This might be a newbie question. Here is our new-to-us 2007 13' Scamp and Honda Ridgeline to tow it. We have never owned or towed a trailer. (Yep, *real* newbies.) The hitch is at the lowest position including the weight distribution bars. You can see the trailer is not level. We are not sure if a lower hitch is wise due to ground clearance. All input welcome. Our maiden voyage is Labor Day (almost a month from now).
Fri, 08/02/2019 - 09:34
#1
Level Enough?
Weight distribution bars are wonderful but may be overkill on a light trailer with less than 200lb of tongue weight. We are pulling the same trailer with a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek that is absolutely maxed out but the normal 2 inch hitch and receiver work very well. and with the ridgeline you will be in a far better place for ratings and capability. Without the distribution bars you would need a proper class hitch with a drop to give you about 19 inches to the top of the ball. this gives a pretty level trailer. Also consider the higher the front the lower the rear and it is not good to bottom either end.
P.S.
Nice looking rig.
2019 Scamp 13 standard
Hey salukispeed, thanks for the input. You're very right about the RL being easily capable of hauling the 13' with just a simple hitch. And with that option we could drop the hitch. It is currently right between the recommended 16" - 18" range. The clearance at the back is reduced because of the somewhat elevated tongue, though I've been testing it today on my commute () and haven't had any problems so far even on some sharp decline/inclines.
I've heard the weight distribution bars can also help steady a light trailer. Is there some truth to this? If so, do other Scamp 13' owners use them? If yes, why? If no, why?
Thanks for the input!
I have also heard that bars can steady a trailer but I have no experience to go on with that. We run around 185 lb tongue weight and even with two bikes on a bike rack we see no sway concerns but any lighter would scare me. Mine measures 19 inch to the top of the ball and comes down about an inch when loaded and it sits very level and works well so far. We will be looking for a more capable tow but will finish this season as is. Consider parking on a down hill if running the fridge while traveling if you will stop for extended period
2019 Scamp 13 standard
Thanks for the tip for the fridge. I’m curious about why our Scamp sits high. On our setup the bottom of the hitch—right at the ball—sits at 17”. So a 2 inch ball puts our hitch height very close!
If you have it, would you mind sending a side picture of your TV and Scamp?
First off, yes, the Weight Distribution System seems like overkill on your 13'! You might think about a friction type sway bar (about $50), but I have to tell you that I have one for my 2017 - 16' Std and have never found the need for it. I'm running about 2800 lbs and 330 or so on the tongue. My opinion, and I'm certainly not an expert on this, is that the WDB just adds weight and complication to your small trailer and is better suited for a much larger and heavier trailer. I'm sure someone else will respond as well, but in my limited experience so far (five months out and several thousand miles) even the sway bar isn't really necessary.
By the way, my SCAMP owners manual says the ball should be at 18" at the top of the ball for the 13' and 21" for my 16'
Thanks, RamRod. I'm glad for your perspective! I read somewhere in a forum here the suggested range is 16" - 18". So I was pleased to see my height come out at 17". That being said, I think the suspension in our TV is rigid enough that there is very little vertical travel when the trailer is attached. Maybe once we've added water and loaded more items it will drop more.
I would buy the next lower drop hitch and get the Scamp level for towing. The hitch I use with my Jeep is at least a 3" drop, perhaps even 5". Don't worry about clearance, worry more about towing a balanced little trailer. If you can avoid it, don't travel with water--fill up at your campsite.The water reservoir is at the back of the trailer (at least it is with mine, no bath), and it will unbalance it even further. You could go to a local U-Haul or trailer hitch store and have someone help you select the correct height hitch. Then take it out for a test drive, including your highway speed. The true test? Going downhill at highway speed. These little trailers can sway quite easily if you don't set them up correctly. Your TV is substantial enough that trying to load down the front of the trailer in an effort to "level" it won't squash down the truck. You wouldn't want to do that at any rate, driving a TV with too much tongue weight is super scary--the front end floats. Get them BOTH level, test the setup, then go have fun camping!
Rhonda Riebow
Thanks for the insight, rriebow. Since our TV is rated at 600 pounds tongue weight, I think you're accurate when you say loading the Scamp won't lower the hitch height much, if any at all. Makes sense.
Would you agree with RamRod that a weight distribution system is overkill for our setup? As a new RVer I'm concerned—likely overly—that gusts of wind or passing semis will toss our Scamp around. Isn't a WDS a method of dealing with the sway issue?
Thanks for your help!
Just get both parts of your rig level, watch your speed and you should be happily running down the road. Here is some unsolicited but important advice: Be sure your trailer coupler is down ALL THE WAY on the ball. After decades of hauling various horse trailers, I was surprised that my dinky Scamp could be a bit tricky to hitch up! Perhaps because it is so light. I was at an uneven campsite once and finally had to move the trailer a couple feet (coupler on the ball, but not down) to get it done. As the trailer is so light and easy for a person to move, you don't have to be exactly over the ball. However, while you can slide the coupler forward over the ball, it doesn't usually work if you have the ball a bit behind the coupler--the little mechanism inside won't let it slide on easily. Make sure you know how to tell it is on all the way! My husband taught my friend how to do it, and she had to fiddle with hooking up her old '13 at a campground while on her own. Some helpful person came over and told her "you are on". She stuck to her guns, kept trying and got it on correctly. Tee hee hee, "mansplaining" gone wrong!
Rhonda Riebow
You shouldn't have trouble with a side wind on the Scamp. Mine actually handles strong wind better than my boxy Jeep! It is small, low and doesn't have a straight "wall" for the wind to push. Test downhill driving at 60-65 mph though. If you are balanced correctly it will stay steady. Once you get some practice under your belt you will having fun confidently hitching it up for adventures!
Rhonda Riebow
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