Weight Distribution Hitch Set Up

[hoss10]

I'm setting up my Equalizer WDH, I have watched numerous videos but still seem to have a few questions:

- Setting the head on the shank, I know the top of the ball should be level with inside height of the hitch on the trailer, but this is almost never possible as the shanks have holes at even spacing.  If there is the need to good with the closest holes, should the ball be slightly lower or higher then the trailer ball reviever?  The Equalizer video says lower but this kind of goes against my previous setups.

- Leveling trailer What do you level? If the ground is flat but on a slight incline, level will be effectted.  Is it a good idea to measure frame distance to ground front and back, and go with this?

Thanks for the help.

 

[grashley]

If you are on level ground, put a long level on the frame to determine level.

If you are on truly flat, but not level ground,  adjust using  the distance from the frame to the ground, so front and back are the same.

This is not rocket science.  Off 1/4 inch is no big deal!

 

[kdbgoat]

Were it mine, I would set the ball higher than the trailer tongue.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

In theory, setting the ball slightly low should benefit towing manners, while having it slightly high risks the trailer lifting the rear of the tow vehicle during hard stops. In practice, 1/4-1/2 inch either way is trivial and not worth debating.

"Level" is the lack of a peak or valley at the ball mount, i.e. the trailer is in the same plane as the tow vehicle.  On a flat surface, the trailer tongue should be parallel to the ground, so the ball height has to be adjusted to achieve that.  With WD, the weight of the tongue on the hitch ball should make the tow vehicle settle evenly rather than sagging low at the back.  The weight of the tongue will cause the tow vehicle to settle a bit, so there is some trial and error involved. If the tow vehicle settles enough to take the tongue off-level, readjust the ball height and try again.

The terms "level" and "flat" sometimes get used interchangeably.  Trailer hitch adjustment can be done on any consistently flat surface, but it works best if the surface is not inclined very much, up or down. A substantial incline causes weight to shift toward the downhill side, so try to avoid inclined surfaces. A surface angle less than 5% ought to be fine, but no need to get an inclinometer out to measure it.  Just go with the Mark I Eyeball measurement.

 

[RVfixer]

It is my opinion that, generally speaking, the trailer should be level from front to back, when hitched, or just slightly lower in the front but not any higher in the front when hitched.  Even in the manual for the Equalizer hitch they say that it takes some trial and error in setting up the hitch.  Your goal is to have the proper weight distribution (via the measurement ranges in the manual), the trailer level or close to it, and very little squat in the rear of the truck.  To accomplish that you have three things to play with;  The height of the ball by raising/lowering the hitch head, the height adjustment of the "L" brackets and the number of washers in the hitch head that adjusts the tilt of the ball.  To check level I use a carpenter's on the frame.  I found that my frame and "A" frame are exactly parallel so I use the level on the top of the "A" frame and don't measure to the ground on the trailer.  On the tow vehicle you have to measure to the ground for the weight distribution set up.  The only thing important there is to measure from the same place front and back before and after hitching.   

You can set it up improperly, having the trailer level and the weight distribution wrong.  The manual tells you to do some experimenting.  My answer to your question is that it doesn't matter which hole you use for the head height, the one that makes it a little high or the one that makes it a little low.  It is the final outcome that is going to indicate whether you should change it or not.  I would likely set it in the slightly high position figuring the truck will likely squat some...but I might be wrong for your installation and you might have to change it later.  Don't be in a hurry.  Get it the best you can by following the "directions" closely.  Get the load distribution measurement in the proper measurement range and don't be afraid to make changes and see their effects.  You will understand your hitch better and the hitch will be doing what you paid for it to do.  I hate to see people spend the money on a good hitch and then not follow the directions and defeat the intended function of the hitch.

Raising the hitch head, adding washers in the head (tilts the ball) or raising the "L" bracket all transfers more weight forward on the tow vehicle and tends to raise the front of the trailer.  Too much weight transferred forward gives you a very stiff ride and affects traction and breaking at the rear wheels.  Get it right!  When my dealer set up my hitch, it was my first Equalizer hitch.  The dealer had the "L" brackets wrong.  When I got the trailer home I tried going through the instructions and things were not working out.  Finally I decided to start from page one in the instructions...Duh!!  There are two ways to set up the "L" brackets and the dealer had it wrong for my type "A" frame set up.  Once I corrected that error everything went great following the manual.

I know....my post are always longer then need be.  I can't help myself...just trying to help.

 

[hoss10]

Thanks everyone for the help.  I set it up in my gravel laneway then towed it to a paved school driveway, which turned out to be almost perfectly level and checked the set up.  The trailer was dead on level and the front was back to within a 1/4 inch of unloaded height. Towed very well.  Very pleased with the capacity of my new truck a F 150  with the Heavy Duty Payload and Max Tow packages (2400 pound Payload).  My 6500 GVWR TT made the truck squat less then an inch and a half.

Kind of nice not to have to worry about packing light, within reason of course. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Thanks for the feedback, hoss10. Happy Camping!!!

 

[grashley]

Great Job!  You did your homework, and now you reap the rewards of a job well done!

 

[hoss10]

Thanks again.
I'm a Cabinet Maker and I really tend to over think these things and worry about fractions of inches!

 

[SpencerPJ]

Thanks again.
I'm a Cabinet Maker and I really tend to over think these things and worry about fractions of inches!

) ) )
Many on this site overthink things