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Old 06-19-2014, 05:00 PM   #1
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F150 and WDH Setup

Hi all.

I've just purchased a 2013 26BH and have ordered an Husky WDH with the 1000# bars which should work well for my expected 750# tongue weight. I remember reading that setting up a WDH on a newer (2012) F150 is a little different. I think it has something to do with how much the front end of the truck drops when the WDH is adjusted properly and it F150 specific. Can anyone point me to the correct info.

Oh. My truck has 1588 pounds of payload available. I expect to only have about 825 of that left over when the truck is loaded with passengers, bed liner, tonneau, and hitch. I'm worried that I'll be cutting it close. Base dry tongue weight of the 26BH is 460#. Anyone have a similar setup?
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Old 06-19-2014, 05:50 PM   #2
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Welcome to JOF

Yes, some of the newer GM and Ford trucks have a different descriptions associated to the their front suspensions when a WDH is utilized. The revision is noted in the respective manufactures Owners Manual in the Towing section.

I believe Ford reads something like this (2011 and newer trucks):

"The WDH should be adjusted to eliminate about 50% of the front end rise...," so if the front rises 1 1/2" when the TT tongue weight is placed on the hitch ball, the rise should be reduced around 3/4".

The above may not apply to Ford SUV's, this should be confirmed.

Bob
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Old 06-19-2014, 05:53 PM   #3
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Thanks Bob. I'll check out my owner's manual. For some reason I thought this information would be provided in the towing supplement.
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Old 06-19-2014, 05:57 PM   #4
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If you find the required set-up reference in your Owners Manual, please post in this thread the statement that Ford uses......, may help others going forward.

Thanks

Bob
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Old 06-19-2014, 06:03 PM   #5
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Below is the text from the 2012 Ford manual, third printing. Funny that it makes no mention of the height for the rear of the truck. I'd love to hear from someone who has set up a Husky Straight line WDH on a newer F150.

Weight-Distributing Hitches
When hooking-up a trailer using a weight-distributing hitch, always use
the following procedure:
1. Park the vehicle (without the trailer) on a level surface.
2. Measure the height of the top of the front wheel opening on the
fender, this is H1.
3. Attach the trailer to the vehicle without the weight distributing bars
connected.
4. Measure the height of the top of the front wheel opening on the
fender a second time, this is H2.
5. Install and adjust the tension in the weight distributing bars so that
the height of the front fender is approximately halfway between H1 and
H2.
6. Check that the trailer is level. If not level, adjust the ball height
accordingly and repeat Steps 3–6.
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Old 06-19-2014, 06:16 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewe View Post
Below is the text from the 2012 Ford manual, third printing. Funny that it makes no mention of the height for the rear of the truck. I'd love to hear from someone who has set up a Husky Straight line WDH on a newer F150.

Weight-Distributing Hitches
When hooking-up a trailer using a weight-distributing hitch, always use
the following procedure:
1. Park the vehicle (without the trailer) on a level surface.
2. Measure the height of the top of the front wheel opening on the
fender, this is H1.
3. Attach the trailer to the vehicle without the weight distributing bars
connected.
4. Measure the height of the top of the front wheel opening on the
fender a second time, this is H2.
5. Install and adjust the tension in the weight distributing bars so that
the height of the front fender is approximately halfway between H1 and
H2.
6. Check that the trailer is level. If not level, adjust the ball height
accordingly and repeat Steps 3–6.
The reason the rear is not mentioned is because it's irrelevant. The WD is intended to return weight to the front axle, not deal with rear end squat or to level the truck. Follow the recommendation in your truck manual and you will be correct.
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Old 06-19-2014, 06:33 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewe View Post
snip.....Funny that it makes no mention of the height for the rear of the truck....snip
As mentioned, the rear height is a by-product of the front suspension requirements. I've found that most trucks will incur a 1" to 2" squat after the WDH is adjusted properly....., but of course this verys with different suspensions.

Bob
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Old 06-19-2014, 07:17 PM   #8
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I did it (2011 150) from the manual and it worked very well.
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Old 06-19-2014, 08:02 PM   #9
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The rear should be mentioned. You should measure the rear fenders before hookup, and after. If your after measurement is higher than or even equal to your before measurement, you're transferring too much weight off the rear axle. While it is unlikely to actually happen, it only takes a moment to stop and measure to ensure a proper setup, and if this does happen, you have a VERY unstable situation on your hands. As mentioned, the rear of the truck should squat an inch or two in a proper setup.
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Old 06-20-2014, 05:38 AM   #10
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You can measure the rear if it makes you feel better, but if you are only returning the removed weight to the front, there is no way the rear is going to be higher or the same. unless you are just swagging the entire adjustment, and then there's no point to measuring anything as it's unlikely you will get it right by guessing. Many people just can't grasp the concept that the truck is not going to sit level, indicated by the number of posts on this topic on the various forums. The responses that say try another link until it looks right, or I changed a link and the truck drove better just amaze me.
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Old 06-20-2014, 06:33 AM   #11
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Thanks for the replies. I completely understand why the rear of the truck sags. I was just thinking back to setting up a WDH on my last truck where measuring the movement in the rear was part of the equation. It actually makes more sense to me to ignore the rear end when I think about it.

In any case I'm pretty excited to try out the Husky WDH. I've towed many trailers but none as large or heavy as the 26BH. We have a 7 hour drive to go pick up our new trailer and then the fun of importing it into Canada.
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Old 06-20-2014, 06:39 AM   #12
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Measuring the rear was part of the old school thinking that was in effect in the days when trailers were towed with the family station wagon. Since then, that train of thought has disappeared and you are unlikely to find any mention of rear end height in any currently marketed hitch installation instructions.
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Old 06-20-2014, 07:59 AM   #13
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We had a 26bh that i towed with F150 ecoboost & WDH. I think after passengers and fuel i had 860lb of cargo available. I never hit the scales to see what the actual load of the 26bh was.

I think your expectations of loaded tongue weight are probably reasonable, if not excessive. I felt comfortable with the TV and TT set up. I'm sure you will too. You've actaully got a sweet little set up in my opinion!
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Old 06-20-2014, 08:03 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Landry View Post
Measuring the rear was part of the old school thinking that was in effect in the days when trailers were towed with the family station wagon. Since then, that train of thought has disappeared and you are unlikely to find any mention of rear end height in any currently marketed hitch installation instructions.
Bob, please take a look at the instructions from Fastway (my hitch manufacturer) below. Go to page 15 of the instructions under the heading "Good adjustment". You will clearly see there the instructions from a somewhat prominent hitch manufacturer mentioning the height of the rear of the vehicle. Along with the recommendation that you record the measurements at the rear fender centered above the axle into the provided adjustment grid. Also reference page 17 regarding over-adjustment.

http://www.fastwaytrailer.com/wp-con...0710_small.pdf

Yes, it is highly unlikely that if you are simply returning to unloaded weight on the front axle that you would run into this. But it IS possible to over adjust the WDH and remove too much weight from the rear. All I'm saying is be careful and measure everything.

I also agree that the misconception that the goal is to get "everything to ride level" needs to be addressed. Measuring the fenders to get your WDH setup correctly is only PART of the equation. Once you have it setup, you should weigh it to be sure.
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Old 06-20-2014, 11:33 AM   #15
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Ah. Here's where I got the idea that I'd need to be concerned with the rear TV height.
http://youtu.be/anhi8lo4Od0
Note that they are installing the hitch on an F150. Strange.
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Old 06-20-2014, 01:19 PM   #16
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As an owner of a '12 26BH, when fully loaded we are at over 1,000# tongue weight. That is with the heavy cast iron up front as well as full water. If you load conservatively, you can be well under the 1k tongue weight. 750# might be a low estimate though unless you travel with almost no water in the fresh tanks. I have a thread showing my CAT Scale weights. Check it out to see how easy it is to be over weight!
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Old 06-20-2014, 06:00 PM   #17
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Lifted.I had read that thread back before I chose the trailer. It had me concerned about overloading my payload. I think we'll be OK. We pack moderately heavy and travel with dry tanks.
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Old 06-21-2014, 10:57 AM   #18
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I want to re-weigh sometime without water to see how much weight it adds to the tongue. One of the fresh tanks is ahead of the front trailer axle and the other is right over the front axle. If you can place heavy cast iron in the rear, you will keep the tongue weight down.
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