Towing Without a WDH

[Tazbert]

We're getting ready to pull the trigger on a 23' camper with a decent end-of-season price. The dealer wants to charge us a grand ($995) to add a WDH (He said Curt E2, but the only E2 I could find is a Fastway E2, $380 on Amazon). A couple of questions:

• If I take it easy, am I ok to pull the empty camper home (100 miles) without a WDH, and put one on myself before Spring camping season? It's a single-axle and dry weight is listed at 3100. I'm driving a Sport S Max Tow.
• Is $600 reasonable to install and tune a WDH? Seems really high.
• On the other hand, the video I watched on the Fastway WDH install required 250lb & 430lb torque wrenches. That, and some of the sockets I don't have could easily add up to a couple hundred.

Any and all advice is more than welcome. Thanks!

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[Trickster]

$600 is ridiculous. Drive it home, spend the winter shopping for a decent WDH and a few bucks more for a sway control and do it yourself. Countless videos online how to “tune” (new term for me) a WDH. Borrow, rent a couple of wrenches and your fine. $1600 for a WDH and install is outrageous. Don’t forget to buy a ball…lol.
Btw I wouldn’t be too worried about those torque specs on those bolts.
Just reef on them until you poop a little and your good.
Seriously, open ended wrenches for the bolts is all you need, and check them now and then, make sure you use lock washers, they won’t back off.
RV dealerships may offer nice pricing on their trailers, but the add ons are where they can really make their money on the unsuspecting ones.
I know, I worked at one.

 

[Jaxmax]

I agree, at 3100 pounds with a max tow your hitch weight is going to be like 400 max, drive at a careful speed and you will be surprised how easy it can tow. I wonder at 23’, 3100 pounds single axle, sounds like a Vista Cruiser 19, the camper I am looking for…..Jack

 

[Gren71]

Just reef on them until you poop a little and your good.

sound advice! Ill just add to not pull towards your face…i MAY have broken my nose a while back when the socket slipped. Emphasis on the MAY (definitely did)


youll be fine to pull home. Take it slow, 60mph on major highways and 50mph in 55 zones. Youll be fine. Therr are always people selling WDHs around me so im sure it’s probably similar for most folks.

post a pic of the travel trailer!

 

[KVJ]

Just reef on them until you poop a little and your good.

I use the same torque wrench as @Trickster !

@Jaxmax is right, tongue weight is good comparable to the trailer weight and as @Gren71 suggests take it slow for the ride home. Opt to stay off the freeway if side roads are available to get home.

As a side note, in the picture @Gren71 included you will see in addition to the two paper towels stuffed in his damaged nose that his left thumb is bandaged with a dark covering similar to the headband he is wearing. It makes me suspect his head is cracked. I also notice a small scrape on the left knee. Despite the injuries he appears to be still enjoying himself.

 

[Tazbert]

$600 is ridiculous. Drive it home, spend the winter shopping for a decent WDH and a few bucks more for a sway control and do it yourself. Countless videos online how to “tune” (new term for me) a WDH. Borrow, rent a couple of wrenches and your fine. $1600 for a WDH and install is outrageous. Don’t forget to buy a ball…lol.

I guess I wasn't clear. They're charging me $995 total for WDH and installation, but the hitch cost on Amazon is around $400, so I put $600 for the installation. Still high.

 

[Tazbert]

I agree, at 3100 pounds with a max tow your hitch weight is going to be like 400 max, drive at a careful speed and you will be surprised how easy it can tow. I wonder at 23’, 3100 pounds single axle, sounds like a Vista Cruiser 19, the camper I am looking for…..Jack

@Jaxmax for the win! It's a 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 ERD.

 

[Tazbert]

I'm also thinking that if they adjust it when I pick it up from the dealer, I'm going to have to redo it when I have everything loaded up for our first weekend, to account for the extra weight in the camper and Jeep, right?

 

[Jaxmax]

BINGO! Pretty neat camper and light!
I bought a used BlueOx sway pro WDH with 500 pound bars for $150, pretty easy to install. I think you will be surprized how well your Gladiator handles the camper without the WDH. congrats on the camper enjoy!.Just get it home. research WDH and look for one on facebook or where ever....Jack

 

[CrazyCooter]

You will be fine towing it home for sure and you may find you don't need weight distribution.

I have towed my 17' Clipper dry weight 3200lb over 4000 miles without weight dist, but I did add a friction sway control in case we ran into wind. Airlift bags in the rear coils helps out too especially when my Husky 701 is in the bed.

 

[MrZappo]

100 miles ? Hell yes ... Go get that thing and keep your money !!!

 

[eaglerugby04]

You should be fine bringing it home. Depending on the model you might want to bring a few hundred pounds of crap to throw in the front though. you will want to make sure you have some tounge weight there. You can do way better on a hitch, or if you are going to spend a grand get a better one.

Wandering Weekends did a review on most of the major ones on youtube. The weighsafe one came in at number 2 after the propride

 

[Trickster]

I'm also thinking that if they adjust it when I pick it up from the dealer, I'm going to have to redo it when I have everything loaded up for our first weekend, to account for the extra weight in the camper and Jeep, right?

Exactly.
When we sold a hitch, be it 5th wheel, WDH, or just a damn insert into an existing hitch receiver, we set it up for free. It was just good business.
$600 to install the bolts and set up the bars is amazing to me.
All of which take maybe 15 minutes?
That’s a $2,400 an hour labor charge. Wow!

 

[Gren71]

I use the same torque wrench as @Trickster !

@Jaxmax is right, tongue weight is good comparable to the trailer weight and as @Gren71 suggests take it slow for the ride home. Opt to stay off the freeway if side roads are available to get home.

As a side note, in the picture @Gren71 included you will see in addition to the two paper towels stuffed in his damaged nose that his left thumb is bandaged with a dark covering similar to the headband he is wearing. It makes me suspect his head is cracked. I also notice a small scrape on the left knee. Despite the injuries he appears to be still enjoying himself.

So, im sorta injury prone….at this point my hands are covered with a layer of skin that is younger than the rest of me after SoOoOo many cuts / scrapes / burns /stabs / nicks / dents / ect.

shortly before punching my self in the face i was cutting something and sliced through the tip of my thumb. I covered it with the towel after a little glue to put my thumb back together.

and yes, I still had a blast and finished the job!!

 

[KVJ]

I've been following your posts and injuries. Stay safe!

KVJ

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