Mikesr wrote:
Should I replace this due to the stress on the bars over the years ?
Is there something better ? (I know a loaded question on this board)
The TT we are looking at has a Mor-Ryde suspension (never had one) will there be a better WDH that compliments with the Mor-Ryde ?
My 2005 Silverado 2500 HD does well but with the new towing features on newer trucks if I replace the truck down the road how will the Equal-I-zer I have work with that or is there better?
Safety is my utmost concern. I currently feel the Equal-I-zer I have is safe just looking for a better mousetrap.
Thanks in advance,
If you want a piece of mind that your 10 year old hitch is still OK, I would suggest 2 things.
1. Figure out how many approx towing miles it has (years old is not an issue but towing miles may be) and call Progress Mfg who built the hitch and ask them what their life expectancy is? Then you know what they have learned over the years if towing miles creates a fatigue failure time. They have been in businesses long enough to know.
2. Find a weld shop in your area that does dye penetrate inspection. This procedure:
Dye Penn on Wiki Here is a video on it:
Dye penn video A different type, non water based:
AltaVista Dye Penn Weld shops use this many times to find cracks or determine their welds are successful.
They can evaluate the hitch head and WD bars for the starting of cracks. This may take them 1 or 2 hours. It could be $100 to $200 but then you have good odds a fatigue crack has not started. If it has, then you know about it. If you have a buddy who does this, it can be real cheap, he may only charge a 6 pack...
You said the TT has Mor-Ryde suspension, please tell us what product from Mor-ride you are talking about. They make 4 different types of TT suspension products
Mor-Ryde Suspension Regardless of which one, I'm not seeing how a WD hitch will make them any better or worse but trying to figure out what suspension you are talking about first.
Your truck, a new truck and then the Equal-I-lizer. Is there a WD hitch that makes the truck work better. The EQ will work with the new trucks as well as yours from what I am seeing. The new electronic sway controls on the new trucks will not interfere with WD hitch, they will augment it actually. As far as a better WD hitch, this is a loaded question depending on what you are trying to fix. Are you after better anti sway control or better WD or both?
As far as WD, there is not going to be a lot of difference. Some other brands have different features to make it easier to adjust the WD but the main principal is close to the same. If you are after better anti sway, then what you have ranks up there at the top of performance in the ultra high friction type of hitch. Switching to a Reese HP trunnion bar hitch with the DC has different features but the anti sway is close to the same.
What may change is the loaded tongue weight on a new camper. The Equal-I-zer is hitch head specific. If you have over 1,000# of loaded tongue weight, you need to rebuy the whole hitch to get higher tongue weight capacity. On the Reese HD trunnion bar hitch you just upgrade the WD bars.
If you want/need superior anti sway to fix an issue with the camper or truck, then you will need to change technologies of the hitch out of the high friction kind. The Pull Rite hitch changes the technology by the way it works. There is no more overhang of the tow ball behind the rear axle. It is more like a 5th wheel hitch as the pivot pin is behind the rear axle. There is also the Hensley and the Pro-Pride hitches that change the method of anti sway control by towing with a linkage type of system to prevent sway by projecting the pivot behind the rear axle.
If the WD hitch you have now is in good mechanical condition, Progress Mfg says there is no towing mileage concerns where you are at, and the hitch fits the ratings of your new camper, then you can keep using it. You have ruled out the issues that might become a problem by doing the above.
Hope this helps
John
2005 Ford F350 Super Duty, 4x4; 6.8L V10 with 4.10 RA, 21,000 GCWR, 11,000 GVWR, upgraded 2 1/2" Towbeast Receiver. Hitched with a 1,700# Reese HP WD, HP Dual Cam to a 2004 Sunline Solaris T310R travel trailer.
