We took delivery of our 2013 Dutchmen 261BHS Friday. We loaded it with almost everything we had in the old camper while at the dealer. The Dutchmen came with a Huskey 800-1000lb WDH. It must have been used with a 4x4 because it was 8 inches to low. We flipped the shank and adjusted it with a tape measure and the old "eyeballing it" method. We left from the dealers lot for our first weekend trip. On the way home I hit the scales. With the current setup, the TT is 1 inch higher in the front than the back, The front axle of TV is the same height and the rear dropped 1 1/4 inches. Making the TV level front and rear. The weight bars are pointed slightly up towards the frame. Using the 6th link.TV without TT, Steer axle 3500 Drive axle 3860 Total 7360TV with TT and WDH, Steer axle 3520 Drive axle 4660 TT axle 6620 Total 14800I think the numbers look good, but need to drop the ball height.What do ya think?How critical is it to have the WD bars level with the TT frame?Is the tongue weight 800lbs?

Drop the hitch head one hole on the shank and adjust the angle back one notch to help level the bars.

Your numbers look good to me and the bars look ok also. You have 6 links under tension which is good and the bars are just slightly off level. As long as the chains don't crash into the snap up brackets during turns (and they shouldn't based on what I see) you should not have to make any farther adjustments in my opinion except to lower the hitch head one hole to level the trailer.If you decide to tilt the hitch head to level and lower the ends of the bars you are probably going to have to use 7 links under tension or you will have too much weight transfer taking place. Nothing wrong with that either.Barney

SC camper wrote:I think the numbers look good, but need to drop the ball height.What do ya think?How critical is it to have the WD bars level with the TT frame?Is the tongue weight 800lbs?Yes, the numbers look good. And, it would be good to drop the hitch head.As Barney stated, it is not necessary for the WD bars to be parallel to the TT's frame as long as the bars cannot contact the frame when turning.The indicated tongue weight is approximately 1060# with 240# being transferred to the TT's axles.Ron

Big thing, how does it feel? If it feels good, I would leave it.

I agree with most of the above. Drop the ball one notch, add one washer. Also, can you move the bracket a little toward the front to straighten the chains? I pull one of a similar size to yours with that same hitch and use two sway bars as well as 1400# bars. It sits almost perfectly level to the truck, slightly nose down. Pulls great.

WDH adjustments after hitting scales | Good Sam Community

bguy
Explorer
Sep 26, 2014
The whole point of angling the hitch head back was so you could drop down a couple links and level your bars. The 7th link now should be approximately the same as 6th link before.
SC_camper
Explorer
Sep 25, 2014
mkirsch wrote:
SC camper wrote:
I see what you mean about using a right handed sway bar on the left. Turn it upside down, remove the part that attaches to the hitch and turn it back over. The handle will be on the outside but will be upside down.

They do make left handed sway bars.
http://www.amazon.com/Husky-37498-Handed-Adjustable-Control/dp/B004RCPBUQ

Why you making it so complicated? Just swap it end for end. The balls are the same on both ends.

I'm not trying to be complicated. If I have to send money to buy another sway bar I might as well get the right thing. I would consider using a right mount on the left if I can find some incredible deal.
SC_camper
Explorer
Sep 25, 2014
CampingN.C. wrote:
It sounds like you understand the process. Your weights are important, but as said earlier, how does it feel? A washer here or a link there may not effect the scales much but can make a HUGE difference in feel.
Do you have anything for sway control?

It felt pretty good the way it was. I was only on the interstate for about 30 miles the first go around, the rest of the time was on state hwy. I felt some wander but that might be from the Excursion. This is the first hitch I've had that was adjustable, and I want to spend some time and get it the best I can.

The new camper came with the hitch and friction sway bar. I want to add the second sway bar for good measure. I have the Reese dual cam adapters but my weight bars don't have the bend to work as sway control. I would like to use it but will use what I have for now.
BarneyS
Explorer III
Sep 25, 2014
mkirsch wrote:
SC camper wrote:
I see what you mean about using a right handed sway bar on the left. Turn it upside down, remove the part that attaches to the hitch and turn it back over. The handle will be on the outside but will be upside down.

They do make left handed sway bars.
http://www.amazon.com/Husky-37498-Handed-Adjustable-Control/dp/B004RCPBUQ

Why you making it so complicated? Just swap it end for end. The balls are the same on both ends.

Not quite. The ball sockets on each end of the sway bar are rotated 90 degrees from each other. SC camper is correct.
Barney
mkirsch
Nomad II
Sep 25, 2014
SC camper wrote:
I see what you mean about using a right handed sway bar on the left. Turn it upside down, remove the part that attaches to the hitch and turn it back over. The handle will be on the outside but will be upside down.

They do make left handed sway bars.
http://www.amazon.com/Husky-37498-Handed-Adjustable-Control/dp/B004RCPBUQ

Why you making it so complicated? Just swap it end for end. The balls are the same on both ends.
CampingN_C_
Explorer
Sep 25, 2014
It sounds like you understand the process. Your weights are important, but as said earlier, how does it feel? A washer here or a link there may not effect the scales much but can make a HUGE difference in feel.
Do you have anything for sway control?
SC_camper
Explorer
Sep 25, 2014
I adjusted the hitch while at work today. I lowered the hitch head 1 hole and added a washer to tilt the bars down a bit. Im going to try to get to the scales this weekend. Will I be ok if everything is not loaded for a trip? Everything is loaded except food and clothes in TT; tool box, tackle box and family(dw, dd) in TV. I am thinking to weigh with hitch setup this way, using 6 links then 7 links. Drop TT and weigh TV alone. If the numbers dont look the way I want, take the added washer out and go back to 6 links then reweigh.
CampingN_C_
Explorer
Sep 24, 2014
It looks a little tongue high, might just be the picture though.
campigloo
Explorer
Sep 24, 2014
SC, I lost one of my washers while adjusting mine. Was working on concrete driveway and it fell into the black hole. Just disappeared! I replaced it with one from the hardware store and it has worked just fine for the last 3 years.
And yes, there are right and left sway bars. The second one on mine made a big difference. You will really appreciate it in crosswinds and as trucks, busses and stuff pass you.
SC_camper
Explorer
Sep 23, 2014
I see what you mean about using a right handed sway bar on the left. Turn it upside down, remove the part that attaches to the hitch and turn it back over. The handle will be on the outside but will be upside down.

They do make left handed sway bars.
http://www.amazon.com/Husky-37498-Handed-Adjustable-Control/dp/B004RCPBUQ

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