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07-03-2016, 05:00 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Ames
Posts: 297
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Yikes! Check your hitch welds!
Just returned from a long trip, towed about 4500 miles in June total and this equalizer is just 1 year old. You can look at the picture (top weld) and see why I am quite thankful this held, would have been a mess if the entire ball assembly came off at highway speeds. Feeling very thankful, I have already emailed equalizer. Unfortunately between orlando and Iowa the trailer never left the truck, so I really have no idea how long I towed like this! I noticed it when reattaching after cleaning at home to return to storage. The joint visibly spread when the jack weight was removed.
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07-03-2016, 05:07 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,424
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Wow that makes me nauseous just thinking of the carnage that could have caused. Thanks for the heads up, I'll be checking my hitch as soon as possible!
__________________
1999 Suburban 2500 4x4
2016 Jayflight 23RB Elite, Fiberglass, Polar Package
400w Renogy RV solar kit w/ Bluetooth, 100w Renogy solar suitcase
430 amp/hr 6v battery bank
1000w Renogy hard wired inverter
2011 F350 Lariat, DWR 4x4, 6.7 turbo diesel
2017 Open Range, Mesa Ridge 374BHS
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07-03-2016, 05:08 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Fort Wayne
Posts: 1,271
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really scary
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2011 F250 King Ranch Crew Cab Diesel , 2015 Jayco Eagle 338 rets
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07-03-2016, 05:50 PM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: San Jose
Posts: 49
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I just bought one too.
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2017 WhiteHawk 27DSRL
2008 Toyota Tundra 5.7
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07-03-2016, 07:53 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Ames
Posts: 297
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TwoBit
I just bought one too.
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I'll let you know what Equalizer says, but I imagine this is VERY rare. I have read about a pro-pride having the same type of issue on another forum and they took care of it quickly, I think bad welds happen.
In the somewhat good news department, that bottom weld did its job! I am really glad that single bottom weld held. It wont be used again! Glad I had another heavy duty standard ball mount, I just towed it to storage with no sway control slowly.
@Screwby, Nauseas doesn't even begin to cover it. If that had let go, hopefully the safety chains would have done their job, but keeping control and resisting the instinct to slam on the TV brakes but manually engage the trailer brakes (I don't think it would have pulled the brake pin) would have been a cute trick. In the least it would have really messed up the rear end of the truck, and possibly hit the gas bottles.
I'll definitely be looking at the welds on both the hitch head and receiver assembly more often now.
__________________
2016 Jayflight 29BHDS
2015 Ram 2500 Laramie Crew Cab - 6.4 Hemi
2013 Ford F150 Supercrew EcoBoost, MaxTow (Loved and Sold)
ProPride 3P
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07-03-2016, 08:07 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Florien, LA
Posts: 1,872
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Dang, and that's one of the good wd hitches. Glad it held together.
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John and Rebecca Dickson
Emma-13 / Little John-10 / Iva-7
2013 Ford F-350 Lariat FX4, CC LB PSD, DRW
2015 Jayco Jay Flight 28BHBE (#8)
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07-03-2016, 09:17 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Saskatoon Sask Canada
Posts: 10,726
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Now you realize why you have safety chains and are told to X them under the trailer...
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Seann
2004 Chev Silverado Duramax optioned past the max. 2009 Jayco Eagle 308 RLS 900watts of solar, Lithium batteries (400amp hour), 2000 watt (4000 surge) whole house inverter.
145days /2023 2022/151 2021[/COLOR]
93/2020,157/2019219/2018 206/2017,215/2016, 211/2015, 196/14, 247/13, 193/12
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07-03-2016, 10:36 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Indian Head
Posts: 13
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Thats what happens when a welder isn't set hot enough, no penetration on the one side. Get it ground out and rewelded, it will be fine.
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07-04-2016, 04:45 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 1,712
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The company that owns Fastway and Equalizer is very good with warranty claims, at least in my case. I had an issue with an E2 hitch head and after an a mail and a phone call, they shipped me a new head and paid for the return shipping of the old head.
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2018 28BHBE
2017 Ford F250 XLT, 6.2 gasser
2013 26BH (traded)
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07-04-2016, 10:59 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Ames
Posts: 297
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Seann45
Now you realize why you have safety chains and are told to X them under the trailer...
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I actually wonder since the chains are attached at the very front next to the ball if the crossed chains would actually catch anything or not rather than just having a set of crossed chains dragging a tongue down the road. I would think it would be more effective if jayco attached them 6-8" behind the ball. I do keep the crossed regardless.
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2016 Jayflight 29BHDS
2015 Ram 2500 Laramie Crew Cab - 6.4 Hemi
2013 Ford F150 Supercrew EcoBoost, MaxTow (Loved and Sold)
ProPride 3P
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07-04-2016, 11:10 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Southeast
Posts: 109
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Weld
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brownie31
Thats what happens when a welder isn't set hot enough, no penetration on the one side. Get it ground out and rewelded, it will be fine.
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That is very poor prep work right there. There is likely more issues than just heat setting here. Judging from the picture there was no penetration into the metal. Probably poorly grounded, mill scale not removed from metal. That is really poor quality.
I would have a qualified welder fix it, if the manufacturer won't replace it. Even then I would be concerned with the replacement.
If it was mine I would grind of the weld and reweld it.
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07-08-2016, 06:55 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Ames
Posts: 297
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So Equalizer is of course sending a complete replacement head, they are also sending me a 1400lb head vs the 1200lb I had, Wet I am really pushing that 1200lbs, dry/loaded I am around 875. They were very interested in getting the old unit back to inspect what happened. Overall, I am pretty happy with the response and feel better with the bit heavier head moving forward.
__________________
2016 Jayflight 29BHDS
2015 Ram 2500 Laramie Crew Cab - 6.4 Hemi
2013 Ford F150 Supercrew EcoBoost, MaxTow (Loved and Sold)
ProPride 3P
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07-08-2016, 07:11 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Lachute
Posts: 936
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsallman1
So Equalizer is of course sending a complete replacement head, they are also sending me a 1400lb head vs the 1200lb I had, Wet I am really pushing that 1200lbs, dry/loaded I am around 875. They were very interested in getting the old unit back to inspect what happened. Overall, I am pretty happy with the response and feel better with the bit heavier head moving forward.
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Nice to see them doing that, I own obe and ill look at it first thing tomorrow thanks for the heads up !
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Jayco Jayflight 29RKS 2019
Ford F 150 Ecoboost Tow Max 3.73 2014
Equalizer hitch 1000/10000
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07-08-2016, 09:15 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 9,770
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It could have been ugly, if it had failed while on the road.
I check mine everytime I install it.
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07-08-2016, 10:43 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Secret Cove
Posts: 10,701
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Haven't really checked before. Will now. Thanks.
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2010 Jayco Feather Sport 22'6" (sold)DrawTite,12,000 lbs. 2017 Jayco 212 QBW BAJA (bought)
2011 Ford F-150 XLT SCab 4x4 Tow Package
"If you can't be smart; be stubborn.". DG.
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07-09-2016, 09:03 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 942
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it might be a good idea to check your receiver too. I know someone who was poking around under their truck and noticed that the hitch was all rusty -- not just surface rust, but crumble-in-your-hand rust. It wasn't that old of a vehicle either. They were planning a trip, and if they didn't notice it, it could have been nasty.
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Geoff & Jill
& Sierra, the little white monster
2013 Ford F-150 XTR SC Ecoboost
2015 Jayco Jay Flight 24FBS
Winnipeg, Manitoba
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