RE: Tell Me Why I Should Not Do This.....

SactoCampers · Apr 30, 2003, 03:58 PM

CampinSteve

QuoteORIGINAL: CampinSteve

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

I just got off the phone with my Coleman Dealer...They have my Pop-up now for routine maintenance. I told him of my dilemma. He said he had all the parts for the brakes and would charge me $100 to install it on my Pop-up. (it was ordered and installed on a Pop-up, but then removed without being used...he assures me it is a complete working pkg..he just cant send it back to Fleetwood) I told him to DO IT!!! Before he changed his mind. (This was the 2nd pop-up we bought from him and I guess he likes repeat customers.) I am taking the Van down tomorrow to have a WD class III hitch installed and a brake controller it shouldn?t cost me more than $300 (so says the hitch guy). So for under $500 I will be safe and able to take the Van. Good things do happen to not so good people some times?[][][][] What a day...now if Only I got any work done today....shhhh[]

WOW! That s GREAT! Good things sometimes happen to people who care.

Now, just so we re clear, it sounds as though the Class III hitch is WD-compatible, but does not itself include the weight distribution system(?).

Your suspension option is to either get the weight distribution system (i.e. reese mini 350...includes anti-sway and WD all in one), or air bags/air shocks. Your rear suspension will be sagging really bad with that load. Not trying to rain on the parade, but merely forwarning you. The hitch guy or your dealer probably has a reese mini 350 in stock. Ask him about it. This is what it looks like:

http://www.reese-hitches.com/weightdist_lite.htm

You re fortunate in that Coleman popups are rated for WD systems. My popup is not [

].

CampinSteve · Apr 30, 2003, 04:15 PM

CampinSteveIt isn t Reese...I think it is Draw-Tite. It was less than the Reese. It is the hitch that mounts under the van, and all the parts that atach to the Pop-up frame.

I am still thinking about the heavy duty shocks, but not the airbags.

SactoCampers · Apr 30, 2003, 04:18 PM

CampinSteve

QuoteORIGINAL: CampinSteve

It isn t Reece...I think it is Draw-Tite. It was less than the reece. It is the hitch that mounts under the van, and all the parts that atach to the Pop-up frame.

That s good. Does it come with an anti-sway bar too? The reason I ask is that while the draw-tite will distribute the weight, it may make the tongue too light to the extent the trailer may begin to sway. That s why I suggested the Reese 350 because it has WD and anti-sway.. Test tow with the draw-tite to see if that s an issue. If so, you can add a sway bar for <$100.

Looks like you re in good shape! [

][

].

CampinSteve · Apr 30, 2003, 04:29 PM

CampinSteveIt has a sway controle...not sure how it works. Thanks for all the help....

I am gonna have the DW follow this post tonight......so I can justify all the $$ and work on the van.

Thanks Again.....[

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]

SactoCampers · Apr 30, 2003, 04:41 PM

CampinSteve

QuoteIt has a sway controle...not sure how it works. Thanks for all the help....
am gonna have the DW follow this post tonight......so I can justify all the $$ and work on the van.

Thanks Again.....

Excellent!

Now you can go on your trip with a clear conscience knowing your family is as safe as they can possibly be...and you may actually enjoy towing.

Last piece of advice. Make sure your brake controller is inertia based and not time activated. The inertia based will apply the brakes proportional to your rate of deceleration resulting in smooth stops and braking power when you need it not according to a preset time-delay. Make absolutely sure you don t get a time-based controller. They are most frequently sold under the Draw-Tite and Hayes names. A Tekonsha Envoy should cost the same as a time-based controller (maybe $5-$10 more, but if they re doing it in a package deal, you may be able to sneak a Tekonsha in the deal). I ve used the Voyager and Sentinel with good results. Lots of people insist on the Prodigy but it costs ~$125. The Envoy I think is around $60. Voyager, Sentinel, and Commander are somewhere in between.

Here is a link to help you learn a little about brake controllers:

http://www.brakecontroller.com/

mike4947 · Apr 30, 2003, 10:06 PM

CampinSteveWhile any of the Tekonsha products are fine, the Prodigy IMHO worth the extra money. It need no " leveling" other than being mounted at less than 45 degrees from vetical, has the optional boast control ( helps the trailer brakes come on with the TV brakes to stop the annoying thump from the hitch), and is portable from vehicle to vehicle by simply unplugging and plugging in the new vehicle.
It s a must have for owners with more than one TV.

GaryWT · May 01, 2003, 12:21 AM

mike4947I tow with a Nissan Quest rated at 3500. I have a Bayport in the 2000+# range without brakes and never a problem. I also have towed with my F150 4.2 liter. They tow about the same. After towing for awhile I found out that Ford actually changed the rating of my F150 to 2000# towing but it still towed fine. While I found this out, I also found out that auto makers set the tow ratings for warrenty reasons and that once the warrenty is up, the levels can go up as well.

AustinBoston · May 01, 2003, 08:49 AM

GaryWT

QuoteORIGINAL: GaryWT
While I found this out, I also found out that auto makers set the tow ratings for warrenty reasons and that once the warrenty is up, the levels can go up as well.

Think hard about this for a minute.

If they set it for warranty purposes, doesn t it make sense that they do it because they know the vehicle may break with a higher tow situation? In fact that is the only reason the warranty comes into play with tow ratings.

That doesn t magically change when the warranty expires.

Warranty or not, you can be held legally liable if an accident occurs and you are over weight, even if the accident was clearly not your fault.. Some insurance companies train their adjusters to look for this so they can get themselves off the hook.

Austin

SactoCampers · May 01, 2003, 09:47 AM

mike4947

QuoteORIGINAL: mike4947

While any of the Tekonsha products are fine, the Prodigy IMHO worth the extra money. It need no " leveling" other than being mounted at less than 45 degrees from vetical, has the optional boast control ( helps the trailer brakes come on with the TV brakes to stop the annoying thump from the hitch), and is portable from vehicle to vehicle by simply unplugging and plugging in the new vehicle.
It s a must have for owners with more than one TV.

How did I know one of you guys would make a plug for the Prodigy? [

][

][8D]

Ab Diver · May 01, 2003, 10:07 AM

mike4947Steve, I m just now reading this conversation- glad you listened to Austin and Brian. Just one more point: once you have *everything* set up and loaded in the trailer and van, stop at a truck stop, farm supply (or anywhere that has scales)and get the whole shabang weighed. You can also simulate the passenger weight with more cargo. It s easy to underestimate how much everything weighs, and little things add up in a hurry.

Steve-o-bud · May 05, 2003, 11:33 PM

mike4947Howdy. I think you can be Okay doing this.

Since the GVWR of the trailer is 2500 lbs, and the Windstar is rated for 3500 lbs, you are ok. Just make sure to stay whithin the GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating). GCWR is the vehicle weight, cargo weight, and trailer weight.

As for the brakes, I would recommend them. In my opinion, total stopping distance is not the biggest reason for trailer brakes. The real benefit is control.

If you get in a panic stop situation, and you lock the brakes on the TV, your trailer will push you and cause you to jack knife. The trailer brakes prevent that from happening by not allowing the trailer to push you.

Also, if you start swaying, the trailer brakes can help bring things under control.

The trailer brakes will also help to shorten stopping distance.

Get the WD hitch (Reese mini 350). My freind tows his Utah with a Caravan, and without the WD hitch, it would not be pretty sight. This would also keep things under control.

Good luck.

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