Blue Ox Sway Pro Hitch

[downsc123]

Just weighted my ready to camp setup and I have 320 lbs more on my truck drive axle than my steer axle (CAT scale slip below). I am on the 10th link on my Blue Ox Sway Pro Hitch. Figured going to 11 links would get me close to balanced. However I am not able to get the 11th link to reach the slot in the coupled. Anyone out there able to get to 11 links or is my weight distribution good enough? Thanks.

 

[should_have]

Some folks say they like to get even distribution front and rear. Some folks say at a minimum, to get your front weight close to your uncouple trailer weight. I believe you have at least meet the later that you have restored your steer weight, plus some.

Proof is how well does it drive. And how level is your camper is with WDH Applied.

 

[downsc123]

Is the goal to get the steer and drive axle weights equal or simply to return the weight on the steer axle to what it was before the trailer was connected?

 

[should_have]

Sorry to say that's the million dollar question. The manufacture for the WDH and Ram unfortunately just reference Front Wheel Well Heights. Don't know why the WDH Manufacture or RAM for that matter give an answer to your question. I have a Andersen "No Sway" WDH which I spent some time tweaking the adjustment to obtain equal front and rear/drive axles. Personally I think when the weights are equal front and rear it seems to drive differently. Fortunately I can easily fine tune mine by pulling over to a parking lot.

I just took a cursory look at your instructions and I see there is nothing special about setting hitch head angle like some other Hitch manufacture's.

But I did see this in Blue Ox Pro Installation Manual Note: Ram Truck owners please reference the Trailer Towing section of your vehicle owner’s manual for proper hitch set-up instructions. Also, it is recommended for optimal towing performance to set the ball height 2” higher than the top the trailer coupler.

Just curious if you used 0 to 1" or the 2" per the note.

Also do you have the correct spring bars for your CAT Scale Tong weight vs Travel Trailer Manufacture Spec weight which is off by hundreds of pounds. If you have 750lb spring bars that maybe your problem and need to step up to 1,000 lb spring bars.

Again your mileage may vary, See a sample of my CAT Scale

 

[downsc123]

Thanks for the insights. I set the ball height about 1.75" higher that the hitch coupler height. I think that those special RAM instructions are to account for the extra squat we get with the coil springs. The setup rides very well with the no sway and the trailer is perfectly level. I will put a level on the truck next time I am hitched up to see if the truck is level as well before I try to make an 11th link work. I do have the 1000 lbs. bars as well.

 

[Dragonmaster13]

Looks like you are close to perfect. Do you hitch the ball and then crank up the tongue jack before putting the chains on? If not that is the next step and would probably allow you to pick up a few more links. To really tell if it is setup properly you’d have to have a truck scale weight with no trailer and compare the front axle weights, when they are close to the same or slightly heavier with trailer you are good to go.

How many links are below the rotator notch? I have the old style blue ox with adjustable tilt and have 5 links below the notch so the 6th link is captured, but my trailer weighs 7600lbs so, everything is different.

 

[Dragonmaster13]

Here’s my setup.

 

[downsc123]

Looks like you are close to perfect. Do you hitch the ball and then crank up the tongue jack before putting the chains on? If not that is the next step and would probably allow you to pick up a few more links. To really tell if it is setup properly you’d have to have a truck scale weight with no trailer and compare the front axle weights, when they are close to the same or slightly heavier with trailer you are good to go.

How many links are below the rotator notch? I have the old style blue ox with adjustable tilt and have 5 links below the notch so the 6th link is captured, but my trailer weighs 7600lbs so, everything is different.

Yes I do lift with the tongue jack to get the bars set and to take them off. I am actually heading out soon so I will grab a pic and also see how level the truck is with a loaded trailer. Next time I go by the CAT scale I will get a truck on measurement to see how close my loaded steer axle weight is the unloaded weight.

 

[downsc123]

Truck and loaded trailer are perfectly level

 

[Dragonmaster13]

Looks great, scale unloaded will confirm, but don’t think you’ll have any issues.