WDH help

[Jcrafty]

Hi all,
Purchased a new travel trailer with a dry weight of 3900 lbs. I am upgrading from a fairly heavy pop up at 3000lbs. But used a standard class 3 hitch with no weight distribution. Now knowing i am going to need wdh i am confused about them. I see that some people recommend the fastway e2 one. In looking at it and others online, my question is this. Is the actual hitch underneath the tow vehicle standard and then these wdh just add to it. Tha fastway looks like it just slides into a 2" reciever. I am trying to understand as i will be upgrading the tow vehicle and will get one with a tow package. But will i end up needing to rip out the hitch under the vehicle and install a different one and also adding one of the wdh as well. Its confusing. Thx

[Tajfish]

The wdh will fit into your 2” receiver. The trailer will fit on the wdh. There will be bars that connect to each side of the trailer frame. These are adjustable so your tv and trailer are level. There is also sway bars that help. These really make the difference when towing.

[Tajfish]

This is the one I had for my Freedom express 246rks 28’ travel trailer. I bought it at a local rv dealer and he installed it and gave me a little class in operating it.

[Tajfish]

EAZ LIFT 48058 1000 lbs Elite Kit, Includes Distribution, Sway Control and 2-5/16" Hitch Ball-1,000 lbs Tongue Weight Capacity (48058-A)
EAZ LIFT
$217.84

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by Jcrafty

I see that some people recommend the fastway e2 one.

That's a cheap or "economy" weight-distributing (WD) hitch. It will probably be okay for weight distribution, but not very good for sway control. Spend a few more bucks for the Equal-I-Zer E4, or other "good" WD hitch with good built-in sway control.

Is the actual hitch underneath the tow vehicle standard and then these wdh just add to it.

The OEM receiver hitch is not usually standard on the base models, but may be included as part of the optional trailer tow package. The receiver is not actually a hitch, but a hitch platform. If you want to turn it from a platform into a hitch, then you would add a shank and ball mount to the receiver. There are two types of hitches that fit into the receiver. Weight carrying (WC) and weight distribution (WD). The WC hitch is just a shank and ball mount. The WD hitch adds spring bars that distribute the tongue weight.

Tha fastway looks like it just slides into a 2" reciever.

Right. It's a WD hitch that slides into the receiver and bolts or clamps onto the tongue of the trailer.

I am trying to understand as i will be upgrading the tow vehicle and will get one with a tow package. But will i end up needing to rip out the hitch under the vehicle and install a different one...

No, the receiver that is included with the trailer tow package is usually good enough to handle any travel trailer (TT) that won't exceed the payload capacity of the tow vehicle.

...and also adding one of the wdh as well.

The trailer tow package includes the hitch platform (receiver), but does not include a WD hitch. If your tow vehicle is an F-150, then Ford requires you to add a WD hitch to any trailer that will have a loaded tongue weight (TW) of more than 500 pounds. 500 pounds TW is a properly-loaded TT that grosses less than 3,850 pounds. So get smart about WD hitches. They come in price classes of cheap, decent, good, and OMG expensive

If a WD hitch uses sway bars for sway control, or doesn't include any sway control, that's a cheap hitch. The Fastway E2 you mentioned is a decent WD hitch that doesn't have much sway control capability. Most of the popular WD hitches from Reese, Curt, and Husky fall into that category. Good WD hitches with good built-in sway control include the Equal-I-Zer E4, Blue Ox SwayPro, and Reese Strait-Line. The excellent but expensive WD hithes are the original Hensley Arrow and the improved ProPride, designed by Jim Hensley.

The decent WD hithes are available online for around $250 to $400. The good ones from around $400 to $650. The current ProPride is not available from discount sources, and Jim Hensley sells them for about $2,800. https://www.propridehitch.com/propri...control-hitch/

If you have ever experienced uncontrollable trailer sway, you'll pay a lot to be sure it never happens again. So I tow my TT with a ProPride hitch. But it's a real chore to move that hitch from one trailer to another, so I tow my cargo trailer with a Reese Strait-Line trunnion bar hitch.

[keymastr]

Do not cheap out on the hitch. An Equalizer 4 point is only about $500 delivered and will far outperform that cheap hitch. The hitch is the most important item in making the truck and trailer play well together, don't take chances to save $200 when the value of what you are towing is many thousands. That's like putting $50 tires on a Ferrari and wondering why it drives so poorly.

[Spdracr39]

Most 4 points will work fine. Some will require you to unhook the sway bars before backing up some won't. I had a Husky center line and backing was no problem. I had zero sway or wind issues with a 34' 7000# TT behind a half ton pickup. Don't go out and feel like you need to buy a 3000.00 Hensley pro pride hitch though as it isn't necessary. If that's want you want that's fine but it doesn't out perform other hitches enough to justify the cost IMO.

[chawkins99]

Originally Posted by keymastr

Do not cheap out on the hitch. An Equalizer 4 point is only about $500 delivered and will far outperform that cheap hitch. The hitch is the most important item in making the truck and trailer play well together, don't take chances to save $200 when the value of what you are towing is many thousands. That's like putting $50 tires on a Ferrari and wondering why it drives so poorly.

Where have you seen the Equalizer for $500? Most I see are $650+.

[IBTripping]

Originally Posted by chawkins99

Where have you seen the Equalizer for $500? Most I see are $650+.

$411.00 from Google Express: https://express.google.com/u/0/produ...4aAl_cEALw_wcB

[SmokeyWren]

The Equal-I-Zer hitch IBTripping found has a max tongue weight (TW) of a little over 400 pounds. You can buy that hitch from Wal-Mart and several other sources for About $400.

But your hitch weight will be a lot more than 400 pounds, so ignore the bargain-priced hitch at that link.

The TW rating of your WD hitch must be more than the max TW you might ever have. Average TW for a properly-loaded TT is 13% of the gross trailer weight. If the GVWR {or dry weight plus cargo carrying capacity (CCC)} of your trailer is more than 5,400 pounds, then your WD hitch needs to be rated for more than 600 pounds TW.

For a trailer with dry weight of 4,000 pounds, and CCC 1400 pounds or more, you want a WD hitch rated for at least 800 pounds max TW. Equal-I-Zer makes the 4P hitch with TW ratings of 600 and 1,000, but nothing in between. So I'd order one with 1,000 TW. You won't find those for anywhere close to $400.

eTrailer = $657.95 complete with shank and either 600 or 1,000 pounds TW: https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...EQ37100ET.html

Amazon = $657.95 complete with shank and either 600 or 1,000 pounds TW: https://www.amazon.com/Equal-i-zer-P...r=8-2-fkmrnull

Tweety's = $657.95 complete with shank and either 600 or 1,000 pounds TW : https://tweetys.com/equal-i-zer-with...6f851f84e54b5b The links above are all forthw 1,000-pound TW, but the sane seller has the 600 pounds TW for the same price.

Notice all thee of those are complete with adjustable shank. You can buy the same hitch without a shank for around $100 less, but you have to have an adjustable WD shank, so pay attention to the fine print when you order any WD hitch.

[chawkins99]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

The Equal-I-Zer hitch IBTripping found has a max tongue weight (TW) of a little over 400 pounds. You can buy that hitch from Wal-Mart and several other sources for About $400.

But your hitch weight will be a lot more than 400 pounds, so ignore the bargain-priced hitch at that link.

The TW rating of your WD hitch must be more than the max TW you might ever have. Average TW for a properly-loaded TT is 13% of the gross trailer weight. If the GVWR {or dry weight plus cargo carrying capacity (CCC)} of your trailer is more than 5,400 pounds, then your WD hitch needs to be rated for more than 600 pounds TW.

For a trailer with dry weight of 4,000 pounds, and CCC 1400 pounds or more, you want a WD hitch rated for at least 800 pounds max TW. Equal-I-Zer makes the 4P hitch with TW ratings of 600 and 1,000, but nothing in between. So I'd order one with 1,000 TW. You won't find those for anywhere close to $400.

eTrailer = $657.95 complete with shank and either 600 or 1,000 pounds TW: https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...EQ37100ET.html

Amazon = $657.95 complete with shank and either 600 or 1,000 pounds TW: https://www.amazon.com/Equal-i-zer-P...r=8-2-fkmrnull

Tweety's = $657.95 complete with shank and either 600 or 1,000 pounds TW : https://tweetys.com/equal-i-zer-with...6f851f84e54b5b The links above are all forthw 1,000-pound TW, but the sane seller has the 600 pounds TW for the same price.

Notice all thee of those are complete with adjustable shank. You can buy the same hitch without a shank for around $100 less, but you have to have an adjustable WD shank, so pay attention to the fine print when you order any WD hitch.

Yeah that seems to be the standard price for the 1,000lb one. I did find it cheaper at Dyers for $479 without the ball.
Equal-i-zer 1,000/10,000 4-Point Sway Control Hitch

[chawkins99]

Originally Posted by chawkins99

Yeah that seems to be the standard price for the 1,000lb one. I did find it cheaper at Dyers for $479 without the ball.
Equal-i-zer 1,000/10,000 4-Point Sway Control Hitch

I bought my new rig last weekend and specifically requested they install an Equalizer hitch. The salesman said "no problem" and tacked on another $650 which I thought was a good price installed. After wandering their accessory store while waiting, I noticed the only WDH hitch they had on display was the Fastway E2 although they had leaflets advertising the Equalizer.

Sure enough, when we went to do the walkthrough, they had installed the E2. When I pointed this out to the tech, he insisted it WAS an Equalizer. "Look, it says it right there" pointing at the Fastway label!

After discussing with the tech, service manager and the salesman, all of who insisted it WAS an Equalizer, I had them remove it and we towed the 60 miles home without WDH.

I ordered the hitch from Dyers which came on Wednesday. I installed it this weekend. All good except trying to tighten the various bolts to the required torque. It calls for 430 lbs on the ball and 340lbs on the shank bolts. My torque wrench only goes up to 250 lbs but it takes all my strength to get there. I'm no spring chicken any more.

[Iraqvet05]

I have had an E2 hitch for 6 years with little issues and it does fine with sway control. I broke one of the locking pawls off the trunion head and Fastway replaced it free (shipped me a new one and paid the return shipping on the old one). I don't know why people downplay this hitch when they have no experience with it.

[chawkins99]

Originally Posted by Iraqvet05

I have had an E2 hitch for 6 years with little issues and it does fine with sway control. I broke one of the locking pawls off the trunion head and Fastway replaced it free (shipped me a new one and paid the return shipping on the old one). I don't know why people downplay this hitch when they have no experience with it.

I did a lot of research this time around before settling on the Equalizer.

Every review I've read from multiple sources where the Equalizer is compared to the Fastway E2 say the Equalizer is superior.

I had an Equalizer on my last TT and could never fault it. I didn't want to spend $650 on it and was seeking cheaper alternatives but when it came to the crunch I didn't want to cheap-out on it and regret it later. In the end I got it from Dyers for a shade under $500.

The E2 relies on the friction between the bars and the bracket on the trailer for sway control. The Equalizer uses that AND friction at the head, which is substantial. It takes some strength to move the bars into position.