WD hitch

mainah · 10-09-2012, 05:33 PM

I just bought a Camco Elite WD hitch it came with a draw bar and the problem is the draw bar and how low the WD bars hang. I'm with in 5" of how much lower the draw bar needs to be and by the time I get all this stuff mounted there probably is no more then 4 to 5" ground clearance for the WD bars. My TV is a Tacoma 4X4 and the draw bar at it's lowest point is 3/4" above the top of the draw bar. This set up might work on a car but there is no way it going to happen with a truck. Yeah this is an older camper (they all seem to be much higher now) It's a 1990 T1700 and the top of the tong is only about 15" dead level. Any one had this problem? I bought it from Amazon and can send it back but it about 100# and the shipping will kill me. If I can't get it to work it can be had cheap for pick up in Maine

**JohnB** · 10-09-2012, 08:15 PM

Hi Maineh,

This issues has come up before and not just on the older campers.

Here is a pic of Medbill's Toyota and his newer Sunline. I think it was a 2007 T195SR. I think he had super springs and has the issue of hanging down far enough.

His post shows up here on the 2nd page. He has the Reese round bar where yours is the EAZ lift that Camco bought I believe.
http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f7...n-10338-2.html

I can give you some similar ground clearances to help you compare.

This one was mine. I only had 6". I never hit the DC but did bounce the shank twice in my own drive way...errr. This was a 18 1/2" ball height on my 2500 Suburban.

Here is a 2004 T2499, 18 1/2" ball height with the Reese round bar on a Jeep Commander.

This is a 2005 T2363 on a 1/2 ton Chevy truck. This was a low one. The ball height was not much, maybe in the same 15" range. I know of 2 SOC members who tow just like this as I helped them with their hitch. I'll have to see if I can find the ball height in the 2363. The older on line floor plans use to list it

They where on the edge of what was the clearance limit on the DC. It was about 5" maybe 4 1/2" in a slight ground hump. However the DC can flex up if pushing up occurs and things keep going.

In your round bar case the bottom of the WD bars under the hitch head may be the first area to hit when the truck rear tires dips down into a hole. The round bars do not flex up like the DC, they just hit and lift the back of the truck.

5" may be your limit and you will need to watch you do not bounce the truck. If you looking for options, the Equal-I-izer 600# or now 400# WD hitch by Progress Mfg may be one. They do not hang down like the round bar hitch does. Equal-i-zer® Hitch - The “American Original” with 4-Point Sway Control™ and Weight Distribution

If you find some one with a T1950 or up to at least a T2363 they may be in this same 15" ball height area. Odds are high one of them has a round bar hitch and can maybe go measure the ground clearance they have to compare.

Hope this helps.

**JohnB** · 10-09-2012, 08:17 PM

Sunline Fan, do you have access to the older floor plans sheets that use to list the camper ball heights?

**JohnB** · 10-09-2012, 08:38 PM

Doing some digging

A 2004 T1950 had a 17 1/2" ball height
http://web.archive.org/web/200406111...aris_T1950.pdf

A 2007 T1950 all the way to a 2005 T2363 had a 17 1/2" ball height
Sunline : Non-Slide Trailers

Odds are now high that the 2005 T2363 I had setup had a 17 1/2" ball height. The 2007T1950SR was a unique setup being that low.

**Sunline Fan** · 10-09-2012, 08:43 PM

These? I don't have a real complete collection, but I have a few.

They only started doing these in the mid '90s and they only started putting the hitch ball heights on in the early 2000s.

**JohnB** · 10-09-2012, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunline Fan

These? I don't have a real complete collection, but I have a few.

They only started doing these in the mid '90s and they only started putting the hitch ball heights on in the early 2000s.

Yes those. I could only dig as far back as 2004 on the Way back archive site. I found some parts of the year 2000 web site still working but they did not have the PDF's with the ball height.

mainah · 10-10-2012, 08:32 AM

I just measured mine and the figures are about the same I could not hook the truck up because I don't have any where near enough drop so I put a jack under the ball end to simulate it being hooked up. I do have 5" to the ground at the lowest point maybe I'm just over reacting. I guess the bottom line is the back end will ride higher then it normally would because of the bars and be more likely to maintain the 5" clearance. If my trailer was at the 17 1/2" mark all would be well except for the hitch drop because that would put the bars at 7". All though the Tacoma pulls it well I do get the bucking bronco effect on a rough road that is the main reason I wanted the equalizing hitch.