Introduction, towing, brake, & WDH?

[Yakcraz]

Hey guys, I'm new to this forum. I've been browsing & this seems to be a great community with great info. We just sold our first trailer, a 2017 FR 201bhxl, and are purchasing our second from an individual, a 2016 Salem Cruise Lite 195BH. The 201 was a great rig, but when it was loaded, it was pushing what felt like around max capacity for my TV, a 2008 Chevy Silverado 5.3L. It's just me & the wife, no kids, so the downgrade is not really a big deal.

My question is about towing it home. We have already went & looked at it & its in great shape. The current owner said that their tow vehicle was a Jeep Wrangler. I'm not sure of the year, but it was in their driveway and looked like a newer model. They said that they never used a weight distribution hitch & always towed it with a standard tow bar. I kept my Blue Ox Sway Pro from the 201 & am planning on installing & utilizing it on the new 197BH trailer. I'm just concerned about towing it home. I won't be able to install the hitch on the trailer before bringing it home. It's not really practical to do it right there in their driveway. We're picking it up on Friday evening & their schedule somewhat conflicts with mine so it will be a quick pickup. Do yall think I will be ok towing it home without a weight distribution hitch? We live about an hour & a half away, some highway, some interstate, & some rural in between, no significant hills or grades. Also, they live in a suburb style neighborhood. How would yall go about getting the trailer brake set for towing in a neighborhood like that?

[Restcure]

I am going to go out on a limb here and say you should be okay without a WDH for the trip home. Take the fantasy dry weight, add 100 lbs for battery and propane - 15% of that is about 465 lbs and I think you truck can handle that, although you may feel it. Remember too that you have to sway control (or so I assume from what you've written), so take it easy. Make sure the seller empties all of the holding tanks before pickup. If there's inclement weather, be very careful.

As for the brake controller, I would leave it where it was set for the previous trailer - you can dial the gain up or down as needed.

[Bama Rambler]

I'll agree with RestCure and say that you'll be fine towing it home, (as long as the brakes work well), if you take your time and remain vigilant to any sway event.

If you feel any sway starting, use the manual lever on the brake controller before applying the TV brakes to straighten it out.

[Yakcraz]

Thanks guys!!! I'll just tow it home on the ball without the bars hooked up & install the bars and adjust the height of the hitch, if necessary, at home. Another question, I have the 1000lb weight distribution bars. Will they be ok for this unit? The hitch was expensive and I really don't want to have to spend anymore money on it. I believe the unit's GVWR is around 3800-3900. I'm not sure about the hitch weight.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Some may disagree, but I don't see where there would be a problem with what you already have. Some argue that you can't pull a popup without a 1 ton dually.

[youroo]

Since you are going the Other Way in regards to Total Weight that is in your favor! If Brakes,Lights,Tires are all good and you drive with caution your trip home should be "Uneventful"! Youroo!!

[windsurfdog]

Originally Posted by Yakcraz

I have the 1000lb weight distribution bars. Will they be ok for this unit?

One of the best qualities of the BX is the ability to change spring bars when needs change. I would definitely step down to either the 750# or 550# bars depending on your hitch weight when loaded and camping ready. The 1000# bars will be much too stiff and unforgiving for that small trailer.

[Bama Rambler]

I agree with SurfDog. While you could get away with the larger bars, it'd be best to swap out the bars for something a bit smaller.

[Bobaloo]

I would check out the tires and air pressure, and then just take my time going home.

[Kacz]

If I was in your position, I would pick the trailer up and head to the closest large parking lot, such as a Walmart or Home Depot local to the seller, take my tools and hitch out of the back of my truck and install before the trip home.

[67L48]

I agree with others. I certainly know what I'd do in your case ... just go, man. And, as you state, set everything up for normal duty once you get back to your place. Good luck.

Originally Posted by TheWolfPaq82

[...] Some argue that you can't pull a popup without a 1 ton dually.

[sarcasm]You seem to post that in jest, but I fail to see the humor. Of course you need a diesel for a pop up! Don't be silly. Something like this would be best:


[/sarcasm]

[Scrapper]

67L48, I think you need another steer axle on that truck.

[mhbell]

Originally Posted by Kacz

If I was in your position, I would pick the trailer up and head to the closest large parking lot, such as a Walmart or Home Depot local to the seller, take my tools and hitch out of the back of my truck and install before the trip home.

X2
I have the blue OX Swap Pro and they are not that hard to set up and don't take a lot of time to do so. There is a good chance that He won't have to do anything except adjust the chains for Tension on the bars.

[eagleof72]

:

Originally Posted by 67L48

I agree with others. I certainly know what I'd do in your case ... just go, man. And, as you state, set everything up for normal duty once you get back to your place. Good luck.


[sarcasm]You seem to post that in jest, but I fail to see the humor. Of course you need a diesel for a pop up! Don't be silly. Something like this would be best:


[/sarcasm]

Now that is hilarious!

Brett Sprout
23' Roo
2012 F150 4x4 (I must be nuts!)

[goodguy]

Originally Posted by Kacz

If I was in your position, I would pick the trailer up and head to the closest large parking lot, such as a Walmart or Home Depot local to the seller, take my tools and hitch out of the back of my truck and install before the trip home.

X2

[Yakcraz]

Thanks for all the replies guys!!! We were going to hook up the hitch & install the brackets to hook the bars to the trailer frame bit it didn't work out thet way. It was cold, wind blowing, & miserable outside. To top ot of, the height of the ball on my Blue Ox hitch was adjusted for the previous trailer & was higher than the jack would raise on the new trailer. Luckily I had a normal 2- 5/16 tow bar in my tool box. We just put it on, hooked up, & away we went. There was achurch with a big empty parking lot close to the sellers house that we stopped at to get the trailer brakes set. It was around 30 degrees outside, 15 mph winds, lunchtime traffic, & a mountain between the sellers house & ours. We made it home safely without any issues. The truck performed great and the trailer towed smoothly. We are so happy that we made this purchase. We will still ba adjusting the height of the ball on the Blue Ox hitch and utilizing it to tow the trailer in the future. Although after our trip home I feel that it is almost unnecessary. But, I have it, it's not that hard to adjust, & better safe than sorry. Thanks for all the advice guys & I'm sure we'll be turning to you in the future for advice & to share our experiences!!!

[Yakcraz]

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