chisoxguy13
Rocky Mount, NC
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I am going to have to go to Indiana to pick up my TT when it's ready and am pretty sure I am good to go with weights, but wanted to run it by you all just to get any input good/bad. I have a 2000 Suburban 1/2ton with 8800lb Gross trailer weight allowable and a hitch rated up to 12,000 w/WD. I have auto leveling rear air shocks and electronic front shocks. I also have a tranny oil cooler and will be running with a ScanGaugeII. Just went and weighed my TV with a full tank and actually some other stuff in it to represent the load I would be carrying for a typical trip. IE, kids, DW, crap. GVWR on TV is 7200. Weighed in at 6090lbs. Gross for front axle is 3600, weighed in at 3130lbs. Rear Gross is 4000, weighed in at 2950lbs. Trailer is 6200 dry and figure we won't be pulling it with more than 7500lbs. As long as I use the 10-15% tongue rule I should be fine, correct? Thank you again to all of you who have given me so much information.
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VintageRacer
Dundas, Ontario
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Joined: 04/02/2005
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You're on the money on the numbers. No problems there. The engine/rear axle ratio you have will determine how happy you are with performance, but the setup looks like a good match to me.
Brian
2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab, Hemi, 5 speed manual, 3.73 gears, Tow Beast hitch with 24" extension.
28 ft race car hauler, Lola T440 Formula Ford, NTM MK4 Sports Racer
1980 MCI MC-5C highway coach conversion
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chisoxguy13
Rocky Mount, NC
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VintageRacer wrote:You're on the money on the numbers. No problems there. The engine/rear axle ratio you have will determine how happy you are with performance, but the setup looks like a good match to me.
Brian
Engine is 5.3 with a 4:10 rearend.
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CoachDad
Linglestown, PA
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Joined: 03/17/2009
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With the 4.10 and the weight specs you gave, you'll be fine. Just check the owners manual for the TV regarding what gear you should be towing in. Some trannys don't live long towing in the top gear or overdrive.
Have a safe trip.
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chisoxguy13
Rocky Mount, NC
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CoachDad wrote:With the 4.10 and the weight specs you gave, you'll be fine. Just check the owners manual for the TV regarding what gear you should be towing in. Some trannys don't live long towing in the top gear or overdrive.
Have a safe trip.
I have the Tow/Haul switch that I should tow in.
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skipnchar
Topeka Kansas USA
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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IF the brochure weight is 6200 lb. your trailer will most likely weigh between 6500 and 6800 lb. when you pick it up. Just be aware that brochure weight do NOT include optional equipment. check INSIDE the trailer when you get it for the ACTUAL shipping weight so you'll KNOW it's weight. Sounds like you'll be at or NEAR your tow rating depending on what or who you put in the Suburban but should be Ok for the total. Make SURE you disable the automatic leveling suspension when you set up your WD hitch with the new trailer then you can turn it back on again when everything is correctly set up. good luck / Skip
2004 F-250 SCREW Long Bed (new)
OR 2004 F-150 HD (85,000 towing miles)
Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
We have enough YOUTH...how about a fountain of SMART
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chisoxguy13
Rocky Mount, NC
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skipnchar wrote:IF the brochure weight is 6200 lb. your trailer will most likely weigh between 6500 and 6800 lb. when you pick it up. Just be aware that brochure weight do NOT include optional equipment. check INSIDE the trailer when you get it for the ACTUAL shipping weight so you'll KNOW it's weight. Sounds like you'll be at or NEAR your tow rating depending on what or who you put in the Suburban but should be Ok for the total. Make SURE you disable the automatic leveling suspension when you set up your WD hitch with the new trailer then you can turn it back on again when everything is correctly set up. good luck / Skip
The online version of the 2000 Suburban Owner's Manual contains instructions for using Level Control with a WD hitch.
The instructions are on Page 2-33 (109/407). They state:
If a self-equalizing hitch is being used, the vehicle
should be driven approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) with
the trailer prior to adjusting (leveling) the hitch.
and
If a self-equalizing hitch is being used, it is recommended
to allow the shocks to inflate, thereby leveling the vehicle
prior to adjusting the hitch.
I interpret these instructions as saying you should NOT pull the fuse prior to setting up the WD system.
This is what Ron from on here sent me and now that I found that section in my owners manual "not in the towing section" this is the way I will set it up. It will adjust itself to about 36" ground to wheel well if it is too high or too low as well.
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Caddywhompus
Southeast WI
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Sorry, I'm gonna go ahead and disagree with Chevy on that one. If you follow those instructions (which sound like they were written by someone who has zero understanding of how a WD hitch works), then all the extra tongue weight will be carried by the air-shocks on the back of the truck. At that point, it would be impossible to setup the WD hitch correctly because any additional tension on the spring bars is going to FURTHER raise the rear of the truck past level. And then 2 more miles down the road, the shocks are going to deflate in an attempt to level-out your hot-rod rake, which now changes the weight being carried by the WD bars AGAIN, invalidating the previous adjustments.
Additionally, in order to comply with those instructions, you would likely have to exceed the Weight Carrying tongue weight limit on your receiver for a period of time, on public roads and with traffic around you. Under the right circumstances, it would be possible to damage or fatigue your GM hitch (which are known to be junk anyway) and I can't recommend that as a responsible action.
The only honest safe way to setup a WD hitch is WITHOUT the aid of ANY suspension aids, helpers, air shocks...etc. interfering. Once the proper adjustments have been made and the rig is correctly setup, then what ever small amounts of further suspension adjustment are needed can be handled by the leveling system down the road, without interfering with the optimum setup of your WD hitch,
'04 Ford Freestar (Primary tow vehicle)
'05 Subaru Forester (Backup tow vehicle)
'65 Bethany popup (best popups ever made!)
Looking for a tow vehicle
Minivan towing
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Ron Gratz
full time RVer
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Caddywhompus wrote:Sorry, I'm gonna go ahead and disagree with Chevy on that one. If you follow those instructions (which sound like they were written by someone who has zero understanding of how a WD hitch works), then all the extra tongue weight will be carried by the air-shocks on the back of the truck. At that point, it would be impossible to setup the WD hitch correctly because any additional tension on the spring bars is going to FURTHER raise the rear of the truck past level. And then 2 more miles down the road, the shocks are going to deflate in an attempt to level-out your hot-rod rake, which now changes the weight being carried by the WD bars AGAIN, invalidating the previous adjustments.
Let's see if we can put together a scenario on which we can agree:
1) With the TT unhitched, the TV sits "level" and at the original ride height.
2) The TT is attached without WD. Load on the rear axle increases and the rear of the TV drops below original height. Load on the front axle decreases and the front rises above original.
3) The TV and TT (with no WD applied) are driven until the TV is again level. However, the front has not been lowered; so both the front and rear of the TV are now above the original ride height.
4) The WD is adjusted to increase the load on the front axle and bring the front end back to the original height. The load on the rear axle is reduced so the rear springs (not the shock absorbers) will cause the rear end to rise.
5) The combo is driven; and the Level Control releases fluid from the rear shocks until the rear is level with the front.
6) Allowing the rear of the TV to drop will increase the load on the WD bars. This will cause the front of the TV to drop below original height and the rear to rise.
7) The Level Control will drop the rear to match the front. The adjustments to the front height will be smaller than the adjustments to the rear. Steps 5),6), and 7) will repeat in a continuous converging process until the TV is level, with both the front and rear slightly below the original height.
At least, that's how I envision the process working.
Ron
* This post was
edited 09/30/09 04:09pm by Ron Gratz *
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Ron Gratz
full time RVer
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Caddywhompus wrote:Additionally, in order to comply with those instructions, you would likely have to exceed the Weight Carrying tongue weight limit on your receiver for a period of time, on public roads and with traffic around you. Under the right circumstances, it would be possible to damage or fatigue your GM hitch---.
I think it very unlikely there would be damage or fatigue. I'm guessing the receiver design is controlled by the pitch-axis torque imposed by the tongue weight and the WD system. A 1000# tongue weight acting about 12" behind the receiver's cross tube would impose a torque of about 1000 lb-ft in the WC mode. In the WD mode, the torque would be increased to about 4000 lb-ft.
Ron
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