About Me is just that, a little story about me and my family and how we got started RV'ing 2 WARNING! 4 What can I tow? If you already have a tow vehicle or are looking for one, here you will find out just what you can really tow! (Forget those "tow ratings"!) 6 Can I tow this? You have selected a trailer and need to know if your vehicle is up to the job. Find out here 13 Horsepower See if your engine has enough power for the job at hand 15 How long of a trailer? There are guidelines for how long of a trailer you should tow with your tow vehicle 17 How to weigh Learn how to weigh your RV at a local commercial scale to find out how much it weighs 21 Hitches Weight distribution and fifth wheel hitches are covered here 27 Brake controllers Which of the three types of controllers is best for you? 31 Hitching up How to hitch up (and unhitch) your trailer or fifth wheel 35 Loading up How to balance the load 38 Ready to roll Time to hit the road. Are you ready for this? 40 Hitch Setup More specifically, a weight distribution hitch setup. How do you know if you need one and how do you set it up? Check here 46 Leveling & Stabilizing These are two separate but similar functions, explained here 52 Level-Air A great product to help level your trailer 54 Holding Tanks Where to dump. How to dump. Chemicals to use. Hoses and connections. Toilet paper. All are discussed here 57 Water How to sanitize the fresh water holding tank and water lines, what kind of hoses do you need, pressure regulators, water filters, quieting the water pump, winterizing and an emergency supply are topics covered here 63 The basics 63 Sanitizing 68 Hoses 70 Pressure Regulators 74 Filters 78 Emergency Supply 80 Quieting the water pump 81 Winterizing 83 Propane…on or off? 88 Mirrors Do you need special mirrors for towing? Probably! Find out what types and how much they cost here 91 Bicycles Want to take along some bicycles? Find out how here 94 Campground memberships Is a campground membership right for you? 97 The Oregon Coast 101 About Me TC "About Me is just that, a little story about me and my family and how we got started RV'ing" \f C \l "1" My name is David. My wife and 2 kids have enjoyed our camping trips. It all started in the spring of 2000 when my wife and I were trying to figure out what we were going to do for summer vacation that year. My wife and I had done some tent camping over the past 15 years while on some great motorcycle trips, but it was getting too uncomfortable for my wife due to problems with her back. When my wife and I would go off on our short trips, the kids loved staying with my folks. But now they were getting older, and the grandparents weren’t as much fun as they used to be, so they wanted to go with us more often. No, we didn’t leave them with my parents all of the time, just when my wife and I needed a little break. To us, the next obvious step up from a tent on the ground was to a tent on wheels (a pop- up). At the time, we had a Dodge Grand Caravan without a tow package. The Coleman dealer said all he would feel comfortable selling us to tow behind the Caravan were a few trailers. A couple of them we felt would be an okay trailer, at least for sleeping in. Anything else like cooking or eating was going to be cozy, but we felt we could make it work. Then one Saturday while looking through the newspaper, I saw an ad for a nearby RV dealer that had a small travel trailer on sale for about the same price as the Coleman we were looking at. I think it was around $8,000. So I thought, hey, let’s go see what this trailer looks like for comparison. Well, it looked pretty good, but it didn’t have the sleeping capacity we needed. This led us to looking at other travel trailers and even some fifth wheel models. We knew that if we wanted one of these, we would have to get something else to tow it with. So, off to the Ford, Chevy and Dodge dealers to see what they had that would pull a trailer. We hadn’t decided on which trailer yet, so we looked at the SUV’s and crew cab pickups knowing that our kids were still growing and would be going with us for a few more years. My wife liked the people capacity of her van, so that steered us towards the SUV’s. We all sat in all of them to see what was most comfortable, and ended up choosing the Chevy Suburban. Now, which one do we get? Which engine and rear axle do we need? Like most beginning RV’ers, we looked at the tow ratings and compared them to the trailers we were considering. As we would discover later, that was a mistake! We narrowed our trailer selection down to 2, a Prowler 27H and I forget what the other one was. The second one was a bit over the towing capacity weight of the Suburban we were considering, so we ended up getting the Prowler and a 2001 Suburban 4WD K1500 1/2 ton LT package with a 5.3 liter engine and 3.73 rear end with a towing capacity of 7,600#. Exactly what the trailer GVWR was. Perfect fit! Yeah, right! (as I would find out later) We picked up our new Suburban in February and the new trailer in March of 2001. It seemed to be a reasonable combination for the first year we had them. Due to work schedules, we weren’t able to get away as much, or as far, as we wanted to that year. But we figured we could plan a great trip for the next summer, one my wife and I had talked about for a couple of years. It involved going from Seattle down to Arches National Park, over to Bryce and Zion, through Las Vegas to Disneyland, and home along the California and Oregon coasts. We figured it out and it was going to take 3 weeks and about 3,700 miles of driving to do what we wanted to do along the way, and that’s just from one campground to the next. It was a great trip, except for the heat. We knew it was going to be hot in late June and early July where we were going. But pulling the trailer up some of the hills along the way was another story. We had had some experience pulling the trailer up a few hills on the short trips we had taken already. Nothing real steep or long, but we noticed the Suburban had to work at it a little. And we had been along most of the same route before in different pieces, so we knew where most of the big hills were. I picked up a copy of Mountain Directory West, just to make sure. Yep, there were a couple we missed, and they were kind of steep! We planned to get an early start when we had some driving to do over those hills, and that probably helped some. But the poor Suburban had a hard time on a couple of them. Eastbound on I-84 from Pendleton to La Grande, Oregon. Westbound on I-70 from Green River to Joseph, Utah. Northbound I-5 in northern California and southern Oregon. There were some steep hills along these roads that had us down to 35 miles per hour at some points. Didn’t have any problems going down any hills, just put the tranny is second gear and it held the speed rather well. Somewhere along the trip, we figured we might need a bigger truck to pull this trailer of ours. We didn’t want a smaller trailer because we had looked at so many that were smaller than what we had that just wouldn’t be comfortable for us. It was too late to get a 2002 model the way we wanted, and the 2003’s weren’t out yet and we didn’t want to pay a premium for a brand new model, so we waited. We knew we were not going to be taking any long trips like the summer trip we just did, so a few more months with the 1/2 ton would be okay. By now, I had found out more information on the internet than I knew before. I found a couple of RV related forums and started reading everything I could to make sure my next truck would handle the load. We have the same trailer, but now have a 2003 Suburban 3/4 ton 4WD K2500 LT package with an 8.1 liter engine and 3.73 rear end with a towing capacity of 10,100#. Sounds like plenty of truck, almost over-kill, doesn’t it? Not really! WARNING! TC "WARNING!" \f C \l "1" !! If you’re going to be shopping for a tow vehicle or trailer, BEWARE!!! Not all salespeople are looking out for your best interests!!! Many (not all) RV and tow vehicle salespeople have a clue as to what they are selling. Some salespeople may look at the rating sticker on the receiver (on either your current vehicle or the new one you are looking at) and see that it is capable of handling 10,000#, but that is not necessarily what the rest of the vehicle is capable of. If you go to a dealer and a salesperson says something like, “This truck can tow anything”, or, “Your truck can pull anything on the lot”, you either need to find a more educated and honest salesperson or more reputable dealership, and QUICK!!! Do not be sold or conned into buying anything on the word of a salesperson!!! Do your homework first, or you will regret it later. When shopping for a tow vehicle, pick up a sales brochure on the models you are interested in. Also pick up one of the manufacturer’s “Towing Guide” brochure (GM, Ford and Dodge have them). When shopping for the RV, of course you’ll get a sales brochure, right? How else will you remember all the models you will be looking at. With brochures and literature in hand, you will be ready to start figuring out what might make the best combination of tow vehicle and RV trailer for you and your needs. Read the other topics on this website so you’ll have a complete understanding of what you need to know to make an informed buying decision. With what you will learn here and from other sources, you may end up knowing more about towing than the salespeople you talk to. If you already have a tow vehicle, check out the section, “What can I tow?” It will help you understand what your vehicle is capable of. If you don’t have the tow vehicle already, it might be best to look for the trailer first, then look for a vehicle that will be able to handle it safely. The “tow rating” is determined by the manufacturer, and it is the maximum amount of weight the vehicle can safely handle. Factors such as engine size, cooling system, transmission, axle ratio, chassis, suspension, brakes, tires and a few other components all play a part in determining the “tow rating”. Before you set out to buy a new (or used) tow vehicle, there are some things you should consider first. How often will you be towing? Where will you be towing to? Is this vehicle also going to be used as a daily driver? What type of trailer are you interested in…pop-up, travel trailer or fifth wheel? And how much does the trailer weigh? And then there are the highly debated advantages and disadvantages of gas verses diesel engines. From my own personal analysis, you don’t need a diesel unless you will be towing a lot of miles, towing in high elevation (the mountains) or the trailer you are considering is very heavy. Here are some advantanges to a diesel engine: * Better fuel mileage. * Higher torque at low speeds which gives better starting from a stop. * More durable than a gas engine. Diesel engines can go several thousands of miles before major engine work needs to be done. Here are some disadvantages of a diesel engine: * Noisy * Initial cost is higher than a gas engine * Maintenance and repair costs are usually higher * Not all gas stations sell diesel fuel * Slower acceleration than gas engines * Fuel problems in extremely cold climates What can I tow? TC "What can I tow? If you already have a tow vehicle or are looking for one, here you will find out just what you can really tow! (Forget those \"tow ratings\"!)" \f C \l "1" You have a vehicle you'd like to tow a trailer with, but you're not sure how much you can tow. So, you ask yourself, "What can I tow?". Most look at the "tow rating" or "towing capacity" found in the owner's manual or in a sales brochure. Many don't read, or don't understand, the fine print that usually goes along with those ratings… "…Maximum trailer ratings are calculated assuming standard equipped vehicle, driver and required trailering equipment. The weight of optional equipment, passengers and cargo will reduce the maximum trailer weight your vehicle can tow." So what does this mean? It means the manufacturers are using a stripped down vehicle in order to get the highest possible rating. The problem is many people don't realize this, and do not consider the weight of all those options added to the "standard" model. Options can add up to 1,000# to some vehicles! "Tow ratings" and "towing capacity" numbers should only be used as a starting point for shopping for your RV. Do not use them as the only method for determining what you can tow! For example, a vehicle could have a "tow rating" of 10,000#. But by the time you account for the other factors outlined below, that 10,000# capacity could easily shrink to 6,000# or less! If you think that weight limits are over-rated, or think that figuring out what you can safely tow and stay within the weight limits is a waste of time, read “Weight limits…big deal!!!” It may change your mind. Before we go any farther, you need to understand what all the weight abbreviations are and how they are used to determine just how much trailer you can tow. (Use of the word "trailer", unless specifically defined, is used here to represent either a travel trailer, pop- up, hybrid or fifth wheel.) UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight) for tow vehicles. The easiest way to get this number is take your tow vehicle to a weigh station or truck stop that has scales large enough to drive onto. You can usually find them along many interstate highways. Other locations could include larger recycling centers or waste transfer stations. Some locations may charge a small fee for this ($5-$10). When you do this, have a full tank of gas in your tow vehicle. If you cannot get your tow vehicle to a scale, look in your owner's manual or sales brochure for a "dry", "curb" or "unloaded" weight. All of these weights are usually for the "base" model, the one with the smallest engine and no optional equipment. For any options that you have, try to estimate what the weight might be. Since this will involve guessing the weight of several things, guess high. Options can add up to 1,000 pounds to the weight of some tow vehicles, so it would be best if you could get your tow vehicle to a scale to be sure of its actual weight. On a new vehicle, the dealer may be able to tell you what the delivery weight was when they received it from the factory. The factory may have only put 5 gallons of fuel in the tank, so you'll need to calculate what the additional fuel weight would be at about 6 pounds per gallon. If you can take your tow vehicle to a scale and if possible, take along all the people and cargo that would normally be in the tow vehicle when going on a camping trip. If this is not possible or you're not sure what stuff you would be taking with you, you can calculate it later, but it may not be as accurate. (Calculating it will also not give you an accurate picture of the weight on the front and rear axles which you may also need to consider, especially if you are considering towing a fifth wheel trailer.) See the section on "How to weigh" your tow vehicle and/or trailer at a scale. The UVW plus the weight of all passengers and cargo will give you the… GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) Most of the following weights can usually be found in an owner's manual or on a label somewhere on the tow vehicle or trailer. If you cannot find these numbers, it may be necessary to contact a dealer or the manufacturer. GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) This can be found in several places: a label on the inside frame of the driver's door, in the engine compartment, or in the owner's manual or sales brochure. For trailers, you may find a label towards the front of the trailer on the left side. This is the maximum the tow vehicle can weigh. GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) You may find this rating along with the GVWR as outlined above. If you cannot find it here, you may need to contact a dealer or the manufacturer to research what the GCWR is for the vehicle. This is the maximum the combination of tow vehicle and trailer can weigh. If the vehicle does not have a GCWR (as many cars and mini-vans do not), this may be the only time that you can add the "tow rating" or "towing capacity" weight to the vehicle GVWR to get a GCWR. However, if you do this, you must also stay under the recommended "tow rating" or "towing capacity" number to avoid any other possible problems. TGVWR (Trailer Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, not a common term (and won't be found on any label or in any owner's manual), but used here to distinguish between tow vehicle GVWR and trailer GVWR) Similar to the tow vehicle, the TGVWR can be found in a sales brochure, on a label on the inside of an interior cabinet door, or somewhere on the outside of the trailer, usually on the left side near the front of the trailer. This is the maximum the trailer can weigh. UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight) for trailers. Sometimes referred to as the "dry" weight. This is what the trailer supposedly weighs completely empty. Like the tow vehicle, this weight usually represents the weight of the trailer without any options or upgrades that might have been added by the manufacturer or the dealer. This may also not include the weight of the empty propane tanks (up to 50#) and the batteries (up to 100#). The difference between the dry weight and the TGVWR is known as cargo carrying capacity, or CCC. It is another important weight. You will have to determine what you will take with you in your trailer and how much it weighs, and add that to the dry weight to make sure you stay under the TGVWR. There are the things that may stay in the trailer, or be carried back and forth from the house. Such as; television, radio, CD player, videos, laptop computer, cameras, games, books, dishes, pots, pans, towels, tools, blocks, hoses…you get the idea. It all adds up to more weight in the trailer. All this stuff can weigh more than you think, maybe as much as 500 pounds or more! Figure an additional 50-200 pounds per person depending on the size of the trailer and the length of your average trip for food, clothes and other personal items. Will you be carrying fresh water in the holding tank with you? Add another 8.25 pounds per gallon. Are you still under the TGVWR? Good!!! TGVW (Trailer Gross Vehicle Weight, not a common term either, but used here to distinguish between tow vehicle GVW and trailer GVW) Similar to the tow vehicle, the TGVW is the weight of the trailer all loaded up and ready to go camping. TW (Tongue Weight for travel trailers, or Pin Weight for fifth wheels) You may find this rating along with the UVW for the trailer, but it may not be accurate. It may not include any options or upgrades added at the factory or by the dealer. And it will be a "dry" weight, meaning all holding tanks are empty and no propane. An average 30# propane tank weighs about 25 pounds empty, while the weight of the propane is about 24 pounds when full. Batteries vary a bit, but figure 30-50 pounds for each battery. When loaded properly, the tongue weight for travel trailers will be about 12%-15% of the TGVW, while the pin weight for fifth wheels will be around 20%. For fifth wheels, also add about 200 pounds for the weight of the hitch in the truck bed. For other trailers, if your tow vehicle does not already have one installed, add about 100 pounds for a receiver hitch platform, and another 100 pounds for a weight distributing hitch with spring bars and sway control. So, "What can I tow?" you say. Now that you understand what all the weights are and have gathered the numbers for your tow vehicle, let's look at the following formulas: #1. GVWR - GVW = allowable tongue weight. First, you need to know how much tongue weight you can afford to add to your tow vehicle with the above formula. Take the available tongue weight and divide it by 0.12 to get one figure for your maximum trailer weight. (You will get the second figure in a moment.) Since most trailers have a tongue weight in the 12%-15% range, I suggest the 0.12 factor because this will also take into account the use of a weight distribution hitch if one is needed. If you are considering a fifth wheel trailer, use a factor of 0.20 since most fifth wheels have a pin weight around 20% of total vehicle weight. #2. GCWR - GVW = TGVWR This tells you the second number for your maximum trailer weight. Compare this number to the one from formula #1 and use the smallest number as your maximum trailer weight. When you go looking at trailers, I suggest you look at the trailers that have a GVWR less than or equal to this number. Although the trailer you may be looking at may have a large carrying capacity, using the GVWR will give you a bit of a cushion, both for towing performance and in case you pack more stuff than you think you will. The reason for this is that the trailer manufacturers do the same thing that vehicle manufacturers do, they want to get the best "cargo capacity" numbers they can so they use the dry weight of a bare-bones trailer subtracted from its GVWR. Just like with your tow vehicle, the weight of options, accessories and upgrades all add additional weight. Some manufacturers provide a list of estimated weights of options and accessories, but not all do. Another set of weights that was mentioned earlier were the front and rear axle weight ratings (or GAWR), which you can usually find in the same location as the GVWR. These are the "rated" weight capacity for each axle. It is important to know what the actual axle weights are to determine if you will exceed the rated capacity or not when you hitch up your trailer. Knowing the actual axle weights would be another good reason to take the vehicle to the scales. While you are checking the GAWR's, check the load ratings on the tires. Make sure the load rating for the 2 rear tires adds up to more than the rear GAWR, and the same for the front. If the tire load ratings do not add up to more than the GAWR, you may need to upgrade the tires to a higher load rating. But if the actual weights of the axles do not exceed the tire load rating of the tires, then you should be okay. For fifth wheel's, almost all of the pin weight will be placed directly on the rear axle, while a very small amount will go up front. Is the rear GAWR enough to handle the load? For trailers that do not use a weight-distributing hitch (usually when the TW is less than 500 pounds), all of the TW will be placed on the rear axle. Is the rear GAWR enough to handle the load? For trailers that do use a weight distributing hitch (TW over 500 pounds), the TW should be distributed between the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle as well as some moved back to the trailer axle(s). Are the GAWR's enough to handle the load? Just for argument sake, lets assume the worst situation. This would not be an ideal situation, but it could happen, where the weight-distributing hitch is not set up properly or is unable to distribute the TW to both front and rear axles and the TW is places entirely on the rear axle. Is the rear axle strong enough? The front and rear GAWR's usually do not add up to equal the GVWR. Why? The axle ratings are based on a combination of the capacities of the tires, wheels, shocks, springs and axle components while the GVWR is for the vehicle as a whole. Don't add the front and rear GAWR together to get a higher GVWR to justify a bigger trailer than what the vehicle is capable of towing. Hopefully, you can see the importance of understanding how all of the different weights interact with each other. And now you can see why those "tow rating" or "towing capacity" numbers are so inflated! Here is an example of how bad the tow ratings can be. I was chatting with a fellow online about his 2003 Ford Excursion with diesel engine. He said it has a maximum tow capacity of 11,000#. So he thought he could pull a toy hauler trailer that would end up weighing around 10,000#. He takes the truck to a scale and finds out that it weighs 8,100# with him in it and plans on another 500# of family and stuff in the truck, putting him at a total of 8,600#. The truck's GVWR is 9,200#. That leaves only 600# for tongue weight. When you back into the maximum trailer weight for 600# of tongue weight, the absolute maximum would be 6,000#, which is no where near to his dream trailer. The GCWR of 20,000# and a tow rating of 11,000# was very misleading in this case. I strongly recommend that you stay under the GAWR's, GVWR, GCWR and TGVWR. The manufacturer's came up with these numbers for a reason, and there is plenty of debate as to the validity of these numbers. Performance from the tow vehicle will begin to suffer the closer you get to the GCWR. When possible, get more tow vehicle than you think you will need to give you that extra margin of performance and safety. In other words, don't get "just enough" vehicle, get a bit more. You may be sorry if you don't! I would also suggest you check out the "Horsepower" page. There have been some interesting online discussions about tow ratings verses horsepower. You may find that your selected tow vehicle may or may not have enough horsepower to pull your intended trailer. I am not advocating that you use the horsepower calculations to overrule the manufacturer's weight ratings. I'm just suggesting that it could be used as another way to answer the question, "What can I tow? " This could be very useful if you live or travel in hilly areas. Can I tow this? TC "Can I tow this? You have selected a trailer and need to know if your vehicle is up to the job. Find out here" \f C \l "1" So you’ve picked out a trailer you’d like to buy, but you’re not sure what you’ll need to tow it home with. First thing you need to do is understand some of the weight ratings and numbers, so let’s start with some definitions and explanations. Dry weight. You can find this printed in a brochure, on a sticker inside one of the kitchen cabinets, or somewhere on the outside of the trailer (usually near the front on the left side). This dry weight number may not be accurate for the trailer you are looking at. It may not include options, upgrades or accessories added by the manufacturer or the dealer. It may not include the weight of the empty propane tanks or the batteries. Because this number can be as much as 500# off, I don’t recommend using this for much of anything. Tongue weight (trailers). You can usually find this number in the same place as the dry weight, and it can be just as wrong! It is usually listed as “dry hitch weight” or “dry tongue weight”. There’s that word again...“dry”. Tongue weight for most trailers is in the 12%-15% range, but this could vary depending on the floor plan. An absolute minimum recommended tongue weight would be 10% of total trailer weight. Not enough tongue weight can cause handling problems, such as trailer sway. Too much tongue weight can cause steering problems with the tow vehicle. Pin weight (fifth wheels). You can find this number in the same place as the dry weight, and it can be just as wrong! It is usually listed as “dry pin weight”. There’s that word again, “dry”. Pin weight for most fifth wheels is around 20%, but this could vary depending on the floor plan. Axle weight. This is the amount of weight on the axles (or tires). It could be listed as “dry axle weight”, and you could also find a “maximum axle weight” rating. GVWR. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, is the maximum the trailer can weigh. So, how can you tell if you can tow this trailer or not? The two numbers that should concern you the most are the GVWR and the hitch or pin weight. If you already have a tow vehicle, go to “What can I tow?” and use these numbers. If you are looking for a tow vehicle, you’ve got a little more work to do…mainly shopping and comparing different vehicles. While you’re out shopping, you’ll probably see the “tow ratings” or “towing capacity” numbers. Don’t believe them! They are mainly for advertising purposes and bragging rights! The best thing to do would be to take the vehicle to a public scale and get it weighed. (See the pages for "How to weigh?" and "What can I tow?".) You can find a scale at most truck stops, larger recycle centers, waste transfer stations, and you can even use the scales at the weigh stations along the highway (the ones the commercial truckers use). Even if it’s a 2 hour drive to the nearest scale, it will be well worth your time and expense to find out that you have chosen the right vehicle to tow with before you buy it than it would be to find out later that you didn’t get enough tow vehicle for the job. Also when you’re out shopping for the right tow vehicle, don’t believe the salesperson when they tell you, “Sure, this can pull that trailer no problem!” Yeah, right! Most salespeople have never towed anything larger than a utility trailer, if that. Many of the RV salespeople have never towed anything either! I have read so many stories from people that trusted the salespeople, only to find out that their tow vehicle could hardly tow the trailer off the lot! Please make sure that your intended tow vehicle is up to the task you are about to put it to. Otherwise, your RV'ing experience may not be the one you had hoped for. Horsepower TC "Horsepower See if your engine has enough power for the job at hand" \f C \l "1" Here is a different kind of question. How much horsepower do I need to pull a trailer? Sounds kind of complicated, but it's actually quite simple (if you have a friend that knows Physics that can explain it to you). On my website is a link to a horsepower calculator that a friend of mine helped me develop. (You'll need Microsoft Excel to use it.) Imbedded in the spreadsheet are the formulas used in the calculation so you can see how it works. If you would like to save a copy of this spreadsheet to your computer, right-click on the link above and choose "save target as" and point to a directory and file name on your computer. The topics of horsepower and torque can be very confusing and have led to some heated online debate, but I’ll see if I can put it in simple terms. Torque determines how fast you can go, while horsepower keeps you going. But each has its limits based on how fast the engine can turn (rpm’s). Let’s look at some real world examples. The diesel engines used in semi-tractors are not much different than those used in the average pickup truck. The amounts of horsepower each produce is about the same, but the amount of torque produced by the semi engine is about double what the engine in the pickup will produce. But the engine in the semi needs to be able to pull around over 50,000 pounds, while the pickup engine may only be capable of 25,000 pounds. For towing purposes, there might be an easier example. Let’s look at the Duramax 6.6 liter diesel and the GM 8.1 liter Vortec engines. The Duramax is rated for a maximum of 300 horsepower at 3000 rpm and 520 foot pounds of torque at 1800 rpm. The 8.1 Vortec is rated for a maximum of 340 horsepower at 4200 rpm and 455 foot pounds of torque at 3200 rpm. If you used similar trucks with the different engines towing the same load, the Duramax would do it faster because it has more torque. In most cases, horsepower and torque are not real important unless you are towing a heavy trailer up a steep hill. Once you reach the hills, you will need more torque than horsepower. Since torque produces horsepower, you can use the horsepower calculator to see if you have enough horsepower to tow the desired trailer up the hills, but the amount of torque will determine how fast you will get up them. How long of a trailer? TC "How long of a trailer? There are guidelines for how long of a trailer you should tow with your tow vehicle" \f C \l "1" Due to the different characteristics of a fifth wheel trailer, this applies more to a trailer than a fifth wheel Why is length such an important factor? Well, it's not really the length of the trailer that is as important as is the size (or wheelbase) of the tow vehicle trying to pull it. The main focus of this is to minimize trailer sway, which in many cases is caused by the wind from either Mother Nature or large vehicles passing you by. Basically, the longer the wheelbase the better! Think of it as leverage. The longer the trailer, the more leverage it can have on the tow vehicle. The longer the wheelbase of the tow vehicle, the more it can resist the leverage being applied from the trailer. You don't need a crew cab long bed truck to pull a pop-up that could easily be towed by a small SUV. But you don't want to pull a 30' trailer behind that small SUV. You want something longer. But don't get carried away, either. Let's see how it works. I have found 2 "rules of thumb" on this topic. But wait a minute! Is a "rule of thumb" really a rule? Of course not! I prefer to call them guidelines. It is merely a recommendation to follow. But there could be some basis for these guidelines. For these guidelines, you need 2 measurements, the wheelbase of your tow vehicle, and the total length of the trailer you are pulling. That length is from the coupler to the back bumper. Okay, the first guideline: For the first 110" of wheelbase, this allows you 20' of trailer. For each additional 4" of wheelbase, this gets you 1' more of trailer. Here is a chart: Wheelbase Length Wheelbase Length 110" 20' 150" 30' 114" 21' 154" 31' 118" 22' 158" 32' 122" 23' 162" 33' 126" 24' 166" 34' 130" 25' 170" 35' 134" 26' 174" 36' 138" 27' 178" 37' 142" 28' 182" 38' 146" 29' 186" 39' (This guideline was first used by the RV Consumers Group (rv.org).) That looks pretty simple, doesn't it? Find out what the wheelbase of your tow vehicle is and find it in the chart above. Is the trailer you are considering at or under the specified length? I f not, let's see if the second guideline helps any. The second guideline: The distance from the coupler to the rear trailer axle should be no more than twice the wheelbase of the tow vehicle. Wheelbase Length Wheelbase Length 110" 18'4" 150" 25' 114" 19' 154" 25'8" 118" 19'8" 158" 26'4" 122" 20'4" 162" 27' 126" 21' 166" 27'8" 130" 21'8" 170" 28'4" 134" 22'4" 174" 29' 138" 23' 178" 29'8" 142" 23'8" 182" 30'4" 146" 24'4" 186" 31' Remember, the above length is from the coupler to the rear axle of the trailer. It is NOT the total length of the trailer as in the first guideline. Why this second guideline? I think this second guideline applies more to non-RV trailers, like boat or flatbed trailers with short (less height) loads on them. Those types of trailers usually do not have the large vertical surfaces (exterior walls) that would be susceptible to wind. You've probably seen a small SUV or pickup pulling a very large boat, right? So let's go back to the first guideline. If you look at some of the physics and geometry inherent to travel trailers, you might see why length is an important factor to consider. Ever try to carry a full sheet of plywood (or something similar in size) by yourself, on a windy day? It can be pretty difficult to maintain control. But how about carrying a couple of 2 by 4's on that same windy day? Not so hard, is it? That's because the 2 by 4's do not have the same surface area to catch the wind as the sheet of plywood does. So, in a way, that travel trailer is just like a sheet of plywood for catching the wind. The next thing to look at is how far the coupler is from the trailer tires? The greater the distance, the lesser the impact it will have on the tow vehicle and the less sway it could create. You will see travel trailers of the same overall length with the axles in different locations. This is probably due to the floor plan or layout of the trailer in order to balance the overall trailer, as well as to provide enough, but not too much, tongue weight. Finally, the ball, or hitch location. How far is it from the tow vehicle's rear axle? The farther away it is (known as rear overhang), the more leverage the trailer can apply to the tow vehicle and create the possibility for more sway. A Jeep or a Hummer would make great tow vehicles because they have very little rear overhang compared to most pickup trucks and SUV's. Another example of this would be in comparing a 2003 Chevy Tahoe to a 2003 Chevy Suburban. The wheelbase of the two are different, but their wheelbase to rear overhang ratios are almost identical. Therefore, both vehicles should be able to handle the same trailer with similar results as far as length is concerned. If you end up breaking the length guideline by a few feet (3'-4'), you might be okay as long as you have a good sway control hitch or anti-sway bar. Usually, the only way you can tell for sure is taking it for a tow and see how it handles. You may be able to get the RV dealer to let you take it for a "test tow". If you do, keep in mind that the trailer is pretty empty and does not weigh what it will once you pack your stuff in it. If you do decide to purchase based on a successful test tow, make sure you have adequate tongue weight once you are loaded for the road. If you end up breaking the length guideline by more than a few feet (3'-4'), but are under your weight limits, consider looking at a couple of products that may help this situation. They are the Hensley Arrow coupler and the Pull-rite hitch. Both of these products, as well as their owners, say they do a great job at what they are designed to do, reducing or eliminating sway. So check them out and see what you think. (The references to the Hensley Arrow and Pull-rite products are not intended as an endorsement or advertisement of either product.) In my particular case, I am towing a 2001 Prowler 27H (actually 28' long) with a 2003 Suburban 3/4 ton, and I have an Eaz-lift weight distributing hitch and friction sway control bar. I've towed on a few windy days and really don't notice the trailer moving around much, except when the big trucks pass me by. Then I get a little wiggle out of the trailer, but nothing serious or scary. I'm over the first guideline by 3', which I think isn't that bad, but I would not want to be any further over it. And I'm just under the second guideline. I didn't know about these guidelines when I first bought the combination, but I knew I didn't want to go real long with the trailer towing it with the Suburban. Keep in mind that these are just guidelines. There are many factors that could make one combination of tow vehicle and trailer safer or more stable than another, such as the amount of rear overhang, hitch to trailer axle length, hitch setup, load displacement, weather and road conditions, just to name a few. How to weigh TC "How to weigh Learn how to weigh your RV at a local commercial scale to find out how much it weighs" \f C \l "1" This process is a relatively easy one, but can get a little complicated depending on how many wheels or axles you want to weight, and by how many individual scales are available. First, let's set some terminology for the purpose of this document. A "scale" is the device that tells how much something weighs, like a bathroom scale. A "weigh station" is where the scales are located, like at a truck stop. Okay now, let's start weighing! If you are doing this at a truck stop, you may need to pay a small fee for each weight reading you do. It might be best to check first to see what the best process will be for what you are trying to do and how much it will cost. You will probably get a slip of paper that shows each weight reading that you do, so you won't need to write anything down right away. If you use a weigh station along the highway, you may be able to do this for free! Try to pick a time that the commercial traffic is low or not using them. That way you won't have to be in a hurry. Many weigh stations, when they are closed, will turn the scale read-out machine around so that you can see it from a window. You will need to write the weights down as you do them. Alright, here are the weights we are after: 1. Front tow vehicle axle weight (A or D below). 2. Rear tow vehicle axle weight (B or E below) And if you have a trailer with you... (If you don't have a trailer, ignore the parts below that talk about weighing the trailer. 3. Trailer hitch (or pin) weight (H below). 4. Trailer weight (J below). First we'll start with just one scale at the weigh station. Put each tow vehicle axle on the scale one at a time. Then put the trailer axles on the scale. Write the weights down here. First pass Second pass A. Front axle B. Rear axle C. Trailer axles (I’ll explain shortly what the “First pass” and “Second pass” are all about.) Pull off the scale and find a place that you can park the trailer and unhitch it. Go back and weigh the front and rear tow vehicle axles again. Write down the weights here. D. Front axle E. Rear axle We'll deal with the math shortly. If there are 2 scales at the weigh station: Put each tow vehicle axle on a separate scale. Write the weights down here. First pass Second pass A. Front axle B. Rear axle Pull forward and put the trailer axles on one of the scales, it doesn't matter which one. Write down the weight here. C. Trailer axles Pull off the scale and find a place that you can park the trailer and unhitch it. Go back and weigh the front and rear tow vehicle axles again. Write down the weights here. D. Front axle E. Rear axle Hold on, we're getting to math. Now if the weigh station has 3 scales, this is easy! Pull your entire rig onto the scales so that the front tow vehicle tires are on one scale, the rear tow vehicle tires are on another scale, and the trailer tires are on another scale. Write down the weights here. First pass Second pass A. Front axle B. Rear axle C. Trailer axles Pull off the scale and find a place that you can park the trailer and unhitch it. Go back and weigh the front and rear tow vehicle axles again. Write down the weights here. D. Front axle E. Rear axle Now it's time to do the math. A - D = F, or the weight added to (or subtracted from) the front axle from the trailer tongue (or pin) weight (via the weight distribution hitch, if equipped). If weight was taken off the front axle, you may need to make some adjustments in your hitch setup. B - E = G, or the weight added to the rear axle from the trailer tongue (or pin) weight (via the weight distribution hitch, if equipped). F + G = H, or the total trailer tongue weight from the trailer tongue weight (via the weight distribution hitch, if equipped), or the total fifth wheel pin weight. For trailers (not fifth wheels), this is not your actual tongue weight, but the tongue weight that is being transferred to the tow vehicle through the use of the spring bars on the weight distribution hitch. C + H = J, or the total trailer weight. This number should be less than or equal to the trailer's GVWR. If not, you have overloaded your trailer! It is important that D and E do not exceed the tow vehicle's front or rear gross axle weight ratings (GAWR). If they do, you may experience premature wear of several components in your suspension and/or drive train. While you are checking the GAWR's, check the load ratings on the tires. Make sure the load rating for the 2 rear tires adds up to more than the rear GAWR, and the same for the front. If the tire load ratings do not add up to more than the GAWR, you may need to upgrade the tires to a higher load rating. But if the actual weights of the axles do not exceed the tire load rating of the tires, then you should be okay. First pass/Second pass If you want to figure out what the actual tongue weight is for your trailer (not fifth wheel) and you are using a weight distribution hitch, you would need to take another pass across the scales, but without the spring bars attached to the trailer. For example, with the 3- scale procedure, you would pull the tow vehicle and trailer onto the scales with the spring bars attached in the normal traveling position and get a weight reading. Write these numbers under “First pass”. Then, while leaving the tow vehicle and trailer in place, unhook the chains from the snap-up hooks on the trailer and get another reading. Write these numbers under “Second pass”. Your actual tongue weight would be the difference of the front and rear axle weight from the second pass (A+B) compared to the front and rear axle weight without the trailer attached (D+E). Comparing the first pass to second pass numbers will also show you what your weight distribution hitch is actually doing with all of that tongue weight you have. DO NOT travel very far without the spring bar chains attached to the snap-up hooks!!! If you want to see how much each trailer axle weighs, that's simple. Just put each axle on a scale one at a time. It would help if you have someone to tell you when to stop as you pull the trailer forward onto the scale. Otherwise, you may need to pull forward or back up a few times to get just the one axle on the scale. You can also see if the tow vehicle and/or trailer are loaded evenly side-to-side by doing any of the above steps with the tires of just one side on the scales at a time. Again, it might help if you have someone to tell you when to stop. Another set of weights that was mentioned earlier were the front and rear axle weight ratings (or GAWR), which you can also find on the same sticker on the inside frame of the driver's door or in the engine compartment. For fifth wheel's, almost all of the pin weight will be placed directly on the rear axle, while a small amount will go up front. Is the rear GAWR enough to handle the load? For trailers that do not use a weight-distributing hitch (usually when the TW is less than 500 pounds), all of the TW will be placed on the rear axle. Is the rear GAWR enough to handle the load? For trailers that do use a weight distributing hitch (TW over 500 pounds), the TW should be distributed between the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle as well as some moved back to the trailer axle(s). Are the GAWR's enough to handle the load? Just for argument sake, lets assume the worst situation. This would not be an ideal situation, but it could happen, where the weight-distributing hitch is not set up properly or is unable to distribute the TW to both front and rear axles and the TW is places entirely on the rear axle. Is the rear axle strong enough? If you could answer yes to these GAWR questions, then you have selected a tow vehicle capable of towing the desired trailer. It is strongly recommended to stay under the GAWR's, GVWR, GCWR and TGVWR. The manufacturer's came up with these numbers for a reason, and there is plenty of debate as to the validity of these numbers. Performance from the tow vehicle will begin to suffer the closer you get to the GCWR. When possible, get more tow vehicle than you think you will need to give you that extra margin of performance. You may be sorry if you don't! Here is a link (http://www.trucktires.com/us_eng/library/downloadables/RV_bro/WeighForm.pdf) to an illustrated way of doing what I have just described. It requires Adobe Acrobat Reader and is 444kb in size, so it may take some time to download. Need to find a scale near you? Try Flying J (http://www.flyingj.com/) truck stops, or look for other weigh stations, rest areas, fuel and more this website (http://www.dieselboss.com/restarea.asp). Hitches TC "Hitches Weight distribution and fifth wheel hitches are covered here" \f C \l "1" Obviously there is a difference in the type of hitch needed to pull a trailer verses a fifth wheel, so lets talk about travel trailers first, then I’ll cover fifth wheels. Travel trailers (and pop-ups) Let’s start out with a few definitions first. The coupler is the part on the front of the trailer that attaches to the ball. The ball can be mounted to either the bumper, a simple drawbar that slides into a receiver, or the ball can be mounted to a hitch head that mounts to a shank that slides into the receiver. The receiver (or receiver platform) is bolted (and sometimes welded) to the vehicle’s frame. Bumpers and receivers are rated for how much weight they can carry and how much weight they can pull. Receiver platforms are also rated for how much weight they can carry and how much weight they can pull when using a weight distribution hitch. The carrying capacity is usually identified by “WC” (for “weight carrying”) and the pulling capacity is usually identified by “GTW” (for “gross trailer weight”). Most bumpers on trucks and SUV’s can carry up to 500# and pull up to 5000# (check your bumper’s rating to be sure). All receiver platforms fall into a “classification”, which has ratings for use with and without a weight distribution hitch. Weight Carrying Weight Distribution Classification Maximum tongue weight Maximum trailer weight Maximum tongue weight Maximum trailer weight 1 200 2,000 -- -- 2 350 3,500 -- -- 3 500 5,000 -- -- 4 750 7,500 1,200 12,000 5 1,000 10,000 1,400 14,000 The above weights are typical limits. Check the receiver on your vehicle for its limits. If the trailer you select exceeds either the maximum tongue weight or maximum trailer weight, you should upgrade your receiver to the appropriate classification before towing. Class 1 and 2 receivers come in a variety of hitch box opening sizes (where the drawbar slides into). Class 3 and 4 receivers usually have a 2” square opening and the Class 5 receivers usually have a 2-1/2” square opening. Because of these different sizes, you must make sure you get the right size drawbar or shank to fit properly. Reese (http://www.reeseprod.com), Draw-tite (http://www.draw-tite.com) and Eaz-lift (http://www.eaz-lift.com) are a few brand names you can check out to see what they offer. (Reese and Draw-tite are basically the same company making mostly the same components with different labels on them, but there are a few unique differences between them, so be sure to check them both out.) Also make sure that the ball used is the correct size for the coupler on the trailer, and that it is also rated for the weight it will carry and pull. The most common sizes are 1-7/8”, 2” and 2-5/16”. While on the subject of hitches, let’s talk about sway control. First of all, how do you know if you need sway control in the first place? Well, that’s a tough question to answer. Many of the manufacturers of anti-sway devices usually recommend you use something if the trailer is longer than 20’. Some shorter trailers may need them if the tongue weight is on the light side…less than 10-12%. Sway control devices are not intended to eliminate the potential for trailer sway, but are mainly designed to minimize the impact of when the trailer starts to sway and to try to keep it from swaying out of control. Sway control devices are also not intended to overcome poor trailer design or improper loading. To help minimize the potential for trailer sway to start in the first place, the trailer should have a minimum of 10% of the total trailer weight as tongue weight. (Some trailer manufacturers, and myself, recommend a 12% minimum.) And you should not need more than a 15% ratio. More than 15% could cause handling problems for the tow vehicle and may also overload hitch components. There are basically two types of sway control: Friction sway control These use friction to dampen trailer movement. They do not prevent sway, but if and when a trailer starts to sway, the friction helps to control it. The amount of friction can be adjusted according to the trailer and towing conditions. When backing up, most manufacturers recommend that you remove the friction sway bar so that it isn’t damaged should you turn sharply while backing and also so it doesn’t damage the tow vehicle. Dual Cam This type of sway control is designed to stop sway before it starts. One cam is mounted on each side of the trailer tongue and is locked into place on one end of a weight distribution bar while the other end is attached to the hitch head, creating a fairly rigid but still moveable connection. You can read more about the Dual-cam setup on the Reese or Draw-tite websites. Specialty hitches There are two, what I call, “specialty” hitches on the market today. One is the Hensley Arrow (http://www.hensleymfg.com) and the other is the Pull-rite (http://www.pullrite.com). Both claim to totally eliminate the potential for trailer sway affecting the tow vehicle. Check them out and do your own research to see if they are something you want to invest in. In my opinion, both are great products, but not everyone needs to buy one. Most people will do fine with a typical weight distribution and friction sway bar setup. However, if you have the typical setup and it is set up correctly and you experience any sway, you may want to consider one of these products. Personally, I prefer the Hensley Arrow for the simple fact that it is more portable than the Pull-rite. The Hensley can be moved from one trailer to another fairly easily. Or if you were to change tow vehicles, all you would need is a new drawbar which Hensley will trade you your old one for a new one. Although the Pull-rite is a good product as well, it is attached to the tow vehicle and may not be as easy to move to another tow vehicle. You can see this by looking at their application chart. If your trailer starts to sway, it is usually recommended to maintain your speed while using the trailer brake controller’s manual lever to activate just the trailer brakes and to not use the tow vehicle’s brakes until the trailer sway has stopped. Once the trailer sway has stopped, release the manual lever and then slow down if necessary. What causes sway? There are many factors that can create trailer sway: * Poor trailer design, where too much weight is behind the trailer axles, which causes not enough tongue weight. * Improper loading of the trailer, usually from too much weight in the rear. * Incorrect tire pressure, either in the trailer tires, tow vehicle tires or both. * Crosswinds, or winds from other sources, like passing trucks. * No sway control on the trailer to start with. * Improper weight distribution hitch setup. * Going downhill * Tow vehicle not properly matched to the trailer. Most of these causes of sway have simple and easy solutions. Fifth wheel hitches Fifth wheel hitches are rated similar to receiver platforms…how much weight they can carry (support) and how much they can pull. When shopping for a fifth wheel hitch, it might be best to assume that some day you may have the trailer loaded up to its maximum capacity, or GVWR. Many consider 20% an average ratio of total fifth wheel weight to pin weight, but some may go as high as 25%. Not only do fifth wheel hitches pivot from front to back, but some also pivot from side to side. This can make it much easier to unhitch when there is a slight difference in the level of the truck compared to the level of the fifth wheel. If your truck has a short bed, you may also want to look at what are called “slider” hitches. This type of hitch slides on rails that allow the truck to make sharp turns without the front of the fifth wheel hitting the back of the cab and causing serious damage. Some of these slider hitches are manually operated while others work automatically. Many fifth wheel hitches can be removed from the bed of the truck when they are not needed, freeing up the truck bed for other uses. Brake controllers TC "Brake controllers Which of the three types of controllers is best for you?" \f C \l "1" Trailer brakes are required in many states for trailers over 1,000-3000#, so an electric brake controller becomes an important part of safe towing. In theory, the tow vehicle brakes should be strong enough to stop the tow vehicle loaded up to its GVWR. And I’m sure there is some sort of extra safety margin built in to handle some added weight from a trailer that does not have brakes. Also in theory, the trailer brakes should be strong enough to stop the trailer. How quickly the trailer would stop on its own, like in a break- away situation, I’m not sure. The brake controller basically supplies power to the trailer brakes when the tow vehicle brakes are applied. They are adjustable to fit the particular tow vehicle and trailer combination as well as the driver’s braking habits. But that’s where the similarity ends. There are basically three types of brake controllers; time based, inertia based and proportional. Time based controllers Supply an increasing amount of voltage to the trailer brakes over time. The longer a tow vehicle’s brake pedal is pressed, the more voltage is sent to the trailer brakes, up to a point. How much and how fast the voltage is supplied to the trailer brakes is adjustable. Time based controllers are the most common type. There are a few drawbacks to this type of controller. The biggest problem is consistent braking. If you can make every stop almost the same, relative to speed and stopping distance, you probably wouldn’t have any noticeable problems with this type of controller. But what about those stops that are more gradual or more hurried? During the more gradual stops (or slowing), you might feel some tugging or jerking from the trailer. During the hurried (or panic) braking, you may feel like the trailer isn’t stopping and is going to push you into whatever it is you are trying to avoid. Should one of these situations arise, you may want to check out the other types of controllers. Inertia based controllers Use sophisticated electronics (some better than others) to sense how quickly the tow vehicle is slowing or stopping (a change in vehicle inertia) and supplies the appropriate voltage to the trailer brakes. This type of controller is much smoother than the time based. I happened to have the opportunities for a little testing of the Voyager and Prodigy controllers. Coming home from one of the last trips when I still had the Voyager installed, I was driving over the crest of a hill on a curve at about 35 mph. It had rained earlier so the roads were still wet, but it wasn’t raining at the time. Just over the hill and around the curve was a traffic light. As I approached, it turned yellow, and I though I had plenty of time and space to stop, although it would be a slightly quicker stop than what I would normally do. But as I applied the brakes, I didn’t feel like things were going to stop in time. Fortunately, there was nobody in front of me so I aborted the stop and went through the intersection just as the light turned red. I had been thinking about upgrading to the Prodigy for some time before this, and this made it clear I needed something better, so I got the Prodigy and installed it a few weeks later. After a few more trips out with the Prodigy installed and without incident, guess what happened? Yep, the same thing on the same road at the same intersection, but this time it was raining. This time I was ready (but I’m always ready for a traffic light to turn yellow anyway). When the light turned yellow, I said to myself, “Okay, let’s see what this Prodigy will do.” This time I kept on the brakes and everything came to a nice smooth stop. That sold me on the Prodigy. But wait, there’s one more type of controller that also has other people singing praises (that I don’t have any first-hand experience with). Proportional based controllers Are connected directly to the tow vehicles braking system in various manners. For example, the Jordan Ultima 2020 (http://www.bestbrakecontroller.com/) uses a cable system connected to the tow vehicle’s brake pedal for direct input as to how much brake pedal force is being applied. Another brand, the Brakesmart (http://www.brakesmart.net/), taps into the tow vehicle’s hydraulic brake line to determine the braking pressure being applied to the tow vehicle. Both units then send the appropriate voltage to the trailer brakes. The only problem I see with the Brakesmart is that it requires more technical and automotive knowledge to install (tapping into the vehicle’s hydraulic system). Other than that, once they are adjusted correctly (and all brake controllers require initial setup and adjustment), they should work just fine. ABS (Anti-lock Braking Systems) I’m talking about the ABS on your tow vehicle, since I haven’t seen any ABS on trailers. ABS comes in handy when you have to make a quick, sudden stop. Hopefully, when you are towing your trailer, you are more aware of the situations around you and have a greater following distance than you would without the trailer behind you. If so, the type of braking that would trigger the ABS to come on should be minimized. But you can’t predict everything! In the event you need to stop hard and quick, and where this type of braking could trigger your vehicle’s ABS, you need to remember that the trailer does not have ABS and the trailer brakes could lock up causing the trailer tires to skid. If the trailer tires skid, you may loose some control over the trailer, or possibly worse. Once the trailer tires start to skid, you’ve lost some of your stopping ability and it may cause the trailer to slide to one side or the other. Should this happen, be prepared to use the manual lever on the brake controller if you release pressure on the brake pedal because this could start the trailer tires rolling (and stop skidding), which could also lead to trailer sway. And depending on where the trailer was in relationship to the tow vehicle when all of this occurred, it could lead to some serious trailer sway! Now that I’ve probably put a little fear into you, let me try to take some of it away. This type of worst-case situation is rare, but it does happen (I have seen it). The Boy Scout motto should also be applied to driving, regardless of what you’re driving…Be Prepared. If you’re ready for the worst possible situation, you’ll hopefully be ready to deal with it correctly. Installation and adjustment All brake controllers require some sort of adjustment after installation, and the adjustment procedures are usually spelled out in very good instructions from the manufacturer. If you’ve worked on automotive electrical before, you might be able to install a brake controller yourself. Newer vehicles and newer brake controllers can be a simple plug-n-play sort of installation with vehicle-specific wiring harnesses. If you haven’t, or are skeptical of your skills, have a pro do it. Watch what they do so you know what they did, in case you have problems somewhere down the road. Once installed, follow the initial adjustment instructions. If you have any problems, contact the brake controller manufacturer. A common question is, “Where should I mount it?” Most people seem to install them under the dash just above where your right knee would be. This puts it within easy reach should you need to use the manual lever on the brake controller. Installing it above your left knee may cause problems with getting in to or out of the vehicle and hitting it with your leg/knee (ouch!). Wherever you mount it, make sure it is within easy reach, and if there is some sort of display on it, that you can see it easily. Make sure you read the installation instructions before trying to install it yourself or having someone else install it. Many controllers have limits as to what angle they can be installed at when the tow vehicle is on level ground. For example, the Voyager and Prodigy units can be installed from 0 degrees (horizontal) up to a 70 degree angle (almost vertical). Anything outside of this range may cause the controller to not function properly. Manual lever All brake controllers that I’ve seen have a lever you can use to manually activate the trailer brakes separate from the tow vehicle brakes. This manual lever can be used when making initial or subsequent adjustments, when you want to use just the trailer brakes and not the tow vehicle brakes (such as when going downhill), or in the event the trailer starts to sway. Make sure you can reach the lever easily while driving. Hitching up TC "Hitching up How to hitch up (and unhitch) your trailer or fifth wheel" \f C \l "1" Here are the basic steps for hitching and unhitching a trailer and a fifth wheel. As you gain experience at doing this, you may find other techniques that work better for you and your particular combination, so these may be somewhat generic instructions on how to do the job. Hitching up trailers with a weight distribution hitch 1. Raise the trailer tongue until there is enough room for the hitch ball to go underneath. 2. Back the tow vehicle up until the ball is directly under the coupler. It might help if there is someone that can assist you with this, but it can be done solo (it just might take a little more time). 3. Open the coupler latch mechanism and lower the coupler onto the ball just enough so that there is a little bit of weight on the ball. This should allow the latch mechanism to engage correctly so that you can lock it in place with a pin or lock. Look underneath the coupler to make sure the ball latch is in the correct position (on the bottom side of the ball). 4. Raise the tongue (and the rear of the tow vehicle) about 3” with the tongue jack so it is easier to install the weight distribution spring bars. 5. Insert one end of the spring bars into the hitch head. 6. Lower the snap-up bracket (sometimes called the saddle) and place the proper chain link onto the hook. If a dealer installed your hitch components, they should have shown you which link to use. If you did the installation yourself, you should remember which link to use. (It might be a good idea to mark the link with some tape, in case you forget some day.) 7. If you have the Dual-cam setup, rest the spring bars on the ends of the cam. 8. Using a short piece of pipe that should have come with your snap-up brackets, raise it back up to its normal position and secure it with a safety clip. 9. Repeat these last 2 steps on the other side. 10. Raise the tongue jack so that there is plenty of clearance between it and the road when traveling. 11. Attach the safety chains to a permanent part on the tow vehicle, usually the hitch receiver. Cross the chains (like an X) under the hitch. This will form a cradle for the coupler and prevent it from hitting the ground should the hitch come out of the receiver or the coupler come off the ball. Make sure the chains are long enough to allow the tow vehicle and trailer to turn sharply, but not too long that they might drag along the ground. 12. Attach the breakaway cable to a permanent fixture on the tow vehicle. This should not be attached to any other part that is used to pull or support the trailer tongue, like the bumper or receiver platform. Should the bumper or receiver fail and the breakaway cable is attached to it, the trailer brakes will not come on as intended, which could lead to serious injury or property damage to someone else. 13. Plug the trailer electrical cord into the receptacle on the tow vehicle and make sure all lights work correctly. Unhitching a trailer 1. Before unhitching, make sure the trailer is as level from side to side as you can get it by placing boards or blocks under all of the tires on the low side. 2. Chock the trailer tires so they won’t roll. 3. Disconnect the electrical cord from the tow vehicle. 4. Disconnect the safety chains. 5. Disconnect the breakaway cable. 6. Raise the tongue high enough to take some weight/pressure off of the spring bars 7. Remove the safety clip from the snap-up brackets and use the short piece of pipe to lower the bracket so the chain can be removed from the hook. BE CAREFUL! If there is too much weight still on the spring bars, it could cause the pipe to come out of your hands. Raise the tongue higher to relieve more pressure if needed. If there is an angle difference between the trailer and the tow vehicle (the trailer is on level ground but the tow vehicle is going slightly uphill), this could also cause a problem. Repeat on other side 8. Lower the tongue so that more weight is on the ball, which will allow you to release the coupler latch mechanism (after you remove the pin or lock). 9. Raise the coupler until there is enough room to move the tow vehicle forward and the hitch out from underneath the coupler. Hitching up a fifth wheel 1. Set the hitch plate slightly below the coupler head, so the fifth wheel is lifted slightly as the two pieces mate up by using the landing gear. 2. Open the coupler lock so the king pin can engage the jaws on the hitch plate. 3. Lower the tailgate (if needed, there are special tailgates that have a “cut-out” so you don’t have to lower it) and slowly back up. Depending on your combination, you may need to raise the tailgate back up once the king pin has entered the truck bed area. It might help to have an assistant since they would be able to make minor adjustments to trailer height and lower/raise the tailgate. 4. Back up until the king pin is close to the hitch, and you can close the tailgate if necessary. 5. Plug in the trailer electrical cord. 6. While using the manual lever on the brake controller to apply the trailer brakes, back up until the king pin has fully engages the coupler jaws. 7. Close the locking mechanism and the safety latch. 8. Raise the fifth wheel landing gear so there is plenty of clearance for traveling. 9. Make sure all lights work correctly. Unhitching a fifth wheel 1. Before unhitching, make sure the trailer is as level from side to side as you can get it by placing boards or blocks under all of the tires on the low side. 2. Chock the trailer tires so they won’t roll. 3. Disconnect the trailer electrical cord from the tow vehicle. 4. Put pins in the landing gear and raise the trailer until all of the weight is off of the hitch plate. 5. Open the coupler lock and safety latch. 6. Lower the tailgate. 7. Slowly pull the tow vehicle forward while using the manual lever on the brake controller to activate the trailer brakes, making sure that all the weight is off of the hitch plate. Again, an assistant would help here with these last 2 steps. Don't pull too far forward until the trailer electrical cord has been disconnected. Again, an assistant would help here with these last 2 steps. Loading up TC "Loading up How to balance the load" \f C \l "1" This topic is not as specific to tow vehicles and trailers as other topics that I have covered, so I use the term “RV” here instead because it really doesn’t matter what type of RV you have…you should take the time to check this out. Okay, I can hear you saying, “What’s so special about loading up my stuff? I just load it up and go, right?” Well, almost. It wouldn’t hurt to check out a few things before going to far first. Axle weight rating Everything rolling down the road has a weight rating for all of the axles. Cars, trucks, buses and RV’s all have them. You need to find out what your tow vehicle and/or RV axles are rated for. But don’t stop there. Look on the sidewall of all the tires to find the… Tire load rating On the sidewall of every tire is a maximum weight rating for the tire at its maximum air pressure. Find out what your tires are rated for. An overloaded or under-inflated tire may create more heat than what it was designed for, and this could lead to tire failure (a blow-out). This could lead to serious damage, fire or loss of control over the RV. Not exactly something I would like to have happen! While you’re down there, check to see what the maximum air pressure is and check the tire pressure. Is it at the maximum? Now what? Now you need to head down to the scales and do a little weighing to see if the tires and/or axles are overloaded. It is more of a possibility that you may overload a tire before you overload the axle it is on. See the instructions on this website (http://www.trucktires.com/us_eng/library/downloadables/RV_bro/WeighForm.pdf) on how to weigh each axle/tire. If you find that a tire is overloaded, you have a couple of options. First, try moving things around inside the tow vehicle and/or the RV until it is balanced better from side to side and re-weigh. The other option would be to get higher rated tires. You might be thinking the manufacturer would have (and should have) taken the loading of cargo into account in the design and the tire selection. Well, maybe they should have, but in some cases they didn’t seem to be thinking that far ahead. If you are faced with this situation, contact your dealer before doing anything. They should be willing to help you work with them and the manufacturer to resolve the issue, hopefully at no additional cost to you. If this is your first outing with the tow vehicle and/or RV and you find that a tire is overloaded, you should take care of it as soon as possible. When a tire fails, it usually didn’t “just happen”; it took several miles for the damage to build up to a point that the tire couldn’t take it any more. You may be able to continue on your trip, but pay special attention to the tires along the way. Keep your speed down so as not to build up too much heat in the tires. Check the tire pressure every morning before hitting the road to make sure it is at the proper level. Remember, you want to check the tire pressure when the tire is cold (at outside temperature), not after you’ve been going down the road for several miles. If you take good care of your tires, they will last for many trouble-free miles. Ready to roll TC "Ready to roll Time to hit the road. Are you ready for this?" \f C \l "1" You’ve probably spent several weeks searching for the right tow vehicle and trailer combination. The bank approved your loan(s) and you’ve signed all the papers. You’ve put on those “break-in” miles on your new tow vehicle as quickly as you could so you can pick up your trailer. You’ve gone through the PDI (pre-delivery inspection) and noted everything that needed attention. And now you’re ready to hitch it up and tow it off the dealer’s lot. Oh, boy!!! Are you sure you’re ready for this? Of course you are, but you will probably have that thought lingering somewhere in the back of your mind anyway. I know I did! Before purchasing our trailer, the biggest thing I had ever towed was my dad’s 8’ utility trailer. I was about to hitch up to a 28’ long, 6000# plus trailer. Yikes! What have I gotten myself into? Okay, it’s not really that bad once you get used to it, and that doesn’t take very long either. Here are some tips based on what I have learned and what I have found out from other sources. There are three basic things to remember regardless of what you are towing. First, it will take you longer to get moving from a stop. This could impact your ability to merge into traffic. Secondly, it will take you a little longer to stop when towing than it would when not towing. So it would be a good idea to increase your following distance at all times. Keep plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front of you. What is becoming the “old rule of thumb” used to be a minimum of 2 seconds following distance when driving your car (or truck). Well, that is being increased to a minimum following distance of 3 seconds. When towing, I would recommend a minimum following distance of at least 4 seconds in order to give yourself plenty of time and space to react and stop if necessary. Finally, turning requires a bit of practice and a little bit of planning ahead. Okay, let’s get on the road. Going straight This is obviously the simplest direction to go…straight down the road. But it helps for you to know where your trailer is in relationship to your tow vehicle. Before you get in the vehicle and after you’ve hitched it up to the trailer, take a look at the total package. How much wider is the trailer compared to the tow vehicle? Don’t forget to notice things that protrude out from the side of the trailer, like the awning that is stored overhead. Did you get additional mirrors for your tow vehicle so you can see down the sides of the trailer while driving? How tall is the trailer? You’ll need to know this sooner or later, like when you need to pull into the gas station and avoid the overhead covers. Write it on a piece of tape and stick it on the windshield post by the driver. That way you won’t have to try and remember it. Keep your speed down while towing. It takes a little longer in time and distance to stop a heavy load, so plan ahead. Your speed will also affect your fuel mileage. The faster you go, the more wind resistance you create causing the engine to work harder to overcome the resistance and use more fuel in the process. Not only should you be planning ahead, but you should also be keeping an eye on the rear. Watch traffic along side and behind you at all times. You don’t want to be surprised by the push of wind that a big rig might give you as it passes by. If the tow vehicle’s transmission should start “hunting” or shifting back and forth between gears, it may be best to manually downshift to the lower gear. This is usually caused by a hill or a headwind, when the engine needs to work a little harder. Some vehicles may be able to tow while using overdrive and other vehicles may not. Check the owners manual to see if there are any specific instructions for using overdrive while towing. How far back are the trailer axles from the tow vehicle? Having an idea of where the trailer axles are will help you in planning making turns. Speaking of… Turning Making a turn requires a little bit of planning ahead. Do you remember where the trailer tires are in relationship to the rear of the tow vehicle? Not only does the side of the trailer need to miss any obstacles while turning, so should the tires. Avoid running up over the curb as this can dent the wheel rims. For turning at street corners and the like, you may need to start the turn a little wide, or outside of your lane, to avoid any obstacles that might get in your way. It may be best to start a turn wide instead of hoping to finish the turn wide because you may not be able to see what is around the turn. Regardless of the type of trailer, the trailer tires will track more to the inside of the turn than the tow vehicle tires will. Fifth wheel trailer tires will track even further to the inside of a turn than other types of trailers. On curvy roads, you will want to keep the tow vehicle more towards the outside of the lane since the trailer will tend to track more to the inside of the turn. The slower the curve or turn, the more the trailer will track to the inside. When approaching a curve or turn, pay special attention to where your potential obstacles are so you can plan your turn accordingly, and miss the obstacles. If possible, find a large empty parking lot to practice slow speed turning. But don’t use any of the “objects” in the parking lot as your obstacles, make up your own. An inexpensive obstacle could be a paper or plastic cup. Fill it with water or dirt so it doesn’t blow away. Sporting goods stores sell small cones similar to traffic cones that you could also use. Or maybe small pieces of scrap lumber like a 2x4 could be used. Have someone go with you as a spotter so they can help keep an eye on things as well. Parking lots work really well because they have aisles that you can use as a lane, or the parking spaces are arranged in such a way that they can be used as a lane as well. In either case, place your obstacle and see how wide you need to start a turn in order to finish the turn in the correct lane or how many extra lanes it will take to complete the turn. As you make the turns, have your spotter keep an eye on how far out in the opposite direction the rear of the trailer swings (known as “tail swing”). You need to be aware of this as well so that when making a turn, the rear of the trailer doesn’t swing out and hit something you hadn’t considered an obstacle. Hopefully you’re getting the idea I’m trying to get across to you. If not, send me an email and I’ll see if I can explain further (and then update this page accordingly). Going uphill and downhill There are no special tricks for going up or down a hill, but there are some precautions you should take. When going up a hill, it may be necessary to shift to a lower gear in order to maintain the desired speed. Some hills may be too steep and certain combinations of tow vehicle and trailer may be too heavy to maintain the desired speed. At these times, just do the best you can, you will get over the hill eventually. Stay in the right lane if there is more than one lane in the same direction. Try not to stop on an uphill…getting going again may take a lot of time. When going downhill, shift to a lower gear and allow the transmission to help keep your speed down. (Diesel engine equipped tow vehicles may need to have an exhaust brake installed.) This will help minimize the use of tow vehicle and trailer brakes, which could heat up to the point where they would not be able to slow or stop the combination. If you feel like the trailer is pushing you down the hill, use the manual lever on the trailer brake controller to activate the trailer brakes and slow the trailer down. A good source to find where the steeper hills are on the highway and interstate roads is Mountain Directories. But they do not list local roads that may be steep. There is a saying about using the same gear to go down a hill as you did to go up it. That works most of the time. But what if you’re on a trip or vacation and on a road you’ve never been on before. What do you do? On the steeper, longer downhills, there are usually signs at the top warning drivers of the upcoming downhill that may also include a recommended speed. When in doubt, follow the recommendations on the sign! There are more potential problems going down a hill than up it. Keep your speed down by using lower gears, and use the brakes as little as possible. And finally, the dreaded… Backing up Okay, backing up a trailer really isn’t that hard once you get used to it. It’s getting used to it that can take a little time. Here again, some practice in an empty parking lot could come in handy. When backing up and a turn is required, it is usually easier to back up to the left (or driver’s side). This way you can look over your shoulder and out the window and see what the trailer is doing and where it is going. Backing up to the right can be more difficult and dangerous, especially without the use of a spotter. Good campgrounds will be designed so that the back-in sites are to the left. Before backing up a trailer, get out of the vehicle and check the area you will be backing up into so you have an idea of where you are going. Take note of anything sticking up out of the ground as well as things overhead. If you have small children or pets with you, it would be best if they stayed in the vehicle until the trailer has been safely backed into position. Watch out for other children and pets while backing up as well. A key to backing up is turning slowly and backing up slowly. This way you can avoid any obstacles easier as well as being able to see what is happening to the trailer as you back up. Whenever possible, have someone help you (as a spotter) to see what is going on behind you. Spotters When using spotters to help you back up, make sure you can see them at all times. If you can’t see them, STOP! There have been stories of many spotters being hit and seriously injured by the RV they were trying to help back up. Using 2-way communications, like the popular FRS radios, can be a big help. Instead of yelling so the whole campground can hear you, you talk normally into the walkie-talkie. Don’t forget to release the talk button when finished, otherwise the other person has no way of responding, except to stop moving. If you don’t use the 2-way radios, you will need to come up with and agree to hand signals that will be used. There are a few rules to consider when using a spotter: Rule #1. No matter what happens, it’s the spotter’s responsibility. Rule #2. The driver does exactly what the spotter says. After all, they are your eyes because you can’t see what is behind you. Rule #3. Only use one spotter. Or at least have only one spotter that communicates with you. There could be a spotter on each side of the trailer if you’re in a tight spot, but have just one of them giving you directions. Techniques There are a few different techniques for backing up a trailer and I’ll present them here the best I can. It’s up to you to decide which one will work best for you. When using a spotter… Have the spotter stand in front of the vehicle and say the direction the rear of the trailer needs to go. The driver then turns the steering wheel in that direction. If the spotter says to the right, the driver turns the steering wheel to the right. Do not have the spotter point in the direction the rear of the trailer needs to go because this may confuse the driver. It would be like facing someone, raising your left hand and telling them to raise their left hand. Most people will do a mirror image affect and raise their right hand, not their left. So if the spotter were to point to their right, it would be to the driver’s left. If the driver turned the wheel to the left, the trailer will go to the right…the wrong way. Okay, are you confused yet? Just have the spotter say which direction the rear of the trailer needs to go and turn the steering wheel in that direction. If the spotter needs to move to check the other side of the trailer, it might be best to stop moving until the spotter signals that it’s safe to move. You can also have the spotter standing at the rear of the trailer, giving directions via hand signals or the 2-way FRS radios. Using this technique, the driver should place their hands on the bottom of the steering wheel. When the spotter signals that the trailer needs to move to the right, the driver takes their right hand and moves it to the right (in a counter-clockwise direction). If the spotter signals that the trailer needs to move to the left, the driver takes their left hand and moves it to the left (in a clockwise direction). Remember, if you can’t see the spotter, STOP! When a spotter is not available… You want to use the same technique as if the spotter was at the rear of the trailer. Put your hands at the bottom of the steering wheel. If you want the back of the trailer to go to your right, move your right hand out to the right (counter-clockwise). If you want the back of the trailer to go to the left, move your left hand out to the left (clockwise). When backing up without a spotter, it is safest and easiest to back up to the left, the driver’s side. If you need to, it is okay to make several stops and get out to check the area and your progress to make sure everything is clear and you are backing up where you want to be going, especially if you are backing up to the right. Hitch Setup TC "Hitch Setup More specifically, a weight distribution hitch setup. How do you know if you need one and how do you set it up? Check here" \f C \l "1" There are many different brands of weight distribution (WD) hitches, but the basic setup process is similar. Outlined below are the steps you will need to follow to ensure that your WD hitch is set up correctly. Should you change tow vehicles or trailers in the future you will want to do this again to make sure it is set up for the new tow vehicle or trailer. These instructions are somewhat generic. You should consult the manufacturer’s instructions for additional information and exact assembly instructions. Instructions for Reese/Draw-tite hitches can be found at: http://65.196.229.70/pdf/N3201.pdf Instructions for the Dual-cam can be found at: http://www.reeseprod.com/support/support/pdfs/26000IN.pdf Instructions for Eaz-lift hitches can be found at: http://www.eaz-lift.com/EAZLIFT.pdf The purpose of a weight distribution hitch is to remove some of the weight added to the tow vehicle’s rear axle and place some of it on the tow vehicle’s front axle and some on the trailer axles. When properly set up, the trailer should be level and the tow vehicle has settled (or squatted) evenly front to rear or slightly lower in the rear. For optimum performance of the weight distribution hitch, the tow vehicle should be loaded similarly as to when you would be towing. That means that you should load all the people and cargo into the tow vehicle as if you were going on a trip with your trailer. You may want to do this near your home so that your family doesn’t have to sit in the tow vehicle while you take measurements and make adjustments. It may also help to have a friend take the measurements outlined below, or find a friend that weighs about the same as you to simulate you in the tow vehicle while you take the measurements. If the tow vehicle has an automatic suspension leveling system, you will need to deactivate it before coupling the trailer to the tow vehicle, but after and passenger or cargo weight has been added. Step 1 Level the trailer. Find a level piece of pavement to park on for awhile (this may take some time). With the trailer disconnected from the tow vehicle, use a tape measure and the tongue jack to level the trailer. Measure from the ground to some part on the trailer (like the frame) at the front and at the rear of the trailer. Use the tongue jack to raise or lower the front of the trailer until it is parallel to the ground. (The trailer may not be “level”, but it needs to be parallel to the ground.) Step 2 Measurements. Now that you have the trailer level, it’s time to take some measurements on both the trailer and the tow vehicle. Use a piece of tape to mark each spot because you will need to take the measurements again later. Put a piece of tape at the spots you measured on the trailer to get it parallel to the ground. Put a piece of tape at the top of the front and rear wheel openings on one side Write down your measurements here: Tow vehicle front wheel opening height: ________ Tow vehicle rear wheel opening height: ________ Front of trailer height: ________ Rear of trailer height: ________ Measure from the ground to the top of the trailer coupler and write down the measurement here: ________ Step 3 The hitch assembly. There are usually three separate parts to the hitch assembly: The shank. This part is what slides into the receiver on the tow vehicle and is usually in the shape of an “L” or a “T”. The hitch head. This bolts onto the shank and is usually adjustable in height and angle. The ball. This attaches to the hitch head. I would suggest that you have an RV dealer or auto repair facility attach the ball to the hitch head because they will usually have the proper tools to do this. The nuts and bolts used to attach the hitch head to the shank are usually pretty large. If you don’t already have the right tools, I suggest getting 2 adjustable wrenches to do the job. If the hitch assembly is already put together, you may need an RV dealer or auto repair facility to loosen the bolts that attach the hitch head to the shank. With the tow vehicle near the trailer, slide the shank into the receiver, insert the retaining pin and safety clip. Position the hitch head so that the ball height is slightly higher than the measurement you took of the trailer coupler. Many brands suggest 1/16” per 100 pounds of tongue weight (1/8” per 100 pounds for light duty trucks or cars). If you don’t know the exact tongue weight (from a scale), look for the tongue weight on the weight sticker on the inside of a cabinet inside the trailer. Close is usually good enough. When in doubt, set the ball higher than the coupler. The angle of the hitch head is usually adjustable. Start with a setting somewhere near the middle of the available range. This is the part that may need to be adjusted again later depending on the final outcome. When you put the spring bars (sometimes called torsion bars) into the hitch head and pointed in the direction of the trailer, the ends of the bars should angle down towards the ground slightly. You can go ahead and try this now, but remove the bars before continuing to the next step. Tighten all nuts and bolts before proceeding to the next step. Step 4 Hitch it up. Raise the trailer tongue so the ball can fit underneath when backing the tow vehicle so the ball can be positioned underneath the coupler. Lower the trailer tongue until the coupler comes to rest on the top of the ball without putting much weight on the hitch and the coupler latch can be locked in place. Using the tongue jack, raise (or lower) the front of the trailer until it is level again. Insert the spring bars into the hitch head and swing the other ends towards the trailer. With the saddles in their upright position. Lift up on the chain so it is close to the saddle. Lift up firmly on the chain and mark the chain link that is below the saddle. You will use this link as a starting point for hooking into the saddles. Use the tongue jack to raise the trailer tongue about 2”. Remove the retaining clip and lower the saddles, insert the desired link into the saddle, raise the saddle back up to its vertical position using the removable handle/bar and insert the retaining clip. Use caution when raising the saddle back to vertical. Excessive pressure could cause the saddle to act as a sling-shot with the handle/bar. If you don’t have the strength to lift the saddle back to vertical, raise the trailer tongue a bit more and try again. The end goal is to have the spring bars reasonably close to parallel to the trailer tongue. This may require one or more chain links dangling loose from the end, and may require that you use the tongue jack to raise the tongue slightly to accomplish this. Make sure the coupler is locked in place to the ball before raising the trailer tongue. With both spring bars attached, chains snapped up and retaining clips in place, lower the trailer tongue so that all its weight is on the hitch and the tongue jack is not resting on the ground. Step 5 Measure again. Take the same measurements you did earlier and compare them to the originals. The “ideal” result is that the trailer sits level front to rear, the tow vehicle squats (lowers) a bit in the front (but not much), and the tow vehicle squats 1”-2” in the rear (depending on total tongue weight). If the ideal result has not been obtained, don’t worry, it rarely happens on the first try. Depending on where things are not ideal will determine where you need to make the adjustments. Troubleshooting Let’s start with the tow vehicle. A. Does the tow vehicle squat correctly (a little or none in the front and the same or a little more in the rear)? If yes, move on to D. If not, go on to B. B. Is the front of the tow vehicle higher with the trailer attached than it was without the trailer attached. If not, move on to C. If yes, there is probably not enough tension on the spring bars. You will need to increase the angle of the hitch head according to the manufacturers methods. After making the adjustment, re-measure and start again at A. If this does not correct the problem, it may also be necessary to raise the hitch head on the shank. C. Does the rear of the tow vehicle drop more than 1”-2” with the trailer attached? If not, move on to D. If so, there is probably not enough tension on the spring bars. You will need to increase the angle of the hitch head according to the manufacturers methods. After making the adjustment, re-measure and start again at A. D. Are the spring bars close to parallel to the trailer tongue/frame (or adjusted according to the manufacturer’s specifications)? If so, move on to E. If not, you need to adjust the angle of the hitch head accordingly. Make the adjustment, re-measure and start again at A. E. Is the trailer parallel to the ground or slightly lower in the front than the rear? If so, this should do it, but check out G below (just in case). If not, move on to E. F. Is the trailer higher in the front than the rear? If not, move on to G. If so, you need to lower the ball by lowering the hitch head on the shank. If you have gotten this far, that means the tow vehicle is sitting reasonably well, but lowering the ball may change things. While making the height adjustment, also reduce the angle of the hitch head. Re-measure and start again at A. G. Since you’ve gotten this far, the front of the trailer must be sitting lower than the rear, so here is the final question… Is the height of the hitch head adjustable by less than the difference in height between the front and rear of the trailer? Now that may sound confusing so let me give you an example. If the trailer is 2” lower in the front than the rear and the hitch head can be adjusted in 1-1/2” increments, then you need to make that adjustment, re-measure and start again at A. But if the trailer is only 1” lower in the front than the rear and the hitch head can be adjusted in 1-1/2” increments, then that’s it! With all of the different adjustments you can make, it may be difficult to find the right combination of hitch head height and angle. You may find yourself taking it apart and putting it back together a dozen times until you find the right combination. Make good notes as you make your adjustments so if you make a change and it makes things worse instead of better, you may need to make a different type of adjustment. Congratulations!!! You have successfully set up your weight distribution hitch. Now that you have everything hitched up and level, this would be a good time to see exactly how tall your trailer is. Measure from the ground to what you think is the highest point on the side of the trailer. Then climb up on the roof* to see if there is anything taller than where you measured to, like a roof-top air conditioning unit or vent cover. Add the appropriate distance, and add a few more inches for a safety margin. Write this measurement down on a piece of tape and stick it on the front windshield pillar (driver’s side of course) or some other convenient place. This way, when you pull into a gas station or approach a low bridge or other structure, you’ll know if your trailer will clear it or not. * Check with your RV dealer or manufacturer before climbing up on the roof to make sure it can support your weight. If not, use a ladder up against the side of the trailer and do not get up on the roof. Leveling & Stabilizing TC "Leveling & Stabilizing These are two separate but similar functions, explained here" \f C \l "1" There are leveling jacks....................and there are stabilizers Stabilizers do just that, stabilize. They do not lift, and are not designed to support much, if any, weight. Leveling jacks, sometimes called "leveling stabilizer jacks", will (usually) be able lift and support some weight of the trailer. The BAL brand jacks that came on my trailer are rated to lift 5,000# each (there are 4 on my trailer). However, BAL also recommends that you not raise the trailer completely off the ground using the scissor jacks. Regardless of which type you have, get the trailer level from side to side first. I would recommend to get some of the plastic leveling blocks. I like the Lynx blocks myself, especially now that they have a wheel chock add-on. They are real easy to clean off. If you need to raise it more than one block (1 ½”), put 2 flat on the ground and overlap another one on top of the bottom two. This will raise the tires 2 ½” off the ground and make it easy to drive on and off. I wouldn’t go any higher than 2 blocks because it may make it difficult or impossible for your stabilizers or leveling jacks to do any good without also adding some blocks under them as well. It might be easier to move the trailer around to a spot that is a little more level. You can also use wooden boards under the tires to level out the trailer. Make sure you use boards that are at least as wide as the tires are. A few half-inch and a few one inch thick boards should do the trick. You may be able to find some scraps at a local lumber yard for free. If not, and you end up buying an 8' long board, just cut it up into the desired lengths and you'll have some spares. You may want to consider painting or treating the wood somehow so it will last longer. For the length, consider if you will be using wheel chocks or not. If so, make the boards long enough to fit the tire and the wheel chock. Once you have the trailer level side to side, unhitch and level it up from front to rear. If you have “stabilizers”, put them down as firmly as you can to reduce trailer movement, but do not over-tighten as this may cause damage to the stabilizers If you have “leveling jacks”, you can use them to do some fine-tuning for getting your trailer level if the boards or blocks under the tires didn't get it close enough to level for your liking. Here is the process I have been using since 2001: 1. Lower the front of the trailer about one inch with the tongue jack. 2. Lower the rear leveling jacks until they are snug on the ground. If one side of the trailer is just a little higher than the other, crank the jack on the high side back up 1-2 turns. 3. Use the tongue jack to raise the front of the trailer to get the trailer level. 4. Lower the front leveling jacks until they are snug on the ground. 5. Raise the tongue jack slightly so that the trailer weight is on the leveling jacks and tires. Keep the tongue jack down in case one of the front leveling jacks fail. You can also use this process to take some of the wiggle and bounce out of the trailer while you are inside. What this process does is take just a little weight off of the trailer suspension, which is where most of the wiggle and bounce comes from. Some people will disagree with my method claiming it will torque or twist the frame and cause problems with doors or windows not opening/closing correctly. But I have confirmed this process with my dealer and the Fleetwood Service department, who all agrees that this process should not cause any of these problems if this process is done correctly. Check with your dealer or manufacturer to verify the correct leveling procedure for your trailer. Make sure you have wheel chocks on both sides if you are on any kind of hill or slope. If you have tandem axles, use one of those wheel chocks designed to go between the tires, especially on the side that is raised up on leveling blocks. Camping World has a couple different varieties. Do a search for "wheel chock". Also check out Rotochok (http://www.rotochok.com/). Another option to the Lynx blocks (or other brands) or using wood blocks are the Level- Air air bags. A rather ingenious product that works very well. Check them out here... http://www.rvtowingtips.com/level-air.htm Level-Air TC " Level-Air A great product to help level your trailer " \f C \l "1" I was given the opportunity to evaluate a pair of Level-Air (http://www.levelair.com) leveling bags. I had seen them before, but since I had already purchased my Lynx Leveling Blocks (http://www.lynxlevelers.com), I didn’t feel like spending the extra money on another way to level our trailer. But after using them (only twice so far), I have to say that they do a very good job and it is a bit easier than using my old blocks. When using the blocks, we would pull into a space and check to see how far out-of-level we were. If it was more than 1”, we’d get out the appropriate number of blocks to get us level. If only 1 per tire was needed, that was pretty easy…put 1 in front or behind each tire and pull forward or back up until the tire was centered on the block. This could be just a little tricky due to the small size of the blocks. If 2 blocks were needed, we would make a small pyramid out of 3 blocks to make it easy to get up onto them, but this would require moving the trailer forward or backward and placing the blocks where we thought the tires would end up. Most of the time we would get lucky and the blocks would be in the right place, but not always. Sometimes we would have to pull forward or backward and adjust the position and try again. (When I get a chance, I’ll take some pictures of this process.) With the Level-Air bags, it is much easier! As before, we pull into a site and check to see how far out-of-level we are. If more than 1”, we’d get out the Level-Air’s and place them like this… Then pull forward slowly so that the bag between the tires “fell” down between them as straight as possible. Once centered on them… I would inflate the rear bag until the trailer was level side-to-side, then inflate the front bag to the same air pressure. All of this is happening with the trailer still hitched up. Initially I am using a small air tank to inflate them, so I am also using a low-pressure tire gauge (similar to those used for ATV tires, 0-20 psi) to make sure the pressure is the same between the two bags. I will be getting a cordless air compressor soon that has a built in pressure gauge and hopefully this will eliminate the need for the extra pressure gauge. Once the bags were inflated, I would insert the between-the-tire chock, unhitch the trailer and level it front-to-rear. Done! Now some might think that being on air that the trailer will rock or move more than if it were on solid ground or blocks. We would have to say that is not true. We felt no difference between using the Level-Air’s or using the Lynx blocks. Since these are air bags, you need some way of inflating them. For the more energetic type, you could use a bicycle tire pump or foot pump. I’m not sure how long it might take you to inflate the two bags, I just hope you’re in good physical shape. For the less energetic type (like me), some sort of portable compressor should work just fine. I’m looking at a small cordless compressor so that I don’t have to worry about having a long enough DC power cord to reach back to the truck, or a long enough AC power cord to plug in at the campground. (Who needs more power cords!) One major difference between the Level-Air bags and blocks is that with the bags, there is no more “in between” blocks. You see, the first block would raise the tires 1-1/2”. Each additional block would raise it another 1”. So if you were out-of-level by 2”, you’d end up being 1/2” off-level one way or the other. With the Level-Air’s there is no “in between”! You can get it dead-center level. No, I’m not getting rid of my Lynx blocks entirely…I still need something under the stabilizer jacks occasionally. But for under the tires, it will be Level-Air’s! Holding Tanks TC "Holding Tanks Where to dump. How to dump. Chemicals to use. Hoses and connections. Toilet paper. All are discussed here" \f C \l "1" Almost all travel trailers, fifth wheels and motor homes have holding tanks for the fresh, gray and black water. Pop-up tent trailers may only have a small fresh water holding tank and no holding tanks for gray or black water. The fresh water tank is for just that, fresh water The “gray” tank holds the water that goes down the drain in the sinks and shower. The “black” tank holds the waste and water from the toilet. This tank needs to be treated with chemicals to break down the solid waste and to control odors. Pop-up trailers usually use a “cassette” toilet that still needs some chemical treatment to combat odors and break down the waste. Chemicals There are special chemicals you should use, especially in the black tank, to reduce odors and the buildup of solids in the tank, which would cause you problems down the road. There are many brands and types on the market, from powder to liquid. Regardless of the type, it is usually recommended (or required by the campground) not to use chemicals that contain formaldehyde, which is a chemical that is harmful to some septic systems. I prefer the liquid type because I can also put a little in the gray tank via one of the sinks to help control some of the odors that can come from there under the right circumstances. Since the chemicals are also designed to help lubricate the dump valves, this is another reason for putting a little in the gray tank. Most of the black tank chemicals advertise that 4 ounces will treat a 40-gallon tank, but there are times where you could use more or less than 4 ounces for that 40-gallon tank. Some brands require a “double dose” in hot climates (Arizona in the summer). But what if you’re just going camping for the weekend? Are you going to fill up that 40-gallon tank in one weekend? Possible, but doubtful. Here is what I do at the end of the weekend. When I’m ready to leave, I dump and rinse the black and then the gray tank (more in this later). When done outside, I go back into the trailer and flush the toilet 5 times (using the one lever to fill the bowl, about 1 gallon, and then flush with the other lever). On the last flush, I add just 2 ounces of chemical to the bowl. This is enough water to cover the bottom of the tank and will slosh around on the drive home allowing the chemicals to “attach” themselves to any solids that might be left in the tank and clean them up a bit. If I am on a trip and staying a day or two here and a day or two there, I’ll wait until the black tank is 2/3’s full before dumping. It is only a little extra weight to be hauling from one campground to the next, but it gives the chemicals a chance to work on what they are supposed to do…break down the solids. If you park your RV in a warm or hot location while not in use, you may want to add water to both black and gray holding tanks occasionally to keep the dump valves from drying out. Since I already know that my toilet bowl holds about 1 gallon (I used a milk jug to measure it), I use that as the gauge for how much water may have evaporated from the holding tanks. When I park the trailer and don’t know when I’ll be using it again, I’ll fill up the toilet bowl about half way and check it occasionally. When it is almost empty, I will fill and flush the toilet two or three times, figuring that there is more surface area of water in the holding tanks, which makes it easier for the water to evaporate faster. Same thing for the gray tank. The bathroom sink holds about half a gallon and each side of the double sink in the kitchen holds about 4.5 gallons. I fill the bathroom sink all the way and the 2 sinks in the kitchen about half way. When half of the water has evaporated, I pull the drain plug on all the sinks and refill. This helps prevent odors from backing up through the pipes because by this time, the P-traps have also dried up. Keeping water in the sinks and toilet also act as an odor barrier. And don’t forget the shower drain. It may not be possible to keep water in the bottom of the shower, but plug the drain when not in use and pour water down the drain at the same time you are draining the sinks. Before leaving for a trip, check the toilet for any odors coming from the black tank. If you smell any unpleasant odors, go ahead and add maybe an ounce of chemical and a few gallons of water to slosh around on your way. Check again on your arrival at your destination. If you still have odors, you could either repeat adding a little chemical and water or dump and retreat the tank. And if you have filled the toilet bowl and sinks to use as an evaporation monitor, don’t forget to drain them before you leave on your trip. You don’t want the water sloshing around. Dumping the tanks When you arrive at your destination, you can go ahead and hook up the sewer hose to the RV and to the dump hookup if you like (or you can wait and do it when you need to dump), but leave the dump valves closed until you need to dump the tanks. This will do a couple things. First, it will prevent odors from the campground sewer system from backing up into your RV. Second, it will give the chemicals in the tanks a chance to do their job. Watch the monitor panel inside the RV for when your tanks are getting full. If it is getting close to your departure date and the gray tank is getting full, go ahead and dump some of it if you need to, but don’t empty it completely. You’ll want some of the gray water to use as a rinse of the sewer hose after you dump the black tank. You can let both tanks get completely full before you need to dump them, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Just make sure you leave some in the gray tank to rinse the sewer hose after dumping the black tank. The recommended sequence of dumping the tanks is, first the black, then the gray. The water from the gray tank will act as a rinse of the sewer hose. Many RV’ers also recommend rinsing the tanks after dumping, and there are several products on the market to do that with. Here are links to just a few: Sewer Solution: http://www.sewersolution.com/ Flush King: http://www.flushking.com/ Quickie Flush w/Accessory Kit (sorry, no direct link, but available from most RV supply stores). The first two are devices that attach to the tank dump pipe and backfill water into the tanks. The Quickie Flush is something that is partially inserted into the tank that has a multi-directional spray nozzle that is inside the tank with the connecting hose on the outside of the tank. Although the Quickie Flush requires some installation work (which is relatively simple), it uses less water than the other products. There are also a variety of “wands” that can be inserted through the toilet into the black tank which reportedly also do a good job of rinsing the tank, but this would involve attaching them to a hose and getting the hose and wand into the RV. Personally, I prefer to do this job completely from outside the trailer. When dumping the tanks, it would be a good idea to wear some rubber or disposable gloves to protect your hands when handling the sewer hose and connections. When finished dumping, use the water spigot or hose outside to rinse the gloves off or throw the disposable ones away. Place the gloves and any connections that do not fit in where the sewer hose is stored in a separate and sealed storage container away from any other hoses or accessories you use. Where to dump? That may sound like a silly question, but what if your campsite doesn’t have sewer hook- ups? If that is the case, usually the campground will have a “dump station” that you can use. The dump station is usually centrally located within the campground, perhaps as you exit. You may need to share it with your fellow RV’ers, so be patient. What if the campground doesn’t have a dump station or there is something wrong with it? Then you will need to find another approved dump site. Try searching www.rvdumps.com for a place along your route. Some sewage treatment plants may have a hookup you can use, but you will need to seek them out. Can’t I just dump them on the ground? Absolutely not!!! Obviously the black tank is going to smell and would be an unsightly mess for others to endure. And even though you might think the gray tank may only contain soapy dishwater or shower water, it could contain harmful bacteria or human fecal mater that would be harmful or deadly to plants or animals. Not only would it smell and make a mess, many cities and/or states have laws against such dumping. Here is a link (http://greywater.net/) to a site all about gray water and here is a link (http://oasisdesign.net/greywater/law/) to its page about state laws. What do you do if you don’t have a sewer hook-up at your site and you plan to stay for a while and need to empty your holding tanks? Simple! Get one of these portable “tote tanks” (http://www.barkermfg.com/product_pages/tote_alongs.html). You just dump the contents of your holding tank into one of these and “tote” it off to the dump station. Although most people would recommend using a tote tank for the gray water, you could use it for the black water if you need to. Just make sure to clean it out really good. Use 1 ounce of bleach for each gallon of capacity to sanitize, and rinse out thoroughly. Use the campground restroom facilities as much as possible to avoid this situation, if possible. Sewer hoses and connections I have tried a few over the past few years and so far like the Prest-o-fit brand (http://www.prestofit.com/BluelineRVSanitation.html). It is reasonably priced and should the hose wear out before the connections, it is easy enough to replace just the hose. I didn’t start out using the Prest-o-fit kit, but found it after a few outings and needing something different than what I had been given with my trailer. So I have made a few modifications to the kit. I have taken one of the 10’ sections, cut it in half and added a hose coupler (http://www.prestofit.com/SubPages/HoseCoupler.html) and pushover quick connector (http://www.prestofit.com/SubPages/PushoverQuickConnector.html). This gives me the ability to create either a 5’, 10’, 15’ or 20’ section of hose by joining different sections together. I have also replaced the black bayonet mount that attached to the dump pipe with a clear 45-degree adapter (made by Valterra, available from RV supply stores). This way I can see when the tanks are done draining and when they’re clean during the rinse process. And since I also have a portable tote tank to use when I don’t have a sewer connection at my site, I have added another hose coupler kit to a short section of hose coming off the tote tank. Although there are several parts involved in the complete package, it gives me all the possibilities I have needed. Toilet Paper What type of toilet paper should you use in your RV? Almost any 1-ply and some 2-ply toilet paper should be just fine, but there is a simple test you can do to see if your brand will work okay in the RV. Take an empty mayonnaise or pickle jar (or something of similar size) and fill half-way with water. Put 2 sheets of the toilet paper in and put the lid on. Shake for about 10 seconds. Has the toilet paper begun to break apart? If so, it should work fine in your RV holding tank and the chemicals you use should be able to break it down. Some people report being able to use 2-ply without any problems while others have reported some problems using 2-ply and having problems with the tank level sensors. I’d suggest just getting the 1-ply and use twice as much if you’re used to using 2-ply at home. It might cost a little more to do it that way, but it beats the cost of replacing the black tank or dealing with faulty sensors. Flushing Now here is a touchy subject, so I’ll try and explain without getting technical. The process in our trailer is simple (sort of)…any time anything solid is going down the toilet (like the toilet paper), you fill the bowl with water and then flush. If you are using the toilet to dispose of your own personal “solid waste”, hold the flush lever down while dealing with the task. This allows the solids to go directly into the holding tank as the water does a little rinse job on the bowl. When “the task” is complete (or almost), you can release the flush lever. Finish up with the toilet paper, fill the bowl with water and flush. Okay, I hope I didn’t embarrass anybody, but this helps to ensure that there is enough water in the holding tank for the chemicals to do their job…break down the solids. So far, I have not had any problems with the holding tanks or with solids building up inside them. Water TC "Water How to sanitize the fresh water holding tank and water lines, what kind of hoses do you need, pressure regulators, water filters, quieting the water pump, winterizing and an emergency supply are topics covered here" \f C \l "1" The basics TC "The basics" \f C \l "2" Getting the water in There are basically two ways to get the water into your RV… by connecting a hose to the city water inlet, or by filling your fresh water holding tank. Use a hose that is safe to use for drinking water. If you connect to the city water inlet, always use a pressure regulator. If you fill the fresh water holding tank, make sure the drain valve (if there is one) is closed. If the tank has a vent tube or valve, the tank will fill faster if the vent is opened. If the water chugs, glugs or spits back at you when filling the tank, either the tank does not have a vent, the vent is plugged or the vent is shut off. Turn the water faucet down a bit and let the tank fill at its own slow pace. Using the water City water If you are hooked up to the campground water supply, it’s pretty simple. Just turn on the faucets. At first, the water may sputter a bit due to air inside the lines, so let the water run until all the air has been purged from the lines. Don’t forget to do the hot water faucets as well, especially if you drained the tank after your last outing. Holding tank If you are not hooked up to a fresh water supply, then you will need to use the water from your fresh water holding tank. If you know you are going someplace where you will need to do this, it might be best to prime the water lines (as above) before you leave home. That way, you won’t be using any of the water from the holding tank. Fill the fresh water holding tank to the desired level. Go inside the RV and turn on the water pump. It will run until it thinks the lines have been primed, but there could be some air in the lines as well. Open the faucet that is closest to the water pump until the air has been purged from the lines. (If you didn't prime the lines before leaving home, you may want to prime them now.) Once this is done, the pump should stop running and not run again until you open a faucet. If you hear the pump running when there isn’t a faucet open, you may have a leak somewhere, or the hot water tank pressure relief valve may have opened a bit. Check it out to make sure everything is okay. Remember, your water supply is limited to the amount of water in the holding tank, so make sure you do your best to conserve water whenever possible. When the holding tank is running dry, the pump may speed up, or the flow of water may slow down or stop. Turn off the power to the pump at this point. Speaking of power, the water pump draws its power from the batteries. If you do not have electrical hookups, you will also need to conserve battery power. Turn off the water pump and anything else that will draw power from the batteries when they are not needed. Hot water Unlike the water heater in your house, the one in your RV needs to be handled differently. Before lighting the gas pilot or turning on the electrical portion, MAKE SURE the tank is filled with water! Check that any bypass valves used for winterizing are in the correct position and have allowed the tank to fill with water. If the hot water is too hot or not hot enough, look for the instructions for your water heater that should have come with your RV for how to adjust the water temperature. You may see some water dripping from the hot water tank access panel on the outside of the RV. This is not uncommon and is caused by the pressure relief valve opening slightly to relieve the pressure caused by the expanding water inside the tank. Where does it go? All the water that goes down a drain goes into a holding tank. Flushing the toilet should go into what is called the “black” water tank. All the sinks and shower should drain into what is called the “gray” water tank. RV’s use the same style of plumbing that is used in a home. “P-traps" are used to keep odors from coming back through the pipes from the holding tank. During storage, or extremely hot conditions, the P-traps could dry up and allow odors back into the RV. Use a good air-tight seal on all drains to help keep odors under control. The toilet usually dumps directly into the black tank, so there is no P-trap to keep odors out, but the valve for the toilet usually does a good job of keeping the odors out. During storage, or extremely hot conditions, make sure to keep plenty of water in the toilet bowl to help keep the seal moist and odors out. When winterizing, use the special RV anti-freeze in the P-traps and toilet bowl. In many RV’s, the fresh, gray and black tanks are different sizes. Usually, the fresh water tank is the largest followed by the gray then the black. When this is the case, you may find yourself filling up the gray tank faster than expected. At these times, it would help if you could utilize the black tank for gray (sink) water. One of the easiest ways to do this is by placing a small tub in the sink. When it becomes full enough, carry it to the bathroom and pour it down the toilet. Sooner or later, the gray and black holding tanks will become full and you will need to dump them. The right tank Is the toilet really the only thing that drains into the black tank? Most of the time, yes, but sometimes, no. Sometimes the manufacturers get lazy (or cheap) and drain the shower or bathroom sink into the black tank because it is easier. Some manufacturers will go a step above and have a separate gray tank for the kitchen and one for the bathroom. A simple test can tell you exactly where the water is draining to. You’ll want to be at a campground where you have sewer hookups. You’ll also need one of those clear sewer hose elbows. First dump and rinse the tanks like you normally would and close the drain valves. Next, mix up a gallon of water with something that will add some color to it, like Kool-Aid. Red and green might make good colors for this test. Pour about half a gallon down one drain at a time. Each time, going outside and opening a drain valve to see (here is why you need the clear elbow) which tank it is coming from. If things aren’t draining into the right tank, it’s not that big of a deal. It just means you’ll need to watch your water usage and keep an eye on your tank monitor panel a little more closely. Things NOT to put down the drains Common sense should apply here, but just for a reminder, NO... * Food scraps. Most kitchen sinks have some sort of strainer/plug for them. Use