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05-01-2014, 03:02 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 110
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Measurements before and after hook up
Today I Measured from the ground to the top of the wheelwell before and after I loaded my Keystone. The difference was very little overall , The truck dropped maybe 1/2 inch (front and rear)after I loaded the trailer on, The rear wheel well was about one half to one quarter inch higher than the front wheel well after the trailer was loaded. Of course, this was after I set up my weight distribution hitch. Does that sound right? The trailer is very close to level and for the most part so is the truck.
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05-01-2014, 03:22 AM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Fraser, Michigan
Posts: 93
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Depending on manufacturer of your truck, it sounds like you are pretty close.
My Silverado owners manual says to return the front to normal unloaded height.
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05-01-2014, 03:34 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Austin, Tx
Posts: 1,910
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No, it doesn't sound right. It sounds like you are trying to use the WD to level the truck. Return the front fender height to what your truck manual specifies with the WD and don't worry about the rear.
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2011 Outback 277RL
2013 F250 XLT Crew Cab 6.2L
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05-01-2014, 11:02 AM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Fraser, Michigan
Posts: 93
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Bob, you're right. I was selectively reading about the front measurements.
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05-01-2014, 06:34 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 110
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Thanks
I actually wasn't trying to level the truck, I was just taking the before hooking camper and after measurements . The bed of the truck and camper were not loaded for a trip either. I watched a utube video ( eaz lift) and that is how it was done. I watched it again and it seems I'm like I am in limites. F150 super crew / 19' keystone hideout
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05-02-2014, 04:24 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Austin, Tx
Posts: 1,910
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kguess
I actually wasn't trying to level the truck, I was just taking the before hooking camper and after measurements . The bed of the truck and camper were not loaded for a trip either. I watched a utube video ( eaz lift) and that is how it was done. I watched it again and it seems I'm like I am in limites. F150 super crew / 19' keystone hideout
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Maybe you weren't trying to, but if after loading the trailer for camping, hitching up with the WD bars in place, the front fender height is lower than the unhitched height, then you have too much tension on the WD setup and the front is overloaded. Go back and adjust the WD with the trailer and truck loaded to the specification given in the truck's owner manual, which if a newer Ford is going to be half the distance between the hitched and unhitched height. If the video says to do it any other way, and you get a different result, then it is wrong.
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2011 Outback 277RL
2013 F250 XLT Crew Cab 6.2L
Bitter Gun Owner
Bitter Clinger
Armed Infidel
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05-02-2014, 04:46 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Waco, Tx
Posts: 5,457
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kguess
I actually wasn't trying to level the truck, I was just taking the before hooking camper and after measurements . The bed of the truck and camper were not loaded for a trip either. I watched a utube video ( eaz lift) and that is how it was done. I watched it again and it seems I'm like I am in limites. F150 super crew / 19' keystone hideout
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You really need to have the truck and trailer loaded as you would for a trip in order to properly adjust the hitch.
As for the Ford manual, I seriously doubt it was ever their intention for my headlights to be shining up in the trees. And if I adjusted my hitch as they say, that's where they'd be.
The front end of my truck was 4 3/4" higher than stock when I dropped the trailer on the ball, so by their logic I should have only lowered it 2 3/8" leaving the front 2 3/8" higher than unloaded... Some times you just have to use a little logic, cause sometimes we engineers don't...
You should adjust the hitch so that the front is pretty darn close to where it sits unloaded but don't worry about raising the rear. Let it fall where it will.
The best way to adjust the hitch is by weighing the truck both unloaded and loaded then adjust the hitch to put the front axle weight back to as close to the unloaded weight as possible.
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05-02-2014, 05:48 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: North Florida
Posts: 1,241
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Landry
Maybe you weren't trying to, but if after loading the trailer for camping, hitching up with the WD bars in place, the front fender height is lower than the unhitched height, then you have too much tension on the WD setup and the front is overloaded. Go back and adjust the WD with the trailer and truck loaded to the specification given in the truck's owner manual, which if a newer Ford is going to be half the distance between the hitched and unhitched height. If the video says to do it any other way, and you get a different result, then it is wrong.
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This is the correct answer. Ford recommends returning the front fender to at least 1/2 of the original height difference. The rear is supposed to hold most of the load. Going lower than the original height of the front fender would be too much tension on the WD.
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2006 Keystone Hornet 29RLS (The Cracker Cabana)
2009 F-250 SuperDuty CC 6.8L/4.10 (The Black Pearl)
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05-02-2014, 06:48 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Austin, Tx
Posts: 1,910
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Ford's instructions to return the front to only one-half the difference does seem a little odd to me, but I don't write the manuals, I just read them. As far as headlights shining into the trees, I think the engineers assumed that the truck and trailer combination would be "compatible" and all limits and ratings were adhered to as opposed to hanging a trailer with 1200 lbs of hitch weight on a half ton truck and then loading the bed with firewood. I would submit that if after correctly adjusting the hitch and have achieved the correct fender height, you have headlights shining into the trees, that may be too much trailer for the TV or there is a suspension issue that should be addressed.
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2011 Outback 277RL
2013 F250 XLT Crew Cab 6.2L
Bitter Gun Owner
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05-02-2014, 07:10 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Waco, Tx
Posts: 5,457
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I figure the tech writer left out the words "AT LEAST" and Ford figures you would use the manual which came with the hitch for definitive direction.
Yes the springs on my '12 F-250 are softer than I'd like and yes the front end rises with the 1000 pound tongue weight of my loaded trailer. But I hardly think it is "too much trailer".
I've matched the "unloaded" weight of the front axle so that it is the same (give or take a few pounds) via the W/D hitch. And I'm quite satisfied as an engineer that I've done the correct thing, despite the information in the Ford manual.
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05-05-2014, 05:24 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 110
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I'm more confused now......just got back from a camping weekend and it towed fine .
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05-05-2014, 05:51 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Waco, Tx
Posts: 5,457
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kguess
I'm more confused now......just got back from a camping weekend and it towed fine .
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Don't be confused... you're alright for now.. as you tow a bit you might want to adjust a little or not. Till you hit the scales it's all guess work anyway.
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05-10-2014, 07:00 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Flowery Branch, Georgia
Posts: 360
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kguess
I'm more confused now......just got back from a camping weekend and it towed fine .
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Let me see if I can explain it with how my truck set up, and please don't quote me if I miss my measurements (going from memory). My truck a Ford F-250 CCSRW 7.3L PS front fender is 35 3/4" unloaded, when I adjusted my WD hitch so I returned the fender too 35 3/4" loaded, after I had made the adjustment getting the front correct I believe my total drop in the back was 1 1/4", then off to the CAT scale where I weighed the truck first with out the camper and let's say the front axle was 3750lbs. then hooked up the camper and the front axle weight was the same 3750lbs. so I nailed the WD perfectly. I was having all kinds of towing issue's until I readjusted the hitch from when the dealer set it up, I found out from this site and Javi that I was not properly set up, now that I have made it correct it tow's so much better.
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2015 XXXXXXXXXXX 5th wheel
2000 F-250CC Powerstoke**DECEASED**
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2003 F-350 CCDRW 2X4 7.3L Powerstroke
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05-13-2014, 02:04 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: MA
Posts: 3,153
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I have my WD bars parrarel to the frame as in the directions. I measured the front, I dropped the trailer on and measured again. The front went up one inch. I attached the bars and measured again, this time the front came down 1/2 inch. According the equalizer I am set up correctly and according to Ford I am right in the middle as I should be.
I guess I would be a little concerned is the front was lower after the trailer was on but you sure will not feel like the front is coming off the ground.
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2013 Premier 31BHPR
2014 F350 6.2L
Soon to be just DW and I
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05-18-2014, 01:55 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Eastern U.P. of Michigan
Posts: 237
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When measuring, I measure from the wheel rim (top or bottom) to the bottom of the fender.
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