Weekend is over...what did you get done?

[256offroad]

never had to use a wd hitch to tow with. if i towed with a half ton i would use one.


I tow every now an again with my 04 tahoe. I put airbags on and it helped a TON.

 

[Lowrange2]

never had to use a wd hitch to tow with. if i towed with a half ton i would use one.


I tow every now an again with my 04 tahoe. I put airbags on and it helped a TON.

I'd do that but this thing has that fancy rear air suspension crap. I haven't researched whether or not I can replace that with aftermarket airbags or not. I'm sure I can.

I'm not even sure it's working correctly. Seems like it should auto level after I load the Jeep. lol

 

[Georgia Mike]

Yeah mine is a half ton, so it needs all the help it can get lol

 

[256offroad]

I'd do that but this thing has that fancy rear air suspension crap. I haven't researched whether or not I can replace that with aftermarket airbags or not. I'm sure I can.

I'm not even sure it's working correctly. Seems like it should auto level after I load the Jeep. lol

Take that junk out and replace with coils from a Z71 tahoe and put airbags in. If they havent given you problems yet they will soon.

Yeah mine is a half ton, so it needs all the help it can get lol

Yeah thats a good idea to run one. Hell I use air bags on the duramax towing my jeep. It keeps it from bucking like crazy when i cross bridges on the road.

 

[RedHeep]

The directions on a WD hitch are important. There's more to it than how many links you stick on the trailer side. You need to adjust the ball height and angle to replicate the unloaded stance on your truck.

It makes a very big difference in how the system works and you only have to spend an hour doing it once.

 

[Lowrange2]

Take that junk out and replace with coils from a Z71 tahoe and put airbags in. If they havent given you problems yet they will soon.

I considered that. and I might but I'm going to try a few other things first. Im pretty sure that it's not working correctly now. If it were it would have pumped the rear up level when I loaded the trailer. Which would have completely eliminated the squating issue.

We'll see. Got some more research to do.

 

[denverd1]

I'll give you $3.00 to NOT do a cowl hood.

I'm telling you... pop some holes in the hood on either side and hit them with a dimple die. Put the holes where they aren't directly over key electrical components and they'll be fine.

I'd say you have another issue, though. My completely stock cooling system does just fine. All I did was wire the fan to run all the time. No overheating. No vents. Stock everything.

I'd love to know more about this. Got a writeup or thread you can link?

Living in Texas, summer wheeling isn't easy on the cooling system and I'm trying to avoid hood vents

 

[Georgia Mike]

I considered that. and I might but I'm going to try a few other things first. Im pretty sure that it's not working correctly now. If it were it would have pumped the rear up level when I loaded the trailer. Which would have completely eliminated the squating issue.

We'll see. Got some more research to do.

The main advantage to a WD setup is that the spring bars act like a pair of wheelbarrow handles on the back of your tow vehicle. The more spring pressure that is on them, the more it lifts the rear, and the more that pushes the front down, which as we all know is good for getting the front brakes to actually help you stop lol. That's just a *really really really* oversimplified description, but it gets the point across as simply as my simple mind can type it out. RedHeep is pretty spot on, too.

 

[denverd1]

Just bought a Grand and it squats like a little girl that had too much kool-aid. Will be doing air bags to keep things level.

I like WD hitches in concept but there's got to be a better way to do it than the wheel barrow handle method. How hard is it to switch between trailers?

 

[Georgia Mike]

That part I don't know. I only have the one trailer that I use it on. However, a set of snap brackets can be purchased and have one set on each trailer, or the brackets can be swapped fairly easily with loosening one bolt. However, I *think* the trailer tongue heights would need to be pretty similar to just be able to swap them easily from one to another.

I've never used air bags. That's not to say I don't believe they don't work; they're tried and true, but then again so are WD setups. I guess it's personal preference. I'm not sure how air bags affect weight capacity, though. Most hitches are rated to carry significantly more weight with a WD setup than without. As an example, my Suburban's hitch is a Class IV and the tongue weight ratings are 500lb dead weight & 1,000lb with WD setup, which matches the WD hitch's 1,000lb tongue weight rating when using the spring bars. My tongue weight is right around 980lb. The load rating is 10,000lb with a WD hitch, and 5,000lb without.

 

[RedHeep]

Airbags will raise the vehicle in the rear by taking the load off the rear springs.

WD hitches transfer the weight of the trailer through the frame of the vehicle to the front suspension. When I have the hitch on the back of the RV and I crank the bars up too high, it's hard to close the driver's door because of the frame twist. I can feel it in the front of the truck when I've got it loaded too much or not enough not because of the steering feel, but because of the way the suspension reacts to bumps and the highway.

Airbags will fix the rear squat, but it doesn't relieve the load pressure on the rear like a WD hitch does. I use the same hitch on the truck and the RV. If you'd like to use it on more than one trailer (you must be ballin' to have more than one trailer) you just need the trailer frame brackets. You can make minor adjustments by changing the length of the chain at the trailer end to compensate for the difference in trailer weights, although it probably wouldn't matter much.

I paid $120 for my hitch. You need to have a rough estimate of your tongue weight to buy the right size. Etrailer has a good article on how to do that.

 

[Lowrange2]

Airbags will raise the vehicle in the rear by taking the load off the rear springs.

WD hitches transfer the weight of the trailer through the frame of the vehicle to the front suspension. When I have the hitch on the back of the RV and I crank the bars up too high, it's hard to close the driver's door because of the frame twist. I can feel it in the front of the truck when I've got it loaded too much or not enough not because of the steering feel, but because of the way the suspension reacts to bumps and the highway.

Airbags will fix the rear squat, but it doesn't relieve the load pressure on the rear like a WD hitch does. I use the same hitch on the truck and the RV. If you'd like to use it on more than one trailer (you must be ballin' to have more than one trailer) you just need the trailer frame brackets. You can make minor adjustments by changing the length of the chain at the trailer end to compensate for the difference in trailer weights, although it probably wouldn't matter much.

I paid $120 for my hitch. You need to have a rough estimate of your tongue weight to buy the right size. Etrailer has a good article on how to do that.

I have 3 different car trailers. Far from ballin'.

Where'd you find a hitch for $120? Used?

 

[Ghost]

I have 3 different car trailers. Far from ballin'.

Where'd you find a hitch for $120? Used?

x2! Last I looked they were in the $250 - $300 range......

 

[Lowrange2]

x2! Last I looked they were in the $250 - $300 range......

Best I've seen has been Harbor Freight for $199.00 plus it's possibly eligible for the %20 off coupon.

 

[Georgia Mike]

Best I've seen has been Harbor Freight for $199.00 plus it's possibly eligible for the %20 off coupon.

I use that one. It's the same one that etrailers sells in their budget line. It's worked great for me so far.

There's a guy at work that has a really nice WD setup that he's looking to sell. I believe it's the type that doesn't use chains. He paid over $500 for it, which I think was way overpriced, and he said the camper place only offered him $175 for it on a trade in for a 5th wheel setup. I can ask him how much if you're interested but I don't think it'll be cheap lol.

 

[Ghost]

I use that one. It's the same one that etrailers sells in their budget line. It's worked great for me so far.

There's a guy at work that has a really nice WD setup that he's looking to sell. I believe it's the type that doesn't use chains. He paid over $500 for it, which I think was way overpriced, and he said the camper place only offered him $175 for it on a trade in for a 5th wheel setup. I can ask him how much if you're interested but I don't think it'll be cheap lol.

I notice three different brands out there on line. Curt, Reese, and another I have never heard of. It would not surprise me to find out that HF one was the same as all the cheap ones that are made in china......

 

[RedHeep]

I probably exaggerated, it's been a couple of years. It was on sale when I bought it for $190. It's made very well and the bars slide in rather than clip into pockets. I had a pocket rip out on the way back from Moab on the first one I had and it sucked.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00192JH5W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There was one floating around in the $120 range. I know a few people on the internet that bought one.

 

[IllianaXJ]

I probably exaggerated, it's been a couple of years. It was on sale when I bought it for $190. It's made very well and the bars slide in rather than clip into pockets. I had a pocket rip out on the way back from Moab on the first one I had and it sucked.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00192JH5W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There was one floating around in the $120 range. I know a few people on the internet that bought one.

The $120 hitch was a blowout sale by PPL Motorhomes a couple years back. I bought one and my buddy did as well. They are identical to the one Josh linked, but say Nissan on them instead of Eaz-Lift. I have used mine on 3-4 different campers (about to install the brackets on another new one lol) and it works great. Keep the bars and ball greased and it doesn't make a sound even in tight turns.

 

[Lowrange2]

I notice three different brands out there on line. Curt, Reese, and another I have never heard of. It would not surprise me to find out that HF one was the same as all the cheap ones that are made in china......

I ain't scared of China. Harbor Freight is local and will warranty my junk.

 

[Georgia Mike]

I was a skeptic at first too, but when I saw what looked like the identical unit on etrailers for roughly the same price, I gave it a shot. Haven't regretted it in the 3+ years I've been using it. Like was said....keep everything greased and it should last a very long time.