Over the winter we picked up a new to us TT and a new to us TV. Well, I recently purchased a used 10,000 pound Equal-i-zer hitch off Craigslist and finally got around to installing it this weekend. (I went ahead and sold my other WD hitch which was a Husky WD round bar and friction sway slide bar on Craigslist as I was never really fully satisfied with it's performance but more importantly, my family's safety!). I have been doing a lot of reading and researching (I am that kind of person) and got it all hooked up correctly (I believe).
I have a 2004 Dodge Ram QC 1500, factory tow package, 17 inch wheels, 3.92 rear end, Tekonsha P3 brake controller. My camper is a 2007 Sunset Trail ST30BH. I have ran all the numbers and taken it to the scales a few times. The TT weighs in at 6520 pounds loaded. I was VERY surprised at the tongue weight. It was 1160 pounds! I freaked out as soon as I saw that since I have a Class 4 hitch, AND considering that I had already taken it out once, but only a 45 minute drive to our local favorite site.
I immediately moved as much stuff out of the front storage compartment, and into the back storage compartment. Their wasn't much there, but I knew every pound helped. I also took some stuff out and got the tongue down to 1030 pounds, which I know is a little bit over the 1000 pound rating, but then I remembered that once hooked up, the applied tongue weight is less than that 'raw' weight when I have the weight distributing hitch hooked up and actually distributing the weight. So I believe that I am ok. I also plan to do more 'creative packing' and doing a re-weigh very soon.
I should note that I weighed the tongue at a CAT scale and had it positioned so it was JUST barely on the beginning portion of one of the plates. So I don't know if the weight rating would of been different if I had dropped the tongue in the middle of the plate or not, but I plan to find out.
Just curious if anyone here knows if their is any deviation on the CAT scales as far as placement of weight goes, so feel free to chime in!
See pics below.
On my equal-i-zer hitch, after following the instructions to a T, I have it configured with the maximum number of washers (8), and moved the L brackets up so that the bolt is in the 7th hole from the top. It is cinched up TIGHT! However, with that configuration, the front of the truck only drops a fourth of an inch, and the rear drops only one and a quarter inches (as measured in the same spots on each wheel well. The TT itself is almost perfectly level (with only one half of an inch rise in the front).
I drove it up on the highway for about 10 minutes and pulled into the nearby Wal-Mart parking lot (where I took the pictures) and noticed how much the weight bars were flexing/deflecting. I measured at the front of the bar and at the back, and their was up to one inch difference between the too! This being my first equal-i-zer hitch, I am not familiar with what is within normal operating parameters
I do have a few questions though.
I plan to try to lessen the tongue weight, will I need to re-adjust the hitch?
Is that cinched up too tight?
Are those 'drops' acceptable?
Did the weight from the tongue get distributed to both TV axles and back to both TT axles, or did the tongue weight get transferred to JUST the TV axles?
Are the bars supposed to bend?
If so, is that much bend TOO much (or not enough)?
I have read that the bend is what allows the friction to work it's magic and counter any swaying (basically, that is how it works)
BTW, thanks for all everyone's postings. My DW and I love to read through the forums as it helps us learn so much. I think we are information addicts!
In case my pictures don't show up, here are some direct links:
http://i.imgur.com/oI43q.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3o0mf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pfVkS.jpg
I have a 2004 Dodge Ram QC 1500, factory tow package, 17 inch wheels, 3.92 rear end, Tekonsha P3 brake controller. My camper is a 2007 Sunset Trail ST30BH. I have ran all the numbers and taken it to the scales a few times. The TT weighs in at 6520 pounds loaded. I was VERY surprised at the tongue weight. It was 1160 pounds! I freaked out as soon as I saw that since I have a Class 4 hitch, AND considering that I had already taken it out once, but only a 45 minute drive to our local favorite site.
I immediately moved as much stuff out of the front storage compartment, and into the back storage compartment. Their wasn't much there, but I knew every pound helped. I also took some stuff out and got the tongue down to 1030 pounds, which I know is a little bit over the 1000 pound rating, but then I remembered that once hooked up, the applied tongue weight is less than that 'raw' weight when I have the weight distributing hitch hooked up and actually distributing the weight. So I believe that I am ok. I also plan to do more 'creative packing' and doing a re-weigh very soon.
I should note that I weighed the tongue at a CAT scale and had it positioned so it was JUST barely on the beginning portion of one of the plates. So I don't know if the weight rating would of been different if I had dropped the tongue in the middle of the plate or not, but I plan to find out.
Just curious if anyone here knows if their is any deviation on the CAT scales as far as placement of weight goes, so feel free to chime in!
See pics below.
On my equal-i-zer hitch, after following the instructions to a T, I have it configured with the maximum number of washers (8), and moved the L brackets up so that the bolt is in the 7th hole from the top. It is cinched up TIGHT! However, with that configuration, the front of the truck only drops a fourth of an inch, and the rear drops only one and a quarter inches (as measured in the same spots on each wheel well. The TT itself is almost perfectly level (with only one half of an inch rise in the front).
I drove it up on the highway for about 10 minutes and pulled into the nearby Wal-Mart parking lot (where I took the pictures) and noticed how much the weight bars were flexing/deflecting. I measured at the front of the bar and at the back, and their was up to one inch difference between the too! This being my first equal-i-zer hitch, I am not familiar with what is within normal operating parameters
I do have a few questions though.
I plan to try to lessen the tongue weight, will I need to re-adjust the hitch?
Is that cinched up too tight?
Are those 'drops' acceptable?
Did the weight from the tongue get distributed to both TV axles and back to both TT axles, or did the tongue weight get transferred to JUST the TV axles?
Are the bars supposed to bend?
If so, is that much bend TOO much (or not enough)?
I have read that the bend is what allows the friction to work it's magic and counter any swaying (basically, that is how it works)
BTW, thanks for all everyone's postings. My DW and I love to read through the forums as it helps us learn so much. I think we are information addicts!
In case my pictures don't show up, here are some direct links:
http://i.imgur.com/oI43q.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3o0mf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pfVkS.jpg
