Weight Distribution Hitch-on a 13' fiberglass camper

[NCBOY]

Hello to all Fiberglass Campers, I have this weight Distribution Hitch(WDH) Light Duty from my other camper(No longer have). I want to know "IS IT SAFE OR NOT SAFE ?" to use it on a 13' ft. fiberglass camper. A 13' ft. Camper (1600 lbs. plus.. tow by a Car with a 2000 lb. towing capacity) Anybody have any suggestion or advice will be appreciate. Happy camping.

[gordon2]

Not safe.

Not safe because there is not nearly enough information to know its safe (or needed, or appropriate) Not even the make and model or vehicle is given, let alone all the weights, etc.

[Raspy]

There is no way anyone can say if that is needed, or safe, or not, without much more information. Besides that, it's never a good idea to tell someone else, that we have never seen and don't know, that they should go ahead and tow something after they have expressed some doubt about it. If you were trying to tow an 8,000 lb trailer with a Yugo, we could generalize and say "not a good idea". Some 13' frames are barely strong enough to tow without the added stress of a WDH. In this case, you'll have to make up your own mind. Or at a very minimum, provide much more information so that the experts can venture a reasonable guess.

[Radar1]

Check your owners manual to see if they have recommendations on weight distribution hitches. I suspect with only a 2,000 lb tow capacity, your manual will either not address WDH because they don't expect anyone to use it with a 2,000 trailer, or they will say "not recommended".
I know on my Subaru with 2,700 lb tow capacity the manufacturer says WDH "not recommended".
I can't really see a need to add the extra complexity of a WDH to transfer weight of a properly balanced 2,000 lb trailer from the rear axle to the front axle though unless you have a heavy tongue weight in conjunction with a limited tongue weight limit?

[Jon in AZ]

What’s the tongue weight range for the “light duty” WDH unit you have?

I’m having a hard time understanding why you would want to use it unless you are carrying a lot of people and/or cargo in the vehicle in addition to the tongue load. If that’s the case, you’re probably going to be overloaded however you redistribute it.

I also have concerns about how WDH will affect the frame. The main frame rail on the curb side of my Scamp and many other 13’ers is not continuous.

[floyd]

You don't say what car, but I'm sure it came with an owner's manual.
Also check with the manufacturer. What specific hitch is on the car?


As for the 13 fiberglass trailer, also vague, I haven't seen one built with a WDH in mind and I've seen almost everyone ever made.

13ft fiberglass trailers generally come with 1200 pound to 2200 pound axles,hardly the margin needed.
Tongue weight starts at 80 pounds seldom exceeds 200 pounds, hardly WDH territory.



So... to start with what car, what trailer?

[Wayne Collins]

Not needed
Unless you are hauling a ton of bricks ahead of the trailer's axle...

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

What’s the tongue weight range for the “light duty” WDH unit you have?

I’m having a hard time understanding why you would want to use it unless you are carrying a lot of people and/or cargo in the vehicle in addition to the tongue load. If that’s the case, you’re probably going to be overloaded however you redistribute it.

I also have concerns about how WDH will affect the frame. The main frame rail on the curb side of my Scamp and many other 13’ers is not continuous.

Unless its not a Scamp!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzw1_2b-I7A

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by floyd

Tongue weight starts at 80 pounds seldom exceeds 200 pounds, hardly WDH territory.

My WDH weighs 78 lbs.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by floyd

Unless its not a Scamp!

Right. I realized that after I hit send and amended my post to make it more general. Other 13'ers share the same drop-floor design as Scamp (Boler and clones), and still others bend the frame vertically to accomplish the same thing (Trillium and Casita). Both designs weaken the ability of the frame to transmit WDH loads from the A-frame to the trailer axle. That, combined with age of vintage units and relatively lightweight frame material, makes WDH use iffy with most 13'ers.

And as you say, not usually needed, though I'd say most loaded-for-camping 13'ers fall in the 175-200# range, not 80#. Bath models with battery and dual LP tanks can run well over 200#.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Right. I realized that after I hit send and amended my post to make it more general. Other 13'ers share the same drop-floor design as Scamp (Boler and clones), and still others bend the frame vertically to accomplish the same thing (Trillium and Casita). Both designs weaken the ability of the frame to transmit WDH loads from the A-frame to the trailer axle. That, combined with age of vintage units and relatively lightweight frame material, makes WDH use iffy with most 13'ers.

And as you say, not usually needed, though I'd say most loaded-for-camping 13'ers fall in the 175-200# range, not 80#. Bath models with battery and dual LP tanks can run well over 200#.

I just wanted to cover the full normal range, there are lighter fiberglass trailers than Scamps.

J2807 says 200 for a 2000 tow limit. All that said, it is true that an older base 13Scamp would have an 80pound tongue weight without a battery pack or propane.

Sure some run more, I run 240# by choice, and I have a double bike rack.
It was well under 200# when new.
Even 200 is some distance from needing a WDH.

[rgrugg]

When we bought our EggCamper several years back we were told by the factory “do not use a weight distributing hitch.” Actually never needed one nor do I need one for my Escape19 but I tow it with a Ram 1500.

[Bruce H]

When you rent a U-Haul trailer what kind of weight distribution hitch do you use?

[redbarron55]

I think that with the cracking frame problems with the "eggs" without a WDH I would not use one without some sort of reinforcement.
I rebuilt my frame (cracks) with heavy duty thick walled tubing with reinforcements and I use a light duty WDH with my 16' Scamp and T&C

[Bruce H]

Engineering/math question: If the receiver (part the ball mount goes in) is 6 inches deep and it is 14 feet from it to the front axle of the tow vehicle AND 14 feet to the trailer axle from said receiver, how many pounds of pressure or twist do the spring arms of the weight distribution hitch have to apply to that 6 inch lever to put an additional 200 pounds on the front axle of the tow vehicle and also put an additional 200 pounds on the trailer axle to "equalize" them? In other words how many pounds of pressure does it take for a lever 6 inches long to put 400 total pounds of pressure 14 feet away?



I ask because that is how much pressure you are putting on the frame of your trailer hitch when you cinch up an equalizer hitch. As a clue you would figure the mid point of the 6 inch ball mount as the fulcrum of the lever. That leaves 3 inches on either side of that fulcrum to press against the trailer hitch frame. I suspect the answer is 22,400 pounds of leverage being applied against that trailer hitch. That is with the vehicle sitting still on a parking lot. Go through a dip at 50 mph and I also suspect that pressure could reach 100,000 pounds. Hope that doesn't tear the back end off of your Toyota or Subaru and crack your trailer frame,



Weight distribution hitches are a dangerous, troublesome, expensive way to try to correct vehicles that are inherently too light and don't have sufficient suspension to tow with or trailers that are improperly proportioned to be towed with stability. And most of that is the trailers designed by non-engineers (who's only known rule is the unproven 10 to 15% tongue weight hypothesis on the shortest possible tongue) Use your own measurements, do the math and prove me wrong.

[Wayne Collins]

Bruce. I don't know the numbers, but LEVERAGE would be in Foot-Pounds, not just pounds. And Pressure would be PSI, or pounds per square inch.
I think that WDH's are intended to counteract the sag of the rear suspension of the TV.
That they transfer some weight to the from axle is secondary.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Wayne Collins

Bruce. I don't know the numbers, but LEVERAGE would be in Foot-Pounds, not just pounds. And Pressure would be PSI, or pounds per square inch.
I think that WDH's are intended to counteract the sag of the rear suspension of the TV.
That they transfer some weight to the from axle is secondary.

I think that one needs to consider what and how a WDH works. There's only one thing it can do and that's stiffen the connection between the tow and the trailer. There my be some conditions where they might be desired, although I can't think of any.
The dip that was talked about above puts a lot of pressure on the trailer frame and axle. The opposite when the trailer cove over the lip and starts down into the dip the trailer tires are unloaded and much if not all is held by the torsion bar connection point to the trailer tongue.

The point is that all any of these devices can do is stiffen the joint between trailer and tow. That's true for both WDH and Anti-Sway bars.

[rjannunziata]

Hi,
We have a 1973 trillium 1300 and are concidering a wdh and a anti sway bar.
It is confusing with all the different opinions.I see packing the trailer correctly is the first priority with 12% tongue weight.
Some frames cant handle the wdh,not strong enough,to low ect? Waste of money?
The friction anti sway devise looks like a good choice?
Our tow vehicle is a 2008 highlander hybrid with a tow cap of 3500 #.

Thanks,

Rich

[Jon in AZ]

I tow a Scamp 13 with a Pilot 2WD, same 3500# rating. I can't imagine any scenario in which a WDH would be needed or helpful. They don't make them for tongue weights in the 200# range, anyway. An anti-sway bar, maybe, as extra insurance. But make sure you have a solid, stable, sway-free set-up before hooking up a sway bar. 12% tongue weight sounds about right. As much as possible, keep weight centered and low for best handling.

For a number of seasons we carried 2 bicycles on the back, with most of the other heavy stuff stowed forward to offset the rear weight and maintain adequate tongue weight. Never had any sway problems, but...

When a critical piece of our bike rack broke on the eve of a trip, I ended up finding a way to carry the bikes inside the trailer. With bikes and other weight centered (same tongue weight) the trailer handled like a sports car. It was like night and day driving the mountain and canyon roads around our home. I believe- physics was a long time ago- it has to do with a low moment of inertia or something like that. Whatever it's called, it works, and I retired the bike rack permanently!