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

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fjet

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Konabean, I'm using a Blue OX WDH, with a 29' TT and 7000lbs, on my 2014 limited. I also had problems with the mechanical level system set up. The camper dealer set it up when we picked up the trailer and it looked pretty squat. I could hardly keep in on the road the front was light and its was very unstable. When I got home the truck had come up 3". I think it increased my tongue weight and loosened the WDH tension. I have since lowered the hitch 3 holes and I always lock the WD hitch on the same links even if I have to lift my truck a bit with the tongue jack to get it there. My setup is not level when I start out but after about a mile or two if I stop and look it look proper and pulls well
 

johnboneske

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WOW!! You tow a 32' trailer with a 12 Navi, and now a 17 Expy? DAMN!!

I saw the 3220 dry is around 7k, and then stuff with it(hitch, cloths, camper stuff, you, wife, kids, pets etc) has to exceed 2000lbs, so thats 9k roughly... I thought in good towing we arent suppose to exceed 80% tow capacity?? I tow a Starcraft 27BHU with a 03 Expy. It tows it just fine, but I am at 6300 dry, and we dont take to much stuff with us, so puts us around 7700 loaded. I am over my 80% some, but we also dont tow far away either. I have a "generic WDH with sway, and a prodigy brake controller.

I am NOT knocking what you said, or telling you that your foolish or anything. I am glad that you posted it, so nowI know that in the future I can go to a newer Expy like a 2009 to 2012, and a bigger trailer and wont have issues! Thank you!
 

MissileMech

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To the OP, the hitch bars need grease at the pivot points and on the brackets. If you don't grease them they can get brittle from friction heating at the contact points on the hitch head and may eventually crack. This also reduces noise as an added benefit.
 

Dj Holland

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WOW!! You tow a 32' trailer with a 12 Navi, and now a 17 Expy? DAMN!!

I saw the 3220 dry is around 7k, and then stuff with it(hitch, cloths, camper stuff, you, wife, kids, pets etc) has to exceed 2000lbs, so thats 9k roughly... I thought in good towing we arent suppose to exceed 80% tow capacity?? I tow a Starcraft 27BHU with a 03 Expy. It tows it just fine, but I am at 6300 dry, and we dont take to much stuff with us, so puts us around 7700 loaded. I am over my 80% some, but we also dont tow far away either. I have a "generic WDH with sway, and a prodigy brake controller.

I am NOT knocking what you said, or telling you that your foolish or anything. I am glad that you posted it, so nowI know that in the future I can go to a newer Expy like a 2009 to 2012, and a bigger trailer and wont have issues! Thank you!
Dry weight on my 3220 is 6200 with gvwr of 7400 will have it weight first trip this year just to see though
 
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I tow a Keystone Passport 3220BH with an 2011 EL. The first couple times I towed with it it was horrible, it had a standard WD hitch with a friction sway control bar. I found a Propride 3P on ebay for $1000, it just needed new bearings. It is absolutely a night and day difference, worth every penny considering the precious cargo. I bought the 1400 lb version per Shawn at Propride's recommendation (luckily the one on ebay was that but you can buy just the bars). I hit the CAT scale twice on a trip once on the way up (400 lbs over on rear axle) and once on the way back after several adjustments and rearranging (100 lbs over over on rear axle). We are just within all the specs for tongue weight, GVWR, GCWR, and both GAWRs. It feels like driving a bus when a semi comes up and passes us it just gives a slight push as if it's a long bus. If I were you I would take a look at buying the next size bigger spring bars for your hitch, tilting the head of the hitch down slightly (maybe drop a bolt hole down), or just move the chains up one more link. I really jack the back end of the expy up a ways to take pressure off the bars to get the chain latches flipped over (the coil spring suspension in the back is pretty soft for ride quality so it will sag quite a bit if you don't put good pressure on those spring bars). The picture attached is of our old WD hitch but I was able to get it pretty well leveled (same good results with propride hitch). As long as your tongue weight is within spec I would measure the front wheel wells and get those back to within a quarter inch of where they were unloaded. Then go to a CAT scale to fine tune it. I put load range E tires on Expy and Trailer so I'm not too worried about 100 lbs over on the rear axle but the stock tires I don't think have much margin. I apologize for the rather incoherent rambling. But hope this helps.

Some benefits of the Propride is that you can open the lift gate while the trailer is hitched and you can turn very sharp. Previously with my tongue bike rack the bike tires would hit the rear corner of the vehicle while turning sharp.

**Check your door sticker to see your GVWR / GCWR / GAWRs this will help you get your hitch tuned perfectly**

20170505_124522.jpg
 
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wow it is amazing how some people here don't even know what these devices do, or how they work, yet they are hauling around 35ft trailers. I recommend that anyone who doesnt understand tongue weight or GVW go back to their RV dealers and ask them to set up the trailer properly. Also learn how to pack your trailer so that it does not change the tongue weight that you measured at the dealership.
These trucks were not designed for 1200+lb tongue weights. You will break your truck!
Also, it would be wise to monitor Transmission Fluid Temperature. Any vehicle without a TFT gauge can be instantly monitored by using a Scangauge II. These are $160 at Walmart.com. They just plug into the OBDII port under the steering wheel, and also double as a code reader. Plus it gives MPG's and displays many other gauges that Expeditions lack.

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??
 
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Here are some very informative videos I found on youtube explaining the different sway hitch types, GAWR, GVWR, GCWR, Payload, and how the Propride 3P / Hensley Arrow work (absolutely the best sway control available).

Weight distribution vs load leveling air bags:

What is sway and what causes it and types of hitches:

How Hensely Arrow / Propride 3P blocks our sway:

GAWR / GCRW / GVWR / Payload:
 

MattyMMA

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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.
 

RustyOval

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I tow a 30 ft. bunkhouse with my 09 Expy EB. I also have a "real" Equalizer, just like yours. There are many comments on this thread about chain links, as you know, you dont have any chain links. It sounds to me like you need to angle your hitch head back by pacing more washers on the stop pin. You can go up to seven ... this is how many I installed.

Angling the hitch back forces more weight to your front axle when you put tension on the bars. Think of the hitch tension bars like a wheelbarrow, as they are lifted up the back of your tow vehicle raises transfering wieght to the front axle.

As far as the noise goes, well that is part of how the anti sway works. The noise can be lessened by buying the Equalizer slides that get placed on the angle brackets for the tension bars to ride on. Never grease the friction point BTW!

I hope this helps, this is real world info from a guy that has nearly the same set up as you other than the self leveling. I have read that the self leveling should be shut off while settign up the WDH.
 

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