First Long Road Trip
Well I'm a first time camper owner and seeing if there is anything I'm missing to be ready for our long trips this summer. I have a 36' long Travel Trailer finally I believe got my Hitch setup righ...
Forum Discussion
Difference on a 1/2 ton to a 3/4 ton truck (suv)=
usually is the same frame with a few extra pieces welded to the frame to make it stronger, usually turning what is called the C-channel frame shape and closing it into a tube in key areas,
and
heavier rear axle and differential.
and
either extra leaf spring or just a bigger set of leaf springs
or
if rear coil springs, then a heavier set of springs to take more weight.
other things include bigger brake rotors/calipers and other upgrades that will not affect towing a trailer forward so I will not mention as these are not the discussion.
Sounds like you did your homework and are within the limits of the vehicle. You might find that 60 mph is almost as fast as you want to tow, for safety and for mpg's. Leave 5 mins early if you are in a hurry, right?
Think of the WD hitch setup as a triangle that includes Tv front axle, the ball hitch and the trailer axle ( not need to include other axles here).
The bottom left corner is the TV front axle, the bottom right is the trailer axle (s) and the top corner is the ball.
With no WDH there is a connection from bottom right to top, and bottom left to top, but nothing from the bottom corner to bottom corner.
With WDH the bottom corners are also attached.
Stay with me...
If you pull the bottom corners together then the forces tend to pull those "legs" towards each other and push the top corner (the ball) up.
IF those legs have extra axles on them, like the rear axle on a TV, then those axles would eventually come off the ground, but in this case they are just unweighted a little.
This is a good way to visualize what the WDH does.
usually is the same frame with a few extra pieces welded to the frame to make it stronger, usually turning what is called the C-channel frame shape and closing it into a tube in key areas,
and
heavier rear axle and differential.
and
either extra leaf spring or just a bigger set of leaf springs
or
if rear coil springs, then a heavier set of springs to take more weight.
other things include bigger brake rotors/calipers and other upgrades that will not affect towing a trailer forward so I will not mention as these are not the discussion.
Sounds like you did your homework and are within the limits of the vehicle. You might find that 60 mph is almost as fast as you want to tow, for safety and for mpg's. Leave 5 mins early if you are in a hurry, right?
Think of the WD hitch setup as a triangle that includes Tv front axle, the ball hitch and the trailer axle ( not need to include other axles here).
The bottom left corner is the TV front axle, the bottom right is the trailer axle (s) and the top corner is the ball.
With no WDH there is a connection from bottom right to top, and bottom left to top, but nothing from the bottom corner to bottom corner.
With WDH the bottom corners are also attached.
Stay with me...
If you pull the bottom corners together then the forces tend to pull those "legs" towards each other and push the top corner (the ball) up.
IF those legs have extra axles on them, like the rear axle on a TV, then those axles would eventually come off the ground, but in this case they are just unweighted a little.
This is a good way to visualize what the WDH does.
