6.4 and Travel Trailer

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bbaker86

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I have a 15 2500 4dr short bed 4wd with the 6.4 and the previous owner installed a leveling kit. I tow a 33’ travel trailer once or twice a month in the warm months. Dry weight is roughly 8000lbs with tongue approximately 900-1000. I have a weight distribution setup with 1200lb bars. I’m not sure my full loaded weight as I don’t have any scales nearby. Other than the typical chairs and other odds and ends, I don’t carry too much.

I sag a little in the rear when loaded and the front feels a little light. Should I be looking at something to offset the leveling kit (bags or Timbren) or maybe try to readjust the WDH? I just want to feel more secure the farther we venture away from home.
 
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bbaker86

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Is that my best option? I didn’t know if adding bags would help offset the kit.
 

392DevilDog

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Is that my best option? I didn’t know if adding bags would help offset the kit.
I despise leveling kits. But everyone seems to like them.

Adding bags to a truck that doesn't need them seems less the route I would want to go.

But I am sure someone will be along soon to let you know the best way.

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A leveling kit would have not allowed me to do this. My lights would have pointed to the sky.
 

Ohio5pt7

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I would re adjust your wdh. I only have a 1500 and tow a tt about that size with no bags no issues.

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392DevilDog

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I would re adjust your wdh. I only have a 1500 and tow a tt about that size with no bags no issues.

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What he said. The RAM 2500 is capable of 1800lbs without a WDH. So the large part of your issue is the level kit.


You need to put more weight back to the front and the level kit is fighting you.

So you need to adjust the WDH more than normal.
 

crash68

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Dry weight is roughly 8000lbs with tongue approximately 900-1000. I have a weight distribution setup with 1200lb bars. I’m not sure my full loaded weight as I don’t have any scales nearby. Other than the typical chairs and other odds and ends, I don’t carry too much.

I sag a little in the rear when loaded and the front feels a little light. Should I be looking at something to offset the leveling kit (bags or Timbren) or maybe try to readjust the WDH? I just want to feel more secure the farther we venture away from home.
Take a very precise measurement of the front wheel well height before you hook up the trailer. Then with the WDH try to adjust it so the front wheel well height is the same. You may have to adjust the shank height of the hitch. This should get you in the ballpark till you run over a CAT scale to double check.
 
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bbaker86

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Ok I will try to adjust the WDH more this week. Thank you for all the input.
 

OC455

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From the man:

Weigh loaded truck and trailer with no weight distribution. check mostly to see what progress you make.

Weigh loaded truck and trailer with the weight distribution. check This is where I was saying to lower your stress you can simulate passengers weight with other weight so that they are not waiting on you and you have whatever time you need.

Adjust as necessary to get optimal weight transfer, then adjust air in the TG air springs. check



Follow hitch Mfg instructions and adjust WDH, you can also rearrange the load in your truck, and the load in your TT. Then re-weigh until you have at minimum replaced the unloaded steer weight and gotten the drive axle weight down to max axle rating or below. A closer to 50/50 bias is generally ideal.

Subtract unloaded truck weight from the loaded truck weight for accurate TW. (tongue weight) (This is because when using a WDH TW is no longer static weight but rather dynamic weight IE it affects steer drive & TT axle weights) That number divided into the gross trailer weight will be your TW percentage. This needs to be between 10 & 15 percent.

Now you have a safe tow with maximum stability for emergency swerve around for accident avoidance and maximum stopping power. You should still review your scale slips for CVW, (combined vehicle weight) GVW, (gross vehicle weight).

Note by adjusting hitch & load you can raise or lower your TW and truck GVW. Sometimes with heavier trailers for warranty & such people want the TW down to where they are below the trucks GVWR. Other times the priority is a little more TW for maximum stability. Physics wise on a bumper pull its preferable to have more weight on the TV axles than on the TT axles so the tail can't wag the dog as they say.

Lets do a worse case scenario 10k trailer kind of stuff. Say you have moved what weight you can forward in your truck and cranked the WDH for all it can give you and rearranged some of the heavier items back into the trailer above the axles or perhaps even some behind the axles and you are still light on steer & heavy on the drive. You can still remove the 60 pound tailgate & replace with a net or relocate the 60 pound spare from behind the rear axle of the truck that is 120 pounds off the rear axle right? Not so fast taking this 120 off the drive axle may have also allowed the WDH to take an additional 20 pounds off the drive axle and transfer it to the steer axle. Also lets say you relocated that 60 spare to the back of the trailer on the rear bumper or under the trailer behind the axles. Now that 60 pounds helps the WDH to take say another 20 pounds off the drive axle and either steer axle or perhaps off the truck entirely and back to the trailer axles. So you might have transferred 20 to the steer and 140 to the TT by taking 160 off the drive. Granted this is sort of an over the top example to help understand how it works. BTW you might also be able to get a stronger swing bar hitch for that kind of extreme weight.

To some guys its kind of a fun challenge not so much just to be in spec and or in the zone so to speak but to get the best numbers they can. Anyway let me know when you get your numbers. Vern

I haven't seen @VernDiesel in a long time. Very knowledgeable person as far as towing

Disregard the air spring adjustment part and go with the main part as far as WDH is concerned.
 
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tron67j

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One other thing to consider is the height of the hitch point of your truck's hitch. If your trailer has multiple axles and you raise the front of the trailer too high you can be taking weight off if the trailer's front axle and redistributing it between the trailer rear axle and the truck. I have a 2018 2400 4x4 and the proper drop for my sister's trailer is about 8 inches from stock height. I bought a bulletproof 8 inch drop hitch to allow me to tow all of my family's trailers. Bag the bags also as DevilDog suggested. A good WDH will ensure you are level and safely towing.
 

cyclepuck

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The first adjustment I'd make is tilting hitch head back and that'll transfer more weight to the front axle.

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bbaker86

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Yeah, I’m using a longer shank for my WDH. The stock one wasn’t enough. I think the ball height is pretty good. I’ll try to get another link or so in the chain to see if that helps.
 

cyclepuck

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Here's a decent illustration. Did your hitch come with a larger spacer to tilt? 2cc9df86a7c099023d44e912516d9f6b.jpg

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bbaker86

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It has a knob that you can screw in or out to create tilt.

I have the Camco Eaz-Lift Elite with 1200lb bars. I do have it on a longer shank though.

I’m currently sitting with 4 chain links hanging and I didn’t think I added more tilt until I needed more than 5.

I just wanted to verify that my leveling kit wasn’t creating too much of a problem. It sounds like the truck can definitely handle the tongue weight, so I’ll just play around with the adjustments.
 

cyclepuck

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I have a leveling kit and ended up putting bags and compressor on when we got the fifth wheel. The bags definitely helped the ride when loaded.

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NH RAM

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Are you guys running a 2 or 2.5" spacer / leveling kit?
I opted for the 2" kit to allow my plow to not drag in v configuration and also in hopes that I can tow my TT without running airbags or being nose high.
I have a Blue Ox Swaypro with 1000# spring bars. I just added the 2" front spacers and got the proper drop shank so I'll test it out this weekend hopefully on a dry run before we leave in July for a South Dakota camping trip.
 

tron67j

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This is a good video to watch on how a vehicle reacts to a WDH versus airbags and the impact that weight has on the front wheels when using the two methods.

 

Bldrinker

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I have a leveling kit and about 1700lbs of tongue with my trailer.
I have a load Distribution hitch and air bags.
It works.

E5D44447-60B1-4AB5-8D12-CC06149A1569.jpeg
 

tron67j

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I have a leveling kit and about 1700lbs of tongue with my trailer.
I have a load Distribution hitch and air bags.
It works.

View attachment 213262
Like that look, nice and clean and if something scratches the surface you have a better chance of buffing it out instead of living with a scratch in a sticker.
 

GsRAM

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I despise leveling kits. But everyone seems to like them.

Adding bags to a truck that doesn't need them seems less the route I would want to go.

But I am sure someone will be along soon to let you know the best way.

View attachment 212790 View attachment 212791
A leveling kit would have not allowed me to do this. My lights would have pointed to the sky.

This. Towing the weights you are especially. You can do the airbags, but the factory rake is there for a reason. Just my .02
 
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