Installing a weight distribution hitch

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   I have a 2014 R-Pod 179 and will be installing a WD Hitch.  I'm fairly handy and do a lot of work on my own vehicles.  I wonder how difficult it is to properly install a WD hitch?  I've never used one and don't know a lot of about them.  I've been looking at the E2 hitch on Amazon.  Is it worth installing it on my own or am I better off taking it to a dealer?

Any input would be appreciated!

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tsherv Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Mar 2017 Online Status: Offline Posts: 35	Topic: Installing a weight distribution hitch Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 12:01pm
	I have a 2014 R-Pod 179 and will be installing a WD Hitch. I'm fairly handy and do a lot of work on my own vehicles. I wonder how difficult it is to properly install a WD hitch? I've never used one and don't know a lot of about them. I've been looking at the E2 hitch on Amazon. Is it worth installing it on my own or am I better off taking it to a dealer? Any input would be appreciated!

Gregm Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 20 Dec 2015 Location: Statesville NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 103	Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 12:44pm
	I don't use one I have a friction sway bar but there should be several videos on YouTube
	Gregm 2014 171 2015 Toyota Tacoma Prerunner

Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest Group	Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 1:28pm
	I very much recommend a DIY installation. I have the E2 (600/6000 round bar) and it is very easy to do...just follow the instructions. The "effort/time" is in getting it set up properly. This will take more time than bolting things together. I'm not sure how many dealers take the time to do this right. Common wrenches are all that is needed. If you do have any questions, just post them. Many of us use the E2.

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6326	Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 1:31pm
	We have the Equal-i-zer hitch. The dealer installed it with the pod empty (no water, no clothing or food or dishes, etc.) which meant that although it was set up for an empty pod, after it was loaded, it needed to be adjusted. The booklet with instructions that came with the Equal-i-zer are straight-forward. It does not look difficult. The hardest part would be to have a torque wrench with sufficient power to mount the hitch ball if it is not already mounted. It also gave clear instructions on adjusting it. If you are comfortable doing your own work, I would dare say you could install it and do just as good a job as the dealer would do. Since then, we changed tow vehicles from a 2016 Ford Escape to a 2010 Nissan Frontier LE. I had to adjust the hitch to suit the vehicle. It isn't too hard if you have the right tools.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

CharlieM Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797	Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 2:28pm
	Like others, I recommend you NOT take it to a dealer. Most don't know how to set up a WDH and won't take the time to learn. A bad WDH installation can be more dangerous than no WDH. My "so called dealer" taught me that! My advice is read the manual, reread the manual, understand the manual, install and adjust the WDH, recheck the adjustment. It gets a bit tedious in places but your effort will pay off. The Fastway E2 hitch is excellent, very popular, and easy to install. The one departure from the manual is to not try to recover the entire departure from unloaded measurements. Most current thinking is to recover about 1/2-3/4 of the change in the rear fenders. Try it like that and make further tweaks if necessary. And remember, there's lots of help here.
	Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2595	Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 7:38pm
	When we bought our 172, the dealer had installed the hitch. I ended up redoing the installation after I put risers on the trailer axel. When I reinstalled the hitch, I realized that the dealer had put the round bar brackets on the tongue of our trailer asymmetrically (one higher than the other) and fixed it. I also had to adjust the height of the ball, which was real simple. The instructions that come with the hitch are easy to read and follow. You should have no problem doing it yourself and it'll probably be a better installation than the dealer.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

TheBum Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Feb 2016 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 1407	Posted: 29 Mar 2017 at 10:28am
	You'll need a torque wrench capable of up to 250 ft-lbs to torque down the bolts that hold the head to the receiver bar. I bought a 300 ft-lb one at Harbor Freight and it worked great. You may be able to go someplace like AutoZone and borrow one.