2013 Jay Feather Ultra Lite and weight distributing hitch ?

Hitch Pin wrote:

brulaz wrote:
Weigh the trailer fully loaded with your stuff. Get the tongue weight. To help control sway, the tongue weight should be at least 12% of total weight.

Now, can your tow vehicle handle that much tongue weight without a WDH? My truck can only handle 500# tongue weight without a WDH.

EDIT1: just checked the Jayco brochure. Your trailer has a dry hitch weight of 515#. Batteries and propane will increase that. Anything loaded behind the trailer's axle will decrease that slightly. I would probably need a WDH to tow it behind my truck. Think Jayco is being a little weird in their recommendation here.

EDIT2: other manufacturers (Lance) that use light weight BAL/NORCO frames say you can use a WDH but don't want you using too strong tension bars. Lance says max 1000# bars IIRC. Some suv manufacturers also don't want you using WDH because they're afraid you'll crank them up too much and wreck the unibody frame. But if you're careful and use light weight tension bars, there shouldn't be a problem. I would guess 600-800# bars would be ok.

My Jayco does have the light weight BAL/NORCO frame, I have a called then and the person that I need to talk to was out to lunch, They told my to call back in about an hr. I'll post the info when I find something out.

I called BAL/NORCO back and they said it's ok to use a weight distributing hitch as long as the spring bars are not over 1,000 lbs.

brulaz wrote:
Weigh the trailer fully loaded with your stuff. Get the tongue weight. To help control sway, the tongue weight should be at least 12% of total weight.

Now, can your tow vehicle handle that much tongue weight without a WDH? My truck can only handle 500# tongue weight without a WDH.

EDIT1: just checked the Jayco brochure. Your trailer has a dry hitch weight of 515#. Batteries and propane will increase that. Anything loaded behind the trailer's axle will decrease that slightly. I would probably need a WDH to tow it behind my truck. Think Jayco is being a little weird in their recommendation here.

EDIT2: other manufacturers (Lance) that use light weight BAL/NORCO frames say you can use a WDH but don't want you using too strong tension bars. Lance says max 1000# bars IIRC. Some suv manufacturers also don't want you using WDH because they're afraid you'll crank them up too much and wreck the unibody frame. But if you're careful and use light weight tension bars, there shouldn't be a problem. I would guess 600-800# bars would be ok.

My Jayco does have the light weight BAL/NORCO frame, I have a called then and the person that I need to talk to was out to lunch, They told my to call back in about an hr. I'll post the info when I find something out.

Millions of trailers are pulled every day with OUT a WDH.

I just can't imagine that Jayco would manufacture a trailer that size that didn't accommodate a WDH. But then they are the ones who made it.

Weigh the trailer fully loaded with your stuff. Get the tongue weight. To help control sway, the tongue weight should be at least 12% of total weight.

Now, can your tow vehicle handle that much tongue weight without a WDH? My truck can only handle 500# tongue weight without a WDH.

EDIT1: just checked the Jayco brochure. Your trailer has a dry hitch weight of 515#. Batteries and propane will increase that. Anything loaded behind the trailer's axle will decrease that slightly. I would probably need a WDH to tow it behind my truck. Think Jayco is being a little weird in their recommendation here.

EDIT2: other manufacturers (Lance) that use light weight BAL/NORCO frames say you can use a WDH but don't want you using too strong tension bars. Lance says max 1000# bars IIRC. Some suv manufacturers also don't want you using WDH because they're afraid you'll crank them up too much and wreck the unibody frame. But if you're careful and use light weight tension bars, there shouldn't be a problem. I would guess 600-800# bars would be ok.

Having a non boxed frame could certainly be a factor in installing a WD system which DOES put a lot of stress on the trailer frame. I'd listen to Jayco because they should KNOW their trailers strength. Not sure what you're towing it with but a small light trailer may not overload even a small tow vehicles hitch.
Good luck / Skip