Setting up trailer for towing - ACH confusion

[Cardboard]

I installed my brake controller today and am getting ready to hook up my trailer. Conceptually the instructions don't make sense to me. I am hoping someone can help me through this.

I am put the ACH in low, turn off the LX, and hook up the trailer and weight distribution. I have done this many times before on my old vehicle. The instructions for the weight distribution system is to have the trailer level when hooked up. However, if I hook it up on low and have the trailer level, as soon as I start driving in N, I am going to be 2 inches high at the front of the trailer. On the highway, it sounds like I will 1.5" high on the trailer. Isn't that a problem? I want to tow my trailer level.

I don't know enough about the dynamics to know if I hooked up the trailer an inch or two low to begin with, if that would cause an issue with the weight distribution putting too much strain (or not enough) in the right spots..

 

[Sandroad]

Others who tow with an LX will quickly chime in here, but I can address the WDH part. You need to set that up with the trailer and vehicle at towing height with the trailer as level as possible.

And a quick edit....I'm referring to the initial set up and adjustment of the WDH.

 

[2021 LC200]

Seems you hitch up with AHC in low, then go to high, hook up the WDH and lower to neutral the put the torque on the system. This can also be done on non AHC vehicles (e.g. LC200) by jacking up the trailer. Or when fitted with airbags raise and lower the vehicle that way.

There are plenty videos on YouTube explaining this sequence.

The following video is a bit extreme however shows the concept. Basically AHC can do this for you.

 

[radman]

going over 62mph will drop you to "Fast Normal", which will effectively lower your front by .75 and rear by .6". I don't think that 1/4" change (Fast normal difference from front to rear) will affect anything.

 

[coleAK]

Hitch up and connect the WD Bars with the AHC in normal. That is unless there is a reason that it is easier to hitch up in low. If you do hitch up in low then raise to normal before setting your WD bars. I’ve got >50k miles of towing miles with my LX.

 

[2021 LC200]

Hitch up and connect the WD Bars with the AHC in normal. That is unless there is a reason that it is easier to hitch up in low. If you do hitch up in low then raise to normal before setting your WD bars. I’ve got >50k miles of towing miles with my LX.

View attachment 2710658

It’s all good, however this way it just takes more effort to bend the WDH bars. Going to high on AHC, then hooking up and lower to normal makes it easier.

 

[coleAK]

It’s all good, however this way it just takes more effort to bend the WDH bars. Going to high on AHC, then hooking up and lower to normal makes it easier.

Depends on the tongue weight of the camper. When I’m loaded heavy mine struggles to get into high.

 

[Cardboard]

Seems you hitch up with AHC in low, then go to high, hook up the WDH and lower to neutral the put the torque on the system. This can also be done on non AHC vehicles (e.g. LC200) by jacking up the trailer. Or when fitted with airbags raise and lower the vehicle that way.

There are plenty videos on YouTube explaining this sequence.

The following video is a bit extreme however shows the concept. Basically AHC can do this for you.

I tried a search on Google but could not find anything. But I am wondering now if I typed in "ACH" instead of "AHC" like I did in this thread. Strange how that could make a difference. Thanks for clarifying the order. That was the part I was missing. I thought the directions said to put on the WD bars while it was in low which did not make any sense to me.

 

[Cardboard]

2014 LX

A few weeks ago I installed trailer brakes. I verified they worked.

I was able to hook up the weight distribution hitch this morning and took the LX and our trailer out for its first spin. About 10 miles from our house is a hill/mountain that pops up with a 1200 or so foot elevation then goes away. So I took my trailer out there to see how the LX handled that. I do not want to be surprised how how it handles on a real trip or a real mountain.

My previous tow vehicle was a Tahoe with a tow package. Going down a mountain, it would maintain the speed for me by downshifting automatically.

So without the Tahoe tow package, I put the shifter in 4th gear, N for height, and sport suspension. I was happy enough with climbing the hill/mountain, but going down did not work the same way as the Tahoe. So I am looking for what others do. I tried two things.

1) Put cruise control on at the top of the hill. I set it to 45 MPH. I could see the engine downshift. I was at 3000 RPM without my foot on the gas pedal, but I kept going faster and was up to 60 mph before I applied the brakes. Why didn't it control my speed better than that?

2) My other approach was to try just maintain the speed with the gas pedal. That did not work either.

I did not manually downshift which I guess is the next option unless you all direct me to wiser approaches.

 

[coleAK]

2014 LX

A few weeks ago I installed trailer brakes. I verified they worked.

I was able to hook up the weight distribution hitch this morning and took the LX and our trailer out for its first spin. About 10 miles from our house is a hill/mountain that pops up with a 1200 or so foot elevation then goes away. So I took my trailer out there to see how the LX handled that. I do not want to be surprised how how it handles on a real trip or a real mountain.

My previous tow vehicle was a Tahoe with a tow package. Going down a mountain, it would maintain the speed for me by downshifting automatically.

So without the Tahoe tow package, I put the shifter in 4th gear, N for height, and sport suspension. I was happy enough with climbing the hill/mountain, but going down did not work the same way as the Tahoe. So I am looking for what others do. I tried two things.

1) Put cruise control on at the top of the hill. I set it to 45 MPH. I could see the engine downshift. I was at 3000 RPM without my foot on the gas pedal, but I kept going faster and was up to 60 mph before I applied the brakes. Why didn't it control my speed better than that?

2) My other approach was to try just maintain the speed with the gas pedal. That did not work either.

I did not manually downshift which I guess is the next option unless you all direct me to wiser approaches.

Yes you have to manually down shift. I tow with it in S-4 and regularly down shift to 3 and 2 going down steep grades.