Weight Distribution hitch

Originally posted by richfsi I’m most concerned with possible sway issues. Do they make a hitch to just address sway issues? I forgot, sway control is built into the R3 Recurve.  It can be tightened for more control or loosened completely for backing.  Adjustment is done using an Allen wrench. Te bars don't have to come off for backing.

We have dragged our 176 probably 15,000 miles or more and never had any problem with sway.  But I don't go much over 70, occasionally 75 downhill.  The R3 recurve is new tho, Only about 3k miles on it. Prior to the R3 I used a sway bar. 

Originally posted by Colt Originally posted by richfsi Greetings, just purchased a 190. I am towing with a 2019 Toyota Highlander. Looking for a recommendation for a Weight Distribution Hitch. Appreciate the help! Isn't the Highlander built on a unibody? Are any hitches built for it that are built for weight distribution?     My SUV and 180 does not need weight distribution, nor sway damping, but I use a friction sway damper just in case. It is a unibody and nobody makes a weight distribution rated hitch for it.

The stiffer the bars, the more stress it's going to place on the TV when you hit bumps. The lighter weight bars will act somewhat as shock absorbers.

Sorry but your math is not correct. Put your actual weight numbers in this calculator. I have validated that it is calculating correctly. A wdh applies a moment (think torque) about the ball in order to transfer load to the front axle and trailer axle from the tongue and the rear of the TV.

In my case to apply the proper moment I needed to tension my wdh spring arms to 750-800 lbs. Note that the moment load on the spring bars (and TV frame) is independent of the spring bar rating up to the point of spring bar failure.

Under what conditions will that failure occur? Bump loads can double the steady state load on the system. The WDH designers of course know that as do the vehicle designers. So the spring bars need to be designed with a yield point roughly double the wdh rating. So around 1200 lbs for 600 lb bars and 2000 lbs for 1000 lb bars.

If I had used 600 lb bars on my rig I would have come close to or exceeded their yield point frequently under bump loads.

My ride was great with the 1000 lb spring bars so I was happy. 800 lbs would also have worked for me, but no lighter without risk of spring bar failure unless you are running a light rpod lightly loaded with also a lightly loaded TV. So a lightly loaded 171 might be fine with 600 lbs spring bars but not so with a heavier boondock ready 179 or other mid sized rpod.












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