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Old 08-01-2015, 11:50 AM   #1
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WDH - Are these bars correct?

We bought our TH and WDH from Camping World. Probably my first mistake.

My truck squats 3 or 4 inches. After reading some other posts, I decided to try for the next chain link. I noticed for the first time that my bars have a 1000 on them while the hitch says 1400.

Thoughts? I think they sent me on my way with the wrong bars???

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Old 08-01-2015, 01:50 PM   #2
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If your dry tongue weight is 1400 pounds, then yes they sold you the wrong ones. Although most toy haulers when loaded have a much lighter tongue weight with all of the toys in the back. I would still go back and have them swap your bars out. Jerry


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Old 08-01-2015, 02:10 PM   #3
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I guess my question is.. Regardless what the tongue weight is, if I bought a 1400 WDH, why would it have come with 1000 lb bars?
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Old 08-01-2015, 10:11 PM   #4
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Most WDH kits come with the same shank, which is the 1400 lb rated shank. The weight distribution bars are chosen based on tongue weight. As long as your tongue weight is 1,000 lbs or less, you are good to go. You do not want to get spring bars that are rated too heavy. Most have a weight range for the tongue. I would guess yours are 800-1,000 lbs.
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Old 08-02-2015, 12:00 PM   #5
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Most WDH kits come with the same shank, which is the 1400 lb rated shank. The weight distribution bars are chosen based on tongue weight. As long as your tongue weight is 1,000 lbs or less, you are good to go. You do not want to get spring bars that are rated too heavy. Most have a weight range for the tongue. I would guess yours are 800-1,000 lbs.
WHAT HE SAID...

What is your tongue weight? 1000 or closer to 1400?
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Old 08-02-2015, 12:09 PM   #6
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WHAT HE SAID...

What is your tongue weight? 1000 or closer to 1400?

According to this: XLR Nitro Travel Trailers his tongue weight is 1088 lbs.
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Old 08-02-2015, 12:14 PM   #7
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It's probably pushing 1350 or so. I have 30lb tanks on front and the 4000 Onan. It rides a ton better with the 4 wheeler in the back when the tongue weight drops. I was worried if I tried to move up to the 4th link in the chains, there would be too much pressure on the WDH bars. I try to keep most of the load behind the axles if possible.
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Old 08-02-2015, 01:35 PM   #8
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I guess I do not understand the truck squats 4 inches. Is this with the bars installed? The truck should be lowered the same amount in the front and back with the bars installed. Did you check the angle of the hitch ball it might have to be tilted more to get the truck level so there is more weight on the bars
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Old 08-02-2015, 01:42 PM   #9
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That back end goes down 4 inches with the bars installed. The front doesn't hardly move. Essentially the WDH helps some, but I think the bars are flexing some since they are not strong enough. I'm waiting on a call back from CW. They need to give me the bars that work for that tongue weight. They set all of it up. I think along with the wrong bars, they just did a crappy job and I didn't know any better. Our older campers were so light they didn't need a WDH.
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Old 08-02-2015, 01:56 PM   #10
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Correct answer would be to weigh the tongue, without the bars, when the trailer is loaded...

That'll tell you the proper bar weight for sure.

With a dry weight of 1088; and a GVWR of 13,000 - your bars are probably too light, though... I'd exchange them for 1200 or 1400# bars.
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Old 08-02-2015, 02:00 PM   #11
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WDH - Are these bars correct?

I was going to do that and start to try to troubleshoot the WDH setup. When I went to hook up to go the the scales is when I noticed the bars being undersized. 1000lb bars don't even get it if the camper is dry.
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Old 08-02-2015, 06:59 PM   #12
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Follow the Set-up Procedure to a "T"

After you get the correct bars, I cannot overstate how important it is to follow the exact set-up protocol in terms of how to set the height of the ball, the tilt of the ball & head and the tension on the bars necessary to adjust the height of your front and back wheel wells on the TV. You must do this with the unit loaded according to the cargo you expect to carry in both the TV and TT. You can get the procedure from the manufacturer of the hitch on the Internet and most have installation videos that makes it fairly easy.
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Old 08-02-2015, 07:14 PM   #13
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I agree... I have read all of the instructions. I understand the hitch. It's set up fine, except for I should be on the 4th link on the chain when nothing is in the toy hauler area and I am afraid of putting that much stress on a 1000 lb bar. When I have weight in the back, it sits better on the truck and I could probably stay on the 3rd link. The problem I have is most of the toy haulers haul toys most of the time. They are set up for that. We use ours in a different way and don't have a whole lot of weight in the rear which increases my tongue weight.
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Old 08-02-2015, 07:21 PM   #14
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gold, The only way you can get it set up right is to adjust the TV wheelwell heights according to the loads you will be carrying. That procedure requires adjusting the chain links as well as the ball height and angle of tilt. It appears that you need heavier bars before you begin that process.
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Old 08-02-2015, 08:30 PM   #15
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Bars what Bars??

Quote:
Originally Posted by oldgold View Post
I guess my question is.. Regardless what the tongue weight is, if I bought a 1400 WDH, why would it have come with 1000 lb bars?
You have to look a little closer?
The 1400 lbs is for a 14,000 lbs and then there is 800 lbs for 8000 lbs, so all this means is many things
1) the 1000 lbs you are looking at on the bars is a rating of moving 1000 lbs from the rear wheels of your truck to the rear of your trailer
2) the 14,000 lbs is the total weight the entire hitch will carry in WD mode (with the bars)
3) the 800 lbs is in weight mode which is without the bars with your hitch.

People need to understand there is no (ONE) number that matters there are many as in so doing so I hope this clears up some confusion.

No as for shopping at CW you could have done much worse, and as for the rear of your truck dropping here we need to go back to the weights;
1) what is the series of your truck (if a 1500) it could be very normal as most 1500 are made with beefed of car suspension so it rides nice (remember station wagons folks?)
2) is the trailer weight to heavy for truck (look above)
3) is tonged weight to heavy (look above)

If all things are correct with regards to the last part you are good to go, if the rear drop is to much put air bags in to raise it back up (dose not change towing capacity) So in the end Happy Camping
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Old 08-02-2015, 08:53 PM   #16
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1) 2015 F250 SRW 4x4
2) nope
3) shouldn't be.

I asked the original question when I was hooking up to my camper Saturday morning. I had just realized that they gave me the wrong bars. I was actually going to weigh Saturday morning and play with chain heights and height of ball, etc. to get rid of the rear squat. Once I noticed the bars were wrong I got nervous on trying to put too much torque on the bars. I drove home with the same setup I have been running because I figured it has been fine so far other than a little too much squatting on the rear of the TV. I called CW's general sales mgr and I am waiting on a call back. I don't think bags are necessary, I just think I need to take one more link of chain out which I am not going to try until I have the appropriate sized bars. If I torque down on a 1000 lb bar and have about 1400 in tongue weight, I would assume it's liable to break at some point.
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Old 08-02-2015, 11:34 PM   #17
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Your 1000# bars won't break from being a couple hundred pounds over. They are springs, so they are made to flex.

I do agree that you need bigger bars. Like everyone else said, weigh it and go from there.

The comment above from silverback doesn't make any sense about a 1000# bar transferring 1000#'s of hitch weight to the trailer. Bottom line is the bars need to match the hitch weight. 1000# hitch weight=1000# bars. 1200# hitch weight=1200# bars. etc.


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Old 08-03-2015, 06:10 AM   #18
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Thanks for the heads up on the bars Tonka.. I didn't understand silvers comments either. Although... I agree the weight is distributed to the rear axle of the trailer just as much as the WDH is pushing forward and upward on the hitch causing weight to be taken from the rear axle of the TV and distributed to the front axle of the TV. Basically the WDH has to push against something to get the weight thrown forward on the TV. At least that's how I have it in my head anyway...
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Old 08-03-2015, 06:31 AM   #19
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I'm waiting on a call back from CW..


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Old 08-04-2015, 01:46 PM   #20
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I do not think the truck should squat 4 inches in the rear. When your all set up the truck should be level. Example instead if 4 inch squat in the rear, both front and back should be down 2 inches
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