17 SD Heavy TT Setup help
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Joined: Mar 2017
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As noted, the torsion bars (are those round bars?) look to be pulled up too tight. Your hitch head needs to be tilted back so the properly loaded (though under rated) bars end up parallel to the trailer tongue (if you're going to use the WDH).
I have the higher rated Curt receiver and drawbar as well as air bags, which work very well for pulling my boat, 5er, and two TT's without a WDH. However, my heaviest TT is about 500 pounds lighter than yours. So I'd be a little leery of running that rig without a WDH. My recommendations:
1. Weigh the truck so you know how much weight is on each axle.
2. Hook the trailer up and see how the weight moves between the axles. You want to ensure you don't exceed the rating of the drive axle or lose too much weight on the steer axle.
If you feel the weight shift is too much to safely drive, ditch that WDH for a better, higher rated unit.
If you are seeing only a couple hundred pounds coming off the steer axle, then you can be confident with the upgraded receiver and air bag route.
I think you'll be surprised at how little weight actually gets shifted off the steer axle.
If you decide to go to the scales, please be sure to post your findings!
I have the higher rated Curt receiver and drawbar as well as air bags, which work very well for pulling my boat, 5er, and two TT's without a WDH. However, my heaviest TT is about 500 pounds lighter than yours. So I'd be a little leery of running that rig without a WDH. My recommendations:
1. Weigh the truck so you know how much weight is on each axle.
2. Hook the trailer up and see how the weight moves between the axles. You want to ensure you don't exceed the rating of the drive axle or lose too much weight on the steer axle.
If you feel the weight shift is too much to safely drive, ditch that WDH for a better, higher rated unit.
If you are seeing only a couple hundred pounds coming off the steer axle, then you can be confident with the upgraded receiver and air bag route.
I think you'll be surprised at how little weight actually gets shifted off the steer axle.
If you decide to go to the scales, please be sure to post your findings!
The first thing I've decided to do is replace my factory hitch with one that will have a higher tongue weight capacity. The factory hitch max's out at 1500lbs. After installation I'll 're load the TT and see if the sway is still there. If there's still to much sway I'll look into getting a higher rated WDH and maybe airbags. Really depends on how much money my wife will let me spend.
Last edited by INeomfd; Apr 24, 2017 at 08:10 PM. Reason: Errors
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you lost over 600 lbs from the front axle ... that's significant.
and you have trailer sway .... i would guess from losing so much weight from the front. 3200 lbs on the front axle is plenty for steering traction, but the whole rig is "unbalanced" which is why it didn't feel good driving.
sounds like a WDH with 1800 lbs bars are well warranted, and your hitch upgrade is probably wise as well.
and you have trailer sway .... i would guess from losing so much weight from the front. 3200 lbs on the front axle is plenty for steering traction, but the whole rig is "unbalanced" which is why it didn't feel good driving.
sounds like a WDH with 1800 lbs bars are well warranted, and your hitch upgrade is probably wise as well.
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From: Media PA
I took the rig to the scales today with the trailer and using just the ball weigh safe hitch. Here are the results. TV with no trailer, front axle 3940 lbs and rear axle 3120 lbs. When adding the trailer the front axle went down to 3320 lbs and the rear axle up to 5380 lbs. This is with a tongue weight of 1500 lbs. And total trailer weight of 12460 lbs. As it sits this doesn't exceed any of the axle rating of the truck. However I usually have stuff in the bed of the truck and more cargo in the TT. So my tongue weight will probably increase to as much as 1800 lbs. This will put me at the high end of my rear axle rating. With the set up as it sits today I was getting lots of sway on the interstate. Way to much to pull any distance.
The first thing I've decided to do is replace my factory hitch with one that will have a higher tongue weight capacity. The factory hitch max's out at 1500lbs. After installation I'll 're load the TT and see if the sway is still there. If there's still to much sway I'll look into getting a higher rated WDH and maybe airbags. Really depends on how much money my wife will let me spend.
The first thing I've decided to do is replace my factory hitch with one that will have a higher tongue weight capacity. The factory hitch max's out at 1500lbs. After installation I'll 're load the TT and see if the sway is still there. If there's still to much sway I'll look into getting a higher rated WDH and maybe airbags. Really depends on how much money my wife will let me spend.
Well, it looks like that Weigh Safe hitch scale is a little off if it's telling you the TW is 1500lbs. With a 620lb loss on the front axle and a gain of 2260lbs on the rear axle that equals 1640lbs of Tongue Weight. The lost front axle weight is now being carried on the rear axle, so subtract that lost weight from the additional rear axle weight (2260-620=1640) and your TW is what is left over, in this case 1640lbs.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2015
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From: West Virginia
See how well the rig works with a more capable WDH before installing airbags. You might not need them.
Reps sent!
Reps sent!
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,892
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From: Ohio
I'm late to this thread by a while. You've gotten good advice on setup.
I just have to comment on that quote. You have a 40-60K truck, a trailer likely well over 20K and thousands in the contents of said trailer. Don't skimp on a hitch that will have a lot to do with whether or not you are upside down in a ditch someday.
I just have to comment on that quote. You have a 40-60K truck, a trailer likely well over 20K and thousands in the contents of said trailer. Don't skimp on a hitch that will have a lot to do with whether or not you are upside down in a ditch someday.
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