Forum Discussion

TNGW1500SE's avatar
TNGW1500SE
Explorer
Oct 14, 2014

Thought I knew it all ;)

It's raining so watched some videos on weight distributing hitch set ups on youtube. Now I understand why you can tilt your hitch ball towards or away from your truck. It's used to adjust your bar angle! I've been set up wrong and I'll need to reset it up. My question is, I always haul 2 motorcycles in the truck bed when we travel with the camper, should I use the hitch to compensate for the weight of the bikes and level the truck (pulling the hitch ball up), or set up level with an empty bed and "sag" rear bumper when loaded with motorcycles? I'm thinking that pulling the hitch ball up would not be the way to go and I should add air shocks to level the trucks bed load. Wonder how many people really have their hitch set up correctly? I'd say not many!

Before u ask:
SPECS:
TRUCK: 2010 F150 5.4 towing package
CAMPER: 31 foot camper 8500 (+/-500) pounds loaded?
BIKES: 700 pounds with gear
MYSELF: 200 pounds (before meals)
DOGS: 50 pounds (dry)
WIFE: NOT ALLOWED TO POST INFO!
  • budwich's avatar
    budwich
    Explorer
    Oct 14, 2014
    I am thinking that the title might be pretty appropriate... as others pointed out, you might want to "re-think" a few things... :-)
  • Jayco254's avatar
    Jayco254
    Explorer
    Oct 14, 2014
    Just make sure you're not overloading your hitch or the trailer tongue.
  • hawkeye-08's avatar
    hawkeye-08
    Explorer III
    Oct 14, 2014
    My dad has his ATV in his pickup bed and has his WDH setup to level the load the way he travels. No air bags, but a Reese trunnion bar with 1400lb bars.
  • keymastr's avatar
    keymastr
    Explorer
    Oct 14, 2014
    You might check the RAWR for that F150. With 1200# of tongue weight and the rest of your stuff,(dogs, wife, motorcycles etc.), I would bet that you are over capacity of axle or tires or both.
  • TNGW1500SE's avatar
    TNGW1500SE
    Explorer
    Oct 14, 2014
    old guy wrote:
    it might be easier to add the air bags then tax your brain setting up the hitch so it is level every time. what happens if you leave your M/C home? you going to readjust the hitch again.


    Leave the motorcycles home!!!!! NEVER!!! LOL! That's why we go.
  • old_guy's avatar
    old_guy
    Explorer
    Oct 14, 2014
    it might be easier to add the air bags then tax your brain setting up the hitch so it is level every time. what happens if you leave your M/C home? you going to readjust the hitch again.

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