poor frame design on travel trailer

trailernovice wrote:
On our Crossroads Z1 252BH (year 2016), the a-frame/coupler is mounted underneath the main frame rails of the trailer, rather than butted up to the main frame rails...this configuration results in the coupler sitting about 8 inches lower than it would had the a-frame continued at the same level as the main rails...

What this causes is that the rig bottoms out on even mild bumps and inclines...the w/d bars scrape, the chains hit the roadway (causing the breakaway cable intertwined with the safety chain to scrape), and the umbilical scrapes...so far I've had to replace the umbilical and the breakaway once, and they both again need replacement...at some point I'll need to replace the w/d bars...

This issue never crossed my mind when I selected this unit...should've realized the issue before purchase...

Want to take a long road trip to the West this summer, but may actually not go unless I trade this unit...went to Big Bend last summer and even that amount of 'up the hill/down the hill' had everything bottoming out a lot.

Just passing this on for what it's worth

Trying to help here.

The words you picked lead me to believe your ball coupler was on the bottom of the A frame. The do make them that way, Jayco uses a lot of them. I read your note wrong.

Since this pic was posted, and this seems to show what you have by your last reply, then the ball coupler is on top of the A frame, and the A frame is mounted under the main camper frame rails.



A play on words for sure but there is a simpler solution to correct this short of trading the camper. While I have no idea why on ST205/75R15 tires (from the 2017 KZ web site) they would do a bottom A frame mount, the WD hitch you are using will hang too low. You obviously know this now as it hits.

Your sig says you have the Reese round bar. I assumed it had the standard friction bar with it and not a DC. Correct me if I have that wrong. It looks like this.


If you change the WD hitch to a Equal-I-zer brand made by Progress Mfg, that hitch is higher up and is a better fit for that style frame you have. See here. Notice the A frame is made the same.


Do you know the ball height of your current camper? Ball height = TT level and distance from ground to top inside the tow ball.

Did the dealer sell/install the Reese round bar or did you have it from an older camper and moved it over? The issue in this case really is not the camper (although odd they used that frame setup) but the wrong WD hitch was selected for that specific camper.

Your WD hitch is a popular one (just not for that camper) and can be sold on Craigslist if you cannot return it to your dealer. The price offset will make the Equal-I-zer not be that much of and upgrade. The EQ Wd hitch has a better anti sway setup then the standard friction bar so you would be getting a better hitch from the deal.

Hope this helps

John