RV FEATURE
WHY USE A WDH ?
These systems , with their components as designed , do exactly what the name suggests . They distribute weight . Why is it important to use one ? As far as caravan towing is concerned , weight is the biggest issue . There is a great deal more awareness on weights today than at any other time . What has changed ? Personally , I think that it ’ s the insurance liability that has created this awareness . If you tow a caravan or a load that exceeds the manufacturer ’ s recommendations and an accident occurs , the insurance is declared null and void . You , the driver , are therefore liable for the cost of repairs or responsible for the injuries or death that has occurred . So it is important that you get the weights right .
With a caravan placed on the towbar at the rear of a vehicle , the weight on the ball is weight that comes off the front wheels . Like a see saw . A WDH transfers some of that weight from the back of the car forward , back on the front wheels , distributing more weight across all of the axles on the road , including the caravan . This is what you are aiming for . It can also assist in sway control , though that ’ s not their primary purpose .
Bruce and Marg , who have years of vanning experience , use the Eaz-Lift WDH system .
Conversely , when you leave all the load on the towball or towbar , the rear of the towing vehicle goes downwards , indicating some weight has changed position . What are the effects ? To start with , a vehicle with that extra weight on the towball will be lighter to steer , the brakes will be less effective and the headlights will be focused above where they should be .
There are four main components to a WDH . These are the towbar that is attached to the car ; a heavy tow head , which the towball is secured to , secured to the hitch receiver by a hitch pin ; torsion bars that fit into the tow head ( these bars are generally rated according to the expected towing weight ); and brackets , fitted to the A-frame , to which the torsion bars attach by chains .
Whether you use a WDH or not comes down to some simple decisions , those based on advice from your vehicle manufacturer , and your own experience . We find that our WDH gives us peace of mind .
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