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My wife and I purchased our first trailer and the dealer installed the equal-i-zer hitch for us. We have been out a few times with the trailer and not knowing any better we have nothing to compare the handling too.
I decided to check out some online resources and make some measurements, it seems something my not be right.
Yesterday we ran the trailer over the scales for the first time and I also measure the truck (fender heights) and got the following:
Trailer Gross = 12780-5920
= 6860
Tongue weight = (3020+4080)-5920
= 1180
The scale seems to be indicating the hitch IS transferring weight, but not a lot (numbers in bracket indicate amount I'm above or below my GAWR).
The tongue weight seems REALLY high. The trailer is listed as having a tongue weight of 620 lbs (including propane tanks) and a dry weight of 6200#. Given we are sitting around 6900# I'd expect @ 13% a tongue weight of ~ 900 #. We don't have a lot in the underbelly storage (wooden levelling blocks, small propane BBQ, 2 chairs, carpet, few tools - I even took out the outside fridge).
Another oddity comes in the measurements below.
From what I've read I was under the impression what when the bars are engaged, things should return close to normal - am I missing something?
When I made the measurement (above) the truck might NOT have been directly inline with the trailer, thus the slight difference driver to passenger sides.
The measurements are not supposed to be back to where they are without the trailer. If you have a 2011-2014, Ford recommends that the front fender height be returned to halfway between where it was with no trailer and where it was with the trailer but without the bars connected. If you have a 2015+, Ford recommends that it be returned 1/4 of the way back.
Also, the WDH isn't going to move a lot of weight off the TV, yeah it will move some back to the TT axle but not a lot.
Looking at your numbers, it looks as if you are pretty close to putting half the weight back on the front axle and in doing so, it put the rear axle back under the RAWR.
If you can move some of the weight to a rear storage area it would reduce the tongue weight some.
I am also struggling to mine set up. I have a new 2016 F150. My front measurements are within a half inch of the unloaded height. The rear endis sitting three inches below the unloaded height. I have a toy hauler with 1000 tongue weight, and overall 5500 dry. We don't haul that much cargo these days, and when we do, the biggest thing is the Harley. This upcoming trip is a couple of bikes, some good and our living stuff which is always in there.
The truck and trailer sit level when loaded, but the camper place says I need to have the rear end of the truck sitting at the unloaded ride height. Unless I set the load bars to the max height (serious tension), and add the max number of washers, I don't see how I can get back to stock ride height while loaded.
What is my next step. With the tires inflated to the max sidewall rating, I am getting more sway than I am comfortable with. We tow maybe 4-6 times a year.
I am also struggling to mine set up. I have a new 2016 F150. My front measurements are within a half inch of the unloaded height. The rear endis sitting three inches below the unloaded height. I have a toy hauler with 1000 tongue weight, and overall 5500 dry. We don't haul that much cargo these days, and when we do, the biggest thing is the Harley. This upcoming trip is a couple of bikes, some good and our living stuff which is always in there.
The truck and trailer sit level when loaded, but the camper place says I need to have the rear end of the truck sitting at the unloaded ride height. Unless I set the load bars to the max height (serious tension), and add the max number of washers, I don't see how I can get back to stock ride height while loaded.
What is my next step. With the tires inflated to the max sidewall rating, I am getting more sway than I am comfortable with. We tow maybe 4-6 times a year.
How can you possibly have the rear sitting at the height that it is when unloaded with a trailer hooked up? That would require taking all the weight back off the rear axle. It isn't going to happen.
How can you possibly have the rear sitting at the height that it is when unloaded with a trailer hooked up? That would require taking all the weight back off the rear axle. It isn't going to happen.
I know. I was stunned to hear this as well. I am going to start over tomorrow and try it again. The book says to get back halfway between coupled and uncoupled height at both ends using the WD bars. Even that seems like a stretch at the rear given my 1000# tongue weight.
The measurements are not supposed to be back to where they are without the trailer. If you have a 2011-2014, Ford recommends that the front fender height be returned to halfway between where it was with no trailer and where it was with the trailer but without the bars connected. If you have a 2015+, Ford recommends that it be returned 1/4 of the way back.
Also, the WDH isn't going to move a lot of weight off the TV, yeah it will move some back to the TT axle but not a lot.
Looking at your numbers, it looks as if you are pretty close to putting half the weight back on the front axle and in doing so, it put the rear axle back under the RAWR.
If you can move some of the weight to a rear storage area it would reduce the tongue weight some.
I do have a 2016 SCREW with the 6.5' box. The confusing part was the setup video on the equal-i-zer site that mentions front rise = rear compression. Clearly that won't happen.
It still bothers me about the tongue weight. Given the dry weight should be around 650# and I'm over 1100# I know for a fact I don't have 500# of gear in the nose. The trailer's dry weight is around 6200# and loaded she is close to 6900, which is only 700# of "stuff".
Could it be a poor hitch set-up?
The other concern is, I went with the 10000/1000 hitch figuring that should have been lots given the trailer and projected tongue, now I'm a little worried.
4 washers? I'm pretty sure they set me up with 6-7 and I only have the 1000# bars.
The brackets on my trailer are all the way down (lowest setting) and I believe the hitch is set to lowest setting too.
3.5 EB 4x4 with tow package, but not HD package.
How level is your TT when everything is hooked up? It should be level to slightly nose down. My understanding is that you need to get the ball and bracket heights right first then adjust the head tilt from there.
A 30# lp tank weighs around 50# full and the battery probably weighs close to 75# so if you have two tanks and a battery up front that's around 175# that isn't included in that dry tongue weight.
07-12-2016, 07:37 AM
Equal-i-zer setup correctly?
