Weight Distribution Hitch Problem

[cshrader]

When I purchased my trailer last year, the dealer installed an E2 round bar weight distribution hitch. As I started using it, I noticed that the bracket on the driver's side would slip toward the back. It sometimes slipped so far that the bar would fall off. I would move it back to the original spot and retighten the bolts.

I eventually tightened the bolts really tight so it wouldn't move again. The next time I used it, it bent the L bracket (see photo). I contacted the company and they sent me new brackets. The new brackets don't have the bolts built into them. They are separate pieces.

I figured the dealer just installed them wrong so I remeasured everything and installed the new brackets in accordance with the instructions. Since that time, I have arrived at campsites several times to discover a bolt holding the L bracket has broken off. Always on the driver's side, never the other side. That side has never been a problem. It doesn't ever slip.

Someone suggested that I get stronger Grade 8 bolts, but I'm concerned that if the bolts didn't brack, the bracket would bend again. Does anyone have any idea why this is happening? Is there something I am missing when I installed them?

[sourdough]

You have a major weight issue. What is the trailer, tongue weight (not unloaded), truck etc.? You have a bad setup whether by the dealer or you. I wouldn't pull my trailer across the street with the kinds of stress you are showing.

[busterbrown]

Your trailer only has a GVWR of 8600 lbs. Do you know what the supporting weight of the spring bars are? An E2 hitch is a popular hitch choice and I haven't read of
failures to the L bracket or bolts.

If I were you, I'd have an intimate conversation with Fastway's technical support department with a product specialist. The installation is either very subpar or the capacities of the hitch components dont match your setup. Good luck.

[ctbruce]

And please be sure to keep us posted of what you find out. This seems like a really serious issue. I don't recall reading about anything like this previously on the forum.

[cshrader]

I talked with Fastway when the first bracket bent and they sent me the new brackets. I sent them an email about the problem and am awaiting their reply.

My bars are rated at 1,000 lbs of tongue weight and 10,000 trailer weight.

I've calculated my weights and my trailer weighs 9000 lbs fully loaded and my truck is rated to pull 17,090 so I'm nowhere near my max. However, my tongue weight appears to be 1900 lbs so maybe that is too high?

Not sure why it only affects the driver side though. I'll let you know what Fastway says.

[cookinwitdiesel]

I know it is not overly relevant, but the spec'd tongue weight for that trailer is 865# - you are fantastically over that. You are exceeding the rating for the hitch, ball, spring bars, hitch receiver, pretty much EVERY part of the hitch system. Something is extremely off about how you have your trailer loaded to have that high of a tongue weight and it is likely unsafe and putting a lot of stress on multiple critical elements.

I can only assume you have a lot of something very dense in your pass through storage (several thousand bullets?). At minimum, try moving some of that weight back inside the trailer over the axles

[busterbrown]

Your tongue weight is grossly heavy compared to the GVWR of your trailer. I think your hitch components are underrated at 1000 lbs for a dry tongue of 865 lbs. I'd assume you're TW should be around 1100 to 1400 lbs. Nevertheless, you need to change out the hitch components that are underrated. This may include the bars, brackets, bolts, and possibly hitch head.

As for why it only affects the driver's side, that may be the side that's with the most compensatory stresses, based on how your load sits in the trailer. With the size and weight of your trailer, I'd not be alone in suggesting a 4pt WDH like a traditional Equalizer with 1500 lb spring bars.

[FlyingAroundRV]

If your bars are rated at1,000# and your tongue weight is 1,900# you are close to 100% over weight for the bars. Given that, I'm not surprised that the hitch is failing.
Remember that a weight distribution hitch distributes weight both ways, that is from the trailer to the truck but also from the truck to the trailer. So if you carry lots of stuff in the back of your truck, the WDH is sharing that load back onto the trailer too.

[ctbruce]

TW should be 10 to 15%. You're at over to 20% based on the information given. How'd you come up with a 1900 pound tongue weight? Is it scaled or a guesstimate?

[cshrader]

I miscalculated the tongue weight. If I understand the calculation correctly, I add the steer and drive axle weights of the truck with the trailer attached (WDH disconnected) together and subtract the weight of the truck. Is that correct? It is only 1500 lbs based on that calculation. Is that still too high?

That is well under the 1709 lbs the truck is rated for but over the 1000 lbs limit the bars states. I'll ask Fastway about it.

[flybouy]

I talked with Fastway when the first bracket bent and they sent me the new brackets. I sent them an email about the problem and am awaiting their reply.

My bars are rated at 1,000 lbs of tongue weight and 10,000 trailer weight.

I've calculated my weights and my trailer weighs 9000 lbs fully loaded and my truck is rated to pull 17,090 so I'm nowhere near my max. However, my tongue weight appears to be 1900 lbs so maybe that is too high?

Not sure why it only affects the driver side though. I'll let you know what Fastway says.

Where are you getting this tongue weight? Is this from the label on the hitch? Did you actually weight the trailer and truck and truck alone to get that? I suspect you have a set up issue. Get the install instructions and go thru the setup. If you are not capable or comfortable doing that find a good dealer or hitch installer and have it done.

[cshrader]

flybouy, All of your questions are answered. If you look at my post right above yours, you will see that I originally miscalculated the tongue weight (it is actually 1500). I explained in that post how I calculated it. And as I said in my original post, I did get the instructions and followed them exactly.

[Ken / Claudia]

I am not sure your weighting and adding/ subtracting weights right. KISS system, with truck loaded as you camp but without trailer hooked up. Put front axle on scale, get wt. Put rear axle only on scale to get wt. Now take it back over the scale with loaded TT and no WDH. Check truck the same same way again. Compare axle wts. before vs after it will equal tongue wt. Rear axle will be heavier, front axle will be near the same, but could be lighter. If front is lighter add that the difference to the to tongue wt. DOT scales are correct for a max of 200 lbs of plus or minus margin of error. I do not know about CAT scales and who certifies them. Truck scales are made for 10,000s of lbs so 200 either way is no big deal as it may be on a pickup.

[sourdough]

Based on what you have determined to be your tongue weight I would offer (JMO);

*Your tongue weight is too high at approx. 17.5%. You need to look at loading.

*At 1500 on the tongue I would want a Class V hitch. I did not see what kind of truck or hitch you had.

*I would want nothing less for a hitch than the Equalizer 4 point system with their heaviest bars. The E2 isn't cut out for heavier trailers IMO.

*Don't know if you have the capability but I would at least mentally assess loading left to right; seems you may have a problem with overloading one side?

With the aberration occurring on one side you will need to assess that anomaly or have someone do it for you. If you have set up the shank and head properly (torqued) they won't be listing one side to the other. With the damage you have seen I would be under my truck looking at the installation of the receiver to make sure the stress hasn't caused damage there as well. Hope you find the issue soon - that doesn't appear to me to be a good thing to be towing with.

[flybouy]

flybouy, All of your questions are answered. If you look at my post right above yours, you will see that I originally miscalculated the tongue weight (it is actually 1500). I explained in that post how I calculated it. And as I said in my original post, I did get the instructions and followed them exactly.

Your post wasn't there when I started to post my reply. I think I got distracted before hitting the pos button. Either way, sounds like your actual tongue wt may be in question. Cshrader I read that you "follow" the instructions. I think you may need more help than can be proffered here. Let us know what the mfg says and what the final resolution is. Good luck.

[KSH]

Get it weighed properly as suggested above. I've used propride wdh hitch and its great. Easy to use and built like a tank. It's expensive but has been effective and reliable for me.

[Bubba5107]

I have the same E2 hitch and realized that my drivers side bolts loosen but never had a failure similar to yours. I figured that it was a fluke but now that I am hearing about your issues apparently there’s is more to it. Every time I travel I double check my L Brackets as the driver side will not stay tight. I do think you are way too heavy up front as stated above.

[BadmanRick]

First of all do yourself and everyone else a favor. Go to the Cat scales and get a true weight of your truck trailer and only the tong weight. Then be safe and get an upgraded safe weight distribution hitch. Your current setup is unsafe. If you have an accident the insurance company and maybe the police will say YOU ARE AT FAULT for having the incorrect hitch equipment. Go back to the idiots who sold you this setup and have them correct it. They are just as much at fault as you are for not demanding a better Ed hitch system.

[Claudius]

First off, no grade 8 bolts needed, your bending the 1/2" flat bar. The grade 8 bolts will just shear and you'll still bend the flatbar. The pic you have here is not the l-bracket. That bracket is the one attached on the outside of the frame. Instead of the chains you have the l-bracket. So my trailer 9660 gvwr. My hitch weight is 860. Unless you have a front kitchen you won't be heavier. This info will be in the keystone brochure. Your hitch weight is 865lb. We dry camp, we always tow dirt roads, hairpin curves you name it. I don't generally let the dealer do anything for me. Most of them have never towed or the have a place where there trailer sits like birch bay or some other resort. I've had 3 trailers, numerous other stuff in my 60 years of Camping. What I see here has nothing to do with the hitch itself. I'm seeing installation issues. This trailer I have now didn't tow well with a similar systemyou have. I had a standard Lift Bracket and my bars had the chains on the end. That's the diff between yours and mine. The one plus is you can backup with yours. I also had two sway bars attached. The groaning was unbearable. My lesser weight trailers before never had those issues. Looking into this awkward squeal fix I read that this round bar head system we have is not efficient for anything above 7000lbs. But your stuck now. So lets see if we can get to the bottom of this. I've seen this before and its hardly ever manufacturers fault. Lets not modify what they have designed. The bars are there to level the truck and trailer, among other things. They need just enough adjustment to keep your truck and trailer level, not too much and not too little. The head itself shouldn't need a lot of tilting. Lower or raise the head along the drop shank if needed to keep it as level as possible. The reasoning being you want that round bar to slide around inside nicely not pinch it on the edge. Grease that Ball and up in the head where the bars go. Grease it before not after. It is important to make sure your l-bracket is in the right spot too. The manual will tell you the min. and max. from the centre of the hitch to the l-bracket. This can take a couple of hours to do. Done right and you'll have no issues. I'm not in favor of backing up with this stuff attached unless its straight. Jack knifing will always cause issues, and yes your pic can be caused by that. Remove the bars and no issues. Remember at the end of the day its your responsibility to be safe not the dealer.
I changed my whole system at great expense and now i'll need to buy another drop shank because my head is too high i'm thinking. I actually have a similar issue. I'm not riding equally. Drivers side bar is not level. Pic will show. Towing with this system is so so much better than the round bar system i had before.
https://www.huskytow.com/product/husky-center-line-towing-system/

[SRD]

I have the e/2 round bar hitch also. After towing and unhooking I noticed the link plate on the drivers side was walking on the frame rail. Thinking it had simply came loose i put it back in place and torqued it to specs. So after looking further at the instructions I saw the installation was wrong from dealer. They had set mine up for a bottom mount coupler and mine is top mount. So with this setup the bottom bolt that goes through the link plates was over an inch lower than the bottom of the frame rail causing link plate to walk. I had to completely start over with setup. Maybe this is not your issue but I found you can't trust some people to do the right thing. I thought people that do this thing on a daily basis would know it was wrong and not safe

[cshrader]

I talked to Fastway and they just asked that I send them a picture of my current setup. I sent them the attached picture. They noticed that the bar was not parallel with the trailer frame. They suggested I lower the L bracket so that the bar is parallel which ensures it lays flat on the short part of the L. I made that change today and drove 260 miles and had no issues. I'll give it a couple more trips before I declare it fixed, but I think that was the problem.

On the issue of weight:
It is interesting that so many people immediately decided it was a weight issue and Fastway was not concerned about the weight at all. Turns out weight was not a factor.

I do not understand all of the comments saying my weights are unsafe. I am pulling a 9,000-pound trailer (fully loaded) with a truck rated for up to 17,000 pounds. The truck is rated for a 1,700 tongue weight and my trailer is 200 pounds below that.

Several people have pointed out that the dry tongue weight on my trailer is around 865 pounds. Given that all of the storage for this trailer (including the fresh water tank, food, dishes, clothes, etc) is in front of the axels, it seems reasonable to me that when fully loaded it is 400 pounds higher at the tongue.

Oh well. Thanks for the helpful suggestions.

[flybouy]

So it was a setup issue?

[ctbruce]

Glad you found your issue. I hope that it works out for you. Keep in mind weight is always a possible cause to many issues and it's the easy place to go. Low hanging fruit is always picked 1st .

[geeman]

I talked to Fastway and they just asked that I send them a picture of my current setup. I sent them the attached picture. They noticed that the bar was not parallel with the trailer frame. They suggested I lower the L bracket so that the bar is parallel which ensures it lays flat on the short part of the L. I made that change today and drove 260 miles and had no issues. I'll give it a couple more trips before I declare it fixed, but I think that was the problem.



Didn't think it was weight but wondering about a clarification. They had you lower the L brackets to parallel the trailer, which is right. Did you then have to tilt your hitch head to get the vehicle leveled or get the weight back on the truck? Seems by lowering alone you would have removed some of the distribution.

[JRTJH]

Didn't think it was weight but wondering about a clarification. They had you lower the L brackets to parallel the trailer, which is right. Did you then have to tilt your hitch head to get the vehicle leveled or get the weight back on the truck? Seems by lowering alone you would have removed some of the distribution.

That is correct. It's essentially the same as 'going down one chain link" on an old WD hitch. Unless the hitch head is tilted more (add more washers) the hitch is not applying as much force on the WD bars.