Anyone using the Progress Fastway E2 hitch?

[Dan Felipe R]

Do any of the forum members use the Fastway E2 hitch in the lighter ratings, either the 5000 lb round bar or especially the 4500 lb trunnion version? I’m looking at these as they seen well matched to towing my 17SD.

The trunnion version is appealing for allowing better ground clearance and easier handling. And the hitch weight is very low, close to 30 lbs complete, so it doesn’t have the same impact on payload as most others.

I know there is debate about whether a WDH is the right choice for a small trailer so I’m interested if there are cases where it makes more sense than others. On the surface it seems like a good solution to bringing weight back to the front end of a FWD vehicle like my Highlander. Thanks.

[Dan Felipe R]

I wondered if the 30 lb weight I read for the E2 4500 hitch was too good to be true, so I asked Progress Support. It was. They replied that the all-up weight including ball is more like 90 lbs (seems about average for a WDH). That makes the Andersen in particular at about 53 lbs look pretty good.

I’m still interested to hear if anyone has used a WDH they feel is well suited for a 3000-3500lb trailer.

[damarchman]

FWIW I use the Fastway E2 trunnion to tow my Escape 21 with a Chevy Traverse, I find that using it easy, especially if you have an electric tongue jack. I hitch up, raise the trailer until the bumper lifts, then install the bars. What happens is you're relieving the torque on the bars,after the bars are on I let the trailer down and I'm on my way. Another benefit is that I've now checked that I am firmly hitched up.

[Radar1]

I've always been a bit confused about the need for WDH with lightweight trailers.
On one hand, I understand how they take weight off the rear axle, and transfer it to the front axle and trailer axle.
On the other hand, I keep reading how important it is to have at least 10% of a trailers weight pushing down on the hitch to give the rear axle extra grip to help prevent sway.
I'm confused why we would want to add perhaps 300-400 lbs on the tongue/rear axle as recommended, and then add a device that ends up moving that weight elsewhere?
For reference, I have never used a WDH and have towed well over 150,000 miles with either my Scamp or Escape 19, with different vehicles (even one that prohibited using WDH) so I have no idea if a WDH would help or hinder my towing.I'm not even sure if British tow vehicles are set up for WDH (my first hard sided camper/ caravan was a British one while serving in England)

[Dan Felipe R]

Originally Posted by damarchman

FWIW I use the Fastway E2 trunnion to tow my Escape 21 with a Chevy Traverse, I find that using it easy, especially if you have an electric tongue jack. I hitch up, raise the trailer until the bumper lifts, then install the bars. What happens is you're relieving the torque on the bars,after the bars are on I let the trailer down and I'm on my way. Another benefit is that I've now checked that I am firmly hitched up.

Thanks for the thoughts, Steve. The e2 has sunk on my list as I found out how heavy it is. Using a limited payload wisely is a current priority so a 50lb hitch is definitely better than a 90 lb one.

I won’t try to make the entire case for weight distributing hitches. My overriding priority is to allow a FWD vehicle to tow my trailer safely and comfortably by bringing weight back onto the drive wheels.

Just for general interest, here is the current list of candidates for a lightweight WDH for a trailer like the Casita that is under 4500 lbs GTWR.

Husky 32215: CENTERLINE TS, 400-600 LBS. W/2” BALL GTWR 6000 lbs
- Trunnion bars
Checking with Husky Tech Support to see if they have any version of this hitch that works with a 3” trailer frame.

Curt LIGHT-DUTY TRUNNION BAR WDH #17345, GTW 5,000 LB $376 USD
- Snap up Chain fastening

Andersen No Sway WDH 2” receiver w 8” drop bar ~52 lbs $650

Curt SHORT TRUNNION BAR WD HITCH 5K - 6K LBS. #17330 $458 Weight 62 lbs. Replaced by 8-10K hitch # 17332 $580