I just bought one last week and it was delivered on Friday. Went to actually install it on Tuesday and discovered the needle valve was bent. Spoke to ETrailer and they called B&W. B&W called me back and arranged to ship out a new pump assembly. Just waiting on that to arrive so I can get my install completed and tested with my rig.
I ran into the same issue and called B&W direct. They sent out a new pump assembly right away, and pre-paid label for return. I have had the hitch for a couple of months and put about 1500 miles on it, and am very impressed. Highly recommended. Hope B&W can tweak the packaging to avoid the bent needle valve during shipping.
@@BigTruckBigRV I was like either you’ve done that a lot or just really lucky. Did very much enjoy the video though jd and looking forward to more. I will say for a video idea compare ram’s HO diesel to ford’s to see the comparison.
The benefits you speak of about doing it without tow vehicle there is kind of pointless unless you’re swapping between trailers frequently. Once any system is installed the only time you need to make adjustments to height is if vehicles are changed. All hitch systems you’re playing with heights on the tow vehicle and trailer, you never know unless using a scale or making multiple trips to a CAT scale how much is distributed and how much tongue weight you have. Specially if loads are changing per trip basis in the trailer. The weigh safe is the only hitch that you’re able to calibrate on the fly after initial set up that you know how much tongue weight actually is along with the calculations the app makes for you. B&W made a cool hitch but the weigh safe is the way to go honestly…. Not a weigh safe weight distribution owner yet 😂 do have a weigh safe product though.
Why does it take five minutes to say "you can install some of the trailer side without the tow vehicle"? And by the way, that part is just the hydraulic pump and cylinder.
Have been using this for about 3 months and towed about 3,000 miles with it. Very happy with the ease of installation. My Arctic Fox travel trailer has a dry weight of 7,000 lbs. Towing with a 2019 Ford F250 Super duty 2wd and the back end drops only slightly before pumping up the hydraulics. I have all kinds of ground clearance. One note: Didn't see you put the 3rd bolt in the bottom of the pump. My parts kit was short that and they overnighted it by UPS.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I hear is, if you use weight distribution hitches, it can void warranty and if frame bends, you're on your own, from videos people posted. Many mfg use only 8mil hitch frame and can bend on a road diver or construction.
I have a 35 foot travel trailer that I tow with an F450. I use an anti sway bar but not weight distribution for that very reason. Go over a bump wrong and a WD hitch would transfer that excessive weight onto the A frame and it would be game over.
I currently have a Hensley hitch. How does it compare to it (setup/tow)? It looks like you can’t open the tailgate or make as sharp of turns. Is that accurate?
I guess I'll have to wait for part 2 -- the way it looks now makes me really wonder if that'd end up dragging. For example, one of the parks near me has speed tables going on - think speed bump but instead of being just a bump it's like 3ft deep. They're generally about 8 inches high -- and it sure looks like you'd be in trouble trying to go over them with that hitch.
The torsion of a WD hitch is already a concern with bars. Moving the torsion point about 2 feet forward on the tongue seems like it puts a lot more torque on the front of the tongue than traditional bars would. I'll be curious to watch for failures before dropping the $$ for one of these, although I do like not having to jack up the rear of the truck to attach my WD bars. And, say goodbye to your Fastway flip for your jack.
No thanks. I'll stick with my Anderson 3350. Half the cost and way more simple to install. I'm a former RV Sales Manager and have seen most of the popular hitches, and Anderson is my way to go.
Maybe I missed it, but you measured to make sure the frame is the same distance from the concrete on the back as it was in the front, is it just assumed your concrete pad is perfectly level?
That looks like a lot of extra unnecessary weight to replace 2 simple spring bars. I could be wrong but it looks a whole lot more complicated to hook up your trailer.
The extra part is the hydraulic pump and cylinder, which replaces the usual chains and brackets. It is more mechanical complication, but it also allows adjustment by just pumping, and allows unhooking and hooking up without lever bars or the hack of lifting the truck with the tongue jack. The next video will show the hitching and unhitching process, which is straightforward.
I have a very steep and uneven driveway and clearance has never been an issue. After several months and about 1500 miles using the hitch at various locales, I think the concern over clearance is overblown.
@@johnand depends what kind of camping you do. It's ok on the fwy and RV Parks in TX but come and do some boondocking off the freeway in nature on dirt roads....
Some vehicle manufactures recommend you don’t use weight distribution hitches due to they give false feedback to vehicle stability control ECU. They also increase load on towbar and if your caravan is at 70% + of capacity you can overload hitch. Imagine you go down ditch, the vehicle front is high, caravan front is low, this hitch will load the towbar heavily. All these items are one way your insurance company has a way of refusing claim. Check your vehicles manual or ask dealer if your vehicle is compatible with a weight distribution hitch. My recommendation, airbags in as there cheaper and don’t pay with stability control and won’t overload towbar.
This seems like a phenomenal idea for a WDH! I'd jump on it except for 2 concerns: how long is that pump going to last before it starts letting air pressure out while I'm towing due to worn out seals, and 2; temperatures in Canada can change quite drastically the more north you go (where all the best camping spots are) which will absolutely effect the hydraulics mid-tow.
I’ve used the continuum to tow my side by side on trailer (+/- 5000lbs) behind a 200 series Land Cruiser over lone distances including all the across the country. It worked phonemically and helped me level out the car even with a trunk full of cargo. It inspired so much confidence driving in so many different conditions. The only problem I had with it was that the pressure on the springs would change a lot when the temperature outside changed. I assume this is the volume of the hydrolic fluid in the cylender increases when hot. Not sure how to solve this issue other than adjusting the pressure each time I was refueling.
Don't tow with jack foot level with load bars. The jack foot hits bars in tight turns and damages bars. New updated instructions in pdf calls this out. Had to send mine back for replacement. Works great otherwise!
It'll be great while it's new, but leaving the chromed surface of the piston rod is a recipe for seal failure long-term. The higher forces due to the shorter spring bars is less than ideal as well as it puts the coupler and end of the frame under a substantially higher load to get the weight distribution set the same as a conventional WDH.
Get a tripod, you dont have to constantly hold the camera. I know it is a excuse to keep you off the video. Tripod would give two hands to work better. Also doesnt the jack have to be higher above the spring bars? If you turn a corner it will destroy either the jack or bars?
Looks interesting. I only have experience with the old style WDH. I have an E2 on our trailer. It looks like the leverage point ( where the spring bars push against the A frame ) is a lot closer to the hitch ( in front of the propane tanks ) than the traditional spring bars ( behind the propane tanks ). Less leverage, would that mean it puts more pressure against the A frame to offset the same weight? I guess I'll just have to wait for the full review.
Yes, to get the required amount of load transfer between axles requires a specific torque applied to the hitch; to get that torque with a shorter lever arm requires more force. That does mean that the force pulling down on the frame up close to the coupler will be higher than the force of a conventional WD hitch pulling down on the frame further from the coupler.
I just bought one last week and it was delivered on Friday. Went to actually install it on Tuesday and discovered the needle valve was bent. Spoke to ETrailer and they called B&W. B&W called me back and arranged to ship out a new pump assembly. Just waiting on that to arrive so I can get my install completed and tested with my rig.
I ran into the same issue and called B&W direct. They sent out a new pump assembly right away, and pre-paid label for return. I have had the hitch for a couple of months and put about 1500 miles on it, and am very impressed. Highly recommended. Hope B&W can tweak the packaging to avoid the bent needle valve during shipping.
Did anyone else get traumatized when jd just about flipped the pin on his finger?
Wow, it looked worse that I thought after watching it again lol
@@BigTruckBigRV I was like either you’ve done that a lot or just really lucky. Did very much enjoy the video though jd and looking forward to more. I will say for a video idea compare ram’s HO diesel to ford’s to see the comparison.
100% yes.
What traumatized me more was the price! Yikes!😂
The benefits you speak of about doing it without tow vehicle there is kind of pointless unless you’re swapping between trailers frequently. Once any system is installed the only time you need to make adjustments to height is if vehicles are changed.
All hitch systems you’re playing with heights on the tow vehicle and trailer, you never know unless using a scale or making multiple trips to a CAT scale how much is distributed and how much tongue weight you have. Specially if loads are changing per trip basis in the trailer.
The weigh safe is the only hitch that you’re able to calibrate on the fly after initial set up that you know how much tongue weight actually is along with the calculations the app makes for you.
B&W made a cool hitch but the weigh safe is the way to go honestly…. Not a weigh safe weight distribution owner yet 😂 do have a weigh safe product though.
Why does it take five minutes to say "you can install some of the trailer side without the tow vehicle"? And by the way, that part is just the hydraulic pump and cylinder.
Have been using this for about 3 months and towed about 3,000 miles with it. Very happy with the ease of installation. My Arctic Fox travel trailer has a dry weight of 7,000 lbs. Towing with a 2019 Ford F250 Super duty 2wd and the back end drops only slightly before pumping up the hydraulics. I have all kinds of ground clearance. One note: Didn't see you put the 3rd bolt in the bottom of the pump. My parts kit was short that and they overnighted it by UPS.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I hear is, if you use weight distribution hitches, it can void warranty and if frame bends, you're on your own, from videos people posted.
Many mfg use only 8mil hitch frame and can bend on a road diver or construction.
I have a 35 foot travel trailer that I tow with an F450. I use an anti sway bar but not weight distribution for that very reason. Go over a bump wrong and a WD hitch would transfer that excessive weight onto the A frame and it would be game over.
I currently have a Hensley hitch. How does it compare to it (setup/tow)? It looks like you can’t open the tailgate or make as sharp of turns. Is that accurate?
I guess I'll have to wait for part 2 -- the way it looks now makes me really wonder if that'd end up dragging. For example, one of the parks near me has speed tables going on - think speed bump but instead of being just a bump it's like 3ft deep. They're generally about 8 inches high -- and it sure looks like you'd be in trouble trying to go over them with that hitch.
I was thinking the same thing. Maybe the second video will address this.
JD, can you open the tailgate?
The torsion of a WD hitch is already a concern with bars. Moving the torsion point about 2 feet forward on the tongue seems like it puts a lot more torque on the front of the tongue than traditional bars would. I'll be curious to watch for failures before dropping the $$ for one of these, although I do like not having to jack up the rear of the truck to attach my WD bars.
And, say goodbye to your Fastway flip for your jack.
No thanks. I'll stick with my Anderson 3350. Half the cost and way more simple to install. I'm a former RV Sales Manager and have seen most of the popular hitches, and Anderson is my way to go.
Since I own a B&W fifth wheel hitch, I would recommend any towing related products by them. The quality is top notch.
Honestly it looks expensive, overly complicated and too low. I mean, yay for trying new things but I don’t see the value.
Too much hassle!
Maybe I missed it, but you measured to make sure the frame is the same distance from the concrete on the back as it was in the front, is it just assumed your concrete pad is perfectly level?
Any plans to try mounting on a trailer with C channel frame? Looks like this would work well on say an equipment trailer
22 min video could have been 12 min. Said the same things multiple times throughout the video.
Do you need to have the tow vehicle the entire time during installation? Lol jk. Nice video
Hitch won't work for me; not enough ground clearance.
If you need ground clearance Camco R6 is for you.
That looks like a lot of extra unnecessary weight to replace 2 simple spring bars. I could be wrong but it looks a whole lot more complicated to hook up your trailer.
The extra part is the hydraulic pump and cylinder, which replaces the usual chains and brackets. It is more mechanical complication, but it also allows adjustment by just pumping, and allows unhooking and hooking up without lever bars or the hack of lifting the truck with the tongue jack.
The next video will show the hitching and unhitching process, which is straightforward.
Looking at the side profile what's the ground clearance? May have issues going over RR crossings and uneven driveways. Looks pretty low to the ground.
I have a very steep and uneven driveway and clearance has never been an issue. After several months and about 1500 miles using the hitch at various locales, I think the concern over clearance is overblown.
@@johnand depends what kind of camping you do. It's ok on the fwy and RV Parks in TX but come and do some boondocking off the freeway in nature on dirt roads....
Some vehicle manufactures recommend you don’t use weight distribution hitches due to they give false feedback to vehicle stability control ECU.
They also increase load on towbar and if your caravan is at 70% + of capacity you can overload hitch. Imagine you go down ditch, the vehicle front is high, caravan front is low, this hitch will load the towbar heavily.
All these items are one way your insurance company has a way of refusing claim.
Check your vehicles manual or ask dealer if your vehicle is compatible with a weight distribution hitch.
My recommendation, airbags in as there cheaper and don’t pay with stability control and won’t overload towbar.
This seems like a phenomenal idea for a WDH! I'd jump on it except for 2 concerns: how long is that pump going to last before it starts letting air pressure out while I'm towing due to worn out seals, and 2; temperatures in Canada can change quite drastically the more north you go (where all the best camping spots are) which will absolutely effect the hydraulics mid-tow.
what if you sag like 5 to 6 inches
I’ve used the continuum to tow my side by side on trailer (+/- 5000lbs) behind a 200 series Land Cruiser over lone distances including all the across the country. It worked phonemically and helped me level out the car even with a trunk full of cargo. It inspired so much confidence driving in so many different conditions. The only problem I had with it was that the pressure on the springs would change a lot when the temperature outside changed. I assume this is the volume of the hydrolic fluid in the cylender increases when hot. Not sure how to solve this issue other than adjusting the pressure each time I was refueling.
Looks like some small curbing would snag that right off.
It's not that low when setup
Can you get it with a 2 inch ball?
Don't tow with jack foot level with load bars. The jack foot hits bars in tight turns and damages bars. New updated instructions in pdf calls this out. Had to send mine back for replacement. Works great otherwise!
It'll be great while it's new, but leaving the chromed surface of the piston rod is a recipe for seal failure long-term. The higher forces due to the shorter spring bars is less than ideal as well as it puts the coupler and end of the frame under a substantially higher load to get the weight distribution set the same as a conventional WDH.
reason to get a 5th wheel
Not with a 1500!
Looks like an awesome weight distribution hitch but I don't see any means for sway control.
Why would a different tow vehicle change the configuration of the weight distribution hitch?
As others have commented, the ground clearance looks problematic. I suppose we have to wait for part 2 to see if the continues to be the case.
Seems to be hanging really low. Guess it depends on the terrain you will be navigating.
i cannot wait to see the an actual review of this hitch, there has been several install videos but nobody has given a real usage report yet
I’ll stick with the tried and true trunnion bar setup.
Interesting. I’ll share it with someone I know who RV’s
Can you open your tailgate with this hitch?
I really wanted to get that WDH
But in the end went with a Hensley
Great review. Curious to see your thoughts long term.
Get a tripod, you dont have to constantly hold the camera. I know it is a excuse to keep you off the video. Tripod would give two hands to work better. Also doesnt the jack have to be higher above the spring bars? If you turn a corner it will destroy either the jack or bars?
You may have not noticed I used a tripod in this video
The spring bars turn with the trailer, so they turn with the jack. The jack leg won't run into the spring bars.
I'll wait for the Weigh Safe install
Nice, now I'm waiting for part two!
Nice video. Interesting design.
Just looks too close to the ground to me
No sway protection.?
So far, nope ✌️
A very nice hitch. Has it yet been released?
Yep and available
Looks interesting. I only have experience with the old style WDH. I have an E2 on our trailer. It looks like the leverage point ( where the spring bars push against the A frame ) is a lot closer to the hitch ( in front of the propane tanks ) than the traditional spring bars ( behind the propane tanks ). Less leverage, would that mean it puts more pressure against the A frame to offset the same weight? I guess I'll just have to wait for the full review.
Yes, to get the required amount of load transfer between axles requires a specific torque applied to the hitch; to get that torque with a shorter lever arm requires more force. That does mean that the force pulling down on the frame up close to the coupler will be higher than the force of a conventional WD hitch pulling down on the frame further from the coupler.