Picking up trailer Saturday and question about hitch setup

Well just to get you all up to speed..got the camper home Saturday without any issues..pulled great even thru the torn up highway I75 thru Cincinnati. Didn't make any adjustments at all to the hitch..It pulled great at 65mph. Next to no sway..get a little push from a semi every now and then but that's it..thanks for all your help..the E2 10k hitch really did the job but wondering if I should upgrade to a 12k hitch..Here is a pic on the way home..

The problem with setting up the hitch at the dealer is that it done with basically an unloaded trailer. You will need to load the truck and trailer for a normal camping trip and set the hitch according to the manufacturers directions for a loaded truck and trailer.

You will need to make sure that you have the hitch instructions and watch the shop do it one time. Or get the dealer to agree that they will reset it once you get the trailer loaded.

Problem with the dealer setting up the hitch correctly, is that they usually don't do it right in the first place. I have found that learning to set up a hitch yourself is the best way.

Wellllllll.... "bust my britches" .... I DO stand corrected! Learn something every day here.

Correct, that is otherwise known as "even squat" and it is old information. On GM trucks there is a bump stop that prevents the front end from going any lower than stock ride height. If you try to get "even squat" you will put so much weight on the front of the truck that you will cause damage.

What is important is the FRONT ride height. When you hitch the trailer, the rear goes down and the front goes UP on your truck.

Previously, the recommendation is to return the front ride height to UNLOADED levels, but no lower than that.

However in the last few years some manufacturers are now saying that you only need to return the front HALFWAY to unloaded ride height.

Ride height measurement is a good way to tell if you have enough weight on your front wheels for proper control and steering. The springs compress/squat so much for a certain weight, and spring compression translates directly to ride height.

For example, if a certain point on your font fender is 31" off the ground unhitched, and 31" off the ground with the trailer hitched and WD engaged, you have roughly the same amount of weight on your front wheels either way.

DutchmenSport wrote:
---When the hitch is on and the weight of the camper is on, the front and back bumper height should be equal in their difference. (if the front lowers 1/2 inch, the back should lower 1/2 inch). You know the WD bars are throwing equal weight over the entire truck, front and back axles.---

The important thing you're attempting to accomplish is to keep the camper as level as possible when attached to the tow vehicle, and you're attempting to distribute weight evenly between the front and the rear axles of the truck.

This is bad advice in general -- and very bad advice, in particular, when applied to the OP's 2012 2500HD GMC.

Most major TV and TT manufacturers advise against the "equal squat" approach to WDH adjustment.
GMC/Chevrolet, in particular, specify that only about 50% of the front axle load should be restored.
For some conditions, they specify that no WD is needed.

The OP should refer to his Owners Manual for correct advice on WDH adjustment.
He definitely should not attempt to adjust his WDH to throw equal weight over the front and back axles.

Ron

Will do...thanks for the great info..

Post photos too when you get the new camper. Have someone take lots of photos as your doing everything, and then post photos on RV.net. I'm anxious and VERY excited for you.

Hey, I should have followed up on your last post! I'm glad to hear you decided to go ahead and get the 295RE! Congrats!

Your hitch. It doesn't take very much to install it and doesn't take a lot of time either. Simply slide the hitch into the receiver of your truck. Make your camper parallel to the ground. Adjust the hitch height so the ball matches the tongue coupler height. Back up the truck and hitch. Let down the tongue jack to where the camper sits level again and the tuck should sit level (hitched) but still with the tongue jack on the ground supporting the weight of both the truck and camper. Then put the L-brackets over the tongue A-Frame and insert the bars into the hitch. Let the bars dangle. Then use your best judgment how high or low those L-brackets need to be adjusted. As soon as you crank the tongue jack up, you immediately see how much sag the back of the truck has. If too much of a variance between the front of the truck and the back, then either raise those L brackets or lower them. Before starting, measure the bumper distance front and back from the ground. When the hitch is on and the weight of the camper is on, the front and back bumper height should be equal in their difference. (if the front lowers 1/2 inch, the back should lower 1/2 inch). You know the WD bars are throwing equal weight over the entire truck, front and back axles. Really, you can't do this ahead of time. You really need the trailer to set it up.

Now, if you want to plan ahead a little, if you can find a dealer that has any Outbacks on the lot, you could always go out there and measure the distance from the ground to the trailer coupler and go ahead and set your hitch to that height. But the L-bracket will have to wait till you get the camper.

The important thing you're attempting to accomplish is to keep the camper as level as possible when attached to the tow vehicle, and you're attempting to distribute weight evenly between the front and the rear axles of the truck.

Clear as mud, hum?

Hey, good luck! Congrats too!

I agree with what was said, but remember you will likely need to readjust the hitch once you have the trailer loaded up. I assume you will be picking it up empty??

Download the E2 instructions and bring all the necessary tools. That's what I did with my Equalizer when I picked it up at the dealer about 40 miles away. I was able to get it close enough to drive home and then dialed it in once there. You'll need a torque wrench and all the necessary sockets. Most important thing I needed to find out was the tongue height, which I measured at the dealer, then I started out with the recommended tilt in the head so all I had to do at the dealer was bolt the side L-brackets on.

On the other hand, hitch it up and see how it looks first, it might be close enough to drive away.