Weight Distribution Towing |
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ToolmanJohn
Senior Member Joined: 23 Apr 2014 Location: Connecticut Online Status: Offline Posts: 451 |
Topic: Weight Distribution Towing Posted: 05 Jan 2019 at 11:34am |
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I use this one in conjunction with my current Blue Ox WD system, I also used it on the Andersen WD system. The Brophy Stabilizer Clamp 2 inch. I do NOT use it "vertically" oriented, I use it to prevent side-to-side clunk by mounting it "sideways" instead. The tongue weight prevents the hitch from moving up and down, it's the left-right motion that causes all the clunk in my experience. It does add an extra thing to do when coupling the trailer, I have to take a wrench with me to tighten the two nuts each time. And if I want to install my bike rack after getting to my campsite, I have to remove it, and put it back on when leaving, but it does stop the side to side clunk. I also use it when I have my motorcycle hitch rack installed.
I haven't used all the different styles of anti-rattle devices out there, and there are a LOT of them. But I did try a Maxx Tow Anti-Rattle Clamp, and it SUCKED!! The four bolts (4 - FOUR!!!) loosen up almost immediately, have to be snugged up, and then loosen again later on. I tried it for two trips, gave up. Just a terrible design that did not work for me.
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2017 ATC 7X20 Custom Toy Hauler
2013 R-Pod 177 (SOLD) 2013 VW Touareg TDI |
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lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587 |
Posted: 05 Jan 2019 at 11:48am | |
We've never had any hitch rattle using our Fastway EZ-2 WDH. The shank fits nice and snug, though I do put a little grease on it from time to time to make it slide in and out easily. Maybe our TV rattles enough that we just don't notice it.
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 05 Jan 2019 at 12:24pm | |
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 05 Jan 2019 at 1:48pm | |
Doesn't the Hensley rotate around the ball like the Equal-i-zer when you tension the weight distribution bars? If the ball is still the pivot point the hitch is still going to produce a moment/torque about the ball which is transferred to the trailer axle and to the TV axles via the shank/receiver connection, just like any other WDH.
The horizontal distance from the ball to where the spring bars are attached to the trailer frame is for sure going to govern how much bar tension is required to produce a given moment (torgue). But if you set your Hensley to redistribute the same about of tongue weight as you did with the Equal-i-zer (which will require less bar tension if the bars extend farther aft) then you should end up with pretty much the same axle loads. This is because the redistributed axle loads are governed only by the moment (bar tension x distance from bar attachment to the ball) and the distance from the ball to each axle. The distance from the ball to the trailer axle hasn't changed. The distances from the ball to each of the TV axles will be a slightly different with the Hensley than the Equal-I-zer. You can measure those distances and put them in the calculator if you want to see the effects. https://www.ajdesigner.com/apptrailertow/weightdistributionhitch.php Have you tried using your local waste transfer station to see if you can use their scale? As a taxpayer you should be able to make use of it if they're not busy, Dare County lets me use theirs, no problem. You don't need pay for a tow, just go through once with the tow vehicle only and then again with the trailer attached without the hitch tensioned. Get the weight of each axle as you go through the scale. Then if you want to prove that the calculator works correctly you can even go through a third time with the hitch tensioned. Or you can trust in basic physics and believe the calculator once you know your actual weights and distances
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 05 Jan 2019 at 6:43pm | |
The Hensley locks the trailer's hitch and the ball together. The rotation is at the articulating joints. See this link for more information on how it works: https://www.hensleymfg.com/faq/hensley-hitch-works/ I'll see if I can plug things in to the calculator. I also will see if I can use the scale at the North Wake Convenience Center.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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cosmo751
Newbie Joined: 22 Mar 2015 Location: California Online Status: Offline Posts: 39 |
Posted: 06 Jan 2019 at 7:36am | |
Correct. The only real way to know tongue weight and gross weight of the
towed vehicle is to weigh it. Get a tongue weight scale. Get your tow
vehicle weighed ( pay attention to the front/rear distribution) Then get
your overall rig weighed, again paying attention to the distribution.
Now you have real data. Get the manual for your hitch and read it
carefully. Everything else, including the "4 links recommendation" is just opinion, or worse - conjecture.
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"He not busy being born is busy dying."
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MIK
Groupie Joined: 09 Jul 2017 Location: MA Online Status: Offline Posts: 42 |
Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 2:15pm | |
There is some slop. I assumed it was normal and didn't worry about it. Not sure how would you notice the slop when towing.
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2018 R-Pod 180
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MIK
Groupie Joined: 09 Jul 2017 Location: MA Online Status: Offline Posts: 42 |
Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 2:32pm | |
Interesting design but it's damn pricey. ProPride (same design) is $2800. If I ever buy a larger camper it definitely worth considering though.
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2018 R-Pod 180
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 4:32pm | |
After the accident I was looking for a bullet-proof way to avoid another situation where the sway control was insufficient to prevent the type of accident we had with ice and wind. The Hensley looked like it would work much better than the Equal-i-zer we were using. I was able to get it at a special price as I originally purchased the Swift Cub, but switched to the jacks of the regular Cub when I realized that with my arthritis, the chains and snap-up system of the Swift Cub were a bit much.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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GlueGuy
Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2629 |
Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 5:15pm | |
I think there is enough torque applied to the receiver with our WDH that it pretty much eliminates the slop from being an issue anyway.
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
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