hitch manual is written as if I set hitches for a living and do it for a career. It appears to be written by a group of attorneys to reduce any liability in the event of an accident.

I have measured the Fender Wells of the front and rear BEFORE attaching the hitch ... AND AFTER. The rear of the Tundra will go down, yet there is NO CHANGE to the front.

The hitch manual for me does not help. The debates over brands does not help me as the Dealer in Denver sold these hitches, hooked me up and waved... good bye.

I can blather on and on about Boondocking... but you would think that figuring this out by reading on the Forum would help give me an idea of where I am going wrong.

I am more confused than ever.

Can someone with a 2008 to 2016 Tundra with a 25 foot Airstream give me an idea of how yours is set up?

1- Number of washers being used
2- How the ball section is mounted onto the bracket that slides into the receiver. My receiver section is flipped upside down.
3- Is it even reasonable to have the Trailer and Tow Vehicle... LEVEL at the same time?

Ray, I have a 2016 Tundra pulling a 2016 Airstream Pendleton. My truck sits level with trailer. I have the blue ox hitch with #1000 bars using Timbren SES system. I havent noticed any sag in the rear and truck and trailer are level. No sway and pulls speed limit with little effort. Get you some air bags or the Timbrens on the rear of your truck and you will see a world of difference. You then can set your hitch back to a reasonable place for comfort and limit the stress on your hitch and trailer.