# towing level...is ti possible?



## Splash Mountainers (May 3, 2004)

Ok, when I'm towing, my trailer rear end sits noticeably lower than the front of the trailer. I tried going from 4 hanging to 3 hanging links to help level it on the reese dual cam system but only caused bad swing in the trailer going down the road.

Should I lower my receiver ball? I have 2 more adjustments down and I'm thinking its set too high. I may just take it to the dealer and tell them the current setup is not acceptable and have them re-do it properly.

Any good advice on getting the front of the trailer down level??

I've read the other towing threads but didn't see anything about this.

Thanks all!


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## chetlenox (Feb 3, 2004)

Sounds like you need to drop the receiver ball a notch or two... I'd definitely give it a try.

Chet.


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## kjp1969 (Apr 25, 2004)

The only way to cure that is to lower the ball using the adjustment you described. The trailer should be as level as possible.

Kevin P.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Yep drop the ball one and see how that does. My combo was the opposite, low at the hitch so I rotated the unit and it now rides level.


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

Ditto, drop the ball height.

Check for level on the trailer frame or measure at the front of the frame and then the rear first to see how far off it is.

I am slightly low at the hitch, about 1/4" I think.

More tension on the bars will put more weight to the truck front axle and may possibly lift the tongue and rear of truck ever so slightly.

Good Luck


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## Splash Mountainers (May 3, 2004)

Thanks all









I'll drop the ball and give that a try. Now, breaking those 2 large bolts free will be another thing!!


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## lukn2doit2 (Jun 4, 2004)

I don't think its really a hijack







, but - is there anywhere that states what the ball height (or receiver) should be? Or do you just have to level the frame or TT and go from there. I've done some searching and beat the bag of paperwork up and nothing.

Im still working on the "2 bolts" - tore my vise off my workbence, then realized it would be better to put it acutally in the TRUCK!


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Pull your trailer to a level area, disconnect from the TV, and level the trailer front to back using the tongue jack. Then measure the distance from the top of inside top of the coupler to the ground. Now you have a reference to where the Ball mount needs to be above the ground in relation to the TV. After you hook up, the spring bars should distribute the wgt evenly and the trailer may then have a slightly nose down angle. As long as it is only slight, it should be ok.

If you still have the Reese paperwork, it is fully explained in the WD hitch instructions.

Tim


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## lukn2doit2 (Jun 4, 2004)

ok, pipe wrench and some wd40 and a pulled muscle... 2 bolts out.
*Splash Mountainers*, my receiver was "L" pointing up and then 2 holes showing below the bracket - tilt set to 1 - ball height looked way to high but this is what finally got it ALL level, that and 6 hanging links...


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## lukn2doit2 (Jun 4, 2004)

Thanks Tim...
I never got the hitch paperwork... I was so excited/scared to see it hooked up at the dealer and think I HAD to drive THAT home, I didn't even think about it.

Good timing on the question Splash Mountainers, hope you get yours leveled out!
Thought the picture might help...

Hopefully tomorrow I can roll out of the driveway. Got just over 400 miles on it... Gota drive 100 tomorrow, before that magic 500 mile tow restriction. I then hope to have all weekend to play with getting the brakes and hitch stuff tested so that next weekend we can head out with the new truck!!!
Y-guy, I have not installed iespell here at home and I now fell naked typeing this... Don't look at my 3rd grade spelling!!!! never figured how your suppose to spell taters with a P!!!


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

lukn2doit2, are you using Reese round bars or trunnion bars? They look different than mine. Mine are trunnion which are square shaped.

My truck fenderwells measure in at 36.5" unhooked, so I have my hitch shank to drop a ways compared to yours going up. My hitch head uses the new serrated washer instead of that 6 sided thing you have to rotate for ball tilt.

Pretty much the same hitch but a little different.

KS


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## lukn2doit2 (Jun 4, 2004)

The bars are round, then square in the middle, then flat...
I guess they are the round. they are 1000lb ones.

Last night I got my hitch head all the way down to the last hole, with the L up - I think it is still a few inches to high. I guess this afternoon I will break it all loose and flip the L down and go from there. This new dodge is so different from the Tahoe. Last night I dropped the outback straight on the hitch and truck only sank 1 1/2" - (that's 800 lbs of tongue weight) actually the truck looked level then! So I don't know where I will have to set the tilt and tension on the bars...


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## lukn2doit2 (Jun 4, 2004)

Ok, I got courious... 
I do have the 1000lb round bars.


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

This is similar to what mine looks like. I have the trunnion 1200 lb bars.
Note the serrated washer instead of the multi-sided one you have, I am set 5 notches from the rear on mine.

KS


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## chetlenox (Feb 3, 2004)

lukn2doit2,

Your note about tearing your vise off the workbench made me laugh out loud. That sounds EXACTLY like something I'd do.









Chet.


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## lukn2doit2 (Jun 4, 2004)

1st try on "L" facing up measured to high I thought, so I fliped it over and put it at the top - that is the picture. I am going to flip it back and run it all the way down. That will run the ball up about 1".

Anyone see anything major here, except for the outback being a bit to low in the front???


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Luk, looks good to me, at least from the photo's. How low in the front is it? A little low won't hurt, and may help with some tongue wgt transfer up front.

Tim


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

luk

Nice set-up. Truck and TT match









Any problems getting the right number of links?

Thor


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## lukn2doit2 (Jun 4, 2004)

*hatcityhosehauler* its a little more than an inch lower - at least how i leveled it to begin with. this picture shows off the difference a bit more.








people proab thought i was crazy taking shots of my rig, but at least now i can sit back and look at it a bunch, then start over tomorrow and compare photos.

*thor*, the dodge rear end didn't hardly move when i dropped the coupler on it even without the WD bars - so i just went a link less than i had on the tahoe with this camper. i proab need to go back to being on the 7th free link to make up for the 800lb tongue weight.

tomorrow i will redo it and bring the ball up about an inch and put the bars up 1 link and then check the fender height all around again.

I really appreciate everyone's help...

and not to side swipe you *Splash Mountainers*, we were just on the same topic - and i proab would not have started a new one. did you get those bolts out and re adjusted? you prob took your time and did a clean job, and my impatience caused me to use a pipe wrench and bugger up the end!!!!


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## aplvlykat (Jan 25, 2004)

Lukn, I don't know if it will help but when looking in walmart I saw combo wrenches in the towing section. They were 1 1/16 x 1 1/2 boxed end and I think the price was 8.00 dollars. Kirk


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## lukn2doit2 (Jun 4, 2004)

I love this forum and site!!!!

kirk... i was just online trying to find where to go. I will stop at wallie world FIRST, before I hit Sears.

One time with a pipe wrench was not to bad, but 2 or 3 and I need to get the right tools - or ill be replacing those 2 bolts!


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## Splash Mountainers (May 3, 2004)

Hey Lukn--I'm learning a lot from all of this! I'll be tackling those bolts on Monday most likely. Your set-up looks great in the pics! THanks again to everyone for the help.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Luk, 2 things, 1. when you talk about loinks hanging, how many from the spring bar to the snap up bracker. Checking the Reese instruction sheet, all measurements are that way, with the optimum being 5 links. This is from my instructions for the trunnion style WD hitch, which is a little different than your set up.

You might try to give Reese a call and see if they can get you another set of instructions.

2. How are you going to get the torque right on those bolts. According to my literature, the two nuts holding the ball mount need to be torqued to 300 ft/lbs. Yes, you read that correctly. 300 ft/lbs. There is an addendum the says if you don't have access to a torque wrench that big, then you can torque to 150 ft/lbs, and the turn each nut an additional 1/4 turn. Either way, that is tight.

If you would like a copy of my instructions, PM your address to me, and I can photo copy them and send them to you. Again, I have the trunnion style WD hitch, with the Dual Cam HP sway control.

Tim


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## lukn2doit2 (Jun 4, 2004)

*kirk*, didn't make it to wally world, but did make it t sears - 1 18" 1/2 drive breaker bar, and a 1 1/8 socket, and 1 12" crescent wrench. It was tax free day for all purchases do to "school" for GA - so the malls and other stores were packed!!!

Works so much better with the right tools.







I got it all bolted back up and tight. Tomorrow afternoon I will take it for a spin, once i get the prodigy installed - glad I ordered the dodge cable it should only take me a few minutes to rip it outa the tahoe and mount/connect up the cables.
Ill take some shots and repost to see if anyone can see anything in the setup - this being a first for me.
*
Tim*, I saw the 300ftlbs on the bar, I will swing by the garage at work monday and get em to just check it out - would make me feel better, since i was picking up pretty hard on the rear of the truck. Being at a power company, they got all the big stuff out there for those big international bucket trucks - they should have a torque wrench in that size.

I have been backwards since the last camper, I've always counted from the free chain end. But, if I go from the bar, I was on 5 for the tahoe and will end up on 5 for the dodge it looks like.

Thanks *Splash Mountainers*, I hope we get MANY years out of the combo - we have finally found something that we all get excited about doing together!!!
I finally have well over 500 miles on the new truck - so tomorrow, if it looks right, ill take it out on the interstate and a few back roads to get a feel for it.

cheers all


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## lukn2doit2 (Jun 4, 2004)

OK done deal... rig is done. All i have left is to double check the torque on the receiver tomorrow.

I took the setup out on a 50 mile trip that was interstate and back roads and they worked v e r y well together.







I am sure going to enjoy the extra power, while I miss the interior space of the Tahoe.

I filled up the gray and black tanks with fresh water and then dumped them at a rest stop right before heading back - that way i could also feel the outback pretty well loaded.

There are quite a few on this forum that like putting their 2 cents in, and that is what i am banking on.

These LAST photos are the finished setup - the parking lot is a little deceiving - it slopes down but is level







, but i hope if anyone notices anything that stands out, they'll chime in. We leave this Friday for Yogi in the smokies, in Cherokee NC - about 3 hours from here, so i want a best effort for getting it right.

The only thing that through a kink in my plans was the prodigy brake install, (there was another topic on this i think), it was to close on the right side for my knee and i can't see it on the right - so... it consumed most of my day and part of my dash storage - at least now i know how to tear the dash off of this brand new truck!









Tim, worked out just right... 5 on the links.

here are the shots, please forgive for being a big obsessive compulsive... Last time, i just walked outside and the service manger gave me the keys to our rig all hooked up and ready to go...

thanks all, weekend's done, going to bed...


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Luk, looks good to me. Boy, the Dodge design engineers didn't give you much room to locate that BC did they. Glad everything worked out ok.

Tim


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## aplvlykat (Jan 25, 2004)

Lukn, could not tell by the pic's but do you have a pin or bolt through the ball slide lock thing? Its a must have so the ball will stay put. Kirk


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## lukn2doit2 (Jun 4, 2004)

Kirk, I have a locking pin that goes through the receiver bar in the hitch, if that is what you are asking?
Here's a shot with both my locks pointed out...


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## snsgraham (May 18, 2004)

For those of you with the right tools on hand-------------an air impact gun works really well on the bolts and nuts for a hitch.

Scott


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## lukn2doit2 (Jun 4, 2004)

adding a side note...

I figured I would try and get the torsin bar closer to center on cam, as mentioned here and or on another topic.

I had to shorten the cam bar about 1/2 inch to get it right on after i put tension on the setup.

here is before and after close up, this was not near as hard as the receiver part!!! 
















I think this is now right on. Has anyone seen "Monk"? hahhaha


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Looks good LTD, right in the sweet spot


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