Weight distribution

[TXiceman]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Wow_. So much misinformation, repeated so many times. I completely agree with old-biscuit's advice.

Just remember that the advice you receive on the internet is generally worth exactly what you paid for it.....nothing. You have to read enough and know enough to filter out opinions from factual information from knowledgeable people.

So much of the towing information you get from the EXPERTS on this as well as other forums is nothing but opinion and based on their vast experience with one RV and one trip.

I have been RVing since 1984 and have been through all types of RVs except for class B. I am also a retired graduate engineer with a PE license and lots of field experience to back up my information.

I would not pull that RV without a weight distribution hitch and a sway control.

Ken

[move on]

Originally Posted by TXiceman

Just remember that the advice you receive on the internet is generally worth exactly what you paid for it.....nothing. You have to read enough and know enough to filter out opinions from factual information from knowledgeable people.

So much of the towing information you get from the EXPERTS on this as well as other forums is nothing but opinion and based on their vast experience with one RV and one trip.

I have been RVing since 1984 and have been through all types of RVs except for class B. I am also a retired graduate engineer with a PE license and lots of field experience to back up my information.

I would not pull that RV without a weight distribution hitch and a sway control.

Ken

I think you need to research the issue of oversteer. You will see that you are wrong in thinking that a weight distribution hitch is a safety device. It is not. It will negatively affect the rig's stability by making it more susceptible to oversteer and jackknife.

There is a widespread belief that everyone should have a WD hitch. This comes from several sources and none are based on engineering analysis:

-RV dealers trying to sell bigger trailers than a customer's tow vehicle can handle (just throw a hitch on it. You'll be OK).
-RV and hitch salesmen trying to make another sale before you drive off.
-tow vehicle manufacturers who want to brag about how much their trucks can tow.

I am of the opinion that WD hitches should not be permitted. The only solution to improve safety and stability is to get a properly sized tow vehicle.

[Bobertgoes]

I too am an engineer with exceptionally vast experience in towing both big and small trailers with and without a WDH.
Sometimes people will try to scare you and say, this bad thing can happen therefore it will certainly happen to you. Caution is always to be exercised, but just stay home if you cannot risk anything. Towing, by nature, can be dangerous even under the best situations. Every one pound of extra weight you add to a moving vehicle is adding danger, but do not be discouraged.

What the hens are saying is that the WDH has unique characteristics that you need to know, but really can't do much about when driving. the WDH works by pushing up at the tow ball connection. All is good until you bounce the vehicle (thru a dip, over a bump etc) and cause the vehicle to "unweight" which is when it bounces and the WDH is already pushing up on the hitch so the middle might bounce higher, and thus weight the front end much more than normal and cause handling issues. You probably do not need to understand the physics, but just that it will handle strange and can do strange things when outside of the normal operating conditions.

I have used WDH on light trailers that did not really need them and never detected any issues or poor handling issues, and used WDH on heavy trailers that needed it and both handles good.

Be careful going through deep dips, sharp up slopes like driveways that cause the angle of the vehicle and trailer to increase up and down (not side to side as in a turn). Like closing an open book, when the ends fold up this increases tension on the WDH spring, which is pulling down on the trailer frame and the WDH too via those chains. It could bend the trailer frame. I have had the rear tires lift off the ground (or stay on the ground and just be unweighted) such that I lose traction at the rear wheels. SO if you have to go down a rutted out dirt road then it is good practice to remove the spring bars.