What hitches are you using? Anyone using an EL with an EQ/31ft bunkhouse successfully?

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RustyOval

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I think a lot of people do not understand their Nivomat leveling rear suspensions.

You need to hook up trailer and drive, maybe just around your neighborhood. The shocks will jack up and level the truck. If you set your system beforehand this will happen and you'll find underloaded springs etc when you arrive.


Here is a quick 5 min video from ZF about them.

You basically want the truck to level it self, which a short drive will do. I wonder if you could just stand on the bumper / hitch area and "bounce" a little to pump the shocks up. Then apply the WD. I have the air suspension. Love it when hitching up etc, but I'm concerned with a system failure when towing.

But I would do some more research into the design of your truck first. The nivomat shocks are pretty unique.


With all due respect, just raising the rear of the vehicle with bags or a self leveling system does NOTHING for the safe handling of the tow vehicle. Solid blocks could be placed between the axles and the frame and all the weight will still be on the rear axle. A WDH must be used to mechanically transfer weight back to the front axle on a trailer that big. Anything less will be a very unpleasent white knuckle trip that will exhaust the driver IF he/she makes it to the destination.
 

MattyMMA

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Rusty I think you mis-understood what I was saying. I was trying to bring understanding to the leveling system. By attempting to connect the WD system prior to the rear leveling itself, they were potentially doing more harm than good, as it will unload the WD system.

But your statement that the leveling system won't transfer weight is wrong. The nivomat shocks, same as airbags lift the rear of the vehicle, raising the tongue shift weight to the front of the truck and to the trailers axles.

Now I don't think anyone should tow without WD, it does change the moment arm. Without, the pivot point is above the rear axle, but with WD it moves to the tongue area as the bars lift at that area to transfer weight.

I was stating that the individuals with the Nivomat shocks drive a mile or two, around the block anything that moves the rear suspension so it pumps and levels. Then apply the WD so it's set right.

Matt
 

RustyOval

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Sorry, still disagree about effectivness of leveling suspensions. While it is nice not to have the "sag" there is not the transfer of weight to the front axle that is needed for proper handling. The tongue weight that a large bumper pull camper puts on the rear axle cannot be transfered to the front axle simply by leveling the vehicle. I've read about it and Ive experienced it first hand. I am just sharing my experience for the OP, its ok for us to disagree. The OP will find out for him/herself when the time comes.
 

mdjeterva

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briangelc

Does the scan gauge II report actual TFT? I used a bluetooth dongle and the torque app and it was the exact same as the coolant temperature. I'm sure the 6R80 has a trans temp sensor. I can't image they would take it out for the expedition. Mine has the towing package with aux trans cooler. Maybe I need to edit the TFT message address in the torque app??

I'm using Torque Pro and a bluetooth dongle on a 2005 with a 4R75E transmission and it runs around 150/160 degrees on hot days, about the same on Forscan Lite, but I have an extra transmission cooler and a remote filter.
 

DF5.4

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About the air suspension. My 07 had the self leveling air suspension. The first time I towed to test everything I had a 29' 1999 Sunline camper. I had (and still have) the Reese Dual cam HP hitch with 1200lb bars. I put the trailer tongue on the hitch and the back dropped a lot. I let the suspension level and hooked the bars up the way I always did. I noticed that is swayed a little more than I thought it should during the test run. When I got back home I found the chains were loose. The air suspension kept adjusting when I was driving and it ended up taking the full weight of the hitch. What I ended up needing to do was hook up the trailer and let the air suspension adjust. Then open one of the doors to deactivate it. Then I would raise the tongue a few inches and hook up the bars with a little tension on them. When I lowered the tongue it transferred the weight to the bars and both axles. Then the air suspension would do it's thing and keep everything level and still have some weight transferred to the front axle. When I got to a camp site I would open one of the doors to deactivate the air suspension and raise the tongue/rear of the truck to take the tension off the bars and take them off. Lower the tongue to release the hitch. Then start raising the tongue. The hitch would drop about 3" when it broke free of the trailer tongue. The back of the truck sagged because tha bags needed more air. Before I closed the door I would pull the truck forward. When the compressor leveled the truck the ball went up to where it would have hit the trailer tongue if I hadn't pulled the truck forward.
 

johnboneske

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Just brought home our new Keystone Outback 293UBH this past weekend. Its 5900 dry and has a GVWR of 7600. I got a Equalizer E4 with it. The camper store setup my Equalizer, think I may have to redo it. It squats to much I think? I dont think I would want any more trailer for this truck! I am ok doing 55 or 60, but it doesnt perform well at all trying for more. It was windy this past Saturday. So, maybe with less wind it would be better....
 

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