Are ALL WD Hitches Adequate?

[m.hony]

There is a common problem with Blue Ox hitches-
The spring loaded pins that hold the weight bars into the hitch head break-

[AWCHIEF]

Originally Posted by m.hony

There is a common problem with Blue Ox hitches-
The spring loaded pins that hold the weight bars into the hitch head break-

Interesting, I have not read anywhere of that issue. Can you post links to any discussions that mention this.

[John&Vicki]

Originally Posted by m.hony

There is a common problem with Blue Ox hitches-
The spring loaded pins that hold the weight bars into the hitch head break-

I had one break. I went ahead and replaced them with threaded thumbscrews - I think that's what they used originally.

Poppy

[m.hony]

There is no mention of it. I ran into a fellow Airstreamer from Covington, LA. It had happened to him on his way from Covington to Biloxi, MS. He immediately called Foley in Gulfport, drove over there, and they fixed it. The service man at the dealership told him that it was a common problem. I should have taken a picture of the damage and the repair to post on here, but I didn't...
There is a little retainer clip/pin to hold the weight bars into the hitch head that is held on with a little springy piece of metal and a rivet. The rivet gave way. We have 10 Curt weight distributing hitches at work. They have the same type of retainer/spring/clip and many of them have broken or bent so bad they no longer stay in place.

[Jammer]

And what happened in the old days pre-WD? Were there constant crashes?

In the U.S. there have been WD hitches available as long as there have been substantial numbers of trailers towed at highway speeds.

In Europe, where WD isn't permitted by law, the trailers are not as large and have axle placement further forward to reduce the tongue weight.

Originally Posted by Birdmaestro

Is it possible that ALL WD hitches do an adequate job?

They all do an adequate job of WD. Whether they do an adequate job of controlling sway is more difficult to answer. Much depends on the size, shape, and weight distribution of the trailer, and the weight, weight distribution, wheelbase, and rear overhang of the tow vehicle.

Heavy tow vehicles with a long wheelbase and a short rear overhang are less predisposed to sway.

Trailers with a smaller surface area exposed to crosswinds, with most of their weight over the axles, are less predisposed to sway. Which is why WD hitches aren't nearly as big of a deal to people hauling boats, as they are to people with Airstreams of similar length.

I may have missed it, but I haven't read about frequent accidents with a particular brand.

For general trailering, the vast majority of hitch-related fatalities are caused by separation of the tow vehicle from the trailer. Main causes are: failure to latch coupler, size mismatch between ball and coupler, and structural failure of the hitch components.

Sway-related accidents are much less likely to result in fatalities than trailer-separation accidents.

Evidence is thin on the ground, but many sway-related accidents are caused by misadjustment of the WD bars, no WD at all, or forgetting to dial in the WD during hitching.

The sway-related accidents involving properly set WD are small enough in number, and the fatalities so rare, that they don't show up in the statistics.

So there isn't anything like enough evidence to go on to determine the relative overall safety of one hitch system compared to another.

[John&Vicki]

Thanks Jammer. Very informative.

Poppy

[slowmover]

"Weight Distribution" is a term which can be defined. It is possible to have a hitch branded "weight distribution" which cannot meet that definition. It would, therefore, be inadequate. Now, whether that inadequacy is due to improper specification of hitch componentry, or due to actual design, is another set of questions. An ANDERSEN, which apparrently cannot distribute more than 200-lbs back onto the tow vehicle steer axle, fails the definition of weight distribution requirements by the tow vehicle manufacturers for the vast majority of towed trailers across the range of sizes/tongue weights. Those who would say they find it adequate are happy to leave out fact as the basis for their argument; it is purely emotional their version of "adequate". Adequacy used in a different way as it is not based in reality.

Anti-sway properties are beyond the scope of the original question. It is an optional feature, NOT required by vehicle manufacturers as is weight distribution. Plus, the range of anti-sway design -- from add-on to fully-integrated -- occurs through a variety of solutions (wide range of results, from barely, to near fully) and thus needs to be kept separate as a topic.

.

[SteveSueMac]

Slowmover - if on the scales the lift on the front axle of the TV is 400#, AND, if that TV's manufacturer requires only a 50% FALR, AND the hitch (any brand) distributes 200# back to the front axle of the TV, hasn't that hitch adequately distributed weight?

Since this is in writing not in person, let me be clear - I'm not trying to be argumentative. I'm honestly asking that question. There may be a reason why moving 200# to the front axle isn't sufficient, but in the scenario described above, I believe it's sufficient. Honestly asking if I'm missing something in the equation there. Thanks.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Steve,

Speaking just for myself....

If you accept the 50% 'rule' from the manufacturer then the WD is fine.

I prefer to base my WD adjustments on my individual requirements, based on load and conditions.

Bob

[John&Vicki]

Slowmover...

Really good point separating weight distribution from sway control. I think that there are times when the two get kind of lumped together.

I'm learning a lot from this thread. We're doing a good job staying away from the "Brand A good! Brand B bad" thing. After all, adequacy is not measured by emotion - it's measured by performance.

Poppy

[dkottum]

You can wrap a chain around your bumper and hook it to the trailer, move stuff in the trailer to the rear to distribute some weight, modern trucks have electronic sway control, and you have an "adequate" hitch. In fact it is inexpensive, easy to use, performs well, and may make you completely satisfied after years of use.

Pick your own level of adequacy.

[John&Vicki]

Originally Posted by dkottum

You can wrap a chain around your bumper and hook it to the trailer, move stuff in the trailer to the rear to distribute some weight, modern trucks have electronic sway control, and you have an "adequate" hitch. In fact it is inexpensive, easy to use, performs well, and may make you completely satisfied after years of use.

Pick your own level of adequacy.

Your tongue-in-cheek example was real world for me once. In the 60's I was towing a U-Haul trailer with a Mustang fastback from Vermont to Oregon. The hitch broke around Ohio so I wrapped the chains around the trunk lid hinges. No big deal, right? Made it to Oregon just fine. I think I embarrassed the hillbillies with that one. The memory of it makes my blood run cold - nothing like young and dumb.

On that same trip the car stopped running in the middle of a desert somewhere. Pre cell phone and too poor for AAA. I found a broken rotor on the distributor and patched it together with fingernail polish and a rubber band - car ran fine.

We do live in a *very* cautious era though. I call it the "Helmet Era". My grandkids seem to have a specialized helmet for all of their activities. We didn't have no helmets - we didn't need no stinkin' helmets! Amazing so many of us survived (although possibly with diminished faculties ).

But I digress...

Poppy

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by Birdmaestro

Your tongue-in-cheek example was real world for me once. In the 60's I was towing a U-Haul trailer with a Mustang fastback from Vermont to Oregon. The hitch broke around Ohio so I wrapped the chains around the trunk lid hinges. No big deal, right? Made it to Oregon just fine. I think I embarrassed the hillbillies with that one. The memory of it makes my blood run cold - nothing like young and dumb.

We do live in a *very* cautious era though. I call it the "Helmet Era". My grandkids seem to have a specialized helmet for all of their activities. We didn't have no helmets - we didn't need no stinkin' helmets! Amazing so many of us survived (although possibly with decreased faculties ).

Poppy

I think this is also the method trailer thieves have used to overcome hitch coupler locks.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Steve,

Speaking just for myself....

If you accept the 50% 'rule' from the manufacturer then the WD is fine.

I prefer to base my WD adjustments on my individual requirements, based on load and conditions.

Bob

Thanks Bob. This opens up an interesting can of worms. At what point should one choose his/her own specs vs a manufacturers and if so, in what direction? I think in this case, you're saying you might choose to STRENGTHEN a manufacturer's spec - if they say 50% FALR, you might choose more (75%? 100%? ). I would assume then if the rear axle weight rating were say 5,000#, you might choose to max out at 4500# or 4000# so as not to WEAKEN the recommendation. Going in the other direction would seem unwise.

To the question of whether a WD hitch is adequate, how could we consistently determine that status? If we say adequate means "sufficient enough for a purpose" (not sure that's a dictionary definition) I would think a hitch that is capable of restoring the manufacturer's recommended front axle load (be it 50% or 100%) is by definition adequate.

That may or may not be "ideal" as that's a far more nuanced definition with too many X factors to say objectively. For example, you want to determine the FALR on different criteria (stronger criteria) than the manufacturer. So for you, an ADEQUATE hitch may not be IDEAL for everyone.

If the hitch were incapable of meeting the minimum manufacturer requirement, it would then be INADEQUATE.

I would submit this is a workable, repeatable, objective, non-emotional definition of "adequate" for the OP's question and perhaps a Pollyannaish hope for a way to reduce the flames associated with religious hitch wars.

Blessed are the peacemakers after all :-)

[John&Vicki]

Steve...

Looks like your definition of adequate is spot on. Here's the Merriam-Webster definition:

: enough for some need or requirement
: good enough
: of a quality that is good or acceptable
: of a quality that is acceptable but not better than acceptable


Poppy

[ROBERT CROSS]

It's really pretty simple, return to the level baseline, without exceeding GAWR's front or rear.

The 50% 'rule' is....

I repeat..
"Speaking just for myself....

I prefer to base my WD adjustments on my individual requirements, based on load and conditions."

I won't bite on "adequate".

Bob

[reinergirl]

There's a good discussion of weight distribution and other hitch related items on the latest episode of The Vintage Airstream Podcast | Vintage Trailer Restoration

[cwf]

Weighty Discussion "WD"

[SteveSueMac]

Thanks, Poppy. Good idea - looking it up :-)


Here's Google's definition of ideal as an adjective:

satisfying one's conception of what is perfect; most suitable

So if your Blue Ox restores your tow vehicle's requirement for front axle load replacement (I forget, does your MB even allow for WD?? ), it is adequate. Only you can decide if that is ideal. :-)

There's another definition of ideal that's close to impossible to attain. Like, ideally, Airstream would give trailers to its customers at no cost. :-)

Putting all the definitions together:

I love the ProPride. It is both adequate for WD and ideal (for me) in terms of preventing sway rather than reacting to it after the fact. AND, ideally, it would weigh 25 lbs and cost $100. :-)

On ideals - everyone's mileage varies. On adequacy, I think you've got a working definition to make that call.

Good luck!

[dkottum]

I suspect most would consider "adequate" an unacceptable goal for connecting their Airstream to a tow vehicle. It's a safety issue worthy of a higher standard.