or any other owner of Prowler M722F trailer.

I am buying a 2002 model. In fact, I have made the payment already. I am trying to get the trailer height so that I can buy the right size ball mount. Since the trailer is sitting on dirt/gravel mix with dirt blowing all over from rock crushing plant, I cannot quite get a good measurement.

Would you kindly tell me either the trailer coupler height or the ball mount drop? Thanks.

 

Mitch has helper springs so his might be a little less of a drop than you need. Any reason why you don't want an adjustable ball mount?

 

It would be good to know the height for your trailer but that's only half the equation.

You can't assume your truck and Mitch's truck are the same.
4x4, 4x2?
Did he put in new springs or a helper? Are you on your '97 springs?

Is he hauling a ton-o-stuff in the bed when he tows? Or maybe you are.

Take a look at the 'adjustables' that let you fine tune.
http://www.hitches-forless.com/hitch...ts_special.htm

 

Hey APT, I'm slower but I like my link better.
(can't believe it took me six minutes to put that post together)

 

Hey Parker,

I'm at work at the moment, but the best I can recall is that to the bottom of the coupler on the trailer, it's ~18" from the ground.

The ball mount I'm using is an Eaz-Lift drop down 'shank' and a standard weight distributon head with a 2 5/16" ball.

I've got the head mounted to the lowest hole on the shank and the shank is pointed downward. Kinda like this pic, but the shank on my setup is turned 180* from what's shown here.



When it's all said and done, the top of the ball is just a tad lower then the top of the 2" square tube on the hitch. I think the above is considered a 7 1/2" drop, but when you bolt the head on, it brings the actual top of the ball to around 20"..... (or 18" to the bottom of the ball) from the ground.

My truck with the overloads will only drop about an inch when I drop the #550 or so tongue weight of the 722F on it. Once I tighten up the WD setup, I'm back to normal (empty) ride height. The truck and trailer are level and I have no sag at all. I also load up a couple hundred pounds of stuff in the bed for a normal camping trip, but the overloads and the WD setup handle it all fine.

Oh, on your 722F, you might want to check out the shower P trap.... (just remove the front panel in front of the tub) Mine kept snapping off where it mounts to the shower drain..... Must be just enough flex in the back when it's in motion.. Anyway, after the second time, I just bought a rubber collar with a couple of hose clamps and fitted it over the pipe and the drain and tightened up the clamps.. I've been dry ever since!

Other then that, my 722F has been a gem! I did remove the bathroom door and put in an accordian door because that solid door just got in the way when it was open!

Good luck!

Mitch

 

I think he was actually refering to a fixed ball mount. I don't think you really want a fixed mount with a TT, what you actually want is a weight distributing system like what Mitch was mentioning above. I don't think they make a non-adjustable mount for a WD setup. What I would like to know along these lines is which is the better setup, a round bar or a trunnion and why.

 

F.L.U.F.

They used to make the same WD setups and shanks that didn't have any holes in them and you welded the head at the position you needed.... Not the most universal setup, but back then, most of the different makes of trucks were about the same height (I say mostly... ) I know this because that's the setup we had when I was a kid and my Dad was towing a 26' 1976 Taurus behind a 1971 F250.

As far as the whole trunion/round bar deal goes, my opinion is that they do the same thing, just two different ways to attach to the head. I personlly like the round bar setup myself... I've used both over the years and just like the round bars better... Don't really know why, maybe because that's what I've mostly used, so that's what I'm comfortable with??

Mitch

 

Ok that makes since, I just never have seen one like that. The one my dad had was adjustable, 28' and then a 31' Airstream behind a '76 C10. Can't remember a whole lot, I think the contact high from all the hair gel in the '80s distorted my brain.

 

Thank you, M. I will check the J trap.

As of now, I plan to pull the trailer dry (no nothing inside) without WD hitch. But I will check how much the rear sags on the pickup. Total travel distance is about 70 miles. Once it reaches destination, it will stay there.

97 f150, 4.2L, 2 wheel drive, regular cab, long bed.

By the way, the trailer comes with trunnion style 1000 pound spring bars, chains, brackets mounted on the tongue, friction sway control. If I need WD, I will buy head and shank. Thanks again for the reply.

By the way, do you know if the trailer comes with breakaway switch? Thanks.

 

I think legally every TT is required to have a breakaway system and most come with it from the factory.

 

paker,

For 70 miles you should be ok without the WD (you better have a brake controller however)... You might sag some and when you go over bumps, you'll bounce more then usual, so just take it easy and don't get in a hurry... With the V6, I don't think that will be an issue anyway...

"Dry" the trailer weighs some #3800+. I'm probably closer to the #5000 GVWR of the trailer now that I've got it all packed up and such.

Even that old 1976 Taurus I mentioned above had a breakaway cable. Just make sure you have a charged battery hooked up, as it needs that to work. It does NOT get power from the 7 pin connector (the break away that is. The battery will get a small charge from the 7 pin).

Have a safe trip and enjoy the trailer!

F.L.U.F,

I usually had a different kind of 'high' during highschool! Coming up on my 25 year reunion now too.... Man, I'm getting old.... But at least I'm not as old as Raoul!! ha, ha!

Mitch

 

Thanks for the encouragement. This is my first trailer, first towing, first pickup, first everything. I learned that 450 lbs tongue weight is about the max, if not exceeded, for the rear axle. I will go slow. I am not sure how slow I can go though on Interstate 4. Drivers will hate me for about 45 minutes.

I bought a Prodigy brake controller. Will put a fully charged battery for the breakaway switch. Thanks for the advice.

 

I did this load test to see if I would definitely need a weight distributing hitch. Since both my children are home from college, I put all my family and myself at the back of the pickup. I bent over and measured the hitch height. Total weight 520 lbs. Hitch height was 16 1/4" (from 18 1/2"). This is 2 1/4" drop. Since trailer tongue weight is 435 lbs according to the flyer, I should expect about 2" drop.

What is wrong with rear end saggin 2"? I heard about rear sagging=front lifting. Is that true? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

When your rear sags due to weight on the hitch, all that weight is at the very rear of the truck. This will raise the front end some (think if it as a big lever). This does and will 'lighten' up the front end, making steering a bit touchy so you might notice the front end wandering around on you.

Since about 80% (or whatever it actually is) of a trucks braking is done up front, you will now lock up the front wheels a whole lot easier if you needed to stop quickly.

All of this will increase if you hit a bump in the road too. Since all the weight is centered on the ball of the hitch, that's gonna act like the center point of a 'see saw', except it will be that point that is going up and down.

Besides all that, you just look like you are 'overloaded' when your truck is sagging like that, especially if you have a TT hitched up.... Don't know if the cops really do look at that kind of stuff, as I see Explorer's, Jeeps, Durango's and the like towing 28' travel trailers that even with a WD setup are sagging so much in the rear, I don't know how they are getting down the road....

If this is going to be a one time deal (you are just towing it to a permanent) site, then you should be able to get by... If it's going to be a thing where you are towing it more often and to different locations where the terrain is unknown, then you will want to deal with the sag....

Good luck!

Mitch