Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Tech Forums > Towing
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 11-09-2018, 08:25 PM   #1
PSHJR
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Roseville
Posts: 7
Weight Distribution Hitch Experts

**UPDATE** Made contact with CW on Monday and they couldn't be bothered with even considering any kind of help. Contacted Fastway directly and they felt that they were probably both the correct bars but could only be sure after measurements. They had me measure from the flat end of the bar to where the taper begins to determine if they were the same. The measurement was within an eighth of an inch which wouldn't be enough to account for 200 lbs of load difference. They determined it's best to send me a new bar which I received shipping notification of today. Andy in their customer service rocks!

Okay all of you WDH experts, I have an interesting scenario that I discovered today. We purchased our trailer new in July. I went to Camping World and purchased a Fastway E2 WDH. Our trailer is 5400 lbs dry and max of 7000 lbs. I purchased the 8000 lb hitch with round bars that flatten out at the end. Both bars have a label on them that states they are 800 lb tongue weight bars for the 8000 lb hitch. The tongue weight capacity is also stamped at the flat end of each bar in the steel. One bar has 800 lb stamped on it and the other bar has 600 lb stamped on it. If they are actually different weight limits, how will that impact towing? I haven't noticed any strange towing issues, but am new to this process. Should I ask them to replace the bar? What do the experts say.
TIA
Scott
PSHJR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2018, 03:45 AM   #2
xrated
Senior Member
 
xrated's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: "Murvil, TN
Posts: 2,198
I don't claim to be an "expert" when it comes to WDHs, but to me, if you have two different weight ratings on the bars, someone has made a mistake....either the folks that packaged the Fastway E2 in the box, or someone at C.W. Someone needs to make it right.
__________________
2016 F350 King Ranch Crew Cab Dually Diesel 4x4
2018 Grand Design Momentum 394M
2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+
Excessive payload capacity is a wonderful thing

"If it ain't Fast....It ain't Fun"
xrated is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2018, 04:40 AM   #3
chuckster57
Site Team
 
chuckster57's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,235
I would ask for the bars to be the same.
__________________

2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.

Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
chuckster57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2018, 04:54 AM   #4
ken56
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Dandridge TN
Posts: 260
Its wrong. Either take it back to CW or call Fastway and get the proper bar.

My experience: Purchased a new trailer and told dealer I wanted to upgrade my current hitch, a 1k/10k Pro series hitch. It was fine for my previous trailer that I traded in. Current trailer is 10K GVWR with a 1286 tongue weight according to the brochure, I don't know what it actually is really but....its likely more, a lot more.


Dealer sets me up with a 1K/10K Equal-izer brand hitch for the new trailer. I did not catch it when we picked up the new unit and they set it up. Used it for the past year and put about 6K miles on it. It did OK, never felt unsafe and no sway issues ever.


BECAUSE OF THIS FORUM AND GOOD SAM FORUM and the wisdom of the users I knew something was not exactly right and my towing experience could be improved. I purchased a new Equal-izer brand 1400/14K hitch and have it set up at a different dealer I trust and the ride home was so much better. No wiggle when trucks passed, smoothed out the bumps and transitions to the overpasses, everything was better.


Expensive lesson learned. Make sure you have an adequate rated hitch to tow with. It matters.
ken56 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2018, 05:36 AM   #5
ctbruce
Site Team | Emeritus
 
ctbruce's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 3,878
I would definitely want it fixed if it was mine. And they need to look into this because there's another customer who has exactly the same problem as you do. They just don't know it yet!
__________________

Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Impact 312
2017 Silverado 3500HD SRW
ctbruce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2018, 06:26 AM   #6
66joej
Senior Member
 
66joej's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: radium hot springs bc
Posts: 2,007
Quote:
Originally Posted by PSHJR View Post
Okay all of you WDH experts, I have an interesting scenario that I discovered today. We purchased our trailer new in July. I went to Camping World and purchased a Fastway E2 WDH. Our trailer is 5400 lbs dry and max of 7000 lbs. I purchased the 8000 lb hitch with round bars that flatten out at the end. Both bars have a label on them that states they are 800 lb tongue weight bars for the 8000 lb hitch. The tongue weight capacity is also stamped at the flat end of each bar in the steel. One bar has 800 lb stamped on it and the other bar has 600 lb stamped on it. If they are actually different weight limits, how will that impact towing? I haven't noticed any strange towing issues, but am new to this process. Should I ask them to replace the bar? What do the experts say.
TIA
Scott
Not a WDH expert by any stretch but I see you have an excuse to send this outfit back and for about $100 more upgrade to their E4 hitch which is a weight distributing hitch and a very efficient sway control. JMO
__________________

2018 Ram 3500 6.4 Harvest Edition
2018 Cougar 27RESWE
66joej is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2018, 07:57 AM   #7
sourdough
Site Team
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,600
^^^^Joe nailed it. It needs to be fixed right. I've not pulled anything with different rated bars but can't help but think that the different rate weightings will make a difference, possibly quite a bit at the max of the bar - which you will be at. I would suggest upgrading to the 4 point as well.
__________________
Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
sourdough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2018, 09:55 AM   #8
ADQ K9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Anchorage
Posts: 605
I don't claim to be an expert but....
My bars are labeled the same both sides. My trailer only has a GVW of 8800 not sure what my TW is loaded,( just figure 1000# for a round number) but I have no issues with bucking or sway. Some may say a 15K Weight Dist Hitch is over kill but I think its just right. What the other guys said, get the same bars and go from there.
__________________
Mike
2016 Ford F350 CC 6.7 4x4 SRW (Ghost Rider)
2017 Cougar 29 RKSWE (The Tumble Weed)
Connected by a Curt 15K WDH W/Sway Control
ADQ K9 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2018, 10:26 AM   #9
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,841
If you're applying 600 lbs of "weight distribution" force on one side of the trailer A frame and 800 lbs of force on the other side, then you're twisting your trailer frame every time you tow it. I'd suggest that now is a great time to upgrade from the current hitch to a E-4 WD/anti-sway style. Whether you stay with EZ-Lift or go to a different brand, the hitch components need to be "standard" on both sides.

You can use "any size WD hitch" on "any weight trailer". There isn't any "it'll break the bars if you use too light of a rated bar on too heavy of a trailer tongue"... The bars are "spring steel" and the rating is not their ability to withstand damage, rather it's their ability to "redistribute weight". Lighter bars simply can't "push heavier weight" like sturdier bars"....

600 pound bars can redistribute "up to" 600 pounds of tongue weight and 1200 pound bars can redistribute "up to" 1200 pounds of tongue weight. The actual hitch (the part with the ball) is essentially rated the same with any bar combination. You aren't "opening yourself to a broken hitch" but rather you're opening yourself to "bouncing down the road without adequate weight being shifted to the front axle of the tow vehicle"......

While "in far stretches of towing theory" you could be a little less safe (because of front wheel steering/braking limitations), you aren't any more likely to have the hitch break or the trailer to uncouple or fail in some other way. You just can't adjust the bars to properly "set up the redistribution of hitch weight" with smaller rated bars and if they aren't the same size, you'll apply more weight to one side of your trailer tongue than the other, causing it to twist and maybe cause some damage to the trailer chassis.

I'd get a new set of "MATCHING" bars at the least and consider an upgraded hitch system (since there's an opportunity to trade the old system with less out of pocket expense).....
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
hitch

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 12:20 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.