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07-15-2021, 11:14 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Deland
Posts: 8
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Spring bars off or on for short transits
I have a Reese WD system rated at 11,500 Max Gross Trailer weight pulling 9,500 Keystone Hideout TT.
Please shed light on a debate with my wife.
I maintain that in a park if you are only traveling a short distance at 5-10 MPH to go dump your tanks, the spring bars and system are not needed. She maintains the trailer should never move without the bars hooked up.
Wisdom please. Thanks.
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07-15-2021, 11:27 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Germantown, TN
Posts: 6,329
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I'll have to take your side. You will stand to gain very little hooking them up in my opinion. Hopefully there will be no need for the sway bar on the way to empty! YMMV
__________________
Jim in Memphis, Wife of 51 years is Brenda
2019 F450 6.7 Powerstroke
2018 Mobile Suites 40RSSA
2021 40' Jayco Eagle
2001 Road king w/matching Harley sidecar
2021 Yamaha X2 Wolverine 1000
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07-15-2021, 11:44 AM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,747
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No simple answer. If your hitch is rated at 500 or 700 lbs without wdh and you go plop down double that weight ???? Is it worth the extra "effort" to do it right? So maybe no issue once with stress fatigue, maybe twice what about the tenth time? I wouldn't advise doing it but YMMV.
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Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
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07-15-2021, 11:56 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Mico, TX
Posts: 7,461
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Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalpa
I have a Reese WD system rated at 11,500 Max Gross Trailer weight pulling 9,500 Keystone Hideout TT.
Please shed light on a debate with my wife.
I maintain that in a park if you are only traveling a short distance at 5-10 MPH to go dump your tanks, the spring bars and system are not needed. She maintains the trailer should never move without the bars hooked up.
Wisdom please. Thanks.
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Your function as the lesser half is to say, YES HONEY YOU ARE RIGHT. We will be celebrating our 50th anniversary in February next year.
__________________
wiredgeorge Mico TX
2006 F350 CC 4WD 6.0L
2002 Keystone Cougar 278
2006 GL1800 Roadsmith Trike
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07-15-2021, 12:08 PM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,685
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Look at the receiver rating for use without wdh. I doubt anything would ever happen making that short little jaunt but if you have bumps, thumps etc. who knows? If the tongue weight doesn't exceed the receiver don't worry about it; if just by a little....probably the same.
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Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
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07-15-2021, 12:29 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Indiana
Posts: 2,712
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In all my life and towing several different travel trailers, short and long distances, I have NEVER towed the trailer without the WD bars attached. My drive way is 200 feet long, asphalt, level. I would not even move the trailer from one end of the drive way to the other, or one side of the drive way to the other without hooking up the WD bars..... and I tow with a 3500 dually diesel.
Do it the right way, or don't do it at all. If it you don't do it right and it breaks the tow vehicle, you'll be kicking yourself pretty hard for a long, long time!
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2019 Montana High Country 375FL
2014 Chevy Duramax HD 6.6 - 3500 Diesel Dully Long bed Crew Cab
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07-15-2021, 12:41 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Brisbane Australia
Posts: 708
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From my experience doing the same at parks;
My hitch has a vertical rod (bar?) that sticks down a ways. When I don't use the spring bars, that ends up closer to the ground and more susceptible to hitting things like speed humps etc. Also, when I don't have the spring bars on, my chains drag on the ground.
That said, for short hops in the park to dump tanks, I'm still inclined to leave the bars off. Also, if the turn into a camp site is tight or there is a significant incline between where the trailer will end up and where the truck ends up while parking the rig, I'll take the bars off before backing it in.
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07-15-2021, 01:03 PM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,338
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Real simple, if you do it EVERY time, you will NEVER forget to do it.
__________________
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.
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07-15-2021, 03:19 PM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,685
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckster57
Real simple, if you do it EVERY time, you will NEVER forget to do it.
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Chuck are you saying that if I don't hook up my wdh bars to go to the toilet I'll forget to hook them up when I hit the highway?? I never had that happen in the past. Then again, I've not stayed where there wasn't a sewer hookup in a LONG time.....and I DO seem to forget a lot more these days....but, back to what we were talking about......errr, now what was it? Oh never mind.
__________________
Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
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07-15-2021, 03:30 PM
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#10
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: midland
Posts: 12
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Kathy's rules:
Rule #1--Kathy is always right.
Rule #2--If Kathy is wrong , see rule number one
Kathy of course is my bride
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07-18-2021, 09:25 AM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Deland
Posts: 8
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Thanks guys. I have to check that hitch weight and terrain definitely has a lot to do with it. More research on my part
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07-23-2021, 04:59 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Berkley
Posts: 751
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I have done exactly this in the past with a previous trailer and truck, but I would not do so now.
For me the reasoning is the previous trailer was lighter, and the previous truck had "auto-ride" leveling. That system has nothing to do with towing (other than being a pain to figure out how to set everything up, but I digress), but what it does do is raise the truck back up to the previous height.
If I tried to do that now, without the bars, I could possibly drag the the tongue jack foot plate over a hump or a bump. So I'm not looking to do that.
Of course I also own a portable holding tank, so now if ever in a situation where I needed to do such a thing, I would use that instead. Of course its one of those things where after you buy it, you never need it lol, but who knows I guess. Its no fun to break down your site to go dump for however long and then pull back to set up again.
__________________
2022 Ford F150 3.5 Ecoboost SCrew 4x4 MaxTow
2020 Salem Hemisphere Hyper-Lyte 25RBHL
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07-25-2021, 08:40 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 538
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Hmm? Lightheartedly…
You are correct that just within campground, no uneven drive, never on traffic road, slow with camp speed limit it probably doesn’t matter allot. However you are not distributing weight to front tires without W/D bars and over time can cause uneven tire, spring & suspension wear.
Maybe the argument is on your side… then there’s the female, the wife, who keeps us all happy!
Not sure how many years experience you have in this area but some of us choose to yield rather than be right.
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07-25-2021, 09:42 AM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Maryville
Posts: 41
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something completely different
Or a slightly different take on this. Since we men "never listen" anyway, just ignore her. Then ask, "Did you say something?"
Of course she does not read this forum so I am safe (I think!)!
No I would never do such a thing!
OK confession time. Our trailer is light for its size at about 6300 lbs max loaded. I have done both but depends on any tight turns. I usually take them off backing in unless fairly straight shot. They don't get stressed that way.
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07-25-2021, 12:08 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Pipe Creek
Posts: 344
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dutchmensport
In all my life and towing several different travel trailers, short and long distances, I have NEVER towed the trailer without the WD bars attached. My drive way is 200 feet long, asphalt, level. I would not even move the trailer from one end of the drive way to the other, or one side of the drive way to the other without hooking up the WD bars..... and I tow with a 3500 dually diesel.
Do it the right way, or don't do it at all. If it you don't do it right and it breaks the tow vehicle, you'll be kicking yourself pretty hard for a long, long time!
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YES... Discipline and practice always wins.
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07-25-2021, 02:17 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Fruitland
Posts: 3,357
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I have posted about my travels going hunting and pulling a RV for miles on gravel or dirt roads. I take them off along with the anti sway bar. I am driving slow speeds, real tight corners, and my vehicle has 3100 plus payload. I tried it with the WDH bars on and they hit the road several times. Without them on nothing hits. Would I leave them on if I was close to payload rating during the same drive? maybe.
__________________
2013 24RKSWE (27ft TT) Cougar 1/2 ton series SOLD 10-2021
2013 Ford F350 4x4 CC 6.7 engine, 8 ft bed, 3.55 rear end, lariat package
Retired from Oregon State Police in 2011 than worked another 9.5 years as a small town traffic cop:
As of 05-2020, I am all done with 39 years total police work. No more uniforms for me.
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07-31-2021, 10:31 AM
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#17
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Avon
Posts: 60
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My hitch without WDH is rated at 500 lbs, with WDH - 950 lbs. Trailer tongue comes in at 850 - my Equalizer spring bars are always connected, ymmv. Just sayin.....
Gary
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____________________________________________
Gary & Judy
and of course the 2 shelties
2018 Cougar Half-Ton 22RBS
2017 F-250 6.2L
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08-01-2021, 09:33 AM
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#18
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Member
Join Date: May 2018
Location: San Ramon
Posts: 75
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Weight distributing hitch’s
The purpose of a weight distributing hitch is to, well…distribute the load. Heavy tongue weight will load and compress the rear suspension, proportionally unloading the front suspension. All vehicles with suspension will squat to some degree when loaded. When squat occurs and the front suspension unloads to the degree that it is necessary to mechanically alter that distribution, then a safety element is introduced. Unloading the front suspension significantly will reduce braking effectiveness, handling, and vehicle stability.
I did not, and would not connect the bars for a short jaunt to the dump station if it was in the park and I was not going at road speed, and if it wasn’t down a steep grade or some other reason that the safety factor would come in to play. Now if my rig was dragging on that short trip, I would reconsider this and then address why my suspension was compressing so much as to drag the tongue and/or apparatus. Note that your receiver has different ratings for loading with or without a WDH.
Checklists help with forgetfulness…
Everyone answers to a higher authority…
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Truck & trailer...yes
They have many features and upgrades, more than I can list, so much, did I mention they are well equipped, I don’t know if I have enough room here....and I really don’t think you care anyway, so nope
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