Question about W/D hitch setup .

thirtydaZe wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

sljkansas wrote:
I pull a 5th wheel, and only pulled a TT for a short pull once for a friend and did help a fellow camper adjust his hitch ( I had the 3/4 drive set to tighten the ball). My question is what is the purpose of tilting the receiver ball forward or backwards?

It's not so much the ball you are tilting. It is the hitch head. The hitch head then makes the springer bars point / lean / angle, toward the ground. You then have to pull them UP to get them level. That is what transferes the weight. IF the hitch head is sitiing level. then the bars are level, and will pull no weight when you hook them up.

so the farther you have the hitch head tilted toward the ground. the more weight the bars will pull when you hook them up level.

i've been forever wondering how properly the rv dealer set mine up. recently i've been thinking about doing it myself, taking the entire thing apart and doing a reassemble. Just don't really want to buy an air wrench for the job.

anyhow, my hitch is an equilizer, when looking at my truck from either side my hitch head tilts toward the truck (up). always thought it was a bit funny. i know there is an adjustment there.

what is going on with that adjustment exactly, and should i remove some washers and tilt the head, down/away from my truck?

I would think so. But with out being there to see how it affects t he truck, and trailer. I can't give you the right answer. All you can do is try it, and see.

Terryallan wrote:

sljkansas wrote:
I pull a 5th wheel, and only pulled a TT for a short pull once for a friend and did help a fellow camper adjust his hitch ( I had the 3/4 drive set to tighten the ball). My question is what is the purpose of tilting the receiver ball forward or backwards?

It's not so much the ball you are tilting. It is the hitch head. The hitch head then makes the springer bars point / lean / angle, toward the ground. You then have to pull them UP to get them level. That is what transferes the weight. IF the hitch head is sitiing level. then the bars are level, and will pull no weight when you hook them up.

so the farther you have the hitch head tilted toward the ground. the more weight the bars will pull when you hook them up level.

i've been forever wondering how properly the rv dealer set mine up. recently i've been thinking about doing it myself, taking the entire thing apart and doing a reassemble. Just don't really want to buy an air wrench for the job.

anyhow, my hitch is an equilizer, when looking at my truck from either side my hitch head tilts toward the truck (up). always thought it was a bit funny. i know there is an adjustment there.

what is going on with that adjustment exactly, and should i remove some washers and tilt the head, down/away from my truck?

Thank you for the responses. Now after reading your posts, it makes sense. Dad had a w/d hitch when I was a kid (35 years ago, wife says I'm still childish), but the head didn't move, we just dropped/added links of the chain to set the hitch up.

Terryallan wrote:

sljkansas wrote:
I pull a 5th wheel, and only pulled a TT for a short pull once for a friend and did help a fellow camper adjust his hitch ( I had the 3/4 drive set to tighten the ball). My question is what is the purpose of tilting the receiver ball forward or backwards?

It's not so much the ball you are tilting. It is the hitch head. The hitch head then makes the springer bars point / lean / angle, toward the ground. You then have to pull them UP to get them level. That is what transferes the weight. IF the hitch head is sitiing level. then the bars are level, and will pull no weight when you hook them up.

so the farther you have the hitch head tilted toward the ground. the more weight the bars will pull when you hook them up level.

Correct. Plus, each WDH has a specification for how far the end of the bar should be from the ground as a starting point so you can make an initial tilt setting.

sljkansas wrote:
I pull a 5th wheel, and only pulled a TT for a short pull once for a friend and did help a fellow camper adjust his hitch ( I had the 3/4 drive set to tighten the ball). My question is what is the purpose of tilting the receiver ball forward or backwards?

It's not so much the ball you are tilting. It is the hitch head. The hitch head then makes the springer bars point / lean / angle, toward the ground. You then have to pull them UP to get them level. That is what transferes the weight. IF the hitch head is sitiing level. then the bars are level, and will pull no weight when you hook them up.

so the farther you have the hitch head tilted toward the ground. the more weight the bars will pull when you hook them up level.