Re: Weight distribution hitches for 28' race trailer.
[Re: Adobedude]
#1736871
01/24/15 03:21 PM
01/24/15 03:21 PM
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
|
Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
|
Quote:
I tow my Dakota on a 18' open trailer behind my 98 Ram 2500, never felt the need to use my EQ hitch but last year I bought a Tilt-A-Hitch off craigslist for 75 bucks, never used it out of fear that it would make towing a challenge. I plan to make a trial run with before I'm all loaded up and committed to going to the track.
Please try it, I bet you will notice a difference for the better. I know you will properly setup. It keeps the front end of your truck down during bumps and is huge in safety.
A weight distributing hitch of one sort or another is way better than none at all, even for a 18' open trailer with a car on it.
To the OP, wow towing without a weight distributing hitch with a 28' enclosed trailer? I can't imagine. What trailer dealer let you get out of the lot without one? Please get and use the right one, see a good long time in business hitch company. They will get you the right equipment for your trailer. That's way too much trailer to have all on the back tires. Even a 18' open car trailer should be towed using a "weight" hitch.
I have been using the same Reese hitch with weight distributing bars that was originally for a 26' enclosed trailer and a 3/4 ton pickup since 1986. I'm not sure on how high the bars are rated? I'm thinking high for a 26' trailer because the hitch was specced for that trailer.
Since then I have used it with 4 other trailers and at least 5 or more different tow vehicles over the years including currently behind a huge toterhome pulling a little 18' open trailer with a car on it. Even then the weight hitch makes a difference and I use one. It dampens the up and down over bumps even with a huge wheelbase toterhome with 505 HP(big and heavy in the front end). I have towed both ways several times to be sure. Got lazy and didn't hook up the bars for a short trip and the ride was worse. My
Bragging, I towed a honest 18000+ miles last summer with my weight hitch, 2014 alone.
Last edited by Challenger 1; 01/25/15 01:31 AM.
|
|
|
Re: Weight distribution hitches for 28' race trailer.
[Re: GTSDave]
#1736873
01/24/15 04:15 PM
01/24/15 04:15 PM
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,015 Salem
Grizzly
Moparts Proctologist
|
Moparts Proctologist
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,015
Salem
|
Your main focus here is to get some weight on the front axle of your truck to get stability. Without seeing a side-on shot of what it all looks like loaded up, I can offer this: If it was me, on your next outing, back the car in. Getting the engine weight further back should off-set everything you have in the cabinets beating on the truck. Balance your trailer weight. Scaling is the proper way, but start with the wheelie bars at the cabinets, get out, have a look, and then keep rolling the car a few inches toward the back door at a time until everything sets right. A 3/4 ton should only squat a few inches. Go for a drive and see what the difference is. You'll know when it's right when the front-end feels glued to the road and it pulls easier. Biggest thing to keep in mind is that a tow vehicle is meant to pull a trailer, not carry it. Move weight to the trailer axles, not the hitch. Those torsion hitches are a last-resort, band-aid fix for a poorly designed/balanced trailer.
Mo' Farts
Moderated by "tbagger".
|
|
|
Re: Weight distribution hitches for 28' race trailer.
[Re: Grizzly]
#1736874
01/25/15 11:26 AM
01/25/15 11:26 AM
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
|
Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
|
Quote:
Your main focus here is to get some weight on the front axle of your truck to get stability.
Without seeing a side-on shot of what it all looks like loaded up, I can offer this:
If it was me, on your next outing, back the car in. Getting the engine weight further back should off-set everything you have in the cabinets beating on the truck.
Balance your trailer weight. Scaling is the proper way, but start with the wheelie bars at the cabinets, get out, have a look, and then keep rolling the car a few inches toward the back door at a time until everything sets right. A 3/4 ton should only squat a few inches.
Go for a drive and see what the difference is. You'll know when it's right when the front-end feels glued to the road and it pulls easier.
Biggest thing to keep in mind is that a tow vehicle is meant to pull a trailer, not carry it. Move weight to the trailer axles, not the hitch. Those torsion hitches are a last-resort, band-aid fix for a poorly designed/balanced trailer
Sorry but I have to disagree Grizzly.
The reason is, a properly loaded 10000 pound GVW trailer at full capacity has near 1000 pounds tongue weight. That's a lot of tongue weight and a weight distribution hitch helps spread the weight to the front end of the tow vehicle. Helps the tow vehicle brakes work better, Steer better, helps the tow vehicles headlights point where they should. Makes a big difference in the tow and safety/handling is like 3X better. Not a band aid, it's a requirement for a heavy trailer. imo.
|
|
|
Re: Weight distribution hitches for 28' race trailer.
[Re: Challenger 1]
#1736875
01/25/15 01:03 PM
01/25/15 01:03 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972 Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY
Master
|
Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
|
10% MIN- 15% MAX on the tongue... I'm sure people have heard the term "the tail wagging the dog"... you DONT want that... thats the reason for the tongue load... no tongue weight or too low of tongue weight and you WILL have the trailer wagging the truck... put on the tongue weight and use the bars to level the rig.. and there is such a thing as over loading the trailer.. just because it fits doesnt make it right... in most cases the tires will dictate the weight.. if they are good then its the axles... and remember that you have to subtract the trailer from the axle ratings to get the carrying capacity
|
|
|
Re: Weight distribution hitches for 28' race trailer.
[Re: MR_P_BODY]
#1736876
01/25/15 02:14 PM
01/25/15 02:14 PM
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,015 Salem
Grizzly
Moparts Proctologist
|
Moparts Proctologist
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,015
Salem
|
Alright one last go at this and then I'm going to leave you experts a victim to your own devices:
Where do you see a set of equalizer bars in this photo?
Where is the weight positioned on this Pup?
Hint: it's not on the $%*&@%'en hitch, it's over the axles.
Mo' Farts
Moderated by "tbagger".
|
|
|
Re: Weight distribution hitches for 28' race trailer.
[Re: MR_P_BODY]
#1736878
01/25/15 03:12 PM
01/25/15 03:12 PM
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,015 Salem
Grizzly
Moparts Proctologist
|
Moparts Proctologist
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,015
Salem
|
Yup, keep arguing with me genius, I've been in the trucking (Family) business my entire life. Didn't my Gravel Truck above tell you something?
I don't come on here and tell you how to set up a cam, or port heads, or what carb to run.
You've said enough BS in this thread, go somewhere else.
Mo' Farts
Moderated by "tbagger".
|
|
|
Re: Weight distribution hitches for 28' race trailer.
[Re: Grizzly]
#1736880
01/25/15 07:19 PM
01/25/15 07:19 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972 Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY
Master
|
Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
|
Quote:
Yup, keep arguing with me genius, I've been in the trucking (Family) business my entire life. Didn't my Gravel Truck above tell you something?
I don't come on here and tell you how to set up a cam, or port heads, or what carb to run.
You've said enough BS in this thread, go somewhere else.
You might think its BS... but like its been said.. apples and oranges... your trailer is designed to be loaded on the axles... our car haulers need tongue weight... but since you drive a truck .. never mind.. but all the rest of us are wrong.... OK EDIT just so others dont think this is BS Proper Tongue Weight
If you don't have enough weight on the trailer tongue, less than 10 percent of the total loaded trailer weight, the trailer can end up swaying from side to side, making it difficult to control. If you have too much weight on the trailer tongue, more than 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight, it can overload the rear tires and push the rear of the vehicle around. You might not be able to go around corners and curves properly, and your vehicle might not stop fast enough when you press the brake pedal.
Load Placement
Start with a correctly placed load to end up with the proper tongue weight and a safe trailer towing experience. The tongue weight is the static force the trailer tongue exerts on the hitch ball. An improper load condition can make for a dangerous trailering situation. Proper trailer tongue weight can make the difference between a safe trailer towing experience and a difficult journey.
According to the 2013 GMC Trailering Guide, to get the proper trailer tongue weight, you should put about 60 percent of the load centered evenly over the front half of the trailer. You can calculate the proper trailer tongue weight by figuring 10 to 15% of the total loaded trailer weight. For example, a 3,000 pound trailer has a proper tongue weight of 300 to 450 pounds.
Last edited by MR_P_BODY; 01/25/15 08:10 PM.
|
|
|
|
|