etrailer | B&W Continuum Weight Distribution System Vendor Review

[@jasonpavlik-uq6rt]

What kind of ground clearance is there between the point behind the hydraulic arm and the ground? Might just be camera angle and shadow, but it seemed somewhat close on some of the driving clips.

[@keithm7087]

My thoughts exactly. I'll stick with my Anderson.

[@hularock2705]

thats going to take out a lot of speedbumps....

[@DucDNA]

Does this setup also provide sway control? Does B&W have plans to include a scale on the hitch to indicate tongue weight?

[@JohnBlakx4]

Has any testing been done with SUVS?

[@XSyxXSyxXSyxX]

Show footage of going over speed humps, speed bumps,pulling out of and into parking lots.

[@RKGBACKYARDMOTOS]

I want this but I want to see it used with a heavier travel trailers first. Hopefully these will get out on the market and more reviews made soon.

[@etrailer]

We hear ya. However, B&W is an extremely reputable outfit. Their claim about the system being compatible with 600-1600 lb tongue weights does seem like smoke and mirrors and we totally get your wait and see attitude. The fact that the system provides a lifetime warranty speaks volumes. Shane and Brad were impressed with this product, and they've seen. installed and used 'em all. We'll find the loaded tongue weight of Shane's TT and post it here, in case you'll find that helpful. Stay tuned. www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW28FR.html

[@etrailer]

Fully loaded, Shane's TT would have a tongue weight of about 750 lbs. Hope that helps!

[@brianb-p6586]

It will only be suitable for heavy trailers, because there is only one set of springs (load bars), which will be too stiff for lighter trailers.

[@binsel]

Having that much ground clearance, driving up/down elevated areas can be a problem.

[@robertjf9900]

I used it for the 1st time this weekend. I’ll tell you it does not provide the amount of sway control that a traditional friction sway bar does. If you are concerned about sway for whatever reason, I don’t suggest this setup. However, it’s a great setup otherwise. It can hang a bit low but with three mounting hole setup you can adjust for this. I don’t see my setup having a major clearance problem. It really depends on your trailer tongue height.

[@etrailer]

Have you tried adding a bit more tension? That could help you. Thanks for telling us about your experience! www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW28FR.html

[@robertjf9900]

A bit. Still experimenting. I have a tongue weight of ~1,100-1,200 lbs. have tried 1,500 and 1,600psi. Almost think I had too much pressure but measured the sag on front and rear and numbers checked out. Also Didn’t seem to make much of a difference. The first test was during a bit more of a windy day which obviously caused a bit more sway. The second run was a calm day but still seemed a bit more loose than my bar setup.

[@GovG33k]

Sway control? I’m still partial to my Reese Dual Cam HP which does amazing for towing our ‘16 Outback 324CG.

[@etrailer]

The Continuum provides sway control because of the load being properly distributed and by the unit's connection to the trailer and the weight distributing shank. www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW28FR.html

[@JustinKingOffroad]

that looks very close to the ground. how does it handle when going in/out of lots with lots of road crown. i think that's gonna smack the pavement??

[@etrailer]

The ground clearance will depend on both the hitch height of the vehicle and the coupler height of the trailer so we can't provide an exact ground clearance. B&W tells us that when used with a typical pickup truck at stock ride height there will be about 7 inches of clearance with a 2WD truck or 9 inches of ground clearance with a 4WD truck. Hope that helps! www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW28FR.html

[@brianb-p6586]

The tow vehicle doesn't matter, because the height of the WD system hardware depends only on the height of the trailer coupler - just start at the ball and work you way down... you'll see that other than the vertical part of the shank supporting the head (which is never lower than the spring assembly in any configuration), it all depends only on the ball height. Of course the ball height depends entirely on the trailer, not the tow vehicle. From the top of the ball to the bottom of the head assembly is about 12 inches, so the clearance is the top-of-ball height for the trailer (nothing to do with the tow vehicle) minus at least 12 inches. If the load bar assembly hangs down further because the specific setup doesn't require the much load transfer and thus doesn't pull the load bars up enough, ground clearance will be even less.

[@BuildingByFaith]

How does the sway control work?

[@etrailer]

The sway control comes from the friction caused by the connection of the hitch at the shank assembly. www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW78FR.html

[@minirail]

​@@etrailer the link of course re directs to e trailers site with the ad for the w and w. there is a brief statement claiming sway prevention. the vast majority of e trailer video's and /or reviews are usually thorough, but this one is missing all explanation of how this wdh reduces sway. i read some of the comments and the replies were that it's a friction based system in the shank section that i can only imagine is similar to the anderson wdh. i own an anderson wdh and i do like it over all but there is one inherit down side to it. i as well as many others, need a full explanation of how the friction style sway prevention system utilizing the shank truly works. i fail to see how it can work if your greasing the shank section as the grease reduces friction. again, with out an real explanation one can only draw assumptions. in my case i don't need the wdh part as much as i want sway control. i fully understand that NO friction based system will prevent sway so that statement in the ad is a bit false on b&w's part. the word reduction be more accurate if it works along the same principals of the anderson wdh, again, i fail to see how that can be if your geasing that portion of the shank. the inherit down side to the anderson hitch is that they don't want you to add and lubricant to the ball as the trailer hitch head needs to maintain its bite. this causes a wear mark/actual groove on the ball itself as well as in the hitch head it self. this begins grinding away at the tongue in that hitch as well. in theory it's a pretty good idea but changing that ball and the physical hitch welded to the trailer is not my idea of routine maintenance. it would really be nice to see the sway reduction portion of this system explained ( a thorough explanation ) added to the video or addressed in an additional video.

[@brianb-p6586]

@@minirail The sway reducing-friction of the Andersen No-Sway does not depend on friction between the ball and coupler at all - no "bite" required. The integral ball and spindle of the Andersen system is rotated by the chain plate, not the coupler.

[@brianb-p6586]

@@minirail both this B&W system and the Andersen No-Sway have a spindle which rotates with the trailer in a socket in the ball mount or head. In the Andersen the spindle is tapered, so the load on the ball jams the spindle in, increasing friction. In the B&W the spindle is straight, but the leverage of the spring (or "load bar") system will press the spindle sideways against the socket in the ball mount. The friction in the greased steel-on-steel B&W head will be much less than in the Andersen with its wedged-in spindle and high-friction lining.

[@mikep8085]

what is the technology to help with sway?

[@etrailer]

The friction caused by the connection between the shank and the Continuum is what provides the sway control. www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW78FR.html

[@TravelWithTheHs]

so no sway control?

[@etrailer]

As B&W explains it, the Continuum provides sway control by virtue of the load being properly distributed and by the unit's connection to the trailer and the weight distributing shank. www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW78FR.html

[@myleshansel7950]

Doesn't look like it has a lot of ground clearance

[@etrailer]

The ground clearance will vary according to the height of the coupler, but B&W estimates there will be about 7 inches of clearance for 2WD trucks or 9 inches for 4WD trucks. These estimates assume that the truck is at stock ride height. We hope that helps! www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW28FR.html

[@Roaring.On.Carnivore.]

Does it work with air bags?

[@etrailer]

It does! You'll first inflate the bags to the desired pressure, then adjust the B&W Continuum according to the installation/setup instructions. Hope that helps! www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW28FR.html

[@michaelgalaxy]

Can you let the tailgate down?

[@etrailer]

No part of the B&W Continuum really extends upward from the trailer coupler, so if the tailgate fully opened before, installing this won't change that. Hope that helps! www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW28FR.html

[@eastelaye4521]

Looks like it sits low and maybe needs a better camera angle

[@etrailer]

The actual ground clearance will of course vary by the vehicle and trailer's ride height. B&W tells us that for the typical 2WD truck, there will be about 7 inches of clearance, 9 inches for the typical 4WD truck. www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW78FR.html

[@ZonaJim]

Thanks for the video etrailer. It clearly demonstrates that this hitch is poorly designed for real world application. Just try pulling out of a sloped driveway or go over a speed bump. Two or three ground contacts, and you'll rip that fancy hydraulic cylinder right off. Is damage caused by ground clearance covered by the warranty?

[@etrailer]

The # BW28FR Continuum is covered by a lifetime warranty. According to B&W, if any ground contact that occurs causes cosmetic damage, it will not be covered by warranty. If the damage that occurred prevents the hitch from operating correctly, it would be covered by the warranty. Hope that helps! www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW28FR.html

[@UncleChuckApproved]

That hangs pretty low.

[@etrailer]

Yes it does. www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW28FR.html

[@mikec8123]

Too many parts and no sway control.

[@rcairforceone]

The sway control is via the shank.

[@brianb-p6586]

@@rcairforceone Yes. More specifically, the load bar assembly forces the spindle inserted into the bottom of the ball mount to turn with the trailer, and force on the load bars forces the spindle against the ball mount causing friction. The friction damps sway.

[@amlee7]

3 inches of ground clearance....

[@etrailer]

Yes, that is concerning, however, per B&W - "We performed 100,000 miles of real-world testing with our design and have not had any issues with ground clearance except in extreme road conditions. Usually, the rear of the trailer or the leveling jacks will hit the ground before the hitch has any ground clearance issues." www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW28FR.html If ground clearance is a concern, you'd be better off using a system from Equal-i-zer, which you can see here: www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Weight_Distribution_Hitch-pm-Equal~i~zer.aspx

[@joshuasanborn46]

That hangs WAY too low. Hard pass

[@etrailer]

B&W tells us that when used with a typical 4WD truck, there will be approximately 9 inches of clearance under the Continuum weight distribution system. www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW28FR.html

[@slimtrim555]

I agree, how many speed bumps are you going to go over just going through an RV park not to mention anything that might be laying in a road way! This is way too much overkill to haul any trailer or RV.....

[@joshuasanborn46]

@@slimtrim555 yeah and it doesn’t seem easier than connecting the more traditional load distribution hitches. Too many parts.

[@kickeramps]

Way too low for me. Not to mention all the leaks that are sure to come after all the rocks and dust hit that cylinder for a year or two. Swing and a miss.

[@raypabs5374]

Very poorly designed when it comes to ground clearance. I can definitely see the blue colored lower section, under the shock, drag on the ground or constantly hit the pavement; absolutely dumb design! In the video, this is mounted on a tall truck; imagine it used on an SUV that has a lower ground clearance and lower cargo capacity. Complete failure here.

[@brianb-p6586]

The tow vehicle doesn't matter, because the height of the WD system hardware depends only on the height of the trailer coupler - just start at the ball and work you way down... you'll see that other than the vertical part of the shank supporting the head (which is never lower than the spring assembly in any configuration), it all depends only on the ball height. Of course the ball height depends entirely on the trailer, not the tow vehicle.

[@brianb-p6586]

From the top of the ball to the bottom of the head assembly is about 12 inches, so the clearance is the top-of-ball height for the trailer (nothing to do with the tow vehicle) minus at least 12 inches. If the load bar assembly hangs down further because the specific setup doesn't require the much load transfer and thus doesn't pull the load bars up enough, ground clearance will be even less.

[@kenj.8897]

What ?

[@etrailer]

Is there a question?