Weight Distribution Hitch Question

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hoss10

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Mar 13, 2016
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We bought a trailer last year and the dealer installed a wt. distribution  hitch.  It was included in the deal so it was a very low end unit a standard arms and chains with a seemingly useless sway bar.  I find the truck and trailer actually ride better with the unit not hooked up.  With it set in the second link were the dealer set it, the ride is very harsh.  With any setting I really do not notice any sway.

A few details the Tow Vehicle is a Tundra long box, with  LT tires which I run at about 55psi ( which contribute to the rough ride).
The trailer is a Jayfeather 242  27 feet overall with a GVWR of 6500 pounds.

My question is, would a better quality  WD hitch make a noticeable difference , and what would be a good choice?

Thanks for the help.
Ted
 
A better hitch would probably help with the sway, but not necessarily the ride. You may want to download the instructions for your hitch, then go through the set-up of it. Dealers only have an empty trailer to work with, and the best they can do is some will fill the tanks with water to simulate your added cargo. Not all will do that. The best thing to is get on a level parking lot and go through the whole set-up yourself to ensure it's correct. The worst part is having a big enough torque wrench to tighten the bolts back down correctly if you have to raise or lower the ball or change the tilt.
 
A better WD might do more for sway control, but probably not ride.  Proper adjustment of the weight distribution is the key there, but it may simply be that your Tundra is reacting to the extra weight, properly distributed or not.

There are articles in the RVForum Library on adjustment of a WD hitch. It isn't hard but takes time, something RV dealers often don't do. And the proper adjustment changes once you load the trailer anyway.

http://www.rvforum.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=195:using-a-adjusting-a-weight-distributing-hitch&catid=26&Itemid=132
http://www.rvforum.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79:correct-adjustment-of-a-weight-distributing-hitch&catid=26&Itemid=132

A WD hitch with built-in sway control is far superior to the ones with a friction device on the side. See brands such as Equal-I-Zer, Reese Strait Line, and E2.

You didn't mention the trailer weight, but a half ton truck like the Tundra may not need much equalizing if the tongue weight is modest, say 500 lbs or less. It's not unusual for a pick-up to ride better with some weight in the back.
 
Thanks for the replies the trailer GVWR is 6500 pounds and tongue wt.  is around 500 pounds.
I have done the whole level thing with the trailer and hitch.  And it is set so it's level which seems to cause the rough ride.  I also tow a horse trailer loaded with two big animals with no WD hitch and the ride is much better.  I will look into some other hitches. The sway bar attachment is already bending on the present unit (I don't think I backed up with it on!).
Any other suggestions on brands (I'm in Canada so availability and price might be an issue).

 
hoss10 said:
The sway bar attachment is already bending on the present unit (I don't think I backed up with it on!).
Click to expand...

I think that you did back up at a sharp angle or the dealer installed the sway control improperly.  If set up correctly, even the lowest priced hitches will work OK and only minor performance improvements can be expected with spending more money.
 
We pull a 27' TT with a Tundra equipped with the Equalizer hitch. The trailer loaded was a tad over 6000 lbs at the scale. The truck has handled the load very well, in my opinion, thanks in large part to the wdh. I had to tinker with it a little to get the weights and balance right, but I'm very pleased with the resulting ride and handling.
 
Thanks for the replies the trailer GVWR is 6500 pounds and tongue wt.  is around 500 pounds.
I have done the whole level thing with the trailer and hitch.  And it is set so it's level which seems to cause the rough ride.  I also tow a horse trailer loaded with two big animals with no WD hitch and the ride is much better.
Click to expand...

The tongue weight should be at least 10% of the loaded trailer weight, so 500 sounds light. You should get the trailer onto the scales and verify loaded weight & tongue weight. Too little tongue weight causes a jerky ride and is more likely to cause swaying as well.

The Tundra should be able to handle 500-700 lbs on the back and might actually ride a bit better with some load. You might try reducing the WD a bit to let the Tundra's rear axle carry a larger share of the load.
 
I probably should have posted this in this thread.  Very relevant to the topic.

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,104354.0.html
 
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