Weight distribution hitch

[kmcg]

I tow my 2006 Mobius (single axel trailer) with a 2006 Toyota Sequoia. The back of the Toyota sags low when towing. Has any one used a weight equalizing hitch with a swing away tounge? Can this type of hitch be used with surge brakes? Any other suggestions to keep the truck from sagging?

[bamaspiveys]

Hmmmm
Not sure you can do it on that type of trailer.
WD hitches for RVs have trunion bars to distribute the weight and I am not sure you could mount the bracket on the boat trailer.

I would look at the suspension on the tow vehicle. I installed a set of Air-Lift Ride Control Air Shocks on my wife's truck. Basically a set of airbags that help support the load.

The whole kit took me a weekend to install, it has a compressor that mounts under the vehicle the size of a large shaving bag, and an air guage that mounts in the vehicle. You increase the air in the bags to support the load. If you are not towing then you can let the air out and it does not change the ride.

Works great, very similar to the GM Autoride feature on Suburbans and Tahoes.

We have a 6500lb travel trailer that she tows and I tow the boat with my tahoe (that has autoride). Made a HUGE difference towing the travel trailer.


Not sure what the rear suspension is on the Toyota, but that is where I would start.

[bamaspiveys]

Here is the link to the product for your vehicle, this does not include the compressor kit, but you may find a package deal at some vendors/distributors. Looks pretty simple, a lot eaiser than my kit. All you have to do is drop the rear end and put the bags in the springs and hook up the compressor. If you are mechanically inclined it is a one day job, if not a suspension shop would probably charge 2 or 3 hours labor to do the whole kit.


http://airlift.iwebcat.com/_Members/lookups/partdetail.asp?hdnPN=482392&hdnSts=0&hdnUK=936&hdnQ=3&hdnLK=946&hdnLT=1&hdnSW=7135&hdnOEM=1&hdnUniv=0&hdnMM=149849&hdnAPFlag=&hdnWN=1&

[zegm]

bama has a good idea!!!! I image that the rear springs (coils I am sure) on your ride are fairly soft so as to not have the kiddings hitting their heads on the headliner when you hit a bump. You might also ask the toyota dealer if there are heavy springs you could install?

[tazz3069]

Bam--
I used those before in my old Datsun Truck. I did not have the compressor. I had to manually fill the shock either at the house or gas station. When I used it, it worked out great. Got rid of the sag when towing or when I had a heavy load in the truck.

[JoeTechie]

My dad had those for years in all the cars we used to pull big 23' cabin criuisers.

Manual fill versions - Very simple and are exactly what you are looking for.

Replacing the springs will work as well - but at the expense of your happy soft ride the other 95% of the time.

-J

[Sled491]

back in the day we used to use those manual air shocks to raise the rear ends of our cars to fit bigger tires and give our cars a strret rod/drag car look 8)

Either way I don't think the equalizing hitch will solve your problem. Like every one else stated you need someting to adjust your ride hieght not stop the trailer from swaying back and forth as is common with travel trailers :wink:

[Digger]

I would strongly recommend the air bags. I have a dodge 1 ton that has them and they are all the difference. I do not have the compressor and think that it is a waste of money. I ran the air lines to the back where the liscence plate is and and used chromed stem caps to hide the air valve ends. You cant tell what they are are just makes it look like a little extra bling on the truck. You can adjust the air pressure as you need to, remember to always run at least 15 psi at all times. The air bags are very durable and will not pop, leak or otherwise. My truck is always in the worst possible environment as I work in the oil patch in Alberta. Trust me when I say that you will never have a problem as long as you keep the air pressure up. Installed you are looking at no more than $400.00. Probably cheaper down south. Depending on how your truck sits after the air bags are in you might want to consider a leveling kit as well. They are fairly inexpensive too. Good luck.

[kmcg]

I ended up putting a Firestone Coil Rite airbag kit with a compressor on the Toyota. The kit was about $300. It took a mechanic about 4.5 hours to install the bags, compressor, airlines and switch. So far everything has been working great. I would recommend this solution. The compressor was about 2/3 of the kit and it was well worth it.

[clowninmd]

the right choice! weight distribution wouldn't allow your surge control to work at all.

[zegm]

Well you could have just bought the silverado or burb first and it wouldn't have been an issue!