willi4nd wrote:
....snip....
Thank you so much for the encouraging post, have been in the dumps since I started the thread.
When I set out to purchase my truck and trailer, I took the advice from the salesman from both mainly because I dont have much experience in towing.
To me it simple subtraction Truck 6500 tow cap - Trailer 4300 lbs...no brainer. I guess thats not it works.
Being that both are brand spanking new I have no choice but to make due, adjust everything as perfect as I can and try to be smart.
Could you possibly explain WD hitch 100 FALR?
Also, so you dont think it is necessary to add a transmission cooler?
When I said "100 FALR" I should have typed "100% FALR". The object of that is to get the weight that is on the front ( steer ) axle to be the same, when the trailer is hooked up, and the WD bars are engaged, as they are when the truck is solo.
To determine this, you are going to take the truck across the scales by itself, then two more passes over the scales with the trailer. This procedure is outlined here ( courtesy of forum member Ron G ):
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/25928885/gotomsg/25929827.cfm#25929827When you first look at this, it may appear a bit confusing or daunting, but once you get in to doing it, you'll see it all makes sense.
In the end, your goal will be ( when all hooked up, and with WD engaged...ready to roll ) to have the trailer level, have 12% to 13% of the trailer weight as tongue weight, and have the steer axle weigh the same as it does while the truck is solo. If the steer axle is too light, then you need to transfer more weight with the WD hitch. If it's too heavy, you reset to transfer less weight. Either too light or too heavy can result in poor steering characteristics.
As a general comment, this truck is like most trucks in that the "tow capacity" number can be misleading. The first limit you typically run into is payload ( GVWR ) or rear axle load rating.
Regarding adding a trans cooler: it may, or may not be necessary. I'd say this though, there is pretty much no downside to installing one, and if you fall into the category of "yes, my truck needs one", then certainly we'd call adding one a good thing for sure. They are cheap insurance.
Two other things that I have done to my Frontier, both of which are a huge improvement, are changing the shocks to Bilstein 5100, and adding a Helwig anti-roll bar to the rear suspension.
hope this helps
EDIT: a little further thought on setting up. Some folks have stated that "measuring the front ride height of the truck" as a way to achieve 100% front axle load restoration. And yes, on this truck ( mine anyway ) doing it by measuring with a tape measure, and then following up confirming it at the CAT scale, proved that doing it by ride height was in fact accurate.
