Hayman 550 WDH set up

How do you know when you have reached the max that the bars can handle, the idea of winding the caravan up and then attaching the chain works, but the strain must be a lot on the bars/chains etc.

I' m pretty sure that my instructions refer to ' four working links' as being the limit of chain tensioning. I might also mention that it seems to be that current advice suggests that you don't need to fully return the front to absolutely the same height as when it was unladen. I presume you have taken measurements of front and rear heights in both unhitched and hitched modes.

Checked the height front and rear, best I get is about 30mm difference, problem i have just found is that due to the van having a folding a frame bar that i cannot get the chains directly under the couplings (The frame is too thick there) and this means that when turning the chains hit the frame and well I guess i have no option but to throw the damm thing in the shed and look for another one.

Maybe look at airbags as another option. Those weight dis bars aint cheap i think airbags fitted are around $500.

4 runner, do you have the classic bars or the newer standard (round) bars? If you have the older style classic bars you can get 28" long bars (yours will probably be the 30" ones.)

Don't go the air bag way. They only trim the tug to make it look level. Jacking up the rear with air bags does nothing to distribute the ball weight of the van over both axles of the tug. That is the job the weight distribution hitch does.

This 30 mm difference you keep talking about puzzles me. Where is this measurement being made?

The figures I am more interested in are the heights of the wheel arches before and after the van is hitched. You should be measuring the height of the underside of the wheel arch openings at the centreline of each axle. The front axle is the main one to monitor.

When you hitch up a van (no WDH) you will be placing the ball weight at the rear of the tug. This will lift the tugs front end, whether you have air bags or not. When the front end lifts it means there is less weight on the front wheels. The resultant weight on the rear axle is the sum of the ball weight and the weight that is removed from the front axle. (In most cases when you are towing near your maximum capacity that will mean you are overloading the rear axle.) When you are hitched up and the the WDH adjusted you will be loading up both axles. The front axle should be loaded up until the wheel arch is nearly back down to the same height as it was before hitching the van. When that happens the rear wheel arch will be down a little, it will be at the same height as it would be of you put the same weight as the ball weight directly over that axle.

What is your van and your tug?

Peter

I have a Goldstream Star 2 and a 1990 4 Runner, the caravan at some stage had a folding bar fitted to the front.

The 30mm is what the differance is at the back wheel arch when the WDH is fitted, ie without the WDH I have 810mm and with it I have 840mm.

The bars are the old ones, I have had the kit for a few years and never needed it until now as i plan of doing a couple of thou un north.

I dont think I can use the WDH as the coupling on the frame is in front of the chains due to not being able to move it back (Folding frame is too wide)

Shame, as when i lift the chains on I can see the load coming off the back of the truck