240vPlug
Maryland
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Joined: 07/13/2023
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Greetings all, I have a Fastway e2 weight distribution hitch (non-round bar type). Was originally setup for a Honda Pilot about a year ago.
We got a new vehicle and when connected the tongue is pitched upward significantly. The new vehicle sits higher and has air bags. I know we probably shouldn't have towed with it until we adjusted but we are already on a trip and would like to adjust before making the 600 mile trek back.
This vehicle (a Rivian R1S) tow capacity is 7700 lbs so quite a bit more than the pilot. The trailer is a 22 Apex 245 BHS with a dry weight of about 4700 lbs. With our stuff, a couple gallons in black/gray tanks, and full propane its probably slight over 5000 lbs.
While towing there is a ton of sway when vehicles pass. I am getting the push/pull. It seems to be mostly fine as long as no vehicles are near.
I am fairly new to towing and RV life as we just got our first TT about 15 months ago.
I believe all I have to do is just lower the ball height. Right now the shank is in rise orientation. So I need to remove the assembly from the shank and remount it to the shank in the opposite direction so that I can use the shank in the drop position.
I have a couple questions:
What is the best way to remove the shank bolts since they are torqued to 250 ft lbs?
Do I need to replace any hardware such as nuts or washers?
Any other considerations that I am missing?
TIA
* This post was
edited 07/13/23 08:06pm by 240vPlug *
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JRscooby
Indepmo
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I can't address much, but will point out 250 ft lbs is only 50 pounds of pull at the end of a 5 foot long bar. If you rotate the ball mount in receiver, you can position the nut so you are pushing down when need max torque. If you put block or jack under hitch you don't waste motion compressing suspension before nut turns.
BTW, to break loose (finale tighten) hold bolt/turn nut. Don't add friction of bolt in parts.
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NamMedevac 70
Reno
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Since I used the Equalizer WD hitch with the square bars I am not familiar with your hitch. Equalizer was easy to set up and adjust and I made sure there was level sitting of both truck and TT. In other words same distance in inches from the ground to TT tongue/ball and from ground to truck hitch/rear of the truck with only very slight down sloop on truck rear.
I used an adjustable up and down ball shank on my 2500 Ram V10 4x4 to maintain everything level and the Equalizer ball could be tilted fore and aft. There was no rear droop on the 2500 HD.
Even towing with HD truck and WDH there was always slight sway when the 18 wheelers passed me but it was minor sucking feeling. Cheers from the gallery.
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mkirsch
Rochester, NY
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Well, the best way to remove the bolts is with the appropriately sized wrenches. Seriously. What are they, 3/4" diameter bolts? That takes a 1-1/8" wrench, which are usually 16-18" long. Plenty of leverage unless you're only like 98lbs soaking wet. Harbor Freight sells a hitch ball wrench with a 1-1/8" and a 1-1/2" end. I keep one in every truck. They have hundreds of uses besides hitch balls.
Put the shank in the receiver so the nuts are on the passenger side of the vehicle. That might mean putting it in upside down. The vehicle is the best vice you can ask for when dealing with shank bolts. This way you can put the wrench on and push down to loosen the nuts. You might have to stand on the end of the wrench and give it a bounce or two to crack them loose. Just be aware that the wrench isn't going to hold you up and be ready to compensate when it turns. We don't need any skinned shins.
Tightening the bolts back up, don't worry about getting "exactly" 250 ft-lbs. Use your 5th grade lesson on moments, torque is force times distance. An 18" long wrench is 1.5ft. 1.5ft times 170lbs is approximately 250 ft-lbs.
Insert the shank in the receiver with the nuts facing the driver's side so you can push down to tighten. Pushing down with approximately 170lbs of force (i.e. a 170lb person standing, NOT bouncing, on the end of the wrench until it stops turning the nut), gives you around 250 ft-lbs.
Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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240V, good luck getting a hitch ball loosened up in a campground with basic tools. Unless it happens to be fairly new and somehow easier than 90% of them.
But before you start figuring out how to get the leverage to do so, make sure flipping the ball won’t make it way too low.
This isn’t one of these things we can solve with words on the internet for you, but I can visualize the difference in height pretty easy and there’s a good chance a hitch flip could just put it nose down instead. (Which to be fair is better than up, but if your trailer has tandem torsion axles, up or down much at all from level is a recipe for overloaded axles and blown tries. If leaf springs it is much more tolerant to out of level.)
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MitchF150
Puyallup, WA
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For the high torque nuts, you will need to get a socket for that size. Likely around 1-1/8" and 1/2" drive. You will need a long breaker bar if you don't have a long handle torque wrench.
You won't need new nuts/bolts. Once you get that far, adjust accordingly.
If no torque wrench, just use your breaker bar and maybe even a 'cheater bar' on the end of that and tighten it up as much as you can without breaking the bar.. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
Good luck! Mitch
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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This is one of those, way better to have someone else do it than try yourself type of things, just by reading your post. Especially if money is not tight, which it isn’t if you’re driving a Rivian.
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240vPlug
Maryland
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mkirsch wrote:Well, the best way to remove the bolts is with the appropriately sized wrenches. Seriously. What are they, 3/4" diameter bolts? That takes a 1-1/8" wrench, which are usually 16-18" long. Plenty of leverage unless you're only like 98lbs soaking wet. Harbor Freight sells a hitch ball wrench with a 1-1/8" and a 1-1/2" end. I keep one in every truck. They have hundreds of uses besides hitch balls.
Put the shank in the receiver so the nuts are on the passenger side of the vehicle. That might mean putting it in upside down. The vehicle is the best vice you can ask for when dealing with shank bolts. This way you can put the wrench on and push down to loosen the nuts. You might have to stand on the end of the wrench and give it a bounce or two to crack them loose. Just be aware that the wrench isn't going to hold you up and be ready to compensate when it turns. We don't need any skinned shins.
Tightening the bolts back up, don't worry about getting "exactly" 250 ft-lbs. Use your 5th grade lesson on moments, torque is force times distance. An 18" long wrench is 1.5ft. 1.5ft times 170lbs is approximately 250 ft-lbs.
Insert the shank in the receiver with the nuts facing the driver's side so you can push down to tighten. Pushing down with approximately 170lbs of force (i.e. a 170lb person standing, NOT bouncing, on the end of the wrench until it stops turning the nut), gives you around 250 ft-lbs.
Thank you so much for your reply! Yeah the tools needed are as follows:
Shank Bolts:
1-1/8 wrench
1-1/16 wrench
15/16 wrench for angle set bolt
I might get a breaker bar as that will help break them loose. We are at a resort and I don't know that it would go well if I start using an impact. I will probably pickup a torque wrench and keep it in the trailer just for piece of mind...its good to have for the lugs as well.
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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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240vPlug wrote:This vehicle (a Rivian R1S) tow capacity is 7700 lbs so quite a bit more than the pilot. The trailer is a 22 Apex 245 BHS with a dry weight of about 4700 lbs. With our stuff, a couple gallons in black/gray tanks, and full propane its probably slight over 5000 lbs.
While towing there is a ton of sway when vehicles pass. I am getting the push/pull. It seems to be mostly fine as long as no vehicles are near.
I am fairly new to towing and RV life as we just got our first TT about 15 months ago.
While it's good to level the trailer, it's unlikely to be the source of your towing problems.
First question is how bad is the sway. There will always be some when passed by a big truck. The bigger the speed difference the more the impact. If its just a little pull and as soon as the truck is past, it immediately settles down, it could be normal.
I doubt you only have 300lb of cargo. If running really light, you might be at 5,500lb but the GVWR is 6,500lb. I suggest when you get a chance, stop by a CAT scale and find out what you really have. The most common cause of sway problems is a hitch weight that is too light. Ideally, it should be 12-15% of the trailer weight. If you get below 10%, it's common for sway to become a problem.
- Weigh once with everything hooked up.
- Unhook the bars and weigh
- Unhook the trailer and just weigh the truck.
Make sure you line up on the pads so each truck axle is on a separate pad and the trailer wheels are on their own pad. This will give you all the info you need (the 2nd and 3rd are considered re-weighs and usually $2-3 each). There are youtube videos you can watch ahead of time to get a better idea of how to do it.
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dedmiston
Coast to Coast
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Hey 240vPlug,
Welcome to the forum. Hopefully folks notice that this is your first post here and they take it easy on you. Sometimes the well-meaning members get a little intense and it feels personal.
It's not personal yet. They haven't gotten to know you well enough to be rude yet.
Kidding.
I hope you find your answers and get to enjoy your camping.
Cheers,
Dave - Administrator
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