Weight-Distributing Hitch on Camper-Trailer

Hi Graeme

I've thought about a WDH for the Jayco at times but apart from the swing-away jockey wheel clearance, the other thing that bugs me is that they hang down way below the drawbar further restricting your clearance on humps etc.

I imagine the response will be "take them off before going 4WDing" but I'll be very interested to hear others' opinions.

Hi,

Follow the link below and check out the Hayman Reese site. Select weight distribution hitches and check out the mini hitch as it may suit your needs.

The only problem I can see is just as others have told you in that you will reduce some of your ground clearance.

Have a look anyway and see how you go.

Click Here

Cheers

Aint it a bugger - I wanted a KK but went to the Campomatic purely because of that heavy nose on the KK (I've got a Jack)- I started to twig when they quoted their 85kg on the nose WITH a full 130L of water at the rear !! The campo is much lighter at the front but I'm still moving to polyairs on standard springs, just for the occasion of a low water tank. I reckon KK have a formula problem - limits the range of vehicles that can accomodate it - and they are trying to put far too much on the drawbar possibly - still a great product though with a very good level of finish it seems.

Hello Graeme,
I have used a weight distribution hitch called an Ezi- lift for 15 yrs or so on a road
van. The bars don't hang down as far as the Reece bars do.
Same principle, do the job and are a little bit cheeper.

Thanks for the replies. I took the rig down to Lloyd's Caravans in Canberra today to have the ball weight checked. I loaded up the front locker with recovery gear and usual bits and pieces, put a 20kg container of water in one of the front jerry can holders and left the water tank empty as well as leaving out the reasonably heavy items that I normally put in the back. The water tank is right at the back and holds 130 kg of water, which reduces ball weight, but I was interested in finding out the worst case scenario. I can potentially take 120 litres of fuel in front of the wheels, which would put more weight on the ball, but if the jerry cans are full then so is the water tank. It would pay to empty the jerrys into the vehicle tanks as soon as there is room. The ball weight was even more than I expected - 260 kg. The Prado is rated at 250kg and in normal use i.e. with heavy gear loaded at the back and the water tank full it will come in at under the 250kg, but even if it is 200kg, that is quite heavy. Lloyds is making up a weight-distributing hitch for me. It needs a bar across the drawbar similar to what is used on a boat trailer which only has a single drawbar. This is needed to clear the swing-up jockey wheel and also because of the narrow angle in between the two sides of the drawbar. HR also makes a special unit to take a Treg hitch. It turns out that the bars and chain that do the work can be removed very easily in a matter of seconds to restore ground clearance in the rough stuff. In that situation I will be travelling slowly and will just need to put 30 psi in the Polyairs.