On the level

I first discovered the value of fitting a weight distribution hitch more than a decade ago when I replaced my featherweight Jayco Flite camper trailer with a somewhat weightier Dove Outback camper behind my Ssangyong Musso 4WD.

The Musso remained level and towed well with the Flite, but the Dove caused its rear end to sag, its nose to rise and its steering was noticeably vaguer.

So I went to Melbourne’s Hardings, had a set of Hayman-Reese bars fitted properly and metaphorically never looked back.

I wish I’d remembered that seven years later when I towed a Jayco Expanda across the Gibb River Road with a Nissan Pathfinder. The coil spring independent rear end of the 'Pathy' sagged under the Expanda’s 200kg ball load and the draw bar worked as a plough through many of the river crossings.

This year when I hitched a 20ft, 2850kg (laden) New Age Oz Classic luxury caravan to a Holden Colorado 7 LTZ I was much wiser and took the rig straight to Hardings Swift, now located in the outer-east suburb of Kilsyth.

I first loaded it with everything I planned to take, keeping the heaviest items as low as possible near the tandem axle line and lighter items up high or at the extremities.

However the front checker plate tool box was loaded with the jockey wheel, hoses, leads, tool box and a small portable BBQ and its gas bottle into the A-frame-mounted aluminium checker-plate tool box, while the front tunnel boot swallowed two Camec folding chairs, a Camec folding table, a large awning mat, a Coast-to-Coast portable 80W solar panel, two folding lounges and car cleaning equipment.

All up that probably put another 50-60kg on the caravan’s ball, which to my surprise tipped the scales at 275kg.

Hardings considered this a little on the light size using the industry guide of 10 per cent of its 2900kg ATM and recommended fitting a Hayman-Reese 365kg heavy duty kit, which is designed to accommodate ball weights from 275kg – 365kg. There are also kits for smaller weights from 0-80kg, 80-135kg and heavier bars catering for monster vans with ball weights from 65-545kg.

The weight distribution bars don’t actually affect the weight on the ball, but when properly adjusted, they spread it more evenly over both axles on the tow vehicle, avoiding a bum-down, nose-up attitude and importantly placing more weight on the front wheels of the tow vehicle, improving steering, stability and braking.

While any mechanically minded owner can fit them, Harding Swift took a more technical approach, measuring the height of the Colorado’s wheel arches above the ground unladen and with the caravan on the ball without the hitches.

They then worked with the multiple adjustments available on the extended shank and with the multi-link chains that tension the twin torsion bars to transfer weight forward to bring the Colorado back to its correct unladen height.

The proof of the pudding, they say, is in the eating and after a road trip to tropical North Queensland with the caravan in tow travelling regularly at or close to true legal road speeds (up to 110km/h), I have nothing but high praise for the way the 2200kg (unladen) Colorado handled its 2850kg load when Hayman-Reese equipped.

The Oz Classic van was not fitted with optional Al-Ko electronic Stability Control, but it was never missed. Properly balanced, the rig towed straight as an arrow, was barely affected by side winds or the ‘vacuum effect’ of passing large trucks and coped brilliantly with unexpected dips and bumps in the road, particularly on corners – also considering the van tipped the scales at least 500-600kg heavier that its tow car.

Perhaps an unexpected bonus of having a properly set up rig is that the overall fuel consumption recorded by the 2.8 litre, four-cylinder Colorado diesel over the 9500km trip – nearly 9000km of it towing – worked out at an excellent 15.6 litres/100km.

I can’t prove it, but I suspect some of this was due to not having the tow car’s nose stuck into the air and its ability to ride, rather than fight with, the truly awful Bruce Highway and inland Queensland roads.