hitch extender ?

[rbhtrail]

Hello all, thanks for your input about this. I decided to go ahead and have Prosser RV install the WDH beforwe we pick it up (we're excited) as a preventive measure, better safe than sorry.
Has anyone experienced difficulties backing up with a WDH on the Trailmanor ?
There seems to be some concern, from what I've read in general about WDH's.

[dab1950]

Be careful not to 'jack knife' the hitch. It will damage your TV.
If you have a separate 'anti-sway' bar, it needs to be disconnected before you
try backing. Other than that, I haven't had any problems backing with my
WDH.
On a positive note, I know I couldn't get out of my driveway without it. I get
enough lift to prevent dragging at the top of the driveway and in transition
through the gutter into the street.
Good luck.

[Bill]

I'm in line with dab1950. Do not turn really really sharply while backing up, and by all means, do not jack knife. It will put enormous stress on the hitch and the receiver. If you need to turn sharply, then just release the springbars.

Beyond that, if you hearing groaning when you back up and turn, you don't have enough chain links in the WDH chains. The groaning is a sign of very high stress in the arrangement. The cure is to tilt the hitch ballmount backward a bit. The angle is adjustable - see your installation instructions. This lowers the springbar tips. With the tips lower, you will use a higher number of links for the same amount of lift, which will lessen the stress and eliminate the groaning.

As I recall, I had 6 or 7 links between the springbar tips and the bracket hook. That is not a magic number - each installation is different - but if you have only 3 or 4 links, it is probably too few.

Bill

[rickst29]

Originally Posted by rbhtrail

All this talk about WDH . I plan to tow a 2720 with a Toyota 4 Runner which has a towing capability of 5000 # . With a gcwr of 11300 #.
Is a WDH necessary ?

In a single word, YES.

In a LOT more words: My 'Gen4' 4Runner machines (2006-V8 'RIP', 2007-V6 'Sport', both 4WD), both handled a lot better after buying and starting to use a WDH. My current 4R (the V6), has 5000 lb towing, but GCWR of only 10600 lbs. In a "Gen-4" 4R, the overhang length (from the rear axle to the hitch receiver) is a bit more than 3 feet. With TM hitch weight applied at the hitch receiver, the overhang causes the 4R front axle to rise (quite a bit), and the Rear axle to squat. [It's sort of like a see-saw, with the TM heavy at one end, and a lighter person at the other: The TM end falls towards the ground, and the other end of the 4R "board" flies into the air at an angle. The rear axle is the "fulcrum" of the see-saw.)

During Travel, most of the braking power and ALL of the steering power comes from front axle. When the 4R rides level, the suspension and braking is in balance. But, with the addition of 350-450 lbs 'dead weight' on the hitch receiver, the front tires don't have enough weight to control the vehicle.

Go into an emergency turn, unbalanced, and you are much more likely to fall into an unusual kind of skid: The rear axle (the one which slides in a "normal" skid) stays firmly planted on the ground, with too much weight; the front axle jacknifes, and the trailer tries to go straight (looking like another jacknife, from 4R vehicle 'perspective'). Everything is going sideways, and results are bad.
- - - -
A WDH acts like a big Spring-loaded pair of levers, applying torque along both "arms". From the hitch head "fulcrum", the trailer hitch and A-frame get twisted back down, putting some of the original "hitch weight" back on the Trailer axle; and a lot of the hitch weight gets twisted down to the front axle of the 4Runner (or other Tow Vehicle). When the WDH is cinched up correctly, both axles of the 4Runner are pushed down by the same amount of extra load, and the 4Runner rides level - with the best possible control for the extra weight, and the extra weight distributed evenly on all 4 tires. It's as if you put most of the hitch weight on the floor in front of the back seats - equally distant from the two axles.

Without a WDH, all of the hitch weight is behind the rear axle - not merely putting all the hitch weight on the rear axle, but also adding weight from the engine compartment and front passengers to that same rear axle.
- - - - -
Your next question should be: What size bars? The answer is right around 800 lbs. I feel that the "proper" hitch weight for your 2720 is more than 400 lbs. (I run my "heavy duty" 2619 at a bit more, when fully loaded. 500 lb. bars will become "over-stressed" over time, and eventually become bent (requiring replacement). My own bars, 1000 lbs, "feel" a little bit too stiff at times. I'll label 800 lbs as the happy medium.

[Larryjb]

And don't be fooled or tricked into getting air bags. They will level your truck, but won't move the weight to the front axle which is what you want.

[rbhtrail]

Hello all, We had the dealer install a WDH and adjusted the hitch bars after fully loading the TV . We measured the wheel well height on the TV, 4 wheel wells and adjusted the chain links so that the wheel wells from front to rear of the TV was almost the same, 34". For the sake of safety, I removed the WDH bars whenever I had to backup into a tight right or left backing situation.
Thanks again to all for your much needed experience and tutelage.

[Pater C]

I am not sure how your setup with your canoe looks. I have a Honda Ridgeline that I tow my 2001 2720 SL with. I have been working to bring my kayak with my 2720. I found a dual receiver hitch that world for me. I had a problem with the first hitch I got. The back of my T-BAR for the kayak would hit the jack. The new one is long enough to accommodate both. I don't have a photo with it All set up. The receiver I got is the hitow multi use trailer ball hitch from Amazon.

[rbhtrail]

Hello Pater C, TM 2720QB has the following...
-factory mounted rear 2" hitch receiver.for the 2 bikes
-WDH on the 2720 to connect to the TV's rear
-Curt Front Mount Trailer Hitch Receiver onto the TV
I wanted to place a 17' canoe on the roof of the TV and still be able to leave the 2720 connected to the TV and open it up for a brief overnight stay while on the way to a final destination. In order to do that,The TV roof rack would leave the canoe unsupported for 8' . I decided to add the front hitch to the TV, the front mounted hitch has a mast to support the canoe's front beyond the the TV front bumper. IT's a very stable arrangement at high speeds.