Want a trailer but

[azjack]

This should probably be somewhere else, but to continue the discussion of adding the WDH, when we did have the 17' Casita we had a Ford 150 supercrew as a TV. It worked well without the WDH but the Calif. truck lanes caused so much bouncing of the trailer we lost our television as it bounced off the bed to the floor. I added the lightest single bar WDH to dampen the bounce and it worked great. For our 19' escape I use the hitch supplied by Reace because of the shorter wheel base on our '11 Jeep Grand cherokee. The combination gives me a good secure feeling when we hit construction or do avoidance maneuvers at the on and off ramps of the freeways.

Jack and Nancy
Tucson, AZ

[J Mac]

Is there a down side (apart from the hooking up.....and that only takes a sec or two) to using a WDH?

[Garand]

There's a slight danger (too strong a word) of scraping the hitch bottom as you crest some of the ridges leading into campsites. Nothing critical, just a scraping of the bars that actual leverage some of the trailer weight forward onto the truck frame. I always disconnected the hitch before backing into difficult sites which might require a very sharp turn...but I don't really know if that was necessary.

The WDH adds a bit of weight as well. I bet the hitch portion (which is height adjustable) weights 25-30 lbs, and you need to also add in the weight of the bars and chains.

Dave

[thoer]

Beside the added safety a WDH provides, it also provides a much smoother ride for us when towing Blue using our Tacoma.

Eric

[Yukon Escape]

The WDH is designed to lift the back of your tow vehicle and put some of the weight onto your front (axle) wheels, (Think wheel barrow).

I believe if you check some provincial regulations, you are required to have a WDH hitch on all trailers over a certain axle weight, whether this is enforced is another matter, it up to provincial highway patrols.

When using a WDH hitch your vehicle and the trailer are essentially considered to be one unit, with out a WDH your trailer and tow vehicle are considered to be two units.

The WDH distributes the weight more efficiently on your vehicle, thus saving your tires and making life easier on the drive train. It does this by stopping fish tailing of your trailer, and better weight distribution, even if your trailer is not loaded correctly.

Doug

[hippo]

When I took delivery of my 2010 19ft from the factory I asked Reace to help me install the brackets for my WDH. He said put it back in your truck you do not need it. My tow vehicle is a full size Tundra.

[azutco]

Cathy

I bought a 17b in May. My first camping trip was the Escape Rally in Osooyoos and my friends made fun of me because I spent most of it sleeping. It was quite a stretch of road for my first trip and to tow for four hours. One of my friends rode with me on the trip there. On the way back I did it alone but followed another friend just in case something happened.

My second trip was at the end of June to the Oregon Coast. I drove to Lacey and stayed the night at Cabellas and did the rest of the trip to Fort Stevens on my own but following friends who were also making the journey (thank god for them!) After that drive, it took me 3 days to sleep. Eventually I had to take a gravol to help me sleep.

Learning to trailer, is challenging and daunting, but soooo worth it!! I've had a least four trips since then and towing becomes easier with each time. I no longer have to grip the wheel hard and be overly vigilant about the traffic around me. I go slow and let people pass me. I learned how to back up myself by going slow and not letting people waiting to pass get me flustered. Backing up was very intimidating at first but after while, it gets pretty easy.

No doubt about it, when I first started out, I thought every time I went over a bump that my trailer was pulling me back and off the road and it felt very unstable. Now I don't even notice it. I pull my trailer with a 2011 Nissan Xterra.

I also used to think hooking up was scary because what if I missed something? But it's easy now and I am able to be confident in myself being able to do it right. I just give myself enough time not to rush I also use hitchin' rods, which are very easy to use and it takes me very little time to hook up. It may be worthwhile to learn how to hook up without the rods in the future, but for now it works best for me.

Believe me, If I can do it, YOU can do it

[Cathy, Midwest U.S.]

Hi, azutco,

I will keep in mind that towing can wear you out. I already try to avoid Interstates, see the countryside and have plenty of time to make it to a destination --- without a trailer. Taking it easy --- that is what camping is supposed to be about, isn't it?
It's good to know that the hitching and towing gets better in a short while. I don't know about hitching rods so I will have to look into that. Sounds good.
Thank you!
Cathy