I have just purchased a Ford Expedition with a 5.4L engine the big tow package and a class 4 hitch. According to the hitch and the manual it is rated to tow 8900lbs. I purchased this to be able to tow a two horse trailer.. which I have not yet bought. (only so much money out there). Anyway it has a receiver and a friend at the barn said I could 'rent' her two horse anytime she wasn't using it. So the first thing I realize is that I need a mount and a ball. So I looked around a bit and found out there is alot of stuff I need to be aware of on that. Anyone have a crash course? Advice? Eventually I would be looking to purchase my own trailer, but will be a while and if I fit up to be able to 'rent' a trailer that would give me the experience to be a better purchaser. I understand I need to measure where my reciever is to her hitch to see if I need a drop, and ask her what size ball it takes. Of course I would also want to know her trailer weight etc. Info sought. Thanks
second, youll need the weights like you mentioned. use the GVWR on the trailer, the ball and ballmount rating has to be equal to or greater than that number. the tongue weight would technically require weighing the loaded trailer.
a word of caution, youll need a class 4 ballmount if the tongue weight is over 500 or 600 pounds. these ballmounts are not as readily avaliable, at say walmart. youll need to find a "hitch shop" or the above site will sell you one. there is not really much to it, the ballmount and ball will be stamped with the weight ratings and once you figure out the drop/rise you need, youre there.
check for compatability with the wiring, your ford probably has a 7 pin connector. the trailer....a 7 pin or possibly a 6 pin, plenty of adapters avalible for this situation. those you can get at walmart.
im also under the impression, since your asking about the ballmount, your trailer experiance may be limited? i politely suggest getting some pointers from someone experianced. there are some books out there(anyone know the titles?) ive heard recommended, might want to pick one up. good luck and be safe.
Posted 2005-06-28 10:47 PM (#27329 - in reply to #27311) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
Expert
Posts: 2955 Location: North Carolina
Originally written by hidden on 2005-06-28 6:29 AM
I have just purchased a Ford Expedition with a 5.4L engine the big tow package and a class 4 hitch. According to the hitch and the manual it is rated to tow 8900lbs. I purchased this to be able to tow a two horse trailer.. which I have not yet bought. (only so much money out there). Anyway it has a receiver and a friend at the barn said I could 'rent' her two horse anytime she wasn't using it. So the first thing I realize is that I need a mount and a ball. So I looked around a bit and found out there is alot of stuff I need to be aware of on that. Anyone have a crash course? Advice? Eventually I would be looking to purchase my own trailer, but will be a while and if I fit up to be able to 'rent' a trailer that would give me the experience to be a better purchaser. I understand I need to measure where my reciever is to her hitch to see if I need a drop, and ask her what size ball it takes. Of course I would also want to know her trailer weight etc. Info sought. Thanks
Hello Hidden ... Glad you made it to this site.
Look at this thread for some discussion about hitches >>http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/forum/thread-view.asp?threadid=2991&start=1
Since your vehicle is a bit short in the wheelbase, you might investigate a WDH or weight distributing hitch. Check with Ford, but I know GM recommends a WDH for any BP trailer 5,000 pounds+... even for their 3/4 ton trucks.
Perhaps the "rental" trailer is already set up with a WDH. If not, be prepared mentally to change your driving style to extra cautious.
Another point ... you MUST have the same size ball as the trailer hitch, regardless of the size. Too small and you'll lose the trailer over a bump. Too big and it won't fit.
Then look at brake controllers... You will need a brake controller unless you have a Brenderup behind you
Posted 2005-06-29 7:23 AM (#27343 - in reply to #27311) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
Member
Posts: 17
Location: North Carolina
Thanks for the input. The truck has a 119" wheel base and while I have heard that 120 is best I believe this will make it. I have the brake controller wiring, but have not installed it, of course I will as this process goes on.. and I (being cautious) wanted to get a weight distribution hitch regardless (based on the ratings of the vechical it doesn't seem to be required but I feel it gives me more coverage). However I'm talking about simple stuff.. like how do you tell what the drop mount is rated for towing power. What would be a good well covered size/weight to go for? I've seen some with the ability to slot into separate sizes (7", 10" etc) are those better since I don't currently have a trailer? If her rig doesn't have a WD system.. how hard is it to get one and use it for when I want to pull? Is it something I need to have installed professionally? What is the best brand.. and what should I specifically look for there? Some on ebay seem to come with anti-sway bars... would this be the best investment? I am planning on slowly building the infrastructure and trying to buy what is well above my expectations of towing to build in a margin of safety for myself. And yes.. I have no experience, so the first thing I have already arranged is for the friend with the trailer to spend a Sunday afternoon with me teaching me about trailering. We have a nearby high school where we can go to the parking lot and let me practice till I feel somewhat comfortable. Any book recommendations would be appreciated! I have the one from the equispirit folks...
Posted 2005-06-29 7:57 AM (#27348 - in reply to #27311) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
Expert
Posts: 2955 Location: North Carolina
I'll defer to others on the forum for your specific questions. It's been almost 20 years since I last put together a BP system. I'm part of the GN & over trucked choir now.
Posted 2005-06-29 8:57 AM (#27351 - in reply to #27311) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
Member
Posts: 30 Location: Summerville, SC
I to am part of the gooseneck/over trucked crowd now also but spent a few years towing with a 96 explorer (5.0 V8). Never had a weight destribution system or even a trailer brake controller. Towing a 2 horse was not a problem. Towing a four horse, we just had to adjust which horse was in which spot in the trailer to keep the truck/trailer as close to level as possible. The more tilt between truck and trialer (up or down), the less stable the tow was. Not the best way of doing things but with slow safe driving, we never had any trouble. My thaught is you will be fine towing the 2 horse with just a brake controller. If you tow a four horse, then definitly invest in the weight distribution rig. If I ever had to go back to BP trailering, that is what I would use.
Posted 2005-06-29 9:49 AM (#27355 - in reply to #27311) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
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Posts: 2689
Hi Hidden, Welcome to the Forum.
I've only glanced at the replies so far and didn't notice a mention of the need for a brake controller. I think this should probably be one of the FIRST items to consider, it is likely to cost somewhere in the $100 or so range, there are MANY existing threads on this.
I'm trying HARD in my replies to focus first on safety, then on legality and liability (-: The use of brakes on a trailer and therefore a brake controller is likely a legal requirement wherever you live and drive.
Yes, there are probably legal and liability issues with "renting" a friend's trailer - your friend would likely be in worse legal and liability shape than you, but that might vary by State. In any case these are things you need to check into before hooking up. Your insurance company might write a rider for your policy, something to check into.
There are any number of threads about driving techniques, backing trailers, etc. again, please use the search facility to find them.
Posted 2005-06-29 10:55 AM (#27359 - in reply to #27311) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
Expert
Posts: 2955 Location: North Carolina
Hidden ... Reg brings up a good question about liability for the trailer...
Since I'm in NC too... NC vehicle liability insurance covers any trailer attached to the insured vehicle. ( I wonder if the insurance company could get out of paying a claim for a trailer that be came unhitched and caused an accident ??) Anyway .. This is liability to others only ... if the trailer is damaged or destroyed... you'll have to replace it for your friend.
Posted 2005-06-29 11:08 AM (#27361 - in reply to #27351) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
Expert
Posts: 2955 Location: North Carolina
Originally written by FordLvr on 2005-06-29 7:57 AM
...Never had a weight destribution system or even a trailer brake controller. Towing a 2 horse was not a problem...
Hidden ... In North Carolina ... a horse trailer without brakes is illegal. It's the weight, I don't remember the exact weight limit. But a two horse trailer is over the legal unbraked limit.
Posted 2005-06-29 11:45 AM (#27364 - in reply to #27311) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
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Posts: 2689
I know I keep saying, "Please use the search function and read existing threads", but here's one of my favorite tips on backing up;
When backing use ONLY mirrors, do NOT contort your back by trying to do the 'over the shoulder' thing.
Watch the trailer's wheels that are on the inside of the curve that you are trying to back around. They're the only ones you can see anyway.
Keep an eye on the truck's front fenders, they SWING WIDE if you over correct - initially we all overcorrect (-:
When you straighten out you might loose sight of those trailer wheels, check the other mirror, you're probably going around a curve in the other direction.
Forget that nonsense about steering with the bottom segment of the steering wheel rim and sending it in the direction you want the trailer to go.
Forget I even mentioned it (-:
Objects around places that don't often get horse trailer traffic can pose problems. Trees are sometimes only trimmed for about 6ft of headroom, watch for low branches. You'll need a couple of feet more than the trailer's interior headroom, so figure 9 1/2 ft for a trailer that has 7 1/2 ft inside headroom. Far more important - POWER LINES that might be strung out to a barn, garage or shed.
Don't ever be too proud to get out of the truck and WALK the path you want the trailer to take. Check obstructions and points where you want to change from a left to a right turn, or vica versa.
PRACTICE ! When you're not in a hurry and don't have horses aboard.
Posted 2005-06-29 12:02 PM (#27366 - in reply to #27343) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
Expert
Posts: 1391 Location: North of Detroit, MI
So far as determining the "drop" and length...
You'll need to fake some of this ... Try using bales of hay, bags of feed, (50 pound bags of dog food, sunflower seeds, horse/ livestock feed, etc) loaded into the back of your Expy to simulate the 10-15% LOADED trailer weight on your vehicle. (To see how much "Squat" the Expy has and how low it puts your receiver.) Then do some measurements. Compare them to the height of the coupler on the trailer when it is level (a small torpedo level will be handy... )
The length of the mount bar - can be kind of critical. The engineers on here will / can advise you as to strength of length... BUT... what I discovered is that if the length is TOO long, the safety chains then become TOO SHORT. IF the mount bar length is short (and the chains are dragging) then, you have the added challenge of not taking turns very tight because you will either dent your Expy and/or the trailer. If you can't avoid it and the chains are longer than you like, you can twist them to make them shorter. Be sure to cross them under the coupler in an "X".
Make sure that your hitch has correctly sized "holes" to attach the safety chains - or else be sure to buy sturdy enough links to add to the hitch, that have a high enough strength rating.
The weight rating of the mount bar is stamped into the metal. You will / should see a variety of bars... some with be a single square tube; while others will have what looks like one square tube inside another... yup... those are the ones with higher ratings.
In addition to the book by Tom & Neva Scheve - I STRONGLY recommend Cherry Hill's book "Guide to Horse Trailering"... more photos - easier to understand explanations; more tips on ground training.
Posted 2005-06-29 12:40 PM (#27371 - in reply to #27311) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
Member
Posts: 32 Location: Brazil, IN
If you need help finding the right ball mount, size, drop, etc., go ask a trailer dealer. They should have a lot of various sizes and they know what you will need. Then you don't have to worry about having the right stuff.
Posted 2005-06-29 9:10 PM (#27390 - in reply to #27311) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
Member
Posts: 17
Location: North Carolina
I guess I was hoping to have some level of information to be able to discuss with the Dealer... my trust quotent with the whole trailering stuff is very low given what I have heard about it. I'm still considering a Brenderup if I could only afford it... sigh
Posted 2005-06-30 5:58 AM (#27394 - in reply to #27311) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
Expert
Posts: 2955 Location: North Carolina
Hidden ... I'm glad you desire to have some knowledge of the mechanics of towing. To completely rely on the dealer, is lazy and leaves one vulnerable to misinformation. The biggest benefit of knowlege is when something breaks. Then you have confidence in knowing what to do.
Posted 2005-06-30 8:15 AM (#27398 - in reply to #27390) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
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Posts: 2689
Originally written by hidden on 2005-06-29 9:10 PM
I guess I was hoping to have some level of information to be able to discuss with the Dealer... my trust quotent with the whole trailering stuff is very low given what I have heard about it. I'm still considering a Brenderup if I could only afford it... sigh
You would be VERY LUCKY to find a dealer on either side of the hitch that will help very much with what happens on the other side of the hitch.
How much of it is fear of liability and how much of it is, "My boss doesn't pay me to do that" or "There's nothing in it for me", probably varies from place to place.
As Hosspuller says, doing the research yourself and putting it together arms you with the knowledge to figure out what is happening if/when things go wrong and be able to either fix it or not get ripped off by the fixer.
Re Brenderup: If that is where you're headed, going for it directly could be your lowest cost path. OTOH, this rent/borrow option may give you the learning curve to help you to the next big decision.
Posted 2005-06-30 3:52 PM (#27434 - in reply to #27311) Subject: RE: Trailering details needed...
Member
Posts: 6
Location: Outside Dallas, Texas
It may be simpler for you to go to a reputable trailer place and let the guy show you what kind of mounts they have, and I would imagine that if you tell him you're connecting to a such and such length horse trailer with a couple 1000 lb horses he should be able to estimate the drop your truck'll see and recommend an insert. The ball's most likely a 2". Have them install your brake controller for you so you don't have to worry about that. I'd agree with some others in that you need to discuss what happens if someone creams your friends trailer. If that works out take the trailer to a parking lot and turn, back up straight, bend into some parking spaces, generally get used to how fast or not your truck turns, how the trailer will respond, which way to turn the wheel, etc. Above all, take your time, don't bring the spouse but instead bring a buddy, preferably someone who has trailering experience to help guide you into parking spaces when backing up. Do all this without horses. This is easier than you think.
Trailering details needed...
