Weight Distribution Hitch

[xridgelinex]

For all of you laymen out there... What Kodiak so eloquently stated is that when you tow with your RL, your RL has been designed to tow...

Stay within the limits of the RL and you will be fine... it was nice of Honda to design the RL with the breaking power and coolant system to let us tow 5000 lbs when properly set up.

(Kodiak, Just so you know, I am not poking fun at you and have the greatest admiration for the knowledge you contribute here on the ROC. It just shows how great the RL is in many of its innovated ways.)

[RidgeinVT]

I need to chime in on the WDH issue. I to went around and around on the hitch issue. I tow a Starcraft trailer that is 3450 dry and around 4000 loaded.
I have just returned from a 700 mile trip which I used an Equalizer hitch. It was properly adjusted so that from an from unloaded measurements to hitched the front end went down 1/2" and the rear 1". With the trailer adjusted to ride level, add to this the Prodigy brake controler and this towed like a dream. I fully recommend the use of the WDH just set it up correctly.
Thanks

[Webwader]

And to be fair to the other side of the issue, I need to chime in too. I tow a Fleetwood Highlander Sequoia that weighs 3,500 lb that I tow without a WDH. The difference from unloaded at the hitch ball is 1 3/16". In the two years I have had the RL I have towed the trailer a little over 10,000 miles in all kinds of weather except snow and ice and it tows beautifully and stops great with the aid of my Prodigy brake controller.
Honda is not the only manufacturer recommending this either. Toyota also does not recommend a WDH.
I also agree 100% with Kodiak's post. To put it a little less delicately, a WDH is a band-aid approach to alleivate an overloaded condition.
RidgeinVT, you say you set your WDH up properly. What is the RL front and rear axle load, and the load on the trailer axle?

[ToyTruck]

Getting ready for trip so I "test drove" my rig today. I'm towing a 17' Hi-Lo that weighs 2740 dry with a tongue weight of 275 lbs. I drove it with the WDH in a "neutral" position (not lifting-barely any tension) and then 4 free links pull on the bar (which is where I usually tow with a RWD truck). It's a Reese unit that has chains that run from the tension bars up to a hinged hook/stirrup assembly. The more free links, the shorter the chain hence more pull and lift. Links fit on the hook of a swing up locking stirrup. With the 4 link tension, the difference is most noticeable when hitting dips where the WDH wants to keep the RL's front end from bobbing, which really affects the steering feeling. I would describe it as fighting the Honda's built in suspension travel and feeling almost unnatural, despite the truck's being perfectly level. With the 3 links pulled tight (longer chain/no tension) the steering feels better despite the truck's squatting around 1.5 inches in the back and bouncing a bit more. In that position, the only way the WDH would even come into play is if the weight were to shift radically forward towards the tongue--in which case it would prevent the rear from squatting too far. I think I can really "feel" why Honda engineers advise against it.

[SJRidge]

As the debate continues over whether to use a WDH or not to use one I do not see anyone discussing sway bars. What are your thoughts on anti sway without a WDH?

[BillyBob58]

Originally Posted by SJRidge

As the debate continues over whether to use a WDH or not to use one I do not see anyone discussing sway bars. What are your thoughts on anti sway without a WDH?

I would like to know this also. Do most use anti sway bars?

I'm getting ready to tow a 2002 Flagstaff 26DS with a listed dry weight of 3740, behind my new 08 RL. I am getting a Hidden Hitch and Prodigy installed tomorrow. A weight distributing hitch came with the used unit, which we towed home behind a suburban. So I have been reading some of these threads about WD v no WD with great interest. There seem to be good arguments on both sides. I tend to go with the arguments about the RL being engineered from the get go to tow 5000 without the WD hitch, and that the WD would only likely interfere with Honda's design. But the posts by those claiming much improved results with the WD are also convincing.

But even if I decide to not use the WD hitch, should I use a sway bar?

Also, if the WD hitch is used but adjusted for zero effect with the chains just hanging down, does that cause any problems?

Thanks for all the info you guys post.

[nolaridge]

Just my two cents -- I towed a 4000lb (loaded weight) trailer from Dallas to Alaska last summer (12,400 miles round trip) and used a WD hitch most of the time. You don't have to be at or near the limits to appreciate the effect of the WD system. On rough roads the WD hitch helps to control the bouncing motion of the truck/trailer and it also has an anti-sway effect as well. There has been some discussion that the WD system puts too much weight on the front axle (and this may be the case in some instances), but it is often assumed that the weight is only distributed forward, but it is also distributed back to the trailer axles as well. On smooth highway you may notice little difference with or without it, but on rougher roads and in crosswinds, it really helps (me). Regarding the (friction) sway bar, I don't know if it is very effective. On my smaller trailer (above) I couldn't tell if it did anything and left it off most of the time. Now I pull a 25' trailer and I use it every time just for good measure.....I figure if it gives me 5% more control that might be the difference between the road and the ditch.

BTW, I set my WD hitch on the third link (two links hanging). At this setting the rear end still sags a little, so it is not set very aggressively.

Happy Camping!
(see my camping pics at: flickr.com/photos/hiramoto)

[BillyBob58]

Originally Posted by nolaridge

Just my two cents -- I towed a 4000lb (loaded weight) trailer from Dallas to Alaska last summer (12,400 miles round trip) and used a WD hitch most of the time. You don't have to be at or near the limits to appreciate the effect of the WD system. On rough roads the WD hitch helps to control the bouncing motion of the truck/trailer and it also has an anti-sway effect as well. There has been some discussion that the WD system puts too much weight on the front axle (and this may be the case in some instances), but it is often assumed that the weight is only distributed forward, but it is also distributed back to the trailer axles as well. On smooth highway you may notice little difference with or without it, but on rougher roads and in crosswinds, it really helps (me). Regarding the (friction) sway bar, I don't know if it is very effective. On my smaller trailer (above) I couldn't tell if it did anything and left it off most of the time. Now I pull a 25' trailer and I use it every time just for good measure.....I figure if it gives me 5% more control that might be the difference between the road and the ditch.

BTW, I set my WD hitch on the third link (two links hanging). At this setting the rear end still sags a little, so it is not set very aggressively.

Happy Camping!
(see my camping pics at: flickr.com/photos/hiramoto)

Thanks for the reply!

[SilvrBullet]

I don't have the towing experience as some of the other members on this board, but I can tell you that towing my camper without a WDH is not a fun experience. I think some of the different experiences that people are having with/without the WDH is because of their TT weight distribution. Some TT manufacturer's distribute the weight better than others and thus you have a better towing experience.

I called Honda customer service about the WDH issue and asked to speak to a Honda Engineer about the issue. I was told that this wasn't possible. I pushed the issue with the representative and I was eventually told that the WDH entry in the owner's manual was because Honda couldn't test every WDH product on the market and it's effect on the Ridgeline. The rep also proceeded to tell me that it was my truck and I could set it up any way that I saw fit. I am personally disappointed with Honda not having more qualified people to talk to about this issue, especially since I see this as a safety issue. My brother-in-law called Toyota about a WDH for his 2004 Toyota Tundra and was transferred to an Engineer who helped answer his questions. The Engineer also gave him recommendations for his hitch setup.

The best advice that I can give is to try a test tow on the Interstate without the WDH and see how the TT behaves. If the results are not satisfactory then I would purchase a WDH product from a trusted installer and tweak the settings for your TT.

Another issue that I would like to talk to a Honda Engineer about is why were tires put on the Ridgeline that can only be inflated to a max PSI of 35. Most other truck tires that I have seen can be max inflated to 50 PSI. I know that for everyday driving the Michelin's give a better ride, but for towing I would like a tire with a stiffer sidewall.

A link to a good discussion, on the RV.Net forum, about a WDH is below:

RV.Net Open Roads Forum: Towing: Weight Distribution (WD) Hitch --- How it Works

[beerkat]

Max tire pressure is determined by the tire manufacturer and not Honda. I thought the 35 psi was low also but it works just fine.

I tow about once a month and do not use a WDH. I have not had any issue with it. I think you need to see what your tongue weight is. It should be 10% of what you are towing.