Jupiter Sunsation

Saw this in a magazine:

https://www.curtmfg.com/betterweigh

Plug it in and it will tell you how much you are towing, tongue weight, weight distribution, etc. No idea how this would work

30outlaw

kinda neat... i'm thinking most experienced people towing can tell the info it gives you by looking at their rig...price is right

Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

I have the HaulGauge. (Of course I would have one!)
https://www.haulgauge.com/

It's pretty accurate. You start with adding known weight loads, (like your body weight), on the truck, and it measures how much the truck pitches. Then it multiplies as needed. It has a fixed unit that plugs into ODB port. That is what measures pitch. Then it combines with your tire size, axle ratio, and all the other specs of your vehicle, including engine load and such.

It was worth the $100 investment to experiment for me. It help me know where best to set my WD hitch and airbags for my Toy Hauler loaded with my race car and gear.

bajaholic

double post

bajaholic

This is not a cut down to you, please don't take it that way, but here is a critique of your picture you posted.

My problem with the picture is your truck is not balanced to the levelness of your trailer. It should be level, your truck and trailer. So either your app (If you are relying on that) is giving you erroneous information or you don't have your truck, hitch or trailer balanced to ride level and it's just throwing everything off.

The truck: If you have airbags, once the camper is attached you should be able to level the rear of the truck. Without knowing all the specifics, my suggestion would be 45-55lbs loaded? Is this close?

Your brake, I like to adjust the controller so that when you hit the brake at 25-30 mph you feel a lite tug from the trailer, just before your truck brakes engage. This will be by feel and will change depending on the loaded weight, but has always worked well for overall stopping needs at any low to medium speed.

The trailer, tag, Tri Axle Toy haulers were tied to numerous accidents when they first came out. Weekend Warrior who was the first manufacturer to make them was sued and lost, then a class action ensued. They ended up paying out HUGE money to settle with all the plaintiffs. Most toy haulers took note after that and worked in balance points into the design. You would be hard pressed to ever overload or wrongly place the weight. That is why the axles and frame structure is set up the way they are. (An overview of the class action: https://www.glamisdunes.com/invision...on-settlement/)

So that leaves us the hitch. My first suggestion is set or get a taller stance so that once you have added the air, the ball itself will sit so the trailer rides level. Then, add the distribution chains, they too should be level once they are secured and finally add the sway shock. This is not really towards the levelness but will certainly make the trailer run more true.

If you do this, I feel you will find a vast improvement in trailing especially in the true-ness it will pull down the road, but you will also get better tire wear and last but not least, loading and unloading will be easier because your angle of your loading ramp will be diminished.

The app is cool.... If you like all the specs so it makes you feel warm and fuzzy, but a couple of common sense adjustments and you will be much happier in the way it pulls.

Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

Thank you for the feedback. I really appreciate it.

I’ve made a lot of changes in the whole setup several times over. The truck was BONE stock for a while, and the lift/wheels/tires/bags were DRASTIC towing stability improvements.
-ditched Equalizer hitch for Andersen hitch
-Full Carli suspension which has softer leafs, so my bags are usually at 80-ish PSI
-I actually lowered the WD ball mount “1 notch” to get the trailer down a bit out of the wind, and better balance. That advice was from another owner of the same Fleetwood Gearbox. I by default thought level was best, but this one is noticeably better towing nose down a bit. But those dynamics change based on water and fuel load under the trailer.
-In this pic, the truck is really loaded down since this was NASA Nationals and I had a LOT of spare parts in the bed and cab.
-I have a 4500 lbs. tongue jack so I can lift the trailer up to help with loading. The car is low so I also use 8” tall race ramps to extend the trailer’s ramp door.
-The trailer has leaf springs, equalizers and fore/aft shocks; all brand new with 6 new brakes and 6 new tires. I get what you are saying about trailer level, and I have a trailer TPMS system where I am monitoring temp and pressure of all 6 tires at all times, and they remain uniform.
-The ramp door is currently being remade with an aluminum structure vs. steel.
-I once loaded the 3300 lbs. Mustang in backwards, but the truck’s handling is slightly better when the weight of the engine of the car is over the trailer axles. Backwards loading levels the trailer, but it’s too much weight aft of the trailer axles.
-Two of my fellow racers have/had the same model TH and towed with a Mustang inside for many years with no major issues. I asked both for insight before I bought.
-I’m now considering adding a tall camper shell to the truck to improve aero and make bed storage easier. I hate the look, but form over fashion.

This setup actually tows more stabile than my former 37AT/Myco behind my former F350 DRW with front and rear leaf springs; especially when it comes to passing 18 wheeler box trailers on the interstate.