RV FEATURE
I fitted the WDH and set it to the ninth link in the chain – I always ‘ start small ’, re-measure , and tighten up the WDH torsion bars as necessary . The ninth link barely made any difference , so I set the torsion bars to the seventh link and measured again .
This time , the front was at 860mm while the rear was at 870mm – much closer to my starting point . In any event , the goal was not to completely counteract or negate the ball weight . I could ’ ve kept ‘ tinkering ’ but by this stage , the WDH brackets required a great deal of force to lift and I felt this was as close as I ’ d get without also unduly compressing the front end . I also measured from the ground to the bottom edge of the the van , both behind the axles and towards the front , and those measurements were almost exactly the same , which further told me that I ’ d found the optimal setting for my WDH and this tow vehicle / caravan combination .
As your payload can change while on tour , it might be worth periodically retaking your measurements and adjuting the tension of the WDH accordingly .
The van had an unladen ball weight of 257kg .
There is no end to the conjecture on how to properly set a WDH . In my experience , it ’ s difficult and not always wise to restore the tow vehicle to it ’ s pre-hitched position . The torsional forces applied through the vehicle ’ s chassis by a WDH are immense , which is why I personally aim to get the front and rear to within 10mm of the starting point – especially when the rear has sunk so significantly , such as in this case .
Note , not all vehicle manufacturers allow or recommend the use of WDHs . For example , in the case of my fist-generation MU-X , used in this demonstration , Isuzu doesn ’ t warrant the use of a WDH ; however , just for the purposes of demonstration , I decided to risk it . The point is , before committing to a WDH , be certain that one is allowed for your vehicle .
WDH DOWN SIDES
It ’ s often said that a WDH will ‘ correct ’ sway . Not true . However , by redistributing weight across all axles of the caravan / tow vehicle combination , the WDH will play a role in significantly reducing the chances of sway occurring .
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