B & W Continuum Hitch

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by goldenchase

And bars too. Only grossly adjustable. Bars and chains seem very medieval.

What do you mean, "and bars too"?

[goldenchase]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

What do you mean, "and bars too"?

Some systems only use bars.

In my setup 1575 psi of hydraulic pressure brings the front fender height back down to where it was before the hitch was placed on the ball with a hitch weight of 960 lbs. Very precise.

[dznf0g]

Ok,.first off, I am not knocking this hitch at all. It's a cool concept. But you have "bars", just composite, so a bit of a weight advantage, but they perform the exact same function as any spring bar. They may be more or less flexible than steel, depending upon the engineering comparisons. (Corvettes and all astro/safari vans had composite rear springs). They performed the same function as steel leafs.

PP, V2 jacks are adjustable in 7# increments for each hole in the wheel. (With 1k bars, I did the math for my spreadsheet) That's "finely adjustable ". Sure, with hydraulics, you can get literally a gram of finely adjustable, but even that gauge won't let you do that accurately.

[dznf0g]

How is sway control accomplished?

[goldenchase]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

How is sway control accomplished?

It is all in the documentation. Basically sway is controlled by progressive tension on the assembly below the ball. As the hydraulic cylinder pulls up on the bars it exerts leverage on that assembly the resists movement. All in all a very clever system.

[dznf0g]

Ok, but what's the mechanicals there below the ball? What did you see?

(Notice their document does not mention ppp concept)

[goldenchase]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

Ok, but what's the mechanicals there below the ball? What did you see?

(Notice their document does not mention ppp concept)

You may want to look at all the videos on this product or call B&W for more detail. I am just a customer with an engineering background and this WDH looked like a new approach to an old problem. It is easy to install and much easier to hookup and unhook than the Blue Ox WDH I took off. I have just made one test drive with the product. So far it does what others have said. I will report more as I get more experience with this product.

[dznf0g]

Great! I'm and applied technology guy, and I gotta know what's under the skirt of all things mechanical.
Do you know the actual weight of the entire unit (not shipping weight)?

[goldenchase]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

Great! I'm and applied technology guy, and I gotta know what's under the skirt of all things mechanical.
Do you know the actual weight of the entire unit (not shipping weight)?

Shipping weight was 114.2 lbs. I'd guess about 4 pounds of cardboard with the boxes. Cost $1,299 which given the excellent workmanship of this product seems very reasonable.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by goldenchase

Some systems only use bars.



In my setup 1575 psi of hydraulic pressure brings the front fender height back down to where it was before the hitch was placed on the ball with a hitch weight of 960 lbs. Very precise.

Doesn't your F150 manual say to return only 50% to the front axle (half the distance of the rise caused by hitching)?

[goldenchase]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

Doesn't your F150 manual say to return only 50% to the front axle (half the distance of the rise caused by hitching)?

I have not seen that. Apparently Ford does not publish FALR (Front Axle Load Restoration) numbers.

One of the reasons I changed was that the 1,000 lb bar in the Blue Ox product actually depressed the front fender below the position it was in before the hitch was connected. B&W says if no FALR is published for your TV to restore the front fender height to the position it was in before the hitch was connected. The PSI to achieve that position is reproducible every time, so you just pump to the PSI and that is it.

[dznf0g]

It's not in you owner manual??? Others have reported their f150 manual says to restore 50%??

[dznf0g]

It would be nice if PP would demark their jacks. I have done that to mine in order to be accurate in reproducibility.

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by goldenchase

For those with propane bottles it will take a little "grinder surgery" to remove a section of the propane bottle supports to allow the cross beam to be flat across the hitch. No big deal but just not enough room on my 25' GT FB.

Check your setup first. My 2022 FC has about an inch and a half between where the tongue jack attaches and the propane mounts are welded onto the frame. I doubt this would work for me without some serious welding and reworking of the tongue area.

[goldenchase]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

It's not in you owner manual??? Others have reported their f150 manual says to restore 50%??

The 2023 Ford Towing Guide recommends a FALR of 50% for the F-250 and above but has no FALR recommendation for the F-150. Right now I am using the B&W recommendation but in the future I may try a FALR of 50%. Just a matter of using the bleed valve to set a new PSI that would be lower. In my case using a FALR of 50% would mean the fender would be about 7/16" lower than 100%. Very small numbers.

[goldenchase]

Originally Posted by hikingcamera

Check your setup first. My 2022 FC has about an inch and a half between where the tongue jack attaches and the propane mounts are welded onto the frame. I doubt this would work for me without some serious welding and reworking of the tongue area.

It would be very easy to grind out an inch or so of the propane bottle frame without impacting the function. May also have to trim the propane cover. Minor surgery. This is model dependent for the Airstream. Some of the B&W documentation shows the system on an Airstream and it fits fine. Mine is a 2022 GT. Had I not all ready removed the propane bottle frame it would have required about a half inch trim.

[goldenchase]

A few images of the hook up sequence.

Ball connected, hydraulic cylinder extended.



Assembly latched into place.



Then hydraulic cylinder retracts by pumping. As the arms retract the TV and the trailer start to rise.

[dznf0g]

Page 45 of the ford 2023 towing guide indicates an f150 target return is 50%.

[goldenchase]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

Page 45 of the ford 2023 towing guide indicates an f150 target return is 50%.

Ok, I see that. Thanks. I was looking at tables toward the end.

I had a 1,000 lb bar on the Blue Ox set up that was at least 1 1/2" off by that measurement.

As I said using 50% would mean about 7/16" lower and about 300 psi off the cylinder pressure. I will give it a try. It all means less weight would be transferred by the hitch. Ford must have a reason. Be interesting to know the reason.

My whole set up (electric modification) was driven by getting the hitch weight down on the 25' GT so not to go over the load limits on the F-150. So the bottom line is I don't have that much weight on the hitch. Probably 200 to 300 lbs less than most fully loaded 25' GT FB run with propane and batteries on the hitch.

[FredWilma]

Originally Posted by goldenchase

Ok, I see that. Thanks. I was looking at tables toward the end.



I had a 1,000 lb bar on the Blue Ox set up that was at least 1 1/2" off by that measurement.



As I said using 50% would mean about 7/16" lower and about 300 psi off the cylinder pressure. I will give it a try. It all means less weight would be transferred by the hitch. Ford must have a reason. Be interesting to know the reason.



My whole set up (electric modification) was driven by getting the hitch weight down on the 25' GT so not to go over the load limits on the F-150. So the bottom line is I don't have that much weight on the hitch. Probably 200 to 300 lbs less than most fully loaded 25' GT FB run with propane and batteries on the hitch.

This looks like a game changer. Thanks for posting. I would be interested in your experience after a longer test.