Another WD question

[Rex]

Hey everyone, we just picked up a 2013 16BHB. Long range planning had me wanting a Camplite, but it was still a couple years out, trying to get by with our 1990 Roadranger, but one came up for sale locally at an incredible price so we jumped on it.

The Roadranger was a 17' and ran across the scales at 35-3900lbs in full camping trim. The TV is a Seqouia with a 7200 rating, so easily handled the load, but since the Seouia is so softly sprung for hwy comfort, I picked up the smallest Husky WD system I could find. It made a huge improvement, and have been very happy with it.

Enter the 16BHB, while looking at it, the owner said that we could not run a WD because of the aluminum frame. Another friend with an aluminum car hauler has said the same thing.

Reading on this forum, I am seeing lots of people using them, but the factory doesn't feel they are necessary and doesn't recommend them. But do they outright say not to use them? Back when they were in business I mean.

Also, on my old trailer, I never had any sway issue at all. It could be towing a trailer that is much lower weight then the TV, or just so heavy it didn't want to bounce around or?? Anyways, never felt the need for sway control, but reading in here, that sounds like a bigger issue for a lot of people, then the bouncy ride of no WD.

Do these light trailers just want to swing back and forth more? So far my experience is only the few mile tow home at city street speeds.

[DavidM]

Well before you do anything, tow it for a few hundred miles.

The factory did not recommend WDHs even during or maybe especially during the Tuttle years. I suspect there was a case of the frame bending in the past. When I bought my 16TBS 7+ years ago and explored this with the factory. I decided that if I needed a WDH I would go with the lightest torsion bars possible and reinforce the A frame members by welding an aluminum angle alongside them. Fortunately our Nissan Pathfinder tows it just fine and has a tow rating of a couple thousand lbs less than yours.

Some use the Anderson hitch, more for sway control than weight transferring and that probably does limit the bending torque on the frame. Lower weight transfer=lower stress on the frame.

Some do use WDHs particularly for the 21 and 28 trailers. Perhaps some will chime in here.

David

[DaveL]

I have a 2015 21RBS (bought in July) and pull it with a Toyota Sequoia.  The Sequoia manual recommends a WD hitch.  I pulled the trailer initially with a 2000 4Runner rated to 5000# which it did ok with (suspension wise), but didn't have the engine Hp to handle it.  Did not have the WD hitch with the 4Runner but did have rear suspension air bags.

I bought a used Equal-i-zer hitch (both WD and sway control) and have been using it.  The hitch is adjustable on how much weight distribution you use...... Because of the issue I saw here about deformation of the hitch, I decided to install a set of air suspension airbags in the rear of the Sequoia.  I have a portable compressor and use it to pump up the rear end to firm up and to take some of the additional tongue weight.  Then I adjusted the hitch for the recommended settings (adjustable washers to set the hitch angle) which is less than standard.... and Camplite has less tongue weight than other trailers.  Seems to be a good compromise.  Noticeable improved difference in stability both in weight and sway.  I have been watching the coupler for any sign of degradation / deformation and not observed anything.  Pulled it about 5000 miles so far without issue.

As an interesting side note, when I got the WD hitch I had to buy new longer safety chains.  During installation I found the coupler bolts (to the aluminum frame) to be very loose.  One of the nuts was hand tight.  This was before the WD hitch (and other than me buying the trailer one state away and pulling it home without WD) and was the "as found" state.  Torqued everything down and used blue Loctite on the bolts.  I think that had I continued to blissfully pull the trailer with loose couple bolts that I would have ended up with a bent coupler (WD hitch or not).  So if you haven't checked these in a while it may be worth your while.

BTW; the air bags are inexpensive (IMO), easy to use and worth the effort.  And so far trouble free. I had a set on the 4Runner as well and would recommend them.

I think a lot of the other WD hitches are also adjustable.  Using a standard setup for a normal trailer is likely too much weight distribution for the Camplite (again IMHO).  I talked to the Equalizer manufacturer before I bought it and they confirmed that the adjustment was important and their installation literature is very detailed. Installation is not just a "install to general generic use".... you need to go through the steps of measuring loaded / unloaded suspension and adjusting the hitch to your vehicle.

Dave

[Pinstriper]

I would recommend actually loading it for camping and measuring your trailer weight as well as the tongue weight. The way you load it, especially whether you have water in the fresh tank can really change the ride a bunch. If you are getting sway on a light trailer you are either driving too fast and/or have too low tongue weight.

I would also think about what you have in the tow rig, where you are compared to your payload rating, as well as the rear axle.

If it really comes down to splashy springs, air bags are a good solution for stiffening as a situational choice.

[GrampaKilt]

When I purchased my 2014 DB, I needed a WD hitch since my TV was a 2010 Jetta TDI. CanAm RV in London Ontario installed the frame and supplied a 600# tongue wt EZ Lift WD hitch, the lightest available! CanAm had experience with aluminum frames and had not had any reports of problems with the WD side of things. On the other hand, they cautioned against an overtightened sway control! CanAm taught me this method for adjusting the torsion bars which I have copy/pasted below.

• With ball set to coupler height, park TV and trailer on level surface, disconnect trailer and raise.
• Now use some masking tape and mark a height on all four corners of the TV's bumpers, eg, 22" or whatever is appropriate for your TV.
• Now that we know how the TV sits without the trailer we want to determine the change in position when we connect. Generally, the goal is to have the TV pushed straight down, so the front is pushed down the same amount as the rear.
• Connect the trailer and the torsion bars and measure again the amount of change on the masking tape.
• You will find that the TV will have been pushed down by the weight of the trailer, eg. the rear measurement may now be 20" instead of 22" but the front may have come up to 22.5". in this case, you would need to go up to the next link (adding tension to the torsion bars) and measure again.
• However, you may find that the next link puts you into the opposite position where the front is pushed down 1" and the back stays even at the 22" mark. This means that the torsion bars are transferring too much weight forward.
• If this is the case, then you need a partial link. To do that, overlap two chain links and slide a ½" bolt through them. A ½" bolt is 1/3 of a link of adjustment so in some cases you will need 2 bolts to achieve the correct transfer.
• Most tow vehicles will be between 21 ¼" & 21 ½" front and rear if you started with marks at 22".

So how far did my Jetta drop with the loaded trailer wt all distributed-3/16" at most! As many readers know, with the WDH tuned in, I enjoyed a smooth and stable, not to mention economical tow with the Jetta for years until dieselgate happened.

Embarrassing story (to illustrate the power of a WD hitch). My first WD hitching was at the LL factory, then in Wakarusa Indiana (note, I hadn't read the above ). With staff and bosses already intrigued that by the concept of towing with a car, they watched as this newbie over-torsioned the bars; for when I let the trailer down, the rear tires of the Jetta were barely touching the ground! GK

[DavidM]

Embarrassing story (to illustrate the power of a WD hitch). My first WD hitching was at the LL factory, then in Wakarusa Indiana (note, I hadn't read the above ). With staff and bosses already intrigued that by the concept of towing with a car, they watched as this newbie over-torsioned the bars; for when I let the trailer down, the rear tires of the Jetta were barely touching the ground! GK

Wow, that sort of thing can definitely bend the LL's frame. I am surprised that 600# torsion bars can transfer that much weight. If you were to go over a dip in that condition the rear tires would lift off of the ground and most of that weight would be supported by the trailer's frame at the chain attachment point.

David

[Rex]

It wouldn't take that much to lift the back of a Jetta. Whats back there? no motor/drive train.. ;-)

If I went WD I would get the lightest system I can, I had this Husky with a 400lb tongue weight for 4k trailers before. Its cheap, and with the links can be adjusted to just transfer some weight, without putting a lot of strain on the trailer frame. I also would do as suggested above, and run some extra supports around where the brackets would clam over the frame, to help distribute the load.

I could see on a larger trailer, fully loaded, someone could put a lot of strain on the frame, trying to push weight around, but thats not my goal at all. Basically thinking 50% of what I would have done on my old steel frame trailer.

Thanks for the input! I bring the trailer home today to start loading it up, I look forward to crawling all over it to see how it was put together.

[Paul]

I tow a 21BHS with a F150 and I don't use a WDH. I measured the tongue weight while loaded for a camping trip and it measured at 500 lbs. It works well for me

[GrampaKilt]

It wouldn't take that much to lift the back of a Jetta. Whats back there? no motor/drive train.. ;-)

Agreed! I wish any sedan or minivan towing a tent trailer, lightwt travel trailer or a loaded utility trailer would have access to a WDH. I cringe when I see these combos trundle down the road with the vehicle rear dragging just above the pavement. It's just so ugly, perhaps unstable and it doesn't have to be that way. The problem, of course, is a NA culture of installing mickey mouse off-the-shelf hitches for sedans etc and leaving WDH receivers for pickups. One has to go to Europe to find hitches properly designed for trailer towing (because cars do the majority of the TT towing there) or find the rare NA fabricator still with the expertise to custom install a WDH receiver. I went to London Ontario to get mine installed at CanAm RV--not that far out of my way since I was already travelling across the continent to pick up my 14DB from the factory in Wakarusa!

This article describes the koolaid I drank regarding WD hitching my Jetta https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commuting/it-isnt-just-trucks-and-suvs-that-have-to-be-used-for-towing/article23686902/ followed by a pic showing what a minivan should look like towing a 25' Airstream! GK

[nhlakes]

I have a Tundra and 21RBS and use the Andersen.  More for stabilization in emergency situations than for weight transfer.  It's for the occasional 'oh s#it' moments that are bound do happen from time to time if you spend enough time towing. (i.e. changing lanes on the highway and someone cuts you off, or slams on the brakes in front of you, etc.) I have had a a few WD setups on other trailers and the Andersen is by far the easiest to install and setup.  And it is very light weight compared to others. Downside is it does not transfer a lot of weight, which is exactly what I was looking for.

[djsamuel]

I have a Tundra and 21RBS and use the Andersen.  More for stabilization in emergency situations than for weight transfer.  It's for the occasional 'oh s#it' moments that are bound do happen from time to time if you spend enough time towing. (i.e. changing lanes on the highway and someone cuts you off, or slams on the brakes in front of you, etc.) I have had a a few WD setups on other trailers and the Andersen is by far the easiest to install and setup.  And it is very light weight compared to others. Downside is it does not transfer a lot of weight, which is exactly what I was looking for.

Agree 100%.  Same situation here; 21BHS towed by a Ram 1500.  The Andersen has been great for us over the last 7 years.

[GrampaKilt]

I note CanAm RV has gone with Equalizer brand WDHs for most of their installs. No personal experience with the brand but I would trust their selection. Also, noted some very cool innovations in the WDH world, such as electronic sway control. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=Q4b28Fkiubg&feature=emb_logo  GK

[ADR]

I use a Fastway E2 WD hitch (600/6000) to haul my 16TBS when I use my Ford Transit.  Tongue weight was in excess of 600 lbs! The Transit is rated to around 700 tongue weight.

I also tow with a 4Runner and bought another E2 rated at 400 lb tongue and 4000 gross.   With a good deal of effort I have managed to get my tongue weight down to 500lbs*.    The max the 4Runner is rated for.
So far I've had good results setting the 4Runner airbags to lift about 1/3 to 1/2 the tongue weight and use the E2 to do the rest.  I lke the lighter weight more flexy bars as I may go some rough places with the 4Runner pulling the trailer that I wouldn't go with the Transit.

*Took 130 lbs of batteries off the tongue and put a 30lb LiFePo4 in the very back in the storage compartment in the right rear.   I also now run with much less water than the full tank I used to for most trips where I know I can get water on arrival. 

I have owned several WD hitches over the years and still have a 1000/10000 and another that is less but more than 6000 IIRC. 
I really like the E2 non chain tension arms that use steel on steel friction arms to damp sway. 

[Michael]

Enter the 16BHB, while looking at it, the owner said that we could not run a WD because of the aluminum frame. Another friend with an aluminum car hauler has said the same thing.

[...]

Do these light trailers just want to swing back and forth more? So far my experience is only the few mile tow home at city street speeds.

When I had my 2012 16BHB I did not use a WDH when towing with 1/2 ton pickups. On that particular model, the hitch weight was under 400lbs when the camper was fully loaded (3800lbs) & with two full propane tanks & two 6V golf cart batteries on the tongue. If anything, the tongue was a bit light.

That model was very stable when towing in crosswinds. I suspect that the tandem axles and the distribution of weight over the axles made it more stable than normal.  My 16BHB was a dream to tow.

As others have said, try it without.

[charliem]

The aluminum frame per se does not preclude a WDH but some precautions are warranted. Any bracket connecting the hitch bars or chains to the trailer frame should be clamped on, not drilled and bolted. In the 2012-2104 time frame LL improperly applied a lightweight coupler. The steel coupler, designed to be welded to a steel tongue, was bolted from the top because steel and aluminum cannot be welded together. Some members, myself included, experienced bending of the coupler when using WDH. The problem was not the aluminum frame, but the improper attachment of the coupler to it. The fix was to add two side bolts as discussed on this forum and soon to be described in a forum newsletter. This fix was eventually incorporated in later models but early models should be retrofitted. In my experience, towing a 21RBS with a Toyota Tacoma PU, the WDH not only corrects the TV nose-up attitude, but greatly improves comfort of the ride. I use an E2 WDH with a 2014 21RBS and 2013 Tacoma and am quite happy with it after 7 years and almost 40,000 towing miles.