I have been reading some of the posts on this site, and now I'm questioning if I have my hitch set-up correctly. I have a Reese hitch with the 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 with the factory towing package. when I bought this last trailer 3 years ago, the dealer set it up for me. the trailer was very wiggle happy, I had to always stay focused , it made the wife and me nervous. When the dealer set it up they had the WD bars hooked to the last link in the chain (no links hinging) so I move it up a notch hooking the 2ND link with 1 hanging and WOW!!! made a huge difference much better. But to get the WD bars to lock-down it takes a great amount strength, I have learned if I rise the trailer up some above the ball that makes it easier, you are pulling the truck up to the trailer. So I'm wondering now if maybe I should adjust my hitch up or down. because it doesn't seem right that it would be so hard to lock the WD bars in. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Setting up hitch for pulling TT ?
- Thread starter campfire7
- Start date
wonka
Active Member
Your first step should be assuring that you are pulling level, nose up or down angles on the trailer will aggravate sway. If your hitch height is set correctly it will make it easier to set sway bars as well, but they do take a little umpf. When we had our last TT we were set up with 3 links hanging, but still had a little sway from time to time. This was mainly either caused by side winds ( 70 mph +) or by the added junk we were hauling inside the trailer, adding extra weight at the rear of the unit can wreak havoc.
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
You have to start with level ground. With the trailer disconnected from the truck, make sure it's level front to rear. Back the truck up to the trailer and adjust the ball height to match the height of the socket. If moving the ball up or down in the holes available won't get it close, it can be tilted front to rear to get closer. Make sure all the ball mount bolts are tight. Raise the trailer and get hooked up and latch the trailer to the ball.
Raise the trailer and truck together an inch or so and now hook up your tension bars and use whichever link that requires a little effort to lock in. Lower the trailer and step back and look at how level the whole set up is. If it's level, go for a test run. You can always use the trailers jack to raise it a little higher and go one more link. Remember when disconnecting the trailer to raise the truck and trailer together to relieve some tension before unhooking the bars.
Raise the trailer and truck together an inch or so and now hook up your tension bars and use whichever link that requires a little effort to lock in. Lower the trailer and step back and look at how level the whole set up is. If it's level, go for a test run. You can always use the trailers jack to raise it a little higher and go one more link. Remember when disconnecting the trailer to raise the truck and trailer together to relieve some tension before unhooking the bars.
JohnD
Moved on to the next thing...
Re: Setting up hitch for pulling TT?
Sounds to me like the person at your dealership that showed you what to do . . . didn't know how to do it!
I see more trailers on the road with WD setups that are not hooked up correctly!
First you need to attach the trailer to the tongue and lock it on, then you want to crank the trailer up (while attached to the hitch of the truck with trailer loaded and gas tank full) until the TRUCK is level front to back, then give it three or four more cranks up (this is important as when you lower it back down, it will settle a little lower than it looks when you are eyeing it up for level).
Next, choose a link to put on the hook (mine is usually on the fifth or sixth link), and using the piece of pipe that came with your WD setup, pry it up in place (this should take a little bit of muscle, but not a whole lot), then do the other side.
Now lower the crank until it is completely off of the ground, then walk away from the truck and trailer and look to see if your TRUCK is level.
If your truck is level, it will handle good . . . if the front is higher than the rear end, you'll get lots of sway!
Also, when you get to the campground and want to unhitch, be sure to crank up the trailer just like you did when you hooked it up to release the pressure (weight) before you use the pipe to take the chains off of the trailer tongue!
I know a guy who didn't know that you had to raise the trailer before removing the chains and when he used the pipe, there was so much pressure that he couldn't hang onto the pipe and it swung down and smashed his foot!
VERY IMPORTANT SIDEBAR:
Even with the WD hitch, I get sway if I go faster than 65 mph, not to mention the fact that the tires that came on our trailers are not rated to go above 65 mph!
Also, I've discovered that if the water and/or sewer tanks are filled or even just have some water in them, the sloshing will cause sway as well!
Sounds to me like the person at your dealership that showed you what to do . . . didn't know how to do it!
I see more trailers on the road with WD setups that are not hooked up correctly!
First you need to attach the trailer to the tongue and lock it on, then you want to crank the trailer up (while attached to the hitch of the truck with trailer loaded and gas tank full) until the TRUCK is level front to back, then give it three or four more cranks up (this is important as when you lower it back down, it will settle a little lower than it looks when you are eyeing it up for level).
Next, choose a link to put on the hook (mine is usually on the fifth or sixth link), and using the piece of pipe that came with your WD setup, pry it up in place (this should take a little bit of muscle, but not a whole lot), then do the other side.
Now lower the crank until it is completely off of the ground, then walk away from the truck and trailer and look to see if your TRUCK is level.
If your truck is level, it will handle good . . . if the front is higher than the rear end, you'll get lots of sway!
Also, when you get to the campground and want to unhitch, be sure to crank up the trailer just like you did when you hooked it up to release the pressure (weight) before you use the pipe to take the chains off of the trailer tongue!
I know a guy who didn't know that you had to raise the trailer before removing the chains and when he used the pipe, there was so much pressure that he couldn't hang onto the pipe and it swung down and smashed his foot!
VERY IMPORTANT SIDEBAR:
Even with the WD hitch, I get sway if I go faster than 65 mph, not to mention the fact that the tires that came on our trailers are not rated to go above 65 mph!
Also, I've discovered that if the water and/or sewer tanks are filled or even just have some water in them, the sloshing will cause sway as well!
Ok guys, I will try this, it all makes sense, Thanks for your help, I will let you know what the out-come is.
JohnD
Moved on to the next thing...
I forgot to mention . . . once you release the chains from the WD hooks, lower the tongue weight back onto the hitch before you uncouple the tongue from the ball.
JohnD
Moved on to the next thing...
priorguy
Well-known member
Yeah, but that takes all of the fun out of the camping experience!
Actually as I get closer to the big 4-OH I find it keeps the fun in camping. ;-)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
