Hitch set up help

[acritzer]

Hi everyone. Hoping for some clarification, guidance and ultimately some peace of mind on my hitch set up.

I've read the set up procedure but seem to be running into a few problems.
2011 Ford Expedition EL, 2008 Keystone Cougar 29BHS
I don't know the brand of the hitch, but it has round bars.

Questions:
1) When measuring the TT for levelness can you use the floor just inside the door, as you would when setting up to camp?
2) How important is it for the bars to be parallel to the frame and/or ground?

I need to go through the process again using a couple of different tactics, but from what I've been able to do I've gotten the TT level. However, in order to put a decent amount of tension on the bars and actually get some WD going the bars are angled up quite a bit. It seems as though I have to work really hard to get them latched up. Often times I'll just use the jack to hold the weight until I get the snapped up.

I'm also wondering what is "acceptable" for the back end to dip? My best efforts have gotten it to about 1" dip on the back and the front is up about 1/4". That being said though, I need to measure again before using the bars to compare the two. So far I'm only comparing the unhitched height.

Thanks for any help you have and please ask me questions. I know I'm not all that clear.

[hawkeye-08]

I think mine is less than that, but would guess you are fine. I like to be able to not worry about my fridge running when stopped for a few minutes taking a break (when parked on level area). I don't know how far is too much, I just got mine as close to level (parallel to ground) as I could without being nose high. If you have the nose high, you risk sway increases.

[acritzer]

It isn't totally loaded...but the only thing missing would be a few changes of clothes and food in the fridge (which I think is close to the axel?).

Do you think a 2" difference from front to back is the most you should run with? What I'm trying to find out is how much "a little nose down is ok" is OK.

[hawkeye-08]

Are you loaded for camping? That is a variable often left out when doing the hitch setup at first. After being loaded, you might find you need to fine tune a bit. Your trailer is almost 2" different front to back, not a bad place to give it a try. You might find you need to go up one more notch on hitch, but just based on numbers above, you seem to have a good starting point.

[acritzer]

Any final comments for me? Sorry...told you I was neurotic!

[acritzer]

Next update. I leveled the trailer using the frame.
Front-24 1/2"
Back-24 1/2"

TV
Front-36 1/16
Back- 36 2/16


After this the hitch was higher up than before. I moved the ball up one notch...bringing it close to the new hitch height.
Hooked everything up. 6 Links

Trailer-
Front- 23 2/16
Back- 25

TV
Front 36 5/16
Back 34 10/16


Questions-
1) How do the TV numbers look?
2) Is the nose down amount acceptable for the trailer? Eye ball test looks very close to level. In fact, the level from the door now shows level.

Thanks!!

[acritzer]

Understood. Thanks. Looks like I have more work to do!

[Sport45]

Hawkeye is right. You're wasting your time trying to level the trailer if the surface it's setting in isn't. Take the thing to a flat parking lot somewhere and set the trailer up parallel to the pavement. Setting it up with the truck and trailer on different planes is trial and error at best.

"Level" is correct when camping. When travelling down the road you want the trailer parallel to the road surface (or slightly nose down). The WD hitch should restore most of the weight back to the front axle.

[JBarca]

acritzer wrote:


I've tried to wrap my head around this concept and haven't quite gotten there. What if the driveway slopes and then levels out? What if the TV is on a higher grade than the trailer? How do you adjust hitch height with those variables?

Technically you can, but it gets complicated. Best way, drive to a flat parking lot long enough for the entire rig, bring wrenches and adjust away. Much easier.

[acritzer]

hawkeye-08 wrote:
IMHO, Using the level in the trailer to make sure the trailer is level or nose down slightly will only be applicable if the driveway is level. The driveway looks to be sloped, the trailer should be parallel to the driveway (I measure from trailer to ground front and back, using stripe on side that is same as frame. I used frame to get it right first time, then measured stripe and it was the same, so now I don't crawl under to measure frame from ground).

I've tried to wrap my head around this concept and haven't quite gotten there. What if the driveway slopes and then levels out? What if the TV is on a higher grade than the trailer? How do you adjust hitch height with those variables?

[hawkeye-08]

IMHO, Using the level in the trailer to make sure the trailer is level or nose down slightly will only be applicable if the driveway is level. The driveway looks to be sloped, the trailer should be parallel to the driveway (I measure from trailer to ground front and back, using stripe on side that is same as frame. I used frame to get it right first time, then measured stripe and it was the same, so now I don't crawl under to measure frame from ground).

[BarneyS]

Nose down a bit is much better than nose up. I would leave it exactly as it is with the 6 links. I don't think you are going to get much better than that. Enjoy your rig! You have done more homework than most and I think you will have a nice towing experience.

I would still get to a scale on your first trip out and get everything weighed. We usually do ours each year on our way down to Florida for the winter when we are loaded to the gills! After a few times, the weigh slips kept looking the same so now we don't bother. We don't pick up any rocks to save either (ala Lucile Ball). :W
Barney

[acritzer]

Another update (hopefully my last).

I rechecked everything today and tried the 5 links.
Results:
Unhitched-Front=36"
-Back= 36 1/16"
6 Links -Front=36 2 maybe 3/16
-Back= 34 10/16
5 Links -Front= Just under 36"
-Back= 34 13/16

Pics-
6 Links



5 Links


Trailer angle with 6 Links



Level with 6 links



Now of course my next question is going to be if the nose is too far down on the trailer. It seems to be down more than I remember the other day...and looks like too much from my pic (at least in my opinion). However...I do think my driveway slope makes it seem a bit more than it might really be.
I'm not sure if I can move the hitch up again without making it at least 1" above the trailer before hookup.
What do you think?

[BarneyS]

acritzer wrote:
So the "parallel" bar comment is kind of the last concern? Just as long as the bar won't run into the frame?
I've had 5 links on before and it was only hanging down a link or so past the trailer frame. It also meant that the bars were angled up a decent amount.

Tomorrow after work I'll give it another round and report back.

Sooo grateful.

The bars turn with the frame for the most part so you really don't have to worry about them running into the frame during a turn. What does happen though, if you don't have enough links between the snap-ups and the bar, is that the chain will crash into the snap-up as the bar moves forward or backward in the turn, or the short chain will drag the snap-up forward or backward on the A frame regardless of the pinch bolt on the snap-up. The only time you might find the bars going under the frame is during very tight turns in a campground or while maneuvering someplace. This is more likely to happen when you have a lot of angle on the hitch head.
The parallel bar is to keep the chain pull even on both the rearward movement of the bar and the forward movement. The more chain you have between the bar and snap-up, the less you have to worry about it.
Barney

[JBarca]

A little bit of info, 2 washers worth of head tilt back towards the trailer comes close to 1 chain link of tension.

So if you find 5 links gets to just a little too much weight transfer, then take the head apart and add 2 washers if you can and go back to 6 links under tension. This then gives you good weight transfer on the front and more parallel bars.

The amount of parallel you have now is very good. Odds are low you can get it tape measure perfect, but slight up or down is acceptable. I myself if I found 5 links worked great on the WD, I would the 2 washers to the head if they fit and go back to the 6 links.

That gives me a quick future addition of weight transfer if I needed it for large changes in tongue weight for a particular camping trip. If you are maxed out at 5 links, then there is no more quick adjustments left.

Also, front end fenders height will change just driving around the block... seriously. You can easily get +/- 1/8" just driving around the block as the truck springs settle at slightly different places most all the time. So what is 1/4" now may be 3/8" after a trip around the block. Next time your out check it. If you consistently are higher then you want, you can stand some more weight transfer.

I 100% agree with Barney, once you get tape measure close, go to a truck scale and weigh the front axle with the camper hitch and WD engaged and with the truck only. Then you can see what you are doing. Scales tell all. The tape measure gets you close. And while you are at the scales, get these numbers Ron G talked about. here from those 3 weight sets you can check all your towing and axle setups.

See here what the truck scale will look like


And you will get 3 weight slips for the various combinations. Here is my first set, truck and camper loaded with WD engaged.


Then do not even move the truck, just unhitch the WD bars and let the raw tongue weight hang on the ball (tongue jack off the ground) and take a 2nd weight. Then hook up, drive off, unhitch the camper and weigh just the truck. Those are the 3 weight sets. We can help crunch the numbers for you.


If you look in your owners manual, Ford does a pretty good job on what they declare your truck should be set for when towing with a WD hitch.

Good luck and happy camping

John