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Old 02-17-2013, 05:51 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amabee View Post
Remember, just learning
Me too! I am far from having all this stuff figured out!
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Old 02-17-2013, 06:02 PM   #22
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Not sure, that`s the first time I`ve seen that. But since the placement and weight of cargo in the bed of your truck can vary each trip you make, it would seem problematic to size spring bars accordingly.
I guess the reason I am asking is this was how I decided to use 800lb bars vs 600lb. Our trailer has a GVWR of 3500lb and as I found out today, the tongue weight is 620lbs! That is a little high, so I will adjust that.
Our trailer had a so called "dry" hitch weight of 405lbs, add a battery and it goes right to 450lbs. Figuring the high side at 15%, we would have 525lbs on the hitch plus say 100lbs behind the axle of the TV, plus the weight of the WDH itself, it seemed to me 600lb bars would not be enough.

I would agree that weight will vary, but it all will a little.
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Old 02-17-2013, 06:03 PM   #23
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Here are the 2011 specs

186BH
Weights
Unloaded vehicle weight (lbs) 4,015
Hitch weight (lbs) 490
Gross vehicle weight (lbs) 6,000
Cargo carrying capacity (lbs) 1,985
Measurements
Exterior length 22' 5"
Exterior height w/AC 128"
Interior height (living area) 81"
Tank Capacities
Fresh water tank (gals) includes water heater 90
Gray wastewater tank capacity (gals) 32.5
Toilet/black wastewater capacity (gals) 32.5
Other
Sleeping capacity 5-7


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Old 02-17-2013, 06:06 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by amabee View Post
I guess the reason I am asking is this was how I decided to use 800lb bars vs 600lb. Our trailer also has a GVWR of 3500lb and as I found out today, the tongue weight is 620lbs! That is a little high, so I will adjust that.
Our trailer had a so called "dry" hitch weight of 405lbs, add a battery and it goes right to 450lbs. Figuring the high side at 15%, we would have 525lbs on the hitch plus say 100lbs behind the axle of the TV, plus the weight of the WDH itself, it seemed to me 600lb bars would not be enough.
I agree these tongue weights can be surprisingly high compared to the published tongue weights. I originally had 750 lb bars and had to upgrade to 1200 lb bars as my TW is nearly 1000 lbs. compared to a published empty TW of 750lbs.
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Old 02-17-2013, 06:25 PM   #25
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Now i'm confused, is the 186bh 3500 or 6000 gvwr.
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Old 02-17-2013, 06:29 PM   #26
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Now i'm confused, is the 186bh 3500 or 6000 gvwr.
6000 according to Starcraft archives, and the OP`s numbers in the first post.


http://www.autumnridgerv.com/2009/tr...fications.html
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Old 02-17-2013, 06:40 PM   #27
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I would agree that the Curt WDH, Equal-i-zer WDH, and Reese Strait-Line (Dual Cam) WDH brands may be equal in quality, but they do differ in design/function. All three brand/models referenced will distribute weight, but the Equal-i-zer WDH and Reese Strait-Line WDH have integrated sway control where the Curt WDH requires an additional product for sway control.

The Curt WDH (with remote friction control sway arm) and Equal-i-lizer WDH sway controls are "reactive" in function, thus reacting to a sway event once it's actually started. The Reese Strait-Line (Dual Cam) sway control is "pro-active" in function by design. The Reese design of the spring bars maintains considerable force over the cams which reduces the probability of a sway event starting by constantly forcing the TT to tow in a straight line.

IMO a WDH with "integrated" sway control offers up-graded features above a standard WDH w/friction sway control arm, as mentioned in prior posts. Yes, IMO the Hensley Arrow WDH has up-graded design features above a WDH with "integrated" sway control.

From a safety and performance standpoint...., IMO any WDH with some means of sway control that is sized and adjusted properly will deliver acceptable results. As most of us know, no WDH and/or Sway Control device can compensate for poor maintenance and/or safety practices associated with any given TV and/or TT (over weight, low tire psi, speed, etc.).

The 2010 186BH has a GVWR of 3,500lbs, I also agree that 600lb rated WDH (if available) would be adequate even loaded at the GVWR.

Just my thoughts.

Bob

ON EDIT: If you should consider the Reese Strait-Line (Dual Cam), I believe that it requires a minimum 400lb loaded tongue weight.... please confirm.
I think this thread got me to think 3500, sorry
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Old 02-17-2013, 06:52 PM   #28
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Yeah I think my buddy Rustic Eagle may have gotten that one mixed up with another model...He`s human too........
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Old 02-17-2013, 07:00 PM   #29
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Yeah I think my buddy Rustic Eagle may have gotten that one mixed up with another model...He`s human too........
No less human then me Crabman, i just thought i was loosing it for a while.
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Old 02-17-2013, 07:53 PM   #30
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No less human then me Crabman, i just thought i was loosing it for a while.
I apologize for stating the incorrect 2010 186BH GVWR reference ...., guess I had one of those senior moments and shouldn't try to multi-task!

Quote:
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snip......The 2010 186BH has a GVWR of 3,500lbs, I also agree that 600lb rated WDH (if available) would be adequate even loaded at the GVWR..... snip
The GVWR of 3,500lbs I stated was incorrect, it should read GVWR of 6,000lbs., thus a minimum 800lb rated WDH would be a better choice.

2010 Starcraft 186BH specifications: http://www.rvguide.com/specs/starcra...dge/186bh.html

Bob
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Old 02-17-2013, 09:16 PM   #31
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Remember, just learning, if that's the case why does Equalizer for example mention this when sizing a WDH? http://www.equalizerhitch.com/About%...hitchsizes.php
Allen,

This is actually true when sizing all brands of WDH's because the WDH spring bars in fact will be supporting an unknown "percentage" of the added cargo weight behind the TV's rear axle.

IMO this may become an issue for consideration if the "loaded" tongue weight is at the maximum 15% of the manufactures recommended 10% to 15% tongue weight range, and the WDH size rating is the same as the 15% tongue weight value...., especially if there is considerable added cargo weight behind the TV's rear axle.

This is one good reason to use realistic, and/or potential "loaded" TT weights (or worst case the TT GVWR) when sizing a WDH.

Bob
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Old 02-17-2013, 10:46 PM   #32
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Thumbs up

Reading through all the comments, I am imagining that everyone struggles a little with this in the begining.

Some questions I still have:

1. So the empty loaded weight is 4015lbs (before the battery and two propane tanks) the list tongue weight is 490lbs, which is just over 11%. If I go by that "formula" then when fully loaded at 6000lbs the tongue weight would be 680lbs leading me to believe that an 800lb WDH would be the best fit.

2. If I go to the max on the 15% then the tongue weight would be 900lbs which I would push me towards the 1000lbs WDH.

3. So I used the online Equalizer link posted in the thread, added 6000lbs for GVWR, 900lbs for tongue (15%), then added 100lb for weight past the rear axle and it recommends the 1200lb WDH.

I am going to look at the A-frame once the snow melts, although my interest has peaked that much that I am thinking about tearing the tarp off tomorrow and to hell with the -25 cold! I want to know! ha.

In all seriousness, I plan on checking the A-frame and from my math I would imagine that option #2 would be best. I cannot fathom that a 1200lb WDH would be what I was looking for. From the other posts that I have read it seems overkill.

I really appreciate the time and effort put in to some of these comments :applause::applause::applause:
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Old 02-18-2013, 02:28 AM   #33
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Remember, just learning, if that's the case why does Equalizer for example mention this when sizing a WDH? http://www.equalizerhitch.com/About%...hitchsizes.php
OK, I stand corrected on this. I guess I just never thought of cargo in the bed of the truck as a TW or spring bar size consideration, probably because I always place anything heavy like firewood or totes full of gear in the front of the bed and rear axle, only light items like the rear end of a bike behind the axle. I do believe though the affects on spring bar size would be minimal, unless one placed nearly all the weight in the extreme rear, which would not be desirable or necessary. Having the lions share of the weight in the front and the vehicles suspension should offset much of the small amount of weight behind the axle in normal loading. Now if you have an SUV or minivan and load up the back compartment with gear the affects would probably me felt more as all the weight would be behind the axle.
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Old 02-18-2013, 07:05 AM   #34
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I can see the weight behind the axle making a difference, although that being said depending on what you are taking with you if it can fit in the TT tied down or laid flat it will probably have less of a bearing on tongue weight that if left behind the axle.

I am tempted to go for the 1000lb WDH so that f I drive near the limits of the weight I am good, and I will not put "stuff" behind the axle that weighs a lot or anything at all. The 1200lb seems over-kill for the size and weight of the trailer. I am thinking and I stress just thinking that in order to hit 6000lbs MAX all the tanks would be full and the trailer fully stocked with everything and more that I would ever need, and in all probability the tanks will be empty between home to campground and campground to home.

Am I right in saying that if I went with the 1000lb instead of the 800lb I could get away with the chain not being as "tight" if the tanks were full and the TT fully loaded?

I am leaning towards the 1000lb just to be safe.
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Old 02-18-2013, 09:58 AM   #35
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So here is what I am concluding (well for now until I stand corrected - LOL)..........with a tongue weight of 490lbs empty, then add 87lbs for a WDH, 80lbs for propane tanks and 40lbs for a battery I am up to 700lbs with an unloaded trailer. In theory I would think that it is not going to take much luggage in either the truck or the TT to push that up to 800lbs and therefore the 1000lb WDH with sway would be the way to go.

So what I thought was a light show at the local casino was most likely people who got sore heads calculating this and just drove without it and headlights pointing to the sky!

Man there is more to this than hooking it up and pressing on the gas!

What do you think of my math and theory Lee and Bob?
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Old 02-18-2013, 10:29 AM   #36
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Huntsvillian,
Just for comparison purposes, here is the set-up I had the last 2 years with our 22FB Jayflight......by CAT scale measurements, our loaded TT weight was 5,600 lbs and the tongue weight was just shy of 700 lbs. I wanted an Equalizer hitch, and they make 600 lb bars and 1000 lb bars, not an 800 lb. So, I went with the 1000 lb bars. It worked out fine for us in that there were no hitch failures. I had real concerns though about the receiver in my half-ton truck. It was rated for 500 lbs weight-carring and 1,000 lbs in weight-distributing. I know and had measured, it was doing a lot of flexing during towing, rather than the spring bars doing any flexing. I no longer have this truck, but if I still had that set-up I would be real tempted to switch to a different brand hitch with 800 lb (and tapered) spring bars.
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Old 02-18-2013, 10:56 AM   #37
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snip......Man there is more to this than hooking it up and pressing on the gas! .... snip
Well, it doesn't help when I somehow post the incorrect TT GVWR

Working with the 2010 Starcraft 186BH published weights per OP's original post:

SCENARIO #1

Published UVW .............................. 3,895lbs
Approximate delta for Ship Weight ...... 250lbs (sticker on TT will reflect actual Ship Weight, includes LP))
RV dealer ....................................... 125lbs (battery, WDH, etc.)
Approximate Cargo & Stuff ................ 700lbs (if carrying fluids, add weight)

Loaded TT weight .......................... 4,970lbs

Loaded Tongue Weight 10% to 15% .... 497lbs to 746lbs (13% = 646lbs)

SCENARIO #2

Loaded TT weight based on GVWR........... 6,000lbs (worst case loaded TT weight, allows for fluids)

Loaded Tongue Weight 10% to 15% ...... 600lbs to 900lbs (13% = 780lbs)

Summary: A WDH rated at 800lbs would work just fine, maintaining a loaded tongue weight under 800lbs would be required (IMO very doable). I'm also taking into consideration a little cargo weight effect in the TV (behind rear axle).

A WDH rated at 1,000lb would be the choice IMO if your TV/TT loading habits tend to be a little on the heavy side and you frequently travel with some fluids in the tanks.

Also, as "David472" noted, if a 800lb WDH isn't available go with the 1,000lb rated product (assuming there isn't any WDH limitation noted on your TT's A-frame).

IMO a 1,200lb rated WDH is overkill and I would be concerned about damaging the TT A-frame..

Bob
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Old 02-18-2013, 11:15 AM   #38
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And that was the decition i had to make with my 4950 # GVWR trailer that could have a possible 780# tongue weight. Unfortunatley equalizer don't make a 800# hitch (600 @1000) so i went to the 1000# witch was maximum according to jayco and is stamped on my frame (trailer)
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Old 02-18-2013, 12:10 PM   #39
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ID:	6508With the type of person I am and the type of travelling we plan on doing I do not see water being in the tanks when driving, maybe a little in the black to splosh around, but only between camgrounds on drives to and from on the way to or back from the destination. I plan on towing the lightest possible. I do have to check the A-frame for limits, the truck has the factory hitch and I did look underneath and there is nothing on it or in my owners manual. So playing on the safe side that 1000lbs would be the limit on the 1/2 ton.

I created scenarios just like Bob and ran them through excel, and at 13% even loaded with water I got it to 747lbs of tongue weight with a GVWR 5743lbs, but when running with no water and loaded with luggage and stuff I got it 642lbs of tongue weight. There are two adults and a 2 y/o, so not planning on taking a whole lot of luggage and plan on purchasing food apart from canned and dried goods when we get to where we are going is leading me towards trying to get an 800lb WDH. I did spend a lot of time looking yesterday and found a CURT 800lb with sway add on.

I guess IMO I just have to make an educated call on the WDH being either 800 or 1000lbs and plan on traveling safely and sensibly.

It is funny that I have been going back and forth with the 800 or 1000 but for what we are planning on doing with it and for the length of time (3-4 weeks) in summer and (1-2) weeks in spring and fall and the occasional weekender that the 800lb would most likely be the best.

One last question, so if you were planning on running at everything hooked up and loaded at 5743lbs and we use 13% for TW and you end up at 747lbs would that be close enough to the 800lbs to warrant going up to the 1000lb WDH or is 53lbs below the limit of the WDH still acceptable?

Thanks for all the input guys......................now I just got to wait for the snow to melt and hitch it up!

I will keep everyone informed as this progresses as I do plan on getting it weighed.

Jim
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Old 02-18-2013, 12:43 PM   #40
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It looks like the 800 bars would do good by you based on Bob`s numbers and David472`s experience with a similar unit. If you found you were a bit heavy on the tongue you could move some gear around, but should not be an issue with the tanks dry.
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