My lady wants to know: Effort Hooking up WD bars

[RTFMOK]

My lady wants to know how much effort is involved in hooking up WD bars. Since I can move refrigerators and she can not, I'm not qualified to answer this question for her.

This question might also apply to seniors, we are crossing over into qualifying for AARP discounts.

She is able to crank the TT manual tongue jack, and wants to know how this effort compares to connecting WD bars. She does have a weak shoulder.

Also, is there any difference between installing round bars such as on the Blue OX versus a trunnion style such as Equalizer or E2? Is one easier than the other? All my experience is with round bars.

We are looking at setups rated for 750 or 800 pounds tongue weight (depending on manufacturer) for our combo. We expect 700 to 750 pounds tongue weight when loaded up, minimum will be over 600.

I do know they are easier to apply if the tongue jack is raised fully first.

[drsteve]

Power tongue jack for the win. I would never be without one. It makes the process so much easier, especially on a hot day.

[Bobbo]

After locking the trailer coupler on the hitch ball, I use the (4000# rated) tongue jack to raised the tongue/rear of truck about 6 or 8 inches. I can then put the WD bars on with one hand. Easy Peasy. Without raising the rear of the truck enough, I have to have a cheater bar to do it.

[mat60]

I'm almost 59. Shoulders and back not so good because I was a self employed doing roofing and siding most of my life. Anyway, Our TT didn't come with a electric jack and I told my wife I don't need one. Well I never had a TT that needed a WDH and just got this camper in December. After I installed my WDH and have taken the bars off and on cranking the jack got old fast. As I was installing my new electric jack my wife came outside and said (I thought you didn't need that)..My wife is older than I and forgets things at times but its funny she didn't forget this.

[RTFMOK]

I was looking at electric tongue jacks yesterday (just a quick peek). On amazon, they range from about $80 to over $200.

I did see that at least some include a manual ability presumably against motor failure or dead batteries.

I agree they are nice, and will have to look closer at quality versus cost.

But a competing priority came up while getting ready for the test tow yesterday. The TT tires are 8 years old... Will start another thread on that.

And I will be back to this thread later today, got some measurements of the combined setup and have a few more questions on WD setups.

[TurnThePage]

I'm in mostly good shape for my 58 years, but do have beat up shoulders. Electric tongue Jack is a necessity. They're cheap enough compared to the potential physical pain and damage from cranking on the jack or the bars. They make hitching and unhitching much faster too.

[RTFMOK]

Thanks for all the replies!

I agree on the electric tongue jack, but since we can both still operate it, it is a luxury.

My lady has more RV experience than I do, though I probably have more general towing experience. It's wonderful to have a partner that can back a trailer at least as well as I can.

For her, weight distribution is a new thing. She has a new-to-her tow rig and and the combo with her trailer is right on the edge for weight distribution (I have another thread on that).

But the separate question on her hooking up and disconnecting the bars was this separate topic. Sending her a link to this thread so she can read it for herself.

I did especially like the insight on the head possibly being harder than the bars. This was also something I was looking at with the Blue Ox. It looks like the heaviest of the products I'm looking at. I'll note that in my hitch selection thread, along with some other details.

She is going to do a short test tow this afternoon to a nearby flat lot; we will get some measurements. No WD, a couple miles no faster than 35. The TT is just barely above dry weight at the moment.

[ktmrfs]

Be aware that the effort to disconnect bars is the same as connecting them.

So.... raising the tongue will make it easier to disconnect.

And always make sure all parts of your body are not in the path of the cheater bar or anything used to connect disconnect. something goes wrong and you don't want to be in the way.

Also. If when disconnecting if the trailer/TV is not level but in a "V" at the tongue, the force on the bars increases. I doesn't take much of a "V" before the force on the bars can be extremely high if you aren't using the jack and you can be suprised/overcome by the force on the cheater bar.

When I put my trailer in the driveway I always disconnect the bars before backing in since there is a noticeable "V " at the tongue and I can tell you the force to disconnect w/o using the tongue jack is way higher than when level.

[downtheroad]

My wife is 4'11" and 97 lbs. She does ours often.

[bikendan]

OP, install an electric tongue jack and it's a breeze, unless she can't bend down.

Installing the hitch head into the receiver will be a bigger problem than the weight bars.

[jerryjay11]

K Charles wrote:
If you hook up then lift the TT with an electric tongue jack, you don't need to use any force to hook the bars. The hardest part is lifting them up, and they aren't that heavy.

Dito on using the tongue jack for both hooking up and removing. Haven't had to use my helper bar to lift or remove my torsion bars.

[farmer_s_daught]

I'm a 64 year old single woman (65 next month) and have an Equalizer hitch for my 26' FR trailer. I can do it myself. I find the most difficult part is getting the cotter pin in! She shouldn't worry; just do it a few times and it won't seem so scary.

[BarneyS]

1. Couple the trailer to the truck and latch the coupler.

2. Insert the WD bars into the hitch head but do not try to chain them up yet to the snap-up brackets.

3. Raise the tongue of the trailer with the jack until the rear of the truck is raised several inches above normal.

4. Try to chain up the WD bars to the snap-ups. If the effort is too high, raise the tongue some more with the jack. Keep this up until you can tighten the chains with the snap-ups easily.

5. When the chains are tightened, lower the tongue(raise the jack foot) all the way up and hook up the emergency cord, chains, and light cord.

6. You should be ready to go. Very little effort required except turning the jack handle. This is why many use an electric tongue jack on our trailers. I would also try raising the back of the truck a short bit again to make sure the coupler is securely fastened.
Barney

[DutchmenSport]

I had a Reese old style, bars with the chains and you adjusted the tension by the number of chain links. I now have an Equal-i-zer 4 point. And the Equal-i-zer is much, much easier and faster to hitch up. Plus, the old style Reese, I needed a separate friction sway bar, which was an extra step. Plus backing, the sway bar always had to be removed.

The secret to easily hooking up any WD bars is the raise the tow vehicle and trailer up together (hitched) so the bars easily set in place. Once in place, then lower the tongue jack and the tension will increase. You don't need to use the cheater bars or anything this way.

The Equal-i-zer has 2 bars that insert into the hitch head. There's a pin on each bar that is inserted to hold them in place, then a cotter pin is inserted in the pin. The other end of the bar simply rests on the L-bracket on the tongue. An L-shaped pin is inserted into the L-bracket and the flip snap holds the L-pin in place. Lower the tongue jack and done.

I'm 63 years old and have no problems doing this. My wife insisted with this current camper we have an electric jack. So, as part of our purchase deal, we had the electric jack added and that was one of the best things we could have done. It's no problem.

My wife (55 years old) can also hitch up all by herself with no problem. I taught her and have her help just so she can do it in the event I become incapacitated and she has no other alternative but to do it herself. She needs to be able to do everything! If for some reason I drop dead and we're camping a thousand miles from home, I want to go to my grave knowing she has all the skills to get the camper back home without needed anyone's assistance. She needs to be independent and feel confident in her abilities too. The Equal-i-zer helps makes that happen.

The Equal-i-zer 4 point has built in sway control, so there's no need for an extra friction sway bar, and you can back-up the trailer without having to remove anything.

[mat60]

The bars are easy as Charles said. I just installed the electric jack Thursday.

[K_Charles]

If you hook up then lift the TT with an electric tongue jack, you don't need to use any force to hook the bars. The hardest part is lifting them up, and they aren't that heavy.