Weight Distribution bar - using a pipe ... ?
We have lost the pipe to lift up the weight distribution bar ... what do you use ?
Forum Discussion
- You guys make it too hard... I just let my wife know when it is time for her to remove or install the bars... I am a great supervisor so we have never had any problems.
- Wow, who knew the a pipe discussion could last this long. I might as well add to it.
My first trailer had a fairly light duty frame with a jack that was rated to just barely hold the tongue weight. The TW was fairly high for this size trailer, between 850-950 lbs depending on load. I was always afraid to jack it up and have it hold too much of the tow vehicle since I was over the capacity of the mounting of the jack. I still jacked it enough to hook up my Dual Cam chain and latches with minimal force. Enough force to need the pipe, but not enough to make it dangerous.
My current trailer has a much higher TW (1200 lbs?) and came with an electric jack. It is fairly slow and I get impatient so I still do it the same. If I'm on level ground sometimes I don't need the pipe, but I'm not going to jack my rear axle off the ground to not need the pipe if I'm on severely unlevel ground (which is very common for the places I camp). I hold the jack switch until the bars are starting to get loose when unhooking or I just guess that it is high enough to hook up with minimal force. I can't imagine not using the jack to some extent. With the full weight on them, it would be dangerous and I wouldn't even try it. - Some here are pointing out that the "stub" was made there for a reason.
You gotta realize that hitch design is the oldest one still being made today.. It may even be the first design ever.. IDK.
Being as how it is so old, in some ways it is a relic of the past, when we did a lot of things that were unsafe by todays standards. Powersaws had no guards. There were no safety belts in cars. Just about everyone smoked... and the list can go on forever.
Just because those stubs are there, doesn't mean that it is the safest way to do it. A moments distraction, can have really bad consequences, as there is a lot of tension in those parts.
And even when all of the tension is removed, some won't have enough strength to lift the bars into place... For them, the cheater bar is a safe solution.
But one should really remove as much tension as possible with the TJ.
Power jacks are not all that much money, and the safety/ convenience benefit is very high. - I just lift up the camper with one hand and snap the bracket with the other, followed by a loud grunt and a few chest smacks !
Bumpyroad wrote:
Get an electric jack. Much easier and safer.Gene&Ginny wrote:
opnspaces wrote:
That works for me. :C .... but I still have the pipe "just in case" ...
... Also after latching the trailer onto the ball try using the tongue jack to lift both the tongue and the back of the trailer up really high. At that point you will possibly be able to just flip the levers over by hand and not need a pipe.
I was shown how to use the pipe to raise mine. takes about 1 second. don't know why I would mess around with tongue jack,etc. I was warned to stand off to the side in case the pipe comes shooting out. :)
bumpy- Chuck Norris uses his pinkie.
RoadXYZ wrote:
opnspaces wrote:
You can probably get a piece of black gas pipe at the local home improvement store.
Also after latching the trailer onto the ball try using the tongue jack to lift both the tongue and the back of the trailer up really high. At that point you will possibly be able to just flip the levers over by hand and not need a pipe.
Maybe if one were 30 or 40 years old, but not these senior who into their 70s.
I am 75 years old and semi disabled (back). I regularly latch mine this way. The secret is lifting high enough with the jack. Same when unhitching.LarryJM wrote:
In any event that was either an Aussie or British viewpoint
Australia, the English do not have WDH's on their CaravansBumpyroad wrote:
I was shown how to use the pipe to raise mine. takes about 1 second. don't know why I would mess around with tongue jack,etc. I was warned to stand off to the side in case the pipe comes shooting out. :)
bumpy
Some get it and some don't :h Funny........LarryJM wrote:
No we're talking about using the tongue jack to release enough tension where the chains/whatever
Larry
I didn't know that we were discussing the "whatever". AFAIK the OP was referring to hooking up the chains using the weight distribution bar/pipe.
bumpy
