Towing T1661

[mainah-SUN]

I have towed it for years with a standard hitch, but not long haul. It can get abut bouncy on poor highway. I thought a WD hitch and swaybar may make it a bit safer on the interstate.

Living in Maine nothing is close many of my trips are 500 miles to Canada right up 95. Proper loading of a small trailer has a big effect on sway a single axle trailer is definitely more prone to sway than a duel axle. I had a small popup behind a full size Jeep that swayed worse than any thing I ever owned the answer was not enough weight on the tongue I actually had to add weight to the front of the camper. I guess what I am saying your TV should be more than capable of handling a small trailer with out issues so if you are having a problem there is a reason. Yes a sway bar will "fix" it but it should not do it in the first place. I have a large utility trailer that I generally tow with the diesel Dodge dually often I move it (never tow it) with the Tacoma (it's a lot shorter) now there is a example of needing a WD hitch.

 

[jsm5394]

Forgot to mention: it is a 2" ball.

 

[JohnGB]

Hi Jim,

Here is what I came up with for options.

In one of your last messages you mentioned the truck can get bouncy on the highway. I use to get some of that on my 98 Tahoe (the shorty Suburban) when I was towing a cargo trailer on the ball. If this is the what you are feeling, the front of the truck bobbing up and down, we call this “porpoiseing”. Sort like the fish, (a porpoise) goes up and then dives down under and back up again. If this is what the truck is doing, this normally comes from a weight distribution setup problem. With most times not enough weight distribution. The front of the truck is too light and camper hanging on the back of the truck aggravates this. Since you are towing on the ball without WD, then there are not any adjustments for this other then moving gear out of the back of the Suburban can help a little. It may not cure it, but may help. If you use the WD hitch, then you can shift some weight off the back axle back to the front truck axle and a little to the camper and this will help smooth that out.

I’m going to give you some options to pick and choose from.

Adding sway control but no WD.

Get a friction sway bar. $31 One of these https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Pro-Series/83660.html

Then you need to mount the mini ball on your current drop draw bar. You can add this adapter plate under the ball. $33 One of these https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Reese/RP26003.html

Or if you do not want to use your current draw bar, then one of these that comes with the friction sway bar tab. $133 https://www.etrailer.com/Ball-Mounts/Draw-Tite/7390.html

Adding a WD hitch with an adder friction sway bar

With your new dimensions this now works and you can reuse this WD hitch when a potential new camper comes. Your lowest part to the ground is the WD hitch shank which is 6 3/8” off the ground. I towed with my 2003 Suburban with 6” clearance for about 4 years and only kissed it once in my own driveway… my fault I was going too fast over a hard bump in my yard and I bounced the back of the truck. Didn’t hurt anything on the truck or camper other than getting me bent out of shape… I created a sketch of the setup for you so you can see how this all works and look it over if anything does not look right. If it does, just ask. You can use your old WD snap up brackets and just store the new ones for a future camper if they are mechanically OK.

The dimensions sketch I made helped sort this out and pick the right parts. This is based on:
18” truck receiver height, not hitched (ground to top of 2” receiver pin box)
16 1/2" camper ball height. (ground up to top inside of ball coupler with camper level.
3/4" truck squat after setting up the WD. It will be a little less then your 1" dead weight drop.

The sketch is a little busy, but it has what we need on it.

This is the same WD hitch I showed you above, this reply http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f72/towing-t1661-17671.html#post137528 but is now has a different 4 3/4” drop shank with it now.

Get a Reese trunnion bar WD hitch, 600# tongue weight rated with no shank. $259 fee shipping. (price went down a few bucks since last week.) See this one https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Reese/RP66020.html

It has no tow ball, you can use your own 2” ball if it have a 1” threaded shank. Yours might have a 3/4 thread or a 1" thread. Or buy a new one for $10. You need the 1” to fit the bushing in the hitch head. The hitch head above comes with the bushing. See this 2” ball of mine with the bushing next to it. You take the bushing out if you upgrade to a 2 5/16” ball on a larger camper as they can be 1 1/4".

Here is a 2” ball with the 1” thread shank, $10 https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Ball/Tow-Ready/63845.html

The shank needs to drop 3 1/2" to level out the camper. They do not make an exact 3 1/2" drop but they make a 4 3/4" drop on trunnion bar head. This should work with your new camper too. This one $119 https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Pro-Series/RP63971.html

Add a friction sway control bar. $31 This is the same one as for the option with no WD hitch. The WD hitch will also work without this if wanted but then you have no anti sway control.
https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Pro-Series/83660.html

That will get you a 600# WD hitch with a friction sway bar and a 4 3/4” drop shank to level out the camper.

See if this works for you. If would want something else, glad to help on that too.

If you get a WD hitch and need help on the setup, just ask. Glad to help.

Thanks

John

 

[jsm5394]

John,
This is perfect, thanks. I will put it together and let you know how it works. As an aside, take a close look at the existing hitch in the pics. It is actually bent down. This shows how much even a small TT can exert when it bounces. I see WD and sway control as good insurance.

 

[JohnGB]

John,
This is perfect, thanks. I will put it together and let you know how it works. As an aside, take a close look at the existing hitch in the pics. It is actually bent down. This shows how much even a small TT can exert when it bounces. I see WD and sway control as good insurance.

Hi Jim, Your welcome.

I cannot see the bent down hitch part you are referring too. If this is your draw bar with the tow ball on it, then OK that will be replaced when you go to a WD setup. If this is the actual truck receiver being bent down, that we should look at more closely if it should be replaced. Yes, I have seen some of them bent down and bent up permanently. Either direction is not good going into setting up a WD hitch. They do not transfer the weight correctly as they expect the receiver to be straight and not partly bent down or up several degrees as a starting point.

Let me know if you need some more on the hitch or anything on the truck.

Thanks

John

 

[jsm5394]

It is just the draw bar. The hitch is factory and in good shape.