i have a small front wheel drive suv with a class 2 hitch that has a
specific trailering problem. I have a hard time
pulling my boat up loading ramps.I need to get more
weight onto the front tires of the suv,but i wonder if
a weight
distributing kit would help much for this particular
problem, since most of the tow weight in this
situation is horizontal to the hitch because of the
ramp slope.Has anyone else been able to solve this problem without trading in the tow vehicle?
thank you for your feedback.

rory howard

Howard,
TOO many unknowns here:
What is the pulling capacity of the SUV?
What degree of the ramp?
Boat weight?
No power or do you just spin tires?
Have a Ford Windstar van 3.8 v-6
Pulls 3,000 pounds just great, except for mountains, then not enough high end tourque

Howard, This is just a thought. It sounds like you have too much tongue weight on the hitch. If that is the case then some trailers' axles can be relocated to decrease/increase tongue weight. I don't know if the distributing devices will help in this application. You can possibly get an answer from Joe's Hitch & Trailer Service. There is one in Dallas & one in Plano.
Good Luck, Tommy Yetts
Rockwall Marine

hooker,

the vehicle is a toyoto highlander with a v6.I have enough power,but the front tires spin.Just not getting enough traction.the vehicle is rated to tow 3000 lbs. My boat is about 2500 lbls.Ramps with less slope means that i have to back up into the water soo far that i fear getting water into the differential vent line.I have bought more aggressive tread tires, and that has helped some.

The problem you are incurring is inherent with front wheel drive vehicles. To answer your question - Yes - a weight distributing hitch would redistribute the load and add weight to the front wheels and may or may not increase your ability to accomplish the task you want it to do. This type hitch is designed for use on hitch heavy rigs to transfer weight to the front for steering and balance purposes.

The degree of angle is immaterial as the weight transfer by the hitch is a constant accomplished by the leverage applied by the hitch spring bars. However, this same redistribution could cause severe handling problems in highway driving if not properly adjusted, especially with a front wheel drive vehicle. If you already have a 2" receiver, see if you can borrow a weight distribution hitch from a friend that has a travel trailer and try it before you invest a couple of hundred dollars in something that won't work. Be careful on the highway because you have placed the load on your steering and drive wheels and removed it from the rear creating a possibility of jack-knifing the whole rig. A simple dip in the roadway or a sudden cross wind can cause it to get away from you. Experience from towing 30' travel trailers thousands of miles.

Oops- reread your description. You have a Class II hitch. It probably takes a 1 1/4" draw bar. A weight distribution hitch is not available for anything less than a Class III receiver (2" draw bar). The Toyota web site lists tow capacities for your vehicle as 2000 lb for standard V6 and 3500 lb with optional tow package. From your weight description, if you don't have the tow package you are already dangerously overloaded for your vehicle. As a general rule no more than 80% of tow capacity is max needed to provide safety. Many people don't abide by it, that's why you see trailers with their feet in the air in the median. If you want additional info on receivers and w/d hitches see http://www.etrailer.com/fitguide.htm

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Illegitimis nil carborundum - See'ya on the horizon!

Just a southern engineering sort of solution that may work is to get a trailer jack that has a wheel on the base and lower it down and releive some of the weight off of the rear of the vehicle and pull it out of the water.

This would only work if the ramp didn't make a sudden change in the slope angle at the top.

Just a thought.

oldeputy,
talked to Joe's hitch and trailer..out of luck on the weight distribution kit,like you said, it is not available for my vehicle or hitch..looks like the only real solution is to get another tow vehicle..thanks everyone for the input.

Tommy glad to see you are back. I still have not had the boat in the water since you rebuilt the carbs. I tried to run it last week with the garden hose but the heat warning alarm came on. I understand Yamahas don't like garden hoses. I figure to much air and not enough water.

howard new suv would be nice but if you need to keep what you got then you may want to try a hitch mounted in froint. it may be a pain but may work for your problem. just a though

If it's front wheel drive you don't have to worry about getting water in rear differential. THere isn't one. May try tractor supply- get some tractor wieghts and find a way to rig them to front of vehicle while pulling boat out of water. Just a thought.

good point about the differential! never claimed to be very mechanical,ha...so is there any real concern i should have about backing my vehicle into the water past my tailpipe,other than getting water into the cab? the not-so-steep ramps might be the best solution,,though it's a bit spooky when the front tires start to get into the lake..but these shallow ramps i can get up pretty well.most of the time i keep my boat at a boathouse,so regular towing is not really an issue..the tractor weights are a pretty good idea, but i'm not sure there would be any practical way to mount them..thanks again for the input...that new tow vehicle is a mighty expensive solution.

Howard. How much air pressure are you running in those tires. Letting some out may give you extra traction. Also what is the wet traction rating for your tires? A,B or C?
A being the best.

Howard, As someone mentioned, I would definitely check your tongue weight. That would make a big difference. Your tongue weight can easily be adjusted by simply sliding the trailer vertical piece that attaches to your bow hook either forward or backward just a few inches. Just a few inches can make a difference. I think your vehicle is fine for that boat. Just my .02

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Ed

I would not worry about the tail pipe being under water. Just leave the truck running.

Another solution to allow you to use the shallower ramps would be to put a removable extension on your trailer. I added one for a couple of hundred bucks ( Sportsman trailers - near Houston) and I don't have to get the Tahoe wet any more. Boat trails just fine and backs up even bettter. However, it is only a 14 Carolina Skiff, so only about 1,000 lbs. But, the added extension would allow you to launch from additional sites and recover more easily if those ramps are flatter. RichG