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Old 06-27-2011, 12:56 PM   #1
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Equal-I-zer 10000lbs

I installed an equalizer 10000 pounds on a F150 with a 25' Airstream CCD.

Can someone tell me if this sounds like the equalizer is installed correctly based on these numbers:

TV Measurements loaded with gears not hitched:

Front Fender 37.5"
Rear Fender 38

TV Measurements loaded with gears hitched without equalizer:

Front Fender 37.5"
Rear Fender 36"


TV Measurements loaded with gears hitched with equalizer:

Front Fender 37"
Rear Fender 37"

Should I get better numbers with the Equalizer?

Thank you,

Dany
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Old 06-27-2011, 12:59 PM   #2
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Also, should sway bars be leveled? Right now pointing upward to trailer
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Old 06-27-2011, 02:43 PM   #3
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Dany,

Adjusting the Equalizer can be a lengthy process, especially when it's really hot out and you are in the sun. I'm unsure what you mean "with gears hitched". But if the front and rear fenders are equal you are in the sweet spot. Equalizer says they can be within 1". The bars should be pretty level and so should the trailer. Use a level on the trailer to check it for level. It is more important the trailer is level than the bars are.

With the bars on you lowered the suspension front and rear and shifted some weight to the front axle as you are supposed to.

With the truck level and the trailer level, if the bars are not quite level, it still sounds good. You can always call Equalizer and ask them. They will spend as much time with you as you need.

When you adjust the Equalizer you are adjusting the truck, the trailer and the bars and the various adjustments on the hitch all affect each a little differently, so it is a situation of fooling around until all are good. Each truck and trailer combination is different, so experimenting is always needed.

I doubt you have 10,000 lb. bars as I think 1,200 or 1,400 is the highest rating. Maybe you meant 1,000.

Gene
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Old 06-27-2011, 02:52 PM   #4
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You can always call the guys at Equalizer. They could give you the best information. I have read that they changed their target measurements where the front should not be lower than when unhooked. It is also normal to have the rear down a bit, an inch or two as I understand.

The idea is to keep the trailer level and the bars should be relatively level. The instructions say that it is acceptable to have the bars on a slant as you describe yours as long as all the other things are in place.

You have a 10K hitch with 1K bars the same as I have. Mine is dialed in pretty well.
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Old 06-27-2011, 04:40 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aftermath View Post
I have read that they changed their target measurements where the front should not be lower than when unhooked.
Aftermath, that's interesting and I don't recall them telling me that, but that was 2 1/2 years ago. Dany's numbers look good to me even if the front axle went down 1/2". Probably most important is that the trailer is level. I think that when the trailer is not level, you shift some weight off one trailer axle to the other and that is not good. Our bars are also a bit off level, lower at the tongue than the hitch. I don't recall how the truck worked out, but it was pretty close. As I said before, there are several adjustments that affect each thing differently and finding the right combination took some time. The hitch and the bars got heavier as the temps got hotter—they must absorb heat or gravity gets stronger when it gets hotter or I just got more and more tired.

You can also check their website: Equal-i-zer® Hitch - The “American Original” with 4-Point Sway Control™ and Weight Distribution

The dealer didn't set ours up properly and even then it towed well. Once I adjusted it, it towed even better. Another thing to watch for is that with time the washers tend to compress—even #8 hardness washers will do that. Then you have to re-adjust it and if you don't have enough washers you can put more in, just make sure they are #8.

For me the hard part was finding someplace level on our land to adjust it. Colorado is never level. I had to put the trailer on boards and the truck in the shop where the floor was level. The garage door isn't high enough to pull the trailer inside. Getting the boards level in relation to the shop floor took about an hour.

It is not a good idea to use the power jack to lift the truck off its suspension—that puts a lot of stress on the hitch receiver. At uneven campground pads it can be very hard to get the bars on and off and the temptation is to raise the truck way up to level the trailer. Use the lever that comes with the Equalizer to lever the bars onto the L brackets. When you park it at a campground, and have to level the trailer a lot, it is better to unhitch than lift the truck too high with it. It does not have enough capacity to take that much weight and you can strip those little gears in the jack head, stress the hitch receiver and you may blow the jack fuse, especially when it is very hot. I carry some extra fuses—I have only found them at RV stores as they are not used in electronics. If you blow a fuse and don't have any spares, you have to take the top off the jack head and crank it by hand and them reset it, all a pain. I learned by experience. The fuse holder is located underneath the tongue.

Like all things RV, doing it yourself is a good thing so you can understand it better. Some dealers don't want to take the time to do this right because it cuts into profit.

Gene
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Old 06-27-2011, 11:13 PM   #6
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The numbers look fine but the hitch bars and hitch head should be pointed down towards the trailer. This is so the tension on the bars will increase if the trailer starts to sway, thereby resisting sideways movement. With the bars pointed up, as they are now, the bars will release tension if sway begins, reducing sway control as well as weight distribution.

Doug k
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Old 06-28-2011, 12:01 AM   #7
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Gene, I read that information right here on the forum not long ago. Someone had posted the new information he got from the factory.

I am about a half inch up in the front and about a inch down in the back. Everything rides level and I am happy with the set up. I tried to get the front lower but had to really crank up the washers as well as the L brackets to do so. I didn't like the feel so I loosened things up and I believe it rides better.
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Old 06-28-2011, 09:34 AM   #8
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Good point Doug. The hitch head has to cant downward. Our bars are lower as towards the trailer as well.

Aftermath, missed that post. I've meant to check all the adjustments since we went to 16" wheels, but the difficulty of setting up things here has made me delay. It's even hard to find a parking out here that is flat because they make them sloped slightly for drainage. You can do the adjustment if both vehicles are at the same slope, also hard to find. Still tows fine and trailer appears level. When I adjusted it, I had to add 2 or 3 washers. The dealer hadn't included the extra ones, and I had to buy some more.

There are some older threads that discuss the Equalizer at length and a search should find them.

Gene
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Old 06-28-2011, 10:50 AM   #9
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Gene, I also added washers after the dealers installation to get the hitch head and bars canted downward, greatly improving the stability of the trailer. I also ditched the P-rated tires for XL-rated tires and now have a very stable towing experience, compared to when I bought it.

What I look for when hitching up are hitch head canted down, trailer level, and truck measuring same amount of drop in height at front and rear wheel wells after the bars are hooked up. It is okay to have slightly more drop in height at the back of the truck than front, but never the other way around, according to Equal-I-Zer instructions.

It is often said the truck and trailer should be level, but if the truck sits higher in back before hitching up, it should sit higher in back after hitching and weight distributed as well, measured at the wheel wells. The important thing is equal drop front and rear of the truck when weight distribution is applied.

doug k
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Old 06-28-2011, 11:07 AM   #10
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Doug, I thought the same thing about the truck being at the same angle as before, but followed the instructions I had at the time. I think it came out about right—every installation is unique. Gotta be careful the headlights aren't lighting the sky as they did when I left the dealer. Increasing air pressure in the truck tires helped; they didn't even do that and I asked them about it and I got one of those dumb looks from the salesman, then went to get more air as soon as I could.

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Old 06-28-2011, 11:32 AM   #11
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Gene and other interested parties,

Here is the latest manual from Progressive. On page 17 and 18 you will find some suggested measurements that a previous poster mentioned.

http://www.equalizerhitch.com/pdf/eq...anual_0111.pdf

What I saw here was a 1 inch drop in the rear and up to a 1 inch rise in the front. I am very close to this, a little more in the rear and a little less in the front.
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Old 06-30-2011, 12:05 PM   #12
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That's a lot of good info, there is contradictory info about sway bars being O.K pointing down, up toward trailer or being leveled, t level the bars I would have to bring down the L bracket a couple notches down.
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Old 06-30-2011, 12:47 PM   #13
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I don't think anyone would advise bars pointed up. To get hitch head and bars level or pointed down (preferably) you will have to add washers to the hitch head adjustment. Once that is done, you can make any other necessary adjustments.

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