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Old 06-10-2016, 05:19 PM   #1
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Name: Edwin
Trailer: B17 1989
Georgia
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Towing Bigfoot B17

My Bigfoot B17 seems to tow nicely, but I am wondering if I should get an equalizer hitch. Any advice from seasoned drivers would be appreciated.
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Old 06-10-2016, 06:43 PM   #2
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Towing Biggfoot 17

I tow a Bigfoot 17 for 30,000 miles with a distribution hitch
I towed with a Chevrolet S10 after Blazer and now with Silverado 1500 and always with the distribution hitch.With the Silverado is not a necessity but much more comfortable and more stable, I do not tow without him
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Old 06-10-2016, 06:58 PM   #3
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What are you using for a tow vehicle ?
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Old 06-10-2016, 07:00 PM   #4
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Name: Edwin
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Towing Bigfoot

My tow vehicle is a 2005 Nissan Frontier 4 liter.
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Old 06-10-2016, 07:37 PM   #5
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Bigfoot towing

With a Nissan Frontier ( 3500 lbs tow capacity ) and a Bigfoot 17' Weight 3000 lbs , it is certain that I would put a distribution hitch and also an anti-swing system
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Old 06-10-2016, 09:19 PM   #6
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I tow my 1980 Bigfoot with a 2011 Toyota Sienna. I use a Draw-Tite single bar weight distributing hitch.

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Old 06-10-2016, 09:20 PM   #7
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It looks like some 2005 Frontier 4L have a tow capacity of 6500#, but some have considerably less, depending on how the truck is equipped. Check your owners manual and find out how yours is equipped. You might have to check with the Nissan dealer. Your VIN # will tell the dealer what factory equipment you have.
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Old 06-10-2016, 09:45 PM   #8
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I tow with a Nissan Frontier 2011 V6 with a 6500lb tow capacity with special shocks. I do use a WDH with my current trailer as it does drop the rear of the truck enough to send the headlights up and would no doubt blind anyone passing in the other direction at night.

I used the same truck to pull a 16' Scamp that only had a tongue weight of 250lbs & the truck stayed level when connected BUT if I pulled a 17 Bigfoot I would probable seriously consider adding a WDH as they are much heavier on the tongue.

One way to decide if you can should use one or not is to measure how much the front end of the truck at the wheel well goes up when you are hooked vs when not hooked up. Also measure to the top of the ball on the hitch when not connected and again when connected.
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Old 06-10-2016, 10:32 PM   #9
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from what you say....

"it tows nicely" tells me you have adequate tounge weight / the trailer is level. BFs have never been accused of having too little tounge weight (in fact the opposite is true)......show me a BF that needs anti-sway devices and I'll show a BF being towed "bow up" (not level) or has been heavily modified altered

if you had a TV that could take a 300 to 350lbs at the very back and not affect it's driveability you would not need a WDH....but I'm thinking your frontier was not designed/specced for that......SOooooo if it was me I'd get a WDH......if nothing else it will make towing more "comfortable"...more stable....when you hit a dip/bump in the road you will not experience the roller coaster effect of the rear suspension going through 2-3 cycles before the ride gets level again

I towed heavier loads than the BF for YEARS with no WDH...they were boats and adjusting for perfect tounge weight was possible...but that roller coaster effect was always something I had to deal with / prepare for..... now towing the BF I really, really like having a WDH (was on there when I bought it)....makes towing "a pleasure" comparatively speaking

happy motoring
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Old 06-11-2016, 12:11 AM   #10
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Does the owner's manual give any guidance as to the recommended threshold for WDH? Some do.
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Old 06-11-2016, 10:32 AM   #11
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We tow our Bigfoot with a Toyota Rav4 3.5 V6. The Toyota does a good job of towing ( includes many miles in the Rockies and Cascades as we live in Idaho ). Added air bags to solve the rear end sag as a WDH is not recommended ( maybe has to do with to much torque on the unibody frame ? }. Sway is not an issue as i have towed many miles without sway control but I most often use a friction control bar for sway control as it is more comfortable towing. Lee
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Old 06-11-2016, 10:46 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by Jon in AZ View Post
Does the owner's manual give any guidance as to the recommended threshold for WDH? Some do.
The manual for my Frontier recommends the use of a WDH for trailers over 5000lbs and only if the truck has a Class IV hitch.

The towing specs for a Frontier vary from model to model - ie. a 2 wheel drive King Cab 4 cyl has only a tow capacity of 3500lbs and 350lbs on tongue vs the towing capacity of a King Cab or Crew Cab 6 cyl - the capacities on those vary from 6300-6500lbs and 610-650lbs depending on model and options.

Mine is a 2011 Frontier vs the OP's older truck but Nissan did not change the trucks much over the years but always best the OP check their own manual.
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Old 06-11-2016, 11:11 AM   #13
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Finally, after some six years I got to speak to somebody at Toyota Canada and they explained why Toyota does not recommend a weight distribution hitch on the RAV4.
He said, it is because they do not have a manufacturing partnership with a WDH supplier and so they cannot offer any guarantee or take any responsibility. If they did, the manuals for the RAV and from the hitch maker would contain instructions and information for its set-up and use.
Simple as that. They are not saying you can't use one, just that they can't recommend that you do.

Last service, I asked the Toyota shop to check the hitch receiver and they reported all was fine.
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Old 06-11-2016, 01:22 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
Finally, after some six years I got to speak to somebody at Toyota Canada and they explained why Toyota does not recommend a weight distribution hitch on the RAV4.
He said, it is because they do not have a manufacturing partnership with a WDH supplier and so they cannot offer any guarantee or take any responsibility. If they did, the manuals for the RAV and from the hitch maker would contain instructions and information for its set-up and use.
.
Makes sense.

If you have ever read any of Andrew Thompson of CanAm's blogs regarding the setting up of a WDH he more often than not addresses the fact that many of the smaller tow vehicles factory installed hitches need to be upgraded and or have custom modifications made to them in order for them to safely withstand the additional forces placed on it when using a WDH.

According to Andy receiver failures can and do happen when using some of the factory installed hitches on the smaller vehicles that were never designed for the use of WDH.
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Old 06-11-2016, 01:26 PM   #15
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In the case of my 2008 RAV4, the factory hitch was a Class II ( not capable for WDH ).
Condition of sale was that the dealer have a Class III hitch receiver installed for WDH.
Work was done in the dealer shop by an after market installer.
Was cheaper than the factory hitch too.
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Old 06-11-2016, 02:39 PM   #16
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My Bigfoot 17 tows great also, behind a 98 Tacoma with a 5,000lb limit. I haven't felt any need for WD. If you have money to throw around and would feel better with it, go for it. But I doubt it really needs one. I really like the way mine tows without one. I'd probably also like how it tows with one
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Old 06-11-2016, 02:57 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Carol H View Post
...many of the smaller tow vehicles factory installed hitches need to be upgraded and or have custom modifications made to them in order for them to safely withstand the additional forces placed on it when using a WDH.
Thompson reinforces hitches because he sets up vehicles to tow WAY over their factory rating. No need to reinforce anything when towing within the design limits of the vehicle or hitch, WD or not.

Personally I wouldn't tow anything close to the 3500 lbs limit of my Highlander without a WDH. My Trillium has one, and my Coleman Popup has one too.

To Glenn: Your owner's manual probably also contains other stupidities like "Do not exceed 72 km/h when towing"... (just about all Toyotas, up to the FJ Cruiser, have this "restriction"...). Some Hondas also have the "WDH not recommended" note in their manuals, for the same reason ("not tested by the manufacturer so they can't recommend it").
Also, I know that on some models, you go to Toyota's website and download the Owner's manual, and the WDH 'restriction' isn't there anymore. I've seen it and it has been discussed on the Toyota Nation forum.
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Old 06-11-2016, 03:43 PM   #18
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Name: Mike
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I towed a 17-foot Bigfoot tens of thousands of miles without a WD hitch or a anti-sway device. Solid as a rock. The most important thing is the get the weight in the trailer properly balanced between the tongue and axle, and make sure the tongue is slightly down.
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Old 06-11-2016, 04:15 PM   #19
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To Glenn: Your owner's manual probably also contains other stupidities like "Do not exceed 72 km/h when towing".
Somebody should point out to Toyota's lawyers that they are putting their customers at risk by suggesting they tow at speeds that are way below that of other traffic.
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Old 06-11-2016, 04:23 PM   #20
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We still do not know the towing capacity of the OP's Frontier. It might be 6500# or it could be considerably less.
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