scubagirl
Arlington, Texas
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Joined: 08/18/2008
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We bought a used 29' travel trailer that came with equalizer and sway bars. After taking it out a couple times we took it to a local service center to have them check the towing system.
The service guy adjusted /rotated the ball hitch so that it is 10º-15º off vertical. We have never seen a ball hitch at an angle like this, and would like to hear if this is common and OK to tow. We are about to take an 2200 mile trip and don’t want to get stuck or hurt the trailer or hitch.
Any help would be apprecited - Thanks
Hitch Photos
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dgg2002
Palm Harbor, FL
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Joined: 07/24/2007
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Adjusting the head angle is used to increase the resistance on the bars to level out the trailer and ensure appropriate transfer of weight to the front of your Tundra.
Just going by the pictures, your setup looks good.
Enjoy your trip
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skipnchar
Topeka Kansas USA
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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Tilting the ball is how the pressure on the spring bars is adjusted. It will be different for each trailer and tow vehicle combination determined by the height of the tow vehicle and weight of the trailer tongue factored in by the weight rating of the spring bars. If your trailer/truck combination tows level with the correct amount of weight being transferred you're fine.
2004 F-150 HD 3,050 lb. payload
Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
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BarneyS
S.E. Lower Michigan
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Everything looks pretty good in your pictures except for one thing. The safety chains should be run between (under) the WD bars and not over the top.
Enjoy your new rig!
Barney
2004 Sunnybrook 30FKS TT
Hensley "Arrow" 1400# hitch
2002 Ford F250 Super Duty, 7.3L PSD
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TankerDude
West of Middle Earth
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Joined: 01/05/2007
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That hitch setup would be a little better if the receiver weren't tilted as shown in the photos. Why would Toyota NOT level that thing out?
2004 Ford F350 PSD 6L 4x4 Crew Cab.
2007 Jayco Eagle 322 FKS.
Camping with DW Terry,
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djgarcia95928
Northern, Ca. , USA
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Joined: 07/26/2002
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scubagirl wrote:We bought a used 29' travel trailer that came with equalizer and sway bars. After taking it out a couple times we took it to a local service center to have them check the towing system.
The service guy adjusted /rotated the ball hitch so that it is 10º-15º off vertical. We have never seen a ball hitch at an angle like this, and would like to hear if this is common and OK to tow. We are about to take an 2200 mile trip and don’t want to get stuck or hurt the trailer or hitch.
Any help would be apprecited - Thanks
Hitch Photos
Your Ok! The ball hitch is supposed to be tilted. The trailer is suppose to be level once it is all hooked up or just slightly down in the front. Take your tape and measure the frame of the trailer in front and in the rear when you are hooked up or fairly close. With the trailer unhooked, measure the distance from the center of the bottom of the wheel fender to the ground. Now hook up your trailer and measure again, your truck shouldn't drop much more than an 1'' or 2''. If it does, take it back to the dealer and have them adjust your whole hitch again, hook it up again and measure to check.
Dick
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dodge guy
Chicago, western subs.
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The hitch height and angle and WD transfer look good. my question is, are the bars centered on the cams? from the one pic it looks as if it needs some adjustment to center the cam. I may be wrong, because of the angle of the picture.
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TURK2500
S.E., Michigan
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Overall it looks good, but to add to Barny's observation:
A) It may be the just the angle the photo was taken, but it looks like your electrical cord may get pinched around the ball and TT coupler in a TV turn, may want to consider a different routing.
B) Reference your chain running from your snap-up bracket, that is in turn connected to the cam bracket via a U-bolt. Turn the cam chain bracket 180 degrees so that the U-bolt threads are facing "outward". This will insure that when the chain is under tension it's vertical, and also aids in keeping the snap-up bracket in the closed position once pinned.
Note the U-bolt threads in this photo facing outward:
Turk2500
05 Jayco Eagle, 278FBS, UVW 7,063lbs, GVWR 9,000lbs.
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02 Chevy, 2500HD/4x4, 6.0L/4:10, EC/LS/SB, Prodigy, GCWR 16,000lbs.
TV/TT loaded: 14,700lbs.
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00 HD Road King Classic.
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BenK
SF BayArea
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Joined: 04/18/2002
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The final orientation of the whole setup is to have the WD hitch system
distribute weight off of the TV rear axle and over onto the TV front
axle.
The TT slightly pointed down or at its highest pointing, level.
All on level ground, otherwise you won't be able to tell where you are
It looks like your trailer is pointing up in the pictures, which is
wrong, as that has the trailer axle caster incorrect and it will not
steer (follow) correctly. It will be easier to induce sway or exacerbate
any sway that 'will' come along.
The TV should drop the same amount front and rear is the 'old' rule of
thumb, but the new body style GMs have a secondary spring system that
doesn't work with this rule of thumb. Today it is best to weigh the
whole setup axle by axle, both empty and fully loaded. That is the
only way to tell where you are in reference the spec's.
Otherwise, think your dealer did a decent job of setting your WD hitch
system up.
Tilting the hitch head back points the bars downward, so that when
they are pulled up by the chains, there is more travel allowed for
when the setup goes over a dip, etc and still keep enough tension on
the bars for them to work properly.
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
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HpyKmpr1962
Lockport, NY
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Angle looks ok, like the others have stated.
Is it me or? I did not notice a break away switch or the cable?
Happy trails.....where ever they lead to...
1992 30 ft. Dutchman Classic 2 br (rear bunks) 7500 lbs. "wet"
2003 F-250 2wd Super Duty / Super Cab 6.0 diesel (All Black)
Dale & Mary Ellen
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