Towing need advice on purchase of travel trailer

[DennisAJC]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Superman:
Towing a heavy trailer will eat through a limited slip as fast as anything you can do. The weight distributing hitch takes the weight off the axle where as the air suspension just compensates with stiffness. I would use the weight dist setup every time if you ever plan to wheel that thing. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Super,

We may disagree with the Rubicon and the H2 , but word for word, that's exactly what the guys at GM told me in regards to towing my boat.

[drmiles]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PARAGON:
[quote]Originally posted by DennisAJC:

Now with rear air, it's even more complicated. Someone pointed out that they could load the trailer with door open so that the rear air wouldn't kick in. Well this would bind the system needlessly and make the tow extremely unsafe due to fishtailing. You might can find a fine balance between the weight distribution and the rear air, but that system is no longer adaptable. Change the dynamics of the trailer load or the load in the H2 and it screws up the fine tuning that was done, all for no real improvement in safety or handling.

So, on vehicles with air suspensions, not only is weight distribution not necessary, it can be hazardous since, in effect, the two systems will be fighting against one another instead of working in conjunction. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Not true, the idea of the torsion bars on the equilizer hitch is to remove excess tongue weight. Not to remove all weight off the hitch. It also prevents excessive weight from being shifted to the tongue when traveling down bumpy and uneven roads.. If properly loade you can keep the tongue weight to the ideal weight and the air bags don't have to air up as much, or hold as much weight. Also the air bags cannot compensate for bumps and sudden shifts of weight as you travel down the road @ 60 mph.

[drmiles]

Ok heres the way it is.

I purchased Cedar Creak 27LRS Weight 6500 - 7500 depending on whether you believe the sticker in the trailer or the brochure.

Any way pulling on flat ground at 65mph no problem 3rd gear 2500rpm no strain.
Pulling on slight incline only able to maintain 60mph and not downshift to 2nd gear. Over passes able to maintain 50mph any faster and the tranny downshifts to 2nd and 4000rpm. (note I have 38" tires which steals some of my torque)

The equilizer hitch did help, if you load the rear end with the door open the air bags want inflate and you can adjust so that there is less weight on the tongue. (you can over tighten and lift the rear of the hummer which resulted in a bouncy ride.) I choose to use the equilizer hitch because the torsion bars reacts to the bumps in the road faster than the air bags can inflate and deflate, also reducing the work on the compressor

Will keep yall updated, have another trip planned superbowl weekend (yuk! hope the TV reception is good in Huntsville) Pics to follow camera suffered a fall and no longer works.

Jerry

PS any Suggestion as to where I can get a supercharger installed in Houston, TX

[Dug]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Superman:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dug3x3:
Trailers own weight above the axles is probably around 1000lbs. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you ever get weighed (which I have been, but on a commercial basis, it will probably never happen to you) they throw the scales on the ground so figure an addtl 500 lbs at least for the axles. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Superman - Yes, i should have told him to add the axle weight into the equation in case he gets weighed. I was just giving him a low down on what the trailer tag meant. Doug

[Dug]

Now that paragon and dennis have shown there difference with supermans comment , i'd like to agree too. I think if you have the air suspension you can leave your weight transfer bars home. As long as you are hauling reasonbly in the h2's gcvw . I am in the heavy hauling business , and occasionally we haul skid steers and mini excavators. So instead of taking a tractor and lowbed I will take a pickup or the h2 with the small equipment trailer. I would rather use the h2 if wifey isnt gone with it , because it kicks ass on my pickup which is a chevy 2500HD. The h2 handles the weight excellent and rides like a charm, I couldnt believe it and never thought of the air suspension as anything valuable until i hauled our 32' camper one weekend and noticed it towed it twice as good as my pickup which i had used to bring the camper home from the dealership and was riding about dead x. Since that weekend i have used the h2 to haul all kinds of stuff and the air suspension is the cats ass. They should offer it in the HD model pickups. Doug

[PARAGON]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DennisAJC:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Superman:
Towing a heavy trailer will eat through a limited slip as fast as anything you can do. The weight distributing hitch takes the weight off the axle where as the air suspension just compensates with stiffness. I would use the weight dist setup every time if you ever plan to wheel that thing. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Super,

We may disagree with the Rubicon and the H2 , but word for word, that's exactly what the guys at GM told me in regards to towing my boat. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Awww! Dennis, shut up. A boat hardly has the tongue weight to even matter....nice try though.

[DennisAJC]

Dug,

Bottom line is, I never take solid advice from anyone on the internet. Usually I'll go to the pros. GM service department made the same recomendations as Super only because the word, "WARRANTY" was involved.I have this thing with saying,"Will it be covered under warranty?" I'll listen to the pros. It's unfortunate that Super was correct.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>A boat hardly has the tongue weight to even matter <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh, it matters.

[DennisAJC]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by drmiles:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PARAGON:

Now with rear air, it's even more complicated. Someone pointed out that they could load the trailer with door open so that the rear air wouldn't kick in. Well this would bind the system needlessly and make the tow extremely unsafe due to fishtailing. You might can find a fine balance between the weight distribution and the rear air, but that system is no longer adaptable. Change the dynamics of the trailer load or the load in the H2 and it screws up the fine tuning that was done, all for no real improvement in safety or handling.

So, on vehicles with air suspensions, not only is weight distribution not necessary, it can be hazardous since, in effect, the two systems will be fighting against one another instead of working in conjunction. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Not true, the idea of the torsion bars on the equilizer hitch is to remove excess tongue weight. Not to remove all weight off the hitch. It also prevents excessive weight from being shifted to the tongue when traveling down bumpy and uneven roads.. If properly loade you can keep the tongue weight to the ideal weight and the air bags don't have to air up as much, or hold as much weight. Also the air bags cannot compensate for bumps and sudden shifts of weight as you travel down the road @ 60 mph. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Jerry.

[KenP]

Happiest day of a boat owner is when they buy it. Or is it when they sell it?

[DennisAJC]

Oh give it up man! Must you be right every single time?

OK, OK, YES, Thanks Paragon.

[Dug]

action pic. [IMG]C:\Documents and Settings\Doug\My Documents\My Pictures\rokon lunch[/IMG]

[Big Z]

If your going to tow, whatever, be informed! here's some good info!

http://rvtowingtips.com/story.htm

http://www.rvtowingtips.com/