Weight Distribution Towing |
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Vikingr
Newbie Joined: 25 Dec 2018 Location: Maryland Online Status: Offline Posts: 24 |
Topic: Weight Distribution Towing Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 7:06pm |
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Would be curious to hear of circumstances/lessons learned from your accident. I have been trying to avoid going WDH path as I thought they weren't recommended for snow/ice conditions. Please let me know if there is a version out there which is good for use in winter conditions. I've tightened the shackle with a StowAway Hitch Tightener to eliminate slop, seemed a little less prone to mechanical failure than those that are incorporated in the hitch pin. It has worked well for the few trips we've taken so far. |
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GlueGuy
Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2628 |
Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 7:25pm | |
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 8:08pm | |
Vikingr, I've heard of concerns with using sway control in the rain or snow (because lateral trailer forces are transmitted back to the TV so theoretically could break the TV wheels lose) but not weight distribution. Are you sure that it's WD that is the concern?
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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: 07 Jan 2019 at 8:37pm | |
Lessons learned: Don't trust weather forecasts! Don't take the northern route in the winter. If we encounter snow, be smart enough to stay put until we can be sure that the roads have been sufficiently treated to be clear. If not possible, be very leery of the roads if any appearance of black ice appear and slow down. Go the minimum speed to the next safe exit and get off and wait. Having an accident will slow you down more than stopping and waiting until you are sure the roads are clear. All season tires aren't! Tires rated M&S are not necessarily good on ice. Highway department road condition reports aren't always reliable. Never exceed the speed limit of each state for towing. It isn't always the same as the posted speed limit. Examples: Wyoming posted 80 legal towing 60 (which is what I was doing before we hit the ice). That is why the Highway Patrol trooper wrote it up as unavoidable instead of citing me for reckless driving. States like California have a legal towing speed of 55. Other states have a legal towing speed of 60 or 65. Texas allows 70 mph during the day but 65 at night. Other than that, I can't find any information about a faster legal towing speed. Weight distribution is okay for all conditions. Some sway control bars and hitches do not recommend using with the sway control active. Hitches like the Equal-i-zer, E2, and similar models can't be disconnected without removing the weight distribution bars. In the case of some vehicles, this may lead to greater instability than would otherwise be the case as the weight will then be taken off the front (steering) wheels of the tow vehicle |
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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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jato
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3220 |
Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 9:55pm | |
Having traveled through snowy conditions with our 177 using the following vehicles '08 and '13 Explorer's and '94 F-150 using only a sway bar link has been sufficient for us in northern Michigan since 2011. Granted, we have not traveled mountainous roads in the snow but have just used common sense when on the highway or 2 lane roads just by slowing down. |
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God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
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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 10:11pm | |
Towing a 171 is different than towing a 179. The dry weight of the 179 is over 400 lbs heavier and the tongue weight is also heavier. That additional tongue weight can make quite a difference in how the tow vehicle handles if too much weight is taken off the front wheels by the heavier tongue weight. A WD hitch is not always needed, but nearly always will lead to a better towing experience. If it has sway control, even better.
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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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Vikingr
Newbie Joined: 25 Dec 2018 Location: Maryland Online Status: Offline Posts: 24 |
Posted: 08 Jan 2019 at 2:02am | |
Offgrid-- you are right, the WD hitches I was looking at also had a sway device incorporated and I certainly can't think of any reason a properly adjusted WD would have an issue. StephenH and Jato-- thank you for the additional information.
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