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Old 05-06-2013, 02:34 PM   #201
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Ah, ok. Makes sense now.

BTW, Deryk how is yours towing with the airbags? Besides the sway in the cross winds.

I tend to take the push and shove from a high profile vehicle in windy conditions in stride as just "part of the ride". Maybe it is just too many miles/years towing other large and odd shaped vehicles that I'm use to it. With the wife driving every once and a while I may have to revisit the idea of WDH or anti-sway bar for our setup.

Sorry to hi jack the thread, but I have learned a lot in these discussions. Thank you all

Jason
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Old 05-06-2013, 02:51 PM   #202
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Well Jason I picked up a wdh and anti sway bar and am liking it. My tongue weight is a lot less then a Casita 17 so I'm not stressing the Rav4 suspension as bad. The airbags are ok...a bit annoying to fill. I have thought about adding that green too I've seen at Walmart for bike tires and rough calculate the volume and mostly fill it...of course they won't ever come out of the coil spring....has anyone done something like that?
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Old 05-06-2013, 03:00 PM   #203
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As for the RAV4 manual and WDH, it says a WDHitch is not recommended. It doesn't say not to use one. And, throughout the manual, when they are stressing the importance of something, it is highlighted in yellow. The "not recommended" is not highlighted.
And, beside the point, my Hidden Hitch for the RAV4 is rated for 400 lb. tongue weight. I'm sticking with 350 as per the RAV manual. I talked to a tech at Hidden Hitch before the install, which was done at my Toyota dealer prior to taking delivery of the vehicle.
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Old 05-06-2013, 04:05 PM   #204
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sorry for saying that wrong glenn.

but you guys it is casita that says the tongue weight of the casita fd 17 is 365-that isnt a whole lot over 350 and i did take off the propane tanks and took the chairs and table out

but i have noticed in learning all this stuff when rv dealers, car dealers and places like etrailer talk about tow weight and empty weight and gross weight they dont always use the same terms or definitions

so it can be really confusing...both for newbies like me and for rv repairers and car salesmen
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Old 05-06-2013, 04:50 PM   #205
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No sorry necessary. I just wanted to clarify what the manual actually says.
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Old 05-06-2013, 04:58 PM   #206
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
As for the RAV4 manual and WDH, it says a WDHitch is not recommended. It doesn't say not to use one. And, throughout the manual, when they are stressing the importance of something, it is highlighted in yellow. The "not recommended" is not highlighted.
And, beside the point, my Hidden Hitch for the RAV4 is rated for 400 lb. tongue weight. I'm sticking with 350 as per the RAV manual. I talked to a tech at Hidden Hitch before the install, which was done at my Toyota dealer prior to taking delivery of the vehicle.
Have to agree - My current hitch is labeled 400 lbs as well. I could put a class 5 hitch on my RAV4 that is rated at 1200 lbs, but the RAV4 is still only 350 lbs.
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Old 05-06-2013, 05:22 PM   #207
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Originally Posted by deryk View Post
Well Jason I picked up a wdh and anti sway bar and am liking it. My tongue weight is a lot less then a Casita 17 so I'm not stressing the Rav4 suspension as bad. The airbags are ok...a bit annoying to fill. I have thought about adding that green too I've seen at Walmart for bike tires and rough calculate the volume and mostly fill it...of course they won't ever come out of the coil spring....has anyone done something like that?
I don't know about the green slime stuff. Fluids not being compressible may not work so well in the airbags. Also most of the slime/fix a flat type remedies require movement to distribute the sealant correctly. You'd have to put the RAV4 in a rotisserie to get the sealer to coat the system

When installing the airbags (and possibly taking them out) warm them with a hair dryer, use a vacuum pump to suck them flat, and use a liberal amount of soapy water. They slip right in, relatively, easily.

Seriously though I put a pair of airlift airbags from Summit Racing and they hold 5PSI for months. It's just enough to hold the bags' shape. I haven't kept too close a watch on them while towing, but the car doesn't sag noticeably during the couple times I pulled the camper. The average amount of time I have it hitched up is 5 days. That includes pulling it out a day before and prep, then an extra day after, cleaning and putting it back.

With the cheaper air lines and fittings you do have to be....very picky (being PC here!)....during assembly. Installation is not the time to be in a rush or cheap with the installer. On the up and up I also worked at a trailer shop doing DOT inspections and air brake repairs. An extra 1/2 hour now saves a driver hours of down time later.

If I start towing a lot more I'll invest in the automatic system with a compressor to keep the bags at a set pressure or suspension at a set level. Until then the old, simple way will do. And I'll keep an eye out for a sway control bar.

Jason
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Old 05-06-2013, 05:44 PM   #208
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Derek, just throw a bicycle pump in the under floor storage area. On mine 30 strokes = 40 psi. It's faster than fooling around with a 12v air compressor, cheaper to buy and smaller and lighter to store.

Also, I don't let the air out when I'm going to be towing again soon. Doesn't seem to ride much different with the bags inflated vs empty.

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Old 05-06-2013, 05:48 PM   #209
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Are airbags something that putting nitrogen vs air in might work better?

I own new airbags for my nissan pathfinder sv pulling a scamp 16. There appears to be, so far, no reason at all to install the airbags... but since I own them and since the pathfinder forum I sometimes visit recommends using airbags for a "better, smoother ride" for any towing, I may go ahead and install them if they're not high maintenance.

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Old 05-06-2013, 08:42 PM   #210
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Originally Posted by SharonM View Post
Are airbags something that putting nitrogen vs air in might work better?

I own new airbags for my nissan pathfinder sv pulling a scamp 16. There appears to be, so far, no reason at all to install the airbags... but since I own them and since the pathfinder forum I sometimes visit recommends using airbags for a "better, smoother ride" for any towing, I may go ahead and install them if they're not high maintenance.

Sharon
See http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/shou...-nitrogen.html for Edmunds' analysis of nitrogen in tires. Short answer: a waste of money.
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Old 05-06-2013, 08:48 PM   #211
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Denny,

Thanks for posting the short answer as well as the source.

baglo
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Old 05-06-2013, 08:50 PM   #212
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yes in tires... I heard that before and so never bothered myself. And when the guy at the Seguin RV center was stressing the "beauty and selling points" of a winnebago minnie winnie trailer to me, to include nitrogen filled tires, I just nodded politely. But I was just wondering if airbags might be a different story. I think only someone who has tried both air and nitrogen specifically in airbags will be able to answer the question. I know on "some" mobility scooters there have been folks who swear by nitrogen in those little tires. Shrug. Who knows?

S.
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Old 05-06-2013, 09:40 PM   #213
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"my Hidden Hitch for the RAV4 is rated for 400 lb. tongue weight. I'm sticking with 350 as per the RAV manual. I talked to a tech at Hidden Hitch before the install, which was done at my Toyota dealer prior to taking delivery of the vehicle.

Have to agree - My current hitch is labeled 400 lbs as well. I could put a class 5 hitch on my RAV4 that is rated at 1200 lbs, but the RAV4 is still only 350 lbs."

i wish i had you guys to talk to the etrailer guy...i cant say the right things even tho i do think i understand whats going on
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Old 05-08-2013, 06:07 AM   #214
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Originally Posted by lpk49 View Post
e-trailer won't pay shipping for me to send my PS499902 back. i really wanted the 01 but they talked me into the 02 since the other was back-ordered. i paid $257.95 for it and shipping would be $72.00
Since the only difference between these two models is the stiffness (thickness) of the spring bars, and selling anything (such as on Craigslist) means losing most of its value, I would check into buying the lighter bars separately (and then selling just the stiffer bars, or keeping them)... if I still wanted to use a WD system.
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Old 05-08-2013, 06:11 AM   #215
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it does seem kinda wierd tho that the toyota rav manual says dont use a wdh and the etrailer salesman could look up which wdh is right for the rav
That would be weird... but then, I don't believe for a moment that anyone at eTrailer looked up what WDH is right for a RAV4. The choice is usually just based on tongue weight. They might have used some formula involving tug wheelbase, too, but I have never seen any indication that anyone at eTrailer would know what is right for any vehicle, other than knowing what part fits.
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Old 05-08-2013, 06:16 AM   #216
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Originally Posted by deryk View Post
The airbags are ok...a bit annoying to fill. I have thought about adding that green too I've seen at Walmart for bike tires and rough calculate the volume and mostly fill it...of course they won't ever come out of the coil spring....has anyone done something like that?
Yikes! No!

Because this is an understatement:
Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverGhost View Post
Fluids not being compressible may not work so well in the airbags.
The rest of Jason's post is right on the money, too. I like the rotisserie image!
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Old 05-08-2013, 06:18 AM   #217
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Are airbags something that putting nitrogen vs air in might work better?
A fair question... but the answer is no. The small advantages of tires would be even less important in an airbag (of the type which goes in a coil), which is not rubber and does not get hot.
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Old 05-08-2013, 06:57 AM   #218
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brian-i have thought about the bars. there seems to be conflicting info there too. i have been told on here there is a difference in the weight of the bars. only 2-3 lbs tho. but etrailer insists both 01 and 02 weigh the same.

i was talking to one of the higher ups. i was canceling my order for the 01 cuz it wouldnt come for 2-3 months. it seems he is a manager or something-i won't put his name here. he insists the the two hitches weigh the same and he at least "pretended" to look up the rav and insisted the 02 would do it.

my part of the conversation had to do with the "window" of tw that reese explained to me. with the 01 the rav tw of 350 is right in the middle where it should be. with the 02 it is at one end.

the above is me-an ignorant of this stuff newbie remembering what happened---so no one should think what i am saying is really correct. this is how i remember it.

and i wont be giving it away on craigslist. i will take off no more than what i would lose in shipping. i have the box-paperwork-it was never used. it would save someone waiting for delivery if they needed one. i may keep it in the end. but i could really use the money now. i still dont have my camper back.
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Old 02-10-2017, 11:40 PM   #219
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Hitch height

You know, there's a hitch out there that goes into your vehicle's receiver and this hitch has another identical square receiver welded onto it making it about 4" higher. Someone might think they can turn it upside down and use it to lower the towing vehicle's towing height. DON'T do it! This kind of hitch is meant for an accessory device like a bicycle rack or an extra equipment carrying box to be mounted ABOVE the straight-out square receiver. You should not pull a trailer with that kind of hitch used 'upside down'.
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Old 02-11-2017, 06:30 AM   #220
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Originally Posted by David & Terry View Post
You know, there's a hitch out there that goes into your vehicle's receiver and this hitch has another identical square receiver welded onto it making it about 4" higher. Someone might think they can turn it upside down and use it to lower the towing vehicle's towing height. DON'T do it! This kind of hitch is meant for an accessory device like a bicycle rack or an extra equipment carrying box to be mounted ABOVE the straight-out square receiver. You should not pull a trailer with that kind of hitch used 'upside down'.
Those kinds of devices, with or without accessory attachment points, are "hitch extenders." Their most serious problem is they move the ball attachment point further rearward. That is bad for towing stability and worse for tongue weight because the lever effect is increased. Every hitch extender I've seen includes a caveat that it reduces allowable tongue weight by 50%. Your 350 pound rating becomes 175. Adding accessories makes it worse.
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