Sway

[pg7906]

I have a 2014 F244RBS with the alleged tongue weight of 355 pounds. My question is I bought the unit used. People that had it made one trip and husband got sick. They included a WD hitch. I added a friction type bar to tame the sway in windy conditions. This did not really do much. I am considering a new hitch. Would appreciate any input in regards to hitches with built in sway control. I attribute a lot of the problem to light weight of the unit.

[Eagle]

Trailer Life Magazine Readers Choice awards Equal-i-Zer Hitch the 'Gold Award" based on their readers input for the top of their list of RV products regarding Best Trailer Hitch.

The Equal-i-Zer Hitch has attained the Gold rating 3 years in a row.


Here is a link to their website: http://www.equalizerhitch.com/


I use the Equal-i-zer WD hitch that has 4 way built in sway control. In my travels, I've yet to experience any sway due to wind or passing/meeting big trucks/semi's. I am very satisfied.

[pg7906]

Thank you that's the kind of advice I am seeking.

[Travels with Yoly]

Amazon.com is selling the 10,000 lb unit for $520 currently ...


http://www.amazon.com/Equal-i-zer-90...zer+90-00-1000

The next size up I believe is 12,000 lbs and is $35 more.

[Eagle]

Of course, depending on your resources, there are some who claim the absolute best anti-sway hitch on the market is the Hensley.


http://hensleymfg.com/


Before I bought the Equal-i-Zer hitch, I did get their free dvd and information package and reviewed the product. It appears to be a well designed unit and GUARANTEED no sway.

Personally, I didn't like the price tag nor the rather complicated hookup as seemed like one had to be lined up perfectly to hitch up.

But ~ a hitch you may wish to consider.

[M&M]

We have an Equal-I-Zer hitch and like it. It is a little more expensive but it is American made which we think is important.
Mike

[Travels with Yoly]

The closest dealer to me selling Equal-i-zer hitches is selling it for $750 so the Amazon price is a good deal. We paid a dealer $850 for our Bully Brand hitch, also American made and also expensive. It is a little heavier duty than the 10,000 lb Equal-i-zer. I think they're all a pain in the you know what to deal with but necessary just the same.

[Eagle]

Just wondering if anyone uses the Blue Ox hitch?

http://blueox.com/trailer-towing/

I didn't like the bars dangling off chains.

One dealer tried to convince me they were the best ..... but then the same salesperson tried to sell me a Toy Hauler that was two heavy for my Tow Vehicle too.

[Travels with Yoly]

I think there are pros and cons to almost everything including bars that connect via chains and solid bar types. As I look at these other hitch options, and I checked out the Equal-i-zer very closely at the dealer today when I picked up our FF from a repair service and then looked at the Blue Ox option online. Neither of these look as easy to "disassemble" as mine. They all require jacking up the tongue and back of the tow vehicle but that's where the similarities stop. Once I jack mine up I simply lower a handle on each side to release the chains and the swing the long bar forward perpendicular to the frame and it literally falls out in my hand. Nothing to remove what so ever. I can have the WD bars disconnected and removed in less than a minute once the tongue is jacked. I do like that once I get to the site and want to settle in for a while.

[hotqld]

Our 2012 244RBS
Ball weight 280 -330kg 675lbs.
Reece WDH
2 off friction sway bars
Load bearing Monroe shocks and new front struts with HD springs to the tug.
Fitted shocks to the 244RBS.
Very big effort to get weight over axles...batteries food ...nil storage back of the axles and only the lightest of stuff in the tunnel.

The rig is heaps more stable now and in the throws of fitting the TSC
SEE:
http://mrtruck.com/tuson-trailer-sway-control.htm

[Eagle]

Here is an interesting concept/method of eliminating trailer sway totally separate from the weight distributing hitch that is new to me.

http://mrtruck.com/tuson-trailer-sway-control.htm

[pg7906]

Well I broke down and ordered the Hemsley Cub today. Did not want to spend the money. However, I am sick and tired of the sway of this trailer. I live in southern Arizona and the winds can be brutal. With appx 7% on the tongue it's extremely light.

[Eagle]

Originally Posted by pg7906

Well I broke down and ordered the Hemsley Cub today. Did not want to spend the money. However, I am sick and tired of the sway of this trailer. I live in southern Arizona and the winds can be brutal. With appx 7% on the tongue it's extremely light.

Would love to hear your opinion of the Hensley after you have used it a few times.

Hope you are pleased with the results.

[Travels with Yoly]

You should still try to find a way to get the tongue weight above 10%

[LJAZ]

Originally Posted by Travels with Yoly

You should still try to find a way to get the tongue weight above 10%

+1. 7% is really too light. Get it into the 10-15% range and I'll bet that solves most of the problem.

[Travels with Yoly]

Yes, I agree with LJAZ as far as the general basic need to increase tongue weight for many reasons. I'm not familiar with the model that you have so I can't speak with much authority, but I think with so little tongue weight, the weight is still carried somewhere else and that would be the axle(s) and tires. Most axles and tires are chosen to carry a certain amount calculated with the assumption that 10 to 15% of the total loaded weight will be carried by the tow vehicle.

A weight distribution hitch will transfer some of the tongue weight to the front axle of the tow vehicle but it won't increase the tongue weight and it may in fact, decrease it so I'm not sure that it will solve your problem. WD hitches are generally prefered for trailers with excessive tongue weight and in themselves don't nececcesarily correct for sway. Sway control devices can only do so much when the trailer is so out of balance.

[hotqld]

Here is some good reading why it is desirable to get the tongue weight in the 10-15% range

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/tow-me-down-1609112611

http://www.nav200.delphi.com/pdf/tec...08-01-1228.pdf

[pg7906]

Received my hitch via UPS on Friday. Sunday my wife and I installed it. The directions are fairly easy. I did have to relocate bottle gas tank holder. It took a total of 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. Only glitch I ran into and had been forewarned by folks at Henley, that I would need to add length to the safety chains because the hitch adds 12 inches of length between tow vehicle and trailer. I forgot that so could not tow with it yet. The plus to the extra length allows me to fully drop the tailgate on the truck when hooked up. A nice thing. I will have another report after the weekend when I do get
to tow for the first time.

[pg7906]

Well over the weekend I had a chance to tow with the new hitch. Hooked up my F244RBS and headed out onto I-10 towards Phoenix. I took me less then 3 miles in a 30 MPH cross wind to notice the difference. I am not a salesman for this product first and foremost. Prior to this change I was looking at selling my trailer. However after the first pull I have completely changed my mind. That said $1700.00 is a lot of money. However, to change trucks and trailers is a lot more. In regards to the Hensley. I ran it up to 75 mph, legal limit here in Arizona. Normally I tow at 60-65. Passed a semi truck in a 30-35 mph cross wind. I had one hand on wheel where in the past that would have required two hands with white knuckles. I then slowed down to 60-65 and allowed vehicles of all kinds including semis to pass me without one bit of sway. Hooking up is a breeze, if you read the manual and disregard previous experience with a weight distributing hitch. The concept and idea are totally different. That said I even felt it was easier to back up. Backing up prior was never really a issue for me, but with this hitch seemed a bit easier. If you have ever towed in the Southwest you can understand our winds. Looking forward to years of a positive experience. In conclusion if you have a unit that has sway issues you owe it to yourself to check this hitch out.

[Travels with Yoly]

It's hard to put a price on "peace of mind". Now you can not only enjoy your trailer, you can enjoy the entire trip