Weight distributing hitch question

[CamperLifer]

Originally Posted by move on

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?...q=81&skin=2021

Stay safe.

Are you OK ?
That link is a study from 1977 about station wagons towing without a WDH !

[CamperLifer]

Originally Posted by move on

Actually it does point out the evils of weight distribution hitches. The principles established in that study are still valid today.

Absolutely not. You can't be serious.
Like I posted the other night, let us know when you have proof of your claim that jackknifing is more likely at more than 15% TW.

[CamperLifer]

Originally Posted by Ldubs

I had not heard of the jackknife issue before I read it on these forums. My understanding has always been too much tongue weight could cause control/overloading problems.

Of course you can overload a TV suspension with too much tongue weight ... or too much cabin cargo or too many passengers, or ... ETC.

[move on]

Originally Posted by CamperLifer

Absolutely not. You can't be serious.

Like I posted the other night, let us know when you have proof of your claim that jackknifing is more likely at more than 15% TW.

The paper I linked to should explain the phenomenon of oversteer and jackknifing. It's the most comprehensive study publicly available on the subject and on the issue of towing stability in general. It is backed up by over 600 full scale tests using both cargo trailers and travel trailers. Aside from the study, however, it should be intuitively obvious that a high tongue weight will promote oversteer and jackknifing. Try to think what happens with all that weight forward of the trailer axles when you go around a turn. As the horizontal g force at the ball mount increases it pushes the rear of the tow vehicle outwards away from its intended path. You might also look into the SAE J2807 towing standard. This document requires truck manufacturers to pass an understeer test to justify their towing claims. Too much tongue weight and the rig fails the test.

[Honestron]

I stand corrected. The ball is NOT welded to the hitch as I first said. Took me a bit to get out and look, well, life gets in the way sometimes.
So, YES, I was wrong. My apologies.

[CamperLifer]

Originally Posted by move on

The paper I linked to should explain the phenomenon of oversteer and jackknifing. It's the most comprehensive study publicly available on the subject and on the issue of towing stability in general. It is backed up by over 600 full scale tests using both cargo trailers and travel trailers. Aside from the study, however, it should be intuitively obvious that a high tongue weight will promote oversteer and jackknifing. Try to think what happens with all that weight forward of the trailer axles when you go around a turn. As the horizontal g force at the ball mount increases it pushes the rear of the tow vehicle outwards away from its intended path. You might also look into the SAE J2807 towing standard. This document requires truck manufacturers to pass an understeer test to justify their towing claims. Too much tongue weight and the rig fails the test.

You must be living in 1980.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by CamperLifer

You must be living in 1980.

Nah, 1977!

Sometimes I wish this site had a way to screen people for some sort of credentials. Some replies are only 45 years out of date and out of tune with reality.

[CamperLifer]

Originally Posted by kdauto

Nah, 1977!

Sometimes I wish this site had a way to screen people for some sort of credentials. Some replies are only 45 years out of date and out of tune with reality.

No argument there !

[Redfour5]

Originally Posted by carybosse

Not sure I understand, do you have a picture of your WD hitch? Can you give us a model number for the Curt hitch?

Most WD hitches have an adjustment for height, I believe, although 6" is probably outside the range of most hitches I have seen, unless maybe by flipping the hitch setup. Does your truck have some sort of lift?

Not sure I understand the "welded" portion of your description, thus my request for a picture.

I am using the Curt WD hitch below. Most surprising to me is the increase in price: I paid $228 plus tax in October 2020, price now is more than double at $477. That is greater than 100% inflation.

In any event, I think you can get a slight rise to a slight drop with this unit, maybe the range from rise to drop is a total of 6".


https://www.curtmfg.com/part/17062#C...20Distribution

I have one comment... Ditch the chains...

[Gammel]

Honestron, I'm getting a new hitch so I will let my 2 year old Equalizer go for half price. It's the right size for you but I don't know where you are. Shipping is crazy now but perhaps it could work.