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  1. #1
    Site Sponsor TheGuy's Avatar
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    Newb: Is my WDH Over-adjusted?

    Let me preface this with, A. I'm sorry this is so long and B. my experience towing consists of a 10' open-bed utility trailer and a rented Cruiser MPG 2650RL that we pulled about grand total of 180 miles nearly all of it highway. That was a white knuckle trip on the way out because I was inexperienced and (as I found out during the trip) the tech under-adjusted the hitch and later blamed my leveling kit. I took some measurements and found that we had almost no weight shifting back to the front. On the way back I tightened it up one link and tightened the anti-sway bar a bit more and it was much better in a straight line but wouldn't turn very well. Despite this experience, I decided we could move forward getting an RV and here we are.

    I discussed this experience and the leveling kit with the tech who installed this hitch and he said not to worry, the Equalizer is a much better system. Based on my research and my drive home, I agree. But I have some questions about how it's set up.

    Rig:
    2015 Silverado 1500 Z-71
    10k/1k Equalizer
    2019 Imagine 2600RB



    When he walked me through the hitching process I wanted to make sure it was set up correctly, so I asked lots of questions. I forgot to ask him to write down his before/after measurements, but he took me through an abbreviated set trying to help set my mind at ease. As it turned out, the front end was coming down about 1/8" more than the unloaded weight. He said didn't seem to think that was a problem, but I was concerned. However, I'm no expert so I trusted him. The drive home wasn't bad. It was a little squirrelly, but it was also a little gusty. Controlability was nothing like that first time. I never had to touch the TBC. I did have some absurdly loud creaking and some pops that sounded like the truck frame snapped, but other than that, everything seemed okay. That was about 26 miles, basically all interstate again.

    The next day, I read the manual on the hitch and it said that the front shouldn't have come down so much. I also found a video from Equalizer where they said it should come back about halfway, but shouldn't go past the unloaded height.

    So, I'm pretty sure it's over-adjusted, but in discussing it with some friends they wondered if the additional weight of cargo in the bed/camper would make up the difference. It seems at least plausible, since the trailer and truck were both basically empty, but like I said at the start, I've little idea what I'm doing here.

    What do y'all think? Should I remove a washer and retest or just leave it be?

  2. #2
    Long Hauler
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    I think you could remove a washer and test. Travel trailers are a little finicky to set up @f100owner did a really good write up on this. take a good read thru his post and that might help you.
    When setting up a hitch for the first time , usually with nothing in the camper or truck , is ok , but when you load truck and camper everything changes. This is when you want to set up the hitch. Get the trailer and truck setting about level when hooked up. Go for and drive and get a feel for how it is towing, then make any changes and try again. This process is not easy for some one to tell you to use this many links or add and subtract washers , the dealer got you close but the rest will be up to you. Also this will change if you travel with full fresh water or anything in your tanks as well as how much you load each time you go.


    Brian

  3. #3
    Long Hauler howson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheGuy View Post
    Let me preface this with, A. I'm sorry this is so long and B. my experience towing consists of a 10' open-bed utility trailer and a rented Cruiser MPG 2650RL that we pulled about grand total of 180 miles nearly all of it highway. That was a white knuckle trip on the way out because I was inexperienced and (as I found out during the trip) the tech under-adjusted the hitch and later blamed my leveling kit. I took some measurements and found that we had almost no weight shifting back to the front. On the way back I tightened it up one link and tightened the anti-sway bar a bit more and it was much better in a straight line but wouldn't turn very well. Despite this experience, I decided we could move forward getting an RV and here we are.

    I discussed this experience and the leveling kit with the tech who installed this hitch and he said not to worry, the Equalizer is a much better system. Based on my research and my drive home, I agree. But I have some questions about how it's set up.

    Rig:
    2015 Silverado 1500 Z-71
    10k/1k Equalizer
    2019 Imagine 2600RB



    When he walked me through the hitching process I wanted to make sure it was set up correctly, so I asked lots of questions. I forgot to ask him to write down his before/after measurements, but he took me through an abbreviated set trying to help set my mind at ease. As it turned out, the front end was coming down about 1/8" more than the unloaded weight. He said didn't seem to think that was a problem, but I was concerned. However, I'm no expert so I trusted him. The drive home wasn't bad. It was a little squirrelly, but it was also a little gusty. Controlability was nothing like that first time. I never had to touch the TBC. I did have some absurdly loud creaking and some pops that sounded like the truck frame snapped, but other than that, everything seemed okay. That was about 26 miles, basically all interstate again.

    The next day, I read the manual on the hitch and it said that the front shouldn't have come down so much. I also found a video from Equalizer where they said it should come back about halfway, but shouldn't go past the unloaded height.

    So, I'm pretty sure it's over-adjusted, but in discussing it with some friends they wondered if the additional weight of cargo in the bed/camper would make up the difference. It seems at least plausible, since the trailer and truck were both basically empty, but like I said at the start, I've little idea what I'm doing here.

    What do y'all think? Should I remove a washer and retest or just leave it be?
    I can't answer your question directly. This (long) thread has the tale of how I finally adjusted everything: https://www.mygrandrv.com/fo...eveling-My-Rig

    BL: I found the best way to know if my setup was right was to weigh the truck's front and rear axles without the trailer hooked up and then with the trailer hooked up (including the weight distribution hitch, or WDH). I did my weighing at a local CAT scale. (Fun dodging semi-trucks while hooking and unhooking a TT!)

    If you scrutinize the excel chart in post #35 of the thread above, you'll see I had to go to 10 links on my Blue Ox to get the weight on the front axle close to the non-hitched weight. Adjusting the height of the WDH and psi in my air bags was required, too, to get everything parallel to the road. ("Level" is not quite right, since this is only true if the road is level.)
    2017 Ford F-350 DRW 6.7L Platinum
    2019 315RLTS (purchased 16 Jul 18 from Campers Inn RV in Byron, GA)

  4. #4
    Big Traveler Calbar's Avatar
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    As other have said you will need to fine tune the setup once the trailer is loaded. You may find that you are OK once loaded or may need some slight adjustment. I have done exactly what Howard is talking about. When loaded I was short about 100 - 150 lbs of weight on the front axle from un-hitched. I needed to tighten up my WDH one groove. Have not weighed since with winter and all but I think I should be there now.

    Rob
    Rob & Barb
    2022 Solitude 378MBS
    2022 RAM 3500 SRW HO Aisin 4x4
    Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

  5. #5
    Site Sponsor TheGuy's Avatar
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    Sounds good. I'll see about finding a cat scale just to get the measurements. I guess I'll probably wait until we get loaded for our first trip though.

    Geoff

  6. #6
    Big Traveler
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheGuy View Post
    Let me preface this with, A. I'm sorry this is so long and B. my experience towing consists of a 10' open-bed utility trailer and a rented Cruiser MPG 2650RL that we pulled about grand total of 180 miles nearly all of it highway. That was a white knuckle trip on the way out because I was inexperienced and (as I found out during the trip) the tech under-adjusted the hitch and later blamed my leveling kit. I took some measurements and found that we had almost no weight shifting back to the front. On the way back I tightened it up one link and tightened the anti-sway bar a bit more and it was much better in a straight line but wouldn't turn very well. Despite this experience, I decided we could move forward getting an RV and here we are.

    I discussed this experience and the leveling kit with the tech who installed this hitch and he said not to worry, the Equalizer is a much better system. Based on my research and my drive home, I agree. But I have some questions about how it's set up.

    Rig:
    2015 Silverado 1500 Z-71
    10k/1k Equalizer
    2019 Imagine 2600RB



    When he walked me through the hitching process I wanted to make sure it was set up correctly, so I asked lots of questions. I forgot to ask him to write down his before/after measurements, but he took me through an abbreviated set trying to help set my mind at ease. As it turned out, the front end was coming down about 1/8" more than the unloaded weight. He said didn't seem to think that was a problem, but I was concerned. However, I'm no expert so I trusted him. The drive home wasn't bad. It was a little squirrelly, but it was also a little gusty. Controlability was nothing like that first time. I never had to touch the TBC. I did have some absurdly loud creaking and some pops that sounded like the truck frame snapped, but other than that, everything seemed okay. That was about 26 miles, basically all interstate again.

    The next day, I read the manual on the hitch and it said that the front shouldn't have come down so much. I also found a video from Equalizer where they said it should come back about halfway, but shouldn't go past the unloaded height.

    So, I'm pretty sure it's over-adjusted, but in discussing it with some friends they wondered if the additional weight of cargo in the bed/camper would make up the difference. It seems at least plausible, since the trailer and truck were both basically empty, but like I said at the start, I've little idea what I'm doing here.

    What do y'all think? Should I remove a washer and retest or just leave it be?
    Follow the instructions on this site and your will be fine. Its hard to determine what you need without starting from the beginning on measurements. Also use the sway bracket jackets that Equalizer sells and the rig will be much quieter. As others have mentioned, adjust while fully loaded.
    https://www.bing.com/search?q=equali...ions&FORM=R5FD
    https://www.equalizerhitch.com/docum...al_2016-06.pdf
    https://www.equalizerhitch.com/store...et-jacket-pair
    MidwestCamper

    Jim & Dawn
    Near Milford, Michigan
    2017 Imagine 2600RB
    2015 GMC Sierra 1500 Double Cab 4x4

  7. #7
    Seasoned Camper
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    I will say one washer can make a big difference. The initial suggestion from the equal-i-see folks was five washers. So, I went with six. Tried it out and it was just too tight. Dropped back to five and it was much better.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
    2022 Imagine 3250
    2021 f250 fx4 7.3
    2016 Harley Ultra Limited
    1971 F100 Flareside (project)

  8. #8
    Site Sponsor TheGuy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by f100owner View Post
    I will say one washer can make a big difference. The initial suggestion from the equal-i-see folks was five washers. So, I went with six. Tried it out and it was just too tight. Dropped back to five and it was much better.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
    Yeah, that's kind of what I'm afraid of. I'm wondering if a washer would be too much. Only one way to find out though. ;-).

    Im also considering airbags or Bilstein shocks. I'm assuming when I have less weight shifted and more stuff loaded that I'll need a bit more damping.

    Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
    2015 Chevy 1500 5.3L LT-Z71 Double Cab Standard Bed
    Roadmaster Active Suspension Kit
    Tekonsha Prodigy P3 Trailer Brake Controller
    Equalizer 1k/10k hitch w/sway bracket jackets
    2019 Imagine 2600RB

  9. #9
    Site Sponsor jw^2 family's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheGuy View Post
    The next day, I read the manual on the hitch and it said that the front shouldn't have come down so much. I also found a video from Equalizer where they said it should come back about halfway, but shouldn't go past the unloaded height.
    There is a CAT scale at the next exit down from the RV dealer where we bought our Imagine. I ran our F150 across the scale before picking up our Imagine, and then went back after picking up the trailer. I had to take the trailer back to the dealer for a minor repair a few weeks later, so I ran across the CAT scale again with the trailer loaded with our normal gear for a weekend trip. I had the dealer make some adjustments to the Equal-i-zer hitch until I was satisfied, and the final configuration ended up with the F150's front axle matching the unloaded weight, which is probably a little more weight transfer than what the Equal-i-zer manual describes. I think I made at least 3 trips across the CAT scale that day, but I was also able to get next to semis out on the interstate during each trip back and forth to feel how the sway control was doing. Since the Equal-i-zer hitch uses friction for sway control, more pressure on the spring bars means more sway control, which is especially important to those of us who are towing with half-ton pickups. If I remember correctly, changing washers affected the weight distribution by about 80 lbs. transferred per 1 washer.
    Joe & Joy + children
    2018 Imagine 2800BH
    2022 F250 Crew Cab 4x4 Tremor, 7.3L V8
    Equal-i-zer 1,200/12,000 lb. hitch


  10. #10
    Big Traveler Calbar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jw^2 family View Post
    There is a CAT scale at the next exit down from the RV dealer where we bought our Imagine. I ran our F150 across the scale before picking up our Imagine, and then went back after picking up the trailer. I had to take the trailer back to the dealer for a minor repair a few weeks later, so I ran across the CAT scale again with the trailer loaded with our normal gear for a weekend trip. I had the dealer make some adjustments to the Equal-i-zer hitch until I was satisfied, and the final configuration ended up with the F150's front axle matching the unloaded weight, which is probably a little more weight transfer than what the Equal-i-zer manual describes. I think I made at least 3 trips across the CAT scale that day, but I was also able to get next to semis out on the interstate during each trip back and forth to feel how the sway control was doing. Since the Equal-i-zer hitch uses friction for sway control, more pressure on the spring bars means more sway control, which is especially important to those of us who are towing with half-ton pickups. If I remember correctly, changing washers affected the weight distribution by about 80 lbs. transferred per 1 washer.
    This make sense. I had much the same experience with the Reese Straight line system. The old system with the washer was around 100 lbs. Still need to confirm on the new system with the teeth. Just adjusted mine one tooth tighter to move a bit more weight to the front axle. Was about 100 lbs or so less than un-hitched.

    Rob
    Rob & Barb
    2022 Solitude 378MBS
    2022 RAM 3500 SRW HO Aisin 4x4
    Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

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