# Wd Hitch And Driving Question



## GarryL (May 27, 2012)

Hi Folks,

Sorry for a newbie question, but I need to ask this; I just picked up our new TT and got the Equalizer 1200 lb hitch. Towed it home 200 miles yesterday and it towed very well. Had several semi trucks go by and didn't experience any sway what so ever. My question is this; When I think about how the WD hitch works and the fact that all pavement surfaces are not flat, as an example pulling into a parking lot where there's elevation in the pavement or "ramp' into the parking lot or similar situations, it seems like there will be a lot more load/stress placed on everything. Without the WD bars, the trailer/truck could pivot about the ball with no issue, but with the WD bars pre-loaded for WD and in this situation where the truck/trailer would still need to pivot about the ball, it can't do so without placing an extreme amount of extra load on everything. Is this a big concern? It seems like something would have to give and I know that I'm not always going to be on perfectly flat ground.

I would sure like some thoughts from you seasoned folks, as this is our first travel trailer.

Thanks,

Garry

2007 Dodge 2500 HD 5.9 Cummins
2013 Outdoors RV Blackstone 280FKS


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

You're absolutely correct about the forces involved at different angles. The WD bars are also known as "spring bars" as they are made to flex a certain amount. Heavier bars will flex less than lighter bars, but will also carry and transfer more weight to your front suspension. Under normal conditions (driveways, etc), the bars will flex within a reasonable amount and all will be good. With extreme angles (steep driveways, very uneven terrain), you may want to remove the bars before you make that move. If you don't, the bars will be under a lot more pressure and brackets, hangers, etc. could bend or even break. For those of us with snap-up brackets and chains (Reese Dual Cam), trying to lower the brackets and remove the bars under all that pressure can lead to some nasty injuries. I've read about broken bones and big gashes when people did just that. I got myself last year when I tried to lift up my snap-up bracket under too much pressure. I didn't have the retainer clip in my hand, reached to get it and the bracket slammed downward. The cheater bar got my thigh and gave me about a 6" scrape. Hurt like hell...


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## duggy (Mar 17, 2010)

X2 on the uneven terrain.

I've never had an uneven enough situation to warrant removing my bars on my Equal-i-zer, and so far nothing has been damaged. Last summer I was moving the trailer from one campsite to another in the same park, and didn't bother using the WD bars. It brought to light a potential problem that you want to be aware of if you remove the bars to get in a driveway or campsite. Without the bars in place, the "sockets" that receive the WD bars don't pivot during turns. I had one of them jam against the frame of the trailer, just behind the ball mount, and dig a small piece of metal out of the frame. If I had turned sharper it could have been worse. I think the problem could be avoided by swinging the "sockets" out wide when you remove the bars.


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## Leedek (Nov 28, 2010)

Snap, crackle, pop is fine for the morning cereal bowl but it left me wondering when my 210RS w/ Equalizer hitch was making the noise. I finally investigated. I backed the TT at an acute and somewhat uphill angle to the TV. I got out and noticed that the spring bars were not riding in their respective saddles. One bar was torqued and riding high and into the L-bracket. I decided from that point on to lube the hitch at ALL moving points. I have attached a photo to detail these points. My hitch is now smooth and noise free in all positions.

The photo is from the Equalizer web site. I added arrows and text to support my lube theory.


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## Bill & Kate (Apr 28, 2012)

We don't have an Equalizer - we have a Reese Pro Series SC which operates on the same principal. Whenever we are going to be backing up at a tight angle, we take off the bars before backing up. This avoids excessive forces on the bars and brackets. I don't think it is absolutely necessary to take them off, but they sure look like the go through a lot of stress when making a sharp turn while backing up. I figure they are going to have to come off sooner or later anyhow, so why not sooner and be safe ....


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## KTMRacer (Jun 28, 2010)

your correct that the forces can increase. unless then angle is real severe, I doubt it would normally cause any problems, IMHO I'd probably be digging the bars or trailer tail into the asphalt before forces get to high.

However, I did find out that I really cannot safely put the bars on my Reese DC when the truck is in the driveway. With the trailer in the driveway, the truck is in the street and there is a signficant "V" between the trailer and truck. the result is that even with the tongue jacked up as high as it will go, the force needed to put the spring bar on is way higher than I'm comfortable with. I've seen what happens when the lift bar slips on the bracket, and the results could be deadly. So I pull into the street where it is level before I put on or take off my bars.


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## W.E.BGood (Jan 15, 2011)

The street in front of our house has a high center crown, shallow gutters and a moderate up-grade for the first 8 feet of the driveway apron. When backing our 250RS into the driveway it WOULD put a LOT of stress on the Equalizer 1k/10K bars to the point where the rear truck wheels would be making pretty light contact with the pavement near the gutter (eg. VERY easy to spin). And if I took the bars off, the bottom tip of the hitch would scrape the pavement for a short distance.
Partially for that reason, and largely to reduce the "porpoising" effect on some of the jouncy sectioned roads we have here in the midwest, I splurged for Airlift 5000 suspension springs/bags with the on-board remote compressor...I absolutely LOVE them. Smooths-out the ride, lets me get around easily without the WD bars for the maneuvering into uneven spaces and drives, and backing into tight corners and narrow sites. One doesn't NEED the remote/on-board set-up, but it's sure convenient


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## Bill & Kate (Apr 28, 2012)

W.E.BGood said:


> I splurged for Airlift 5000 suspension springs/bags with the on-board remote compressor...I absolutely LOVE them.


I agree. We have the Airlift bags on our "retired" TV - a 1995 Chevy/Quigley G20 4x4 van - and it made a big difference "fine tuning" the rear end to suit different loading conditions. Haven't found the need with the current TV as the suspension is heavier duty, and it sits higher in the first place.


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## duggy (Mar 17, 2010)

Leedek said:


> Snap, crackle, pop is fine for the morning cereal bowl but it left me wondering when my 210RS w/ Equalizer hitch was making the noise. I finally investigated. I backed the TT at an acute and somewhat uphill angle to the TV. I got out and noticed that the spring bars were not riding in their respective saddles. One bar was torqued and riding high and into the L-bracket. I decided from that point on to lube the hitch at ALL moving points. I have attached a photo to detail these points. My hitch is now smooth and noise free in all positions.
> 
> The photo is from the Equalizer web site. I added arrows and text to support my lube theory.


I lube all the sliding points as well, and I can't say there is any more noise turning the trailer with the Equal-i-zer, than without. That said, last summer a trailer pulled in to the site next to us, and I couldn't believe the noise his Equal-i-zer made. It helped me understand what some people are complaining about. I suggested he try lubricating the friction points, and he said he already had.


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