Like, an hour ago. Our first RV. Been working up our gumption for several years now. We've rented a few trailers in the past. We're too old for car/tent camping anymore.
Just us two, plus 2 dogs. Our plan is for at least one weekend a month, within 500 miles of home (Oregon).
I'll apologize in advance for the dumb questions from this new RV-er. Be gentle, please !
We'll be pulling with a 2013 4-Runner. I've towed the horse trailer and flat trailers full of hay many times with my Ranger, and am very comfortable with the trailering.
The trailer weighed out at around 2900#. My feeling is it will tow really stable with the two axles, but am thinking I'll still go for a WD hitch and anti-sway, just to keep my wife from feeling like there's something pushing us around.
Congrats on the purchase :)
There are no dumb questions so don't hesitate to ask, I'm sure this community will be a great resource for you.
I think the WDH is a good idea if for no other reason than the added stability in high winds. I'm very much an advocate for over preparing so you are never taken off guard.
[font size="3"][font face="arial"]X2 on the WDH. It does wonders for small SUVs like the 4Runner and my Pilot.
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Dealer said (I know, I know) that WDH not so much, but anti-sway well advised.
Which puzzled me as I thought anti-sway is an add-on once you have WDH. Or rather, you have to have the WDH hitch in place, even if you don't go for the arms and chains.
My father had a setup at one point that was only anti-sway. It was nothing more a bar that provided tension but it required no special additions to his factory F-150 receiver. I wish I could recall more about it but the dealer may not be far off depending on your particular requirements.
[quote source="/post/84/thread" timestamp="1394389830" author="@pinstriper"]Dealer said (I know, I know) that WDH not so much, but anti-sway well advised.
Which puzzled me as I thought anti-sway is an add-on once you have WDH. Or rather, you have to have the WDH hitch in place, even if you don't go for the arms and chains.
[/quote]Many WDHs have anti sway as well. But you can also get devices strictly for sway control.
Quote from: @pinstriper" source="/post/84/thread" timestamp="1394389830Dealer said (I know, I know) that WDH not so much, but anti-sway well advised.
Which puzzled me as I thought anti-sway is an add-on once you have WDH. Or rather, you have to have the WDH hitch in place, even if you don't go for the arms and chains.
We used a friction sway control http://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Pro-Series/83660.html on our previous trailer. Its basically a brake that makes the trailer stay put. It worked well, but required drilling the frame which could be an issue with the camplite's aluminum frame. There might be a bolt on version though.
As I posted elsewhere, I have the Andersen WDH mainly for sway and bounce control. I dont really need weigh distribution. The Andersen excels at sway control and does not require any drilling. It is a good bit more expensive than a dedicated sway control though.
I've been nosing around about the Andersen and I think this is how we'll go. I'm gonna pick the rig up with just a standard hitch and ball, see how she does on the way home, then make a decision. Thanks, all !
[quote source="/post/129/thread" timestamp="1394720281" author="@pinstriper"]
I've been nosing around about the Andersen and I think this is how we'll go. I'm gonna pick the rig up with just a standard hitch and ball, see how she does on the way home, then make a decision. Thanks, all !
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I just completed my first trip with the Andersen. On the trip out, I lowered the hitch onto the ball until it was fully seated, but without placing any weight on the truck. I then hand tightened the chain nuts and made sure the back edge of the bracket the chains attach to was perpendicular to the axis of the trailer. I then used the socket provided to tighten the nuts an additional 3 1/2 turns on each side. I then lowered the trailer fully. When I drove the trailer to the campground, the ride was improved, but going over bumps felt a bit stiff. So on the return trip, I followed the same procedure, but only tightened the chain nuts 3 turns beyond hand tight. That seemed to dial it right in. Other than when accelerating, you really can't even feel the trailer back there now.
So once you install the hitch, there will be some trial and error. Given the low tongue weight, there really isn't much weight distribution required, so you want to get the chain tension tight enough to provide good sway and bounce control, without the stiff ride I experienced the first time out.
[font size="3"][font face="arial"]There is one more effect of the trailer you'll notice: The gas gauge >:(
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Welcome to the small club of Oregon LL owners. Good idea to try hauling without the WDH first. We've had our 13 BHB for about 3 years now, and have never felt the need for sway control. Because it is so light, a Quiet Hitch is nice. Be sure to weigh your trailer loaded some time. You'd be surprised how fast the weight adds up. hubby just retired and we're getting ready to take off with our two whippets for about 6 weeks to the southwest, CA, AZ, UT and maybe CO at the end. We mostly boondock when able and love our little trailer.
FYI, we experience about a 10mpg mileage hit going mostly 55, but maybe the curved front trailers do a little better than our older design. . .
So just got home about an hour ago. Went with a friction sway bar on a conventional ball hitch.
Fresh water tank was full from the dealer (ka-ching!), and I could barely tell the thing was behind me. Except on a long uphill run, then she wanted some gas to maintain 55mph.
Very stable in turns, and I have to say it felt like it smoothed out the ride compared to not having a trailer on a few notorious dips in the road.
So yeah, I expect she'll do in the low teens mpg, and I'm undecided as to whether I even really need the sway bar. I figure I'll put it on for the first trip, then get really annoyed at having to disconnect it to back up. Eventually, in a fit of picque, I'll throw the damned thing in the pass-through storage and do without. I then expect well experience a little bounce on a trip, upon which I'll spend the $500 on the Andersen, and complain up a storm that I didn't do that from the start.
I know me. I've seen me do this.