![[image]](http://i.imgur.com/uHD6aMvl.jpg)
![[image]](http://i.imgur.com/9zDQZA2l.jpg)
If you check your trailer's hitch, it should have a size stamped on it somewhere.
It seems you have too small a ball, under-spec weight wise, and are fortunate to have caught it before any real trouble.
You may want to check the weight specs on your WDH as well, if this was part of that setup.
Good eye!
check the ball size on the trailer first, it should be 2 5/16
second those equalizer bars look kinda light too, and the safety chains are too small
cheap Chinese hardware
2017 Ram 1500 4door, 4x4, 5.7 l hemi, 8 speed
2008 KZ Spree 260
![[image]](http://i.imgur.com/bhT99Rml.jpg)
2011 ram 3500. Cummins 68rfe. EFI live. 276k miles and climbing.
2017 keystone bullet 204
2020 F250 STX CC SB 7.3L 10spd 3.55 4x4
2010 F250 XLT CC SB 5.4L 5spdTS 3.73
ex '95 Cummins,'98 12v Cummins,'01.5 Cummins,'03 Cummins; '05 Hemi
2017 Jayco 28RLS TT 32.5'
Hannibal wrote:
Needs a 2 5/16" ball with as large a diameter shank...
Needs a 2 5/16" ball with as large a diameter shank...
That's a good point. All the 2-5/16 balls I know have the larger diameter shank, which will also help fix your problem
![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/wink.gif "wink")
On the upside, it seems your upgrades to the correct size ball that matches your trailer and larger shank and stuff, is likely to have a very positive impact on your towing experience now and in the future
Again, very good that you look at your gear and keep an eye on things BEFORE a problem crops up
2006 Silverado 1500HD Crew Cab 2WD 6.0L 3.73 8600 GVWR
2018 Coachmen Catalina Legacy Edition 223RBS
1991 Palomino Filly PUP
Lynnmor wrote:
Now that we know he used the wrong ball, the coupler needs to be inspected for wear and damage. One lucky guy!
Now that we know he used the wrong ball, the coupler needs to be inspected for wear and damage. One lucky guy!
The rest of us on the road are lucky too!
Kip
2015 Skyline Dart 214RB
2018 Silverado Double Cab 4x4
Andersen Hitch
drsteve wrote:
Mr. Murphy must have been busy somewhere else that day.
Mr. Murphy must have been busy somewhere else that day.
I don't use Murphy's law, I use Schwartz's law, Schwartz says "Murphy is an optimist"
![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
However, I agree with everything else that was said..Need a 2 5/16 ball
If purchased from a dealer they should have noticed this on hook up
By the time you learn the rules of life
You're to old to play the game
Of course verify the ball size, get the hitch head replaced, and weight the tongue. I bet your tongue weight is way more than you think and that's not a very heavy duty WDH.
2021 Nissan Titan Pro-4X 5.6L V8 4WD - 2019 Keystone Bullet 243BHS
SidecarFlip wrote:
Bent balls by 'One hung Loe"
Bent balls by 'One hung Loe"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
lets go!!
pira114 wrote:
One recommendation I have is go back to camping world and make them fix all this at zero cost to you.
One recommendation I have is go back to camping world and make them fix all this at zero cost to you.
X2 - But good luck getting those bozo's to own up to it. You can tell by the relation of the spring bars to the Aframe they also had the setup way off to boot.
You can obtain a replacement head for around $70, Curt part number 17107 and 1000lb bars for around $130, Curt part number 17106.
Your 800 lb bars may be just enough if properly set up however. Personally I would get the new head, 2 5/16 ball, readjust it and give it a try before I shelled out cash for the 1000lb bars.
Now the thread will probably be bombarded by those who think you need a $2000+ Propride or something.
SidecarFlip wrote:
Bent balls by 'One hung Loe"
Bent balls by 'One hung Loe"
The Camping World tech who performed this quality installation was Sum Ting Wong assisted by Bang Ding Ow.
* This post was edited 08/02/17 02:15am by Ralph Cramden *
jjlhampton wrote:
Tongue weight is 635 lbs and that is w/o the bells and whistles packed. .
Tongue weight is 635 lbs and that is w/o the bells and whistles packed. .
OK, you know you're well over the claimed dry weight (Jayco says 670lbs) but you have no idea how much more.
Knowing your actual weights (LOADED) is really step 1.
proxim2020 wrote:
I would definitely look into a more heavy duty hitch. I would load up the trailer and run it across a scale to see exactly how heavy it is. Chances are you're already at or over capacity of your current hitch since it appears to be slightly bent. A safe bet would be to calculate your tongue weight at GVWR of the trailer and purchase a hitch that has at least that capacity. This would be the heaviest tongue weight the hitch would ever carry. Look at what's stamped on the coupler, but chances are you should be using a 2 5/16 ball.
I would definitely look into a more heavy duty hitch. I would load up the trailer and run it across a scale to see exactly how heavy it is. Chances are you're already at or over capacity of your current hitch since it appears to be slightly bent. A safe bet would be to calculate your tongue weight at GVWR of the trailer and purchase a hitch that has at least that capacity. This would be the heaviest tongue weight the hitch would ever carry. Look at what's stamped on the coupler, but chances are you should be using a 2 5/16 ball.
The hitch he has is rated for up to a 10K lb trailer. The 800 lb bars he has (which is all that saved him a ton of grief by holding the entire mess together) may, or may not be heavy enough, but as in my earlier post 1000lb bars for that model Curt hitch are only $130 or less. The 2" ball let loose, and the head flange bent as well, because the trailer was banging back and forth into it. I would bet more than the farm his trailer has a 2-5/16" coupler. Probably good he had the Curt as the head is plate steel. If it would of been cast like the Reese it may have cracked right in half at the ball.
Why does he need a more heavy duty hitch? Nothing wrong at all with a conventional round bar WDH. There are literally millions of them in use.
Not a great way of doing it, but a good place to start for estimating.
Build a life you don't need a vacation from.
2016 Silverado 3500HD DRW D/A 4x4
2018 Keystone Cougar 26RBS
2006 Weekend Warrior FK1900
Ralph Cramden wrote:
The hitch he has is rated for up to a 10K lb trailer. The 800 lb bars he has (which is all that saved him a ton of grief by holding the entire mess together) may, or may not be heavy enough, but as in my earlier post 1000lb bars for that model Curt hitch are only $130 or less. The 2" ball let loose, and the head flange bent as well, because the trailer was banging back and forth into it. I would bet more than the farm his trailer has a 2-5/16" coupler. Probably good he had the Curt as the head is plate steel. If it would of been cast like the Reese it may have cracked right in half at the ball.
Why does he need a more heavy duty hitch? Nothing wrong at all with a conventional round bar WDH. There are literally millions of them in use.
proxim2020 wrote:
I would definitely look into a more heavy duty hitch.
I would definitely look into a more heavy duty hitch.
The hitch he has is rated for up to a 10K lb trailer. The 800 lb bars he has (which is all that saved him a ton of grief by holding the entire mess together) may, or may not be heavy enough, but as in my earlier post 1000lb bars for that model Curt hitch are only $130 or less. The 2" ball let loose, and the head flange bent as well, because the trailer was banging back and forth into it. I would bet more than the farm his trailer has a 2-5/16" coupler. Probably good he had the Curt as the head is plate steel. If it would of been cast like the Reese it may have cracked right in half at the ball.
Why does he need a more heavy duty hitch? Nothing wrong at all with a conventional round bar WDH. There are literally millions of them in use.
The friction bar may be Curt, but the hitch appears to be Eaz-Lift. The head and ball could be replaced pretty cheap. The cast Reese HP trunnion style ball mount is rated for up to 17k lbs. I doubt it's going to be broken in anything less than a crash. I would upgrade to a better hitch with the proper size ball but that's just me.
SidecarFlip wrote:
Bent balls by 'One hung Loe"
Bent balls by 'One hung Loe"
Assisted by his brother long wang
It does need a "2 5/16 ball, Not to Exceed 14K gross, tongue weight not to exceed 2100lbs."
The hitch is an EZ lift from C.W.
![[image]](http://i.imgur.com/gLTZHbIl.jpg)
The GVWR of the Trailer is 7000lbs. Unloaded it is 5425 and last weekend when heading out, w/ our normal gear packed, the scale read 5950.
Picked up a new 2 5/16 ball, with a 1/14 shank diamter, 2 3/4 shank length, with a 12K capacity.
Now looking at CURT Replacement MV Round Bar Weight Distribution Head #17075 and CURT Replacement MV Round Bar Weight Distribution Spring Bar #17074. W/ both rated to 14K trailer wgt. and 1400lb tongue weight.
And again thank you all so much!
jjlhampton wrote:
Picked up a new 2 5/16 ball, with a 1/14 shank diamter, 2 3/4 shank length, with a 12K capacity.
If you're planning on DIY, you'll need the tools to torque that to 450 ft-lb. I used a 24" "Crescent" wrench to hold the ball (it had flats on the base) and a 40" 3/4" breaker bar to tighten the nut. Then 2 adults, it still takes one weighing at least 150 lbs standing on the end of the breaker bar to get it tight enough.
Picked up a new 2 5/16 ball, with a 1/14 shank diamter, 2 3/4 shank length, with a 12K capacity.
jjlhampton wrote:
Just went out to the trailer and you'd think they'd stamp the info other then up underneath the coupler area.
It does need a "2 5/16 ball, Not to Exceed 14K gross, tongue weight not to exceed 2100lbs."
The hitch is an EZ lift from C.W.
The GVWR of the Trailer is 7000lbs. Unloaded it is 5425 and last weekend when heading out, w/ our normal gear packed, the scale read 5950.
Picked up a new 2 5/16 ball, with a 1/14 shank diamter, 2 3/4 shank length, with a 12K capacity.
Now looking at CURT Replacement MV Round Bar Weight Distribution Head #17075 and CURT Replacement MV Round Bar Weight Distribution Spring Bar #17074. W/ both rated to 14K trailer wgt. and 1400lb tongue weight.
And again thank you all so much!
Just went out to the trailer and you'd think they'd stamp the info other then up underneath the coupler area.
It does need a "2 5/16 ball, Not to Exceed 14K gross, tongue weight not to exceed 2100lbs."
The hitch is an EZ lift from C.W.
The GVWR of the Trailer is 7000lbs. Unloaded it is 5425 and last weekend when heading out, w/ our normal gear packed, the scale read 5950.
Picked up a new 2 5/16 ball, with a 1/14 shank diamter, 2 3/4 shank length, with a 12K capacity.
Now looking at CURT Replacement MV Round Bar Weight Distribution Head #17075 and CURT Replacement MV Round Bar Weight Distribution Spring Bar #17074. W/ both rated to 14K trailer wgt. and 1400lb tongue weight.
And again thank you all so much!
The spring bars should be in the range of your tongue weight. I believe that you currently have 800 pound bars and they should be fine. You should weigh the tongue to be sure. You do not want higher rated bars than necessary because they need to flex. You certainly do not want 1400 pound bars.
Lynnmor wrote:
The spring bars should be in the range of your tongue weight. I believe that you currently have 800 pound bars and they should be fine. You should weigh the tongue to be sure. You do not want higher rated bars than necessary because they need to flex. You certainly do not want 1400 pound bars.
jjlhampton wrote:
Just went out to the trailer and you'd think they'd stamp the info other then up underneath the coupler area.
It does need a "2 5/16 ball, Not to Exceed 14K gross, tongue weight not to exceed 2100lbs."
The hitch is an EZ lift from C.W.
The GVWR of the Trailer is 7000lbs. Unloaded it is 5425 and last weekend when heading out, w/ our normal gear packed, the scale read 5950.
Picked up a new 2 5/16 ball, with a 1/14 shank diamter, 2 3/4 shank length, with a 12K capacity.
Now looking at CURT Replacement MV Round Bar Weight Distribution Head #17075 and CURT Replacement MV Round Bar Weight Distribution Spring Bar #17074. W/ both rated to 14K trailer wgt. and 1400lb tongue weight.
And again thank you all so much!
Just went out to the trailer and you'd think they'd stamp the info other then up underneath the coupler area.
It does need a "2 5/16 ball, Not to Exceed 14K gross, tongue weight not to exceed 2100lbs."
The hitch is an EZ lift from C.W.
The GVWR of the Trailer is 7000lbs. Unloaded it is 5425 and last weekend when heading out, w/ our normal gear packed, the scale read 5950.
Picked up a new 2 5/16 ball, with a 1/14 shank diamter, 2 3/4 shank length, with a 12K capacity.
Now looking at CURT Replacement MV Round Bar Weight Distribution Head #17075 and CURT Replacement MV Round Bar Weight Distribution Spring Bar #17074. W/ both rated to 14K trailer wgt. and 1400lb tongue weight.
And again thank you all so much!
The spring bars should be in the range of your tongue weight. I believe that you currently have 800 pound bars and they should be fine. You should weigh the tongue to be sure. You do not want higher rated bars than necessary because they need to flex. You certainly do not want 1400 pound bars.
I agree, weigh the trailer tongue fully loaded first. Then figure out what size WD bars you need.
The 1,400# WD bars, odds are high they are too heavy. Odds are also your truck does not have a receiver rating that high to allow using them. This is not a good setup to have 1,400# WD bars on a potential 900 to 1,000# hitch weight and a truck receiver that cannot handle the full WD bar loads.
While the hitch may be rated to 1,400# WD bars, that does not mean you need to use the strongest bars there is. It allows you to get the right bar for the job but not too big. The best riding setup is if the loaded tongue weight and the WD bars are the same. It does not always work that way so you need to get the size closest but not under the loaded tongue weight. There is also a concern to the A frame damage of the camper using 1,400# WD bars that big over a smaller rated trailer. I'm sure a call to Jayco will clear that one up in a hurry.
Since you are getting a new hitch head and potentially new WD bars, I agree with the other poster, a trunnion bar hitch head setup on a bottom slung coupler trailer can be better fit then the round bar. When you get the correct WD bars you may start to see ground clearance issues. The WD bars will not be bending up like they are now. The Trunnion bar hitch will give you some more ground clearance if that is a problem for you. Just an option to look at.
Hope this helps and good luck with your setup.
John
John & Cindy
2005 Ford F350 Super Duty, 4x4; 6.8L V10 with 4.10
CC, SB, Lariat & FX4 package
21,000 GCWR, 11,000 GVWR
Ford Tow Command
1,700# Reese HP hitch & HP Dual Cam
2 1/2" Towbeast Receiver
2004 Sunline Solaris T310SR
(I wish we were camping!)
Speaking for nothing larger than 1/2 tons, I have found on repeated occasions having WD bars at or below the ton weight results in poor weight distribution and a soft rear end. This gets people looking at bags and helper springs and does not help handling.
I run 1400 bars with a Hensley and 900+ (max weighed was 960lbs) tongue on my SUV and could not be happier.
My camping buddy was running 1000lbs bars with his F-150 with exact same tongue weight (high 900's) and complained he was tensioning the bars too much (was upto 7 washers and was hard to connect) to get weight back on the front wheels. A new WDH with 1400lbs fixed it and the rig drives as he expects now.
Many years ago I towed with a Honda Pilot and it too was near max. I ran 600lbs bars with a 400+ tongue weight and it did ok. Then I bumped to 1000lb bars for cheap and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!
It's poor advice to assume the WD bars should be at or below tongue weight for every tow vehicle.
IMO, 1/2 tons and less, always round up to the next size bar. There's actually no reason not to. Rounding up just one size will not result in a harsh ride, doubling what you need would! Handling will be what it should be and you wont need to think about air bags and helper springs because the WDH is doing what its designed to do.
I spent the afternoon helping him setup the WD hitch. Had him test drive it. Talked about weight distribution in the trailer, safe speed, swaying, level of trailer, etc. How full tanks could change the dynamics, as you use water it moves from the water tank to the gray/black tanks - possibly upsetting the weights in the trailer. By the end of the afternoon he was happy with how much better it drove.
My 27-foot trailer has a sticker on it warning against bars heavier than 1000 pounds. It has a 900 pound hitch weight and I use 800 pound bars. Perfect for me.
Some trailers have been damaged by bars too heavy, with cracked frames, popped rivets and wrinkled bodies not to mention the buck-wagon ride.
I've been told that most properly sized weight transfer bars are designed to be used with the "bend" in them. This provides a spring action that is good for the ride.
Yep, too much medicine is not what the doctor ordered.
About the ball size: this is the most elementary mistake that can be made. Where are the "professionals" getting such "help?"
Wife Kim
Son Brandon 17yrs
Daughter Marissa 16yrs
Dog Bailey
12 Forest River Georgetown 350TS Hellwig sway bars, BlueOx TrueCenter stabilizer
13 Ford Explorer Roadmaster Stowmaster 5000, VIP Tow>
A bad day camping is
better than a good day at work!
Ralph Cramden wrote:
The hitch he has is rated for up to a 10K lb trailer. The 800 lb bars he has (which is all that saved him a ton of grief by holding the entire mess together) may, or may not be heavy enough, but as in my earlier post 1000lb bars for that model Curt hitch are only $130 or less. The 2" ball let loose, and the head flange bent as well, because the trailer was banging back and forth into it. I would bet more than the farm his trailer has a 2-5/16" coupler. Probably good he had the Curt as the head is plate steel. If it would of been cast like the Reese it may have cracked right in half at the ball.
Why does he need a more heavy duty hitch? Nothing wrong at all with a conventional round bar WDH. There are literally millions of them in use.
proxim2020 wrote:
I would definitely look into a more heavy duty hitch. I would load up the trailer and run it across a scale to see exactly how heavy it is. Chances are you're already at or over capacity of your current hitch since it appears to be slightly bent. A safe bet would be to calculate your tongue weight at GVWR of the trailer and purchase a hitch that has at least that capacity. This would be the heaviest tongue weight the hitch would ever carry. Look at what's stamped on the coupler, but chances are you should be using a 2 5/16 ball.
I would definitely look into a more heavy duty hitch. I would load up the trailer and run it across a scale to see exactly how heavy it is. Chances are you're already at or over capacity of your current hitch since it appears to be slightly bent. A safe bet would be to calculate your tongue weight at GVWR of the trailer and purchase a hitch that has at least that capacity. This would be the heaviest tongue weight the hitch would ever carry. Look at what's stamped on the coupler, but chances are you should be using a 2 5/16 ball.
The hitch he has is rated for up to a 10K lb trailer. The 800 lb bars he has (which is all that saved him a ton of grief by holding the entire mess together) may, or may not be heavy enough, but as in my earlier post 1000lb bars for that model Curt hitch are only $130 or less. The 2" ball let loose, and the head flange bent as well, because the trailer was banging back and forth into it. I would bet more than the farm his trailer has a 2-5/16" coupler. Probably good he had the Curt as the head is plate steel. If it would of been cast like the Reese it may have cracked right in half at the ball.
Why does he need a more heavy duty hitch? Nothing wrong at all with a conventional round bar WDH. There are literally millions of them in use.
The specs online said the hitch had a 800 lbs tongue capacity. I took that to mean well that the hitch had a 800 lbs tongue capacity. The picture of the OPs label makes more sense.
stevemorris wrote:
second those equalizer bars look kinda light too, and the safety chains are too small
second those equalizer bars look kinda light too, and the safety chains are too small
Ditto on the bars being way too tight.
2009 Silverado 3500HD Dually, D/A, CCLB 4x4 (bought new 8/30/09)
2018 Arctic Fox 992 with an Onan 2500i "quiet" model generator
Rick
2016 F-150 XLT 4x4 3.5 EB
2017 Jay Feather X213
mrw8i wrote:
Wow. This is the 2nd time I've seen where CW allowed someone tow a trailer out of their parking lot in an unsafe condition. Same thing on both 2" ball. The 1st time I saw it was a neighbor of mine. Not even a WD hitch in that case. I was going for a walk and he and another neighbor were staring at the truck/trailer combination hooked up and wondering what they could do to level the trailer and truck - it was a significant "V" shape with the rear of the trailer very high and the front of the truck very high. He had just got back from his first 200 mile camping trip. It was so bad, he was loading the rear of the trailer with weight. He was talking about air bags - I informed of WD hitches. I had a used (two year old) WD hitch I was no longer using with 1200 and 1000 lb bars. I sold him the setup - same as the OP, with the 100 lb bars then helped him install it. That's when I found he had a 2" ball.
I spent the afternoon helping him setup the WD hitch. Had him test drive it. Talked about weight distribution in the trailer, safe speed, swaying, level of trailer, etc. How full tanks could change the dynamics, as you use water it moves from the water tank to the gray/black tanks - possibly upsetting the weights in the trailer. By the end of the afternoon he was happy with how much better it drove.
Wow. This is the 2nd time I've seen where CW allowed someone tow a trailer out of their parking lot in an unsafe condition. Same thing on both 2" ball. The 1st time I saw it was a neighbor of mine. Not even a WD hitch in that case. I was going for a walk and he and another neighbor were staring at the truck/trailer combination hooked up and wondering what they could do to level the trailer and truck - it was a significant "V" shape with the rear of the trailer very high and the front of the truck very high. He had just got back from his first 200 mile camping trip. It was so bad, he was loading the rear of the trailer with weight. He was talking about air bags - I informed of WD hitches. I had a used (two year old) WD hitch I was no longer using with 1200 and 1000 lb bars. I sold him the setup - same as the OP, with the 100 lb bars then helped him install it. That's when I found he had a 2" ball.
I spent the afternoon helping him setup the WD hitch. Had him test drive it. Talked about weight distribution in the trailer, safe speed, swaying, level of trailer, etc. How full tanks could change the dynamics, as you use water it moves from the water tank to the gray/black tanks - possibly upsetting the weights in the trailer. By the end of the afternoon he was happy with how much better it drove.
Not just Camping World. The idiot who set up my WD didn't tighten the nut on the hitch ball. When I unhitch the trailer at home I saw the ball wiggle. Drove right back to the dealership after that and had them check every nut on the hitch.
deltabravo wrote:
Ditto on the bars being way too tight.
stevemorris wrote:
second those equalizer bars look kinda light too, and the safety chains are too small
second those equalizer bars look kinda light too, and the safety chains are too small
Ditto on the bars being way too tight.
It's not how they look, its how they transfer weight. Those are not square bars, they are round and will visually bend more.
That said, that is a tell-tale sign the bars are UNDERWEIGHT. (Precisely what I have previously stated)
Too little bar for a lot of tongue weight, to get the required weight transfer, the bars look like that!
It's a pretty light ~3200lb aluminum Featherlight 2h Xwide Xtall w/ changing room. Technically I could use those 5500lb uhaul and reese hitches you can buy locally, but I wanted something OVER the max of my tow vehicle so I'd never have to think about it again. I pulled in behind my gf one day in the driveway and noticed her reese draw bar / ball were "bent" - turns out the welds were off, the thing was made crooked! You'd think that would be an easy jig to make?
Anyways I got the draw-tite 16,000lb forged one-piece drawbar and a 12,000 ball.
Honestly the funny thing is, I probably only paid $75 for both on amazon.
Best peace of mind ever, and they (better) last me for the rest of my life!
2016 Springdale Summerland 2570RL Arctic
2006 Land Rover LR3 V8 HSE | OE tow pkg & air suspension
http://www.cequentgroup.com/Brand/All/
Hannibal wrote:
Reese and Drawtite are the same. Manufactured by Cequent.
http://www.cequentgroup.com/Brand/All/
Reese and Drawtite are the same. Manufactured by Cequent.
http://www.cequentgroup.com/Brand/All/
True, but they aren't distributed the same way. I can buy every cheapo reese class III hitch from walmart to advance autoparts all day long. Those are the ones I had QC issues with (the welded / poorly painted 5000/500lb ones)
Just an observation that the solid forged class IV I found online was a nice draw-tite unit.
Hannibal wrote:
Reese and Drawtite are the same. Manufactured by Cequent.
http://www.cequentgroup.com/Brand/All/
Reese and Drawtite are the same. Manufactured by Cequent.
http://www.cequentgroup.com/Brand/All/
Same parent company...not the same product.