One Trailer, Two tow vehicles

[KirkJB]

This is a weight distribution hitch question. I have a 2017 Starcraft 19BHS that I tow with my 2016 Toyota Highlander. I also have a 2008 Nissan Frontier that I would like to use once in a while to tow the trailer. The trailer is well within the towing capacity of both vehicles. I am using a e2 trunion weight distribution hitch that has been set up for the Highlander as the tow vehicle. I am wondering if I need to change the hitch to use the Nissan Frontier as the tow vehicle. I measured the distance from the ground to the bottom of the hitch receiver, and the Frontier sits one inch higher than the Highlander. Will this make much difference in how it tows? Thanks in advance for any input.

[mkirsch]

The closer you get to the limits, the more important it becomes to get things "exactly right." If you are well under the limits, 1" one way or the other won't be a problem.

[JBarca]

Some more information will help to determine how good or bad this will be. You have 2 different tow vehicles that have different suspension systems. The Highlander is a SUV. The Frontier is a small pick up truck, they will react different to the same loaded tongue weight of a trailer.

Your normal TV, which I believe is the 2016 Toyota Highlander, how was the WD hitch setup to tow the trailer? Did the dealer do this for you when you bought the camper? If so, odds are high the trailer was not loaded with camping gear. Once you load the camping gear the WD hitch may need to be readjusted to compensate for proper WD on the truck for the added "loaded" trailer tongue weight. Has this been done yet?

When towing with the Highlander, is the TT, level, nose low or nose high and by how much? This would help to know where you are starting from.

The Frontier, I do not know, is this the crew cab or a standard cab? Not that it matters that much, but it would help in estimating the difference between the 2 trucks. The suspension of the pickup truck is different then the SUV.

You said this,

Kirk wrote:
I measured the distance from the ground to the bottom of the hitch receiver, and the Frontier sits one inch higher than the Highlander.

You really cannot tell by just measuring the hitch receiver how the WD on the truck will be affected. Just because unhitched it is 1 inch higher does not mean when the camper is loaded up and hitched it will come out 1 inch higher.

Have you hooked up the camper to the pickup and if so how level was the trailer? Level, nose down or nose up and by how much?

You may very well be able to switch between trucks with very little changes in the hitch setup, but from your note, we have no idea how your SUV is setup and if the camper is loaded or not. The PU has a truck bed and it may carry more cargo then the SUV.

I would say this, load the camper and the SUV that you tow with normally and optimize the WD on the truck and get the trailer to tow as close to level as practical.

Then take that hitch head settings that optimized the SUV and go load the PU truck with all the gear it would have in the truck bed to go camping and see how that setup comes out. You may find the PU with extra gear in the truck bed changes the setup enough to not worry about it or to think through maybe a setting change may be needed.

Bottom line: We and you really cannot tell if a towing setup is acceptable by just measuring an unhitched receiver height on 2 different vehicles.

Hope this helps

John

[DutchmenSport]

Ideally, it would be best if you would take the extra minute and readjust the L-Brackets on the trailer A-frame when you get ready to switch tow vehicles.

[rexlion]

Preferably you don't want the trailer's nose to be up while towing... a bit down or dead level is best... but 1" should not make enough difference to worry about.

[horton333]

KirkJB wrote:
This is a weight distribution hitch question. I have a 2017 Starcraft 19BHS that I tow with my 2016 Toyota Highlander. I also have a 2008 Nissan Frontier that I would like to use once in a while to tow the trailer. The trailer is well within the towing capacity of both vehicles. I am using a e2 trunion weight distribution hitch that has been set up for the Highlander as the tow vehicle. I am wondering if I need to change the hitch to use the Nissan Frontier as the tow vehicle. I measured the distance from the ground to the bottom of the hitch receiver, and the Frontier sits one inch higher than the Highlander. Will this make much difference in how it tows? Thanks in advance for any input.

Being a little lower than it should be (level) is fine, getting higher leads to more problems the higher it gets. If one inch results in an noticable problem on your setup then you have a fundamental? problem, I'd say don't sweat it after trying it out carefully just to be sure.

[downtheroad]

You must get it just right or you're going to kill your family and 100 other families.

Seriously, I agree with Turtle n Peeps.
I don't think 1 inch is going to make that much difference. But, hook it up, load it up and give it a pull down the road. You will know right away by how it feels if you need to change the adjustment.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

I've towed trailer that are in the weeds and I've towed trailers that are a mile nose high. No big difference really.

I'm sure you will get some RV.net blue noses on here that say you must get it just right or you're going to kill your family and 100 other families.

If it were me I would set the hitch up 1" low on one truck and dead even on the other; call it good and go on vacation.