sway bars

Roundtwo-40 wrote:
If you and your friend are mechanically inclined do it yourself (there are you tube videos that show you how) the one kicker is that the ball has to be torqued to 400+ footpounds.. (ie big air impact wrench or long cheater bar) and the socket is a tight fit (equalizer sells a turned down socket for 50+$) but some say they have been able to use a short socket or 1 3/4" and get it to work. Good Luck!

On edit: $900 for an installed Equalizer hitch??? OUCH..my 14k (biggest they sell) was $600 delivered (RVW)...talk about padding the labor..

X2 on installing the ball and finding the big 1-3/4" socket! A buddy of mine has a body shop so I took my EQ head over there and he torqued the ball for me.

BTW, you DO NOT need a thin wall socket as you can put the WD bars in the sockets and rotate them out of the way so a standard wall socket will work. When you're doing this of course, you will have the Hitch Head mounted on your hitch upside down. The hitch holds the Hitch Head so you can torque it. Sliding the Hitch Head into the hitch upside down makes it easy to get to the nut on the ball.

andrew_the_newbe wrote:
Than you everybody for all your help, glad I signed up for this forum. Now, my next question is, I called a local RV lot to see what kind of weight distributing hitch they have and he said he doesn't stock them but orders them as needed and he can get me a EQUAL-I-ZER for $745 plus $150 install. My mechanic and good friend (also a rv'er) said I can order it and he'll install for me but he has a 5th wheel, never had to install before. Do I go with the over priced dealer or my mechanic?

You can get the Equalizer for under $500 with free shipping from several places. As I noted, I got mine from Tweetys, but there are plenty of other online suppliers. Any competent mechanic can easily install this hitch, provided they take the time to READ and UNDERSTAND the INSTRUCTIONS!

The EQ is a very simple design IMO just be aware you need several BIG sockets, along with a 1/2" drive Torque Wrench and the PROPER 2-5/16" ball with the PROPER length shank. This is all explained in the instructions and your mechanic friend should have the necessary tools.

To keep things simple, I ordered the Equilizer ball along with my hitch but you don't necessarily have to as other brands will work fine with the proper shank, etc. Your existing ball might even work if the shank is the proper length.

Andrew,
It's good that you're asking all the right questions to arrive at a safe setup.

Yes, you need the WD Hitch and Brake Controller as noted above. Get a Hitch with "built in" sway control like the Equalizer or Reese Dual Cam. The Blue Ox Pro is also getting very good reviews on this site too. You can download instructions on all of them and see what's involved in setting them up. I went with the Equalizer for my new trailer because it was an easier setup on my type of trailer. I got mine for $495 from Tweetys with free shipping.

The purpose of the WD hitch is to return weight to your front axle that was removed when you lowered the trailer fully on the ball. You must return weight to the front axle or you will have a dangerous ride as you found out!

NOTE: Your WD bars must be properly sized for your weight of trailer too so check this out before buying. For instance they have 600, 800, 1,000 lb bars, etc, and even heavier, so get the right ones.

As to the brake controller, the Tekonsha line is very popular. I have their original Prodigy but they've got some newer ones now like the P2 and P2 with a few more bells and whistles. Along with the controller, get the Tekonsha pigtail for your Chevy and the install will be plug and play. The pigtails are around 12-15 bucks.

You MIGHT have to install a fuse or circuit breaker somewhere, but I don't know. Others with Chevys can advise here or check your manual. All of this is not too complicated and you should be able to do it yourself if you're handy and can follow instructions.

Andrew,
I sent you my phone number in a private message.
Call me. I work in the RV business and will be happy to help you out.
I can drop off a complete weight distributing hitch with a sway control when I pass through your town next week-end.

There is no reason to go to an RV dealer for your WDH. Any trailer sales lot, will get what you need probably much cheaper than an RV dealer.
People on this forum are real fond of spending other folks money. You do not need to break the bank for your system. I got a "cheap" pro pride system for 279.00 dollars. It function just fine. Just make sure that the bars are right for your weight. Base all your decisions on the gross weight of your trailer. If it hasn't bee molested there with be at least one sticker on your TT showing the GVW.

If you are like most of us you need to balance cost against usage. Two or three short trips a season does not require the same outlay as a cross country trekker.

Do some googling some reading and forge on!

If you and your friend are mechanically inclined do it yourself (there are you tube videos that show you how) the one kicker is that the ball has to be torqued to 400+ footpounds.. (ie big air impact wrench or long cheater bar) and the socket is a tight fit (equalizer sells a turned down socket for 50+$) but some say they have been able to use a short socket or 1 3/4" and get it to work. Good Luck!

On edit: $900 for an installed Equalizer hitch??? OUCH..my 14k (biggest they sell) was $600 delivered (RVW)...talk about padding the labor..

Thank you for your help, the last thing I want to do is endanger anyone at anytime. I do want to educate myself on anything that may become a issue so I know how to handle a situation. Can you give me any ideas of where to start? I know to keep at a safe speed (55 mph) on the freeway at the most, give myself plenty of room to slow down/stop, I watched videos on how to handle a blow out. Any more suggestions? As I said, I want to be safe and I welcome any information on the matter.

forget the dealer and the person you bought the trailer from. neither is your friend and only out to take advantage of you.
it's a good thing you didn't have an emergency, otherwise that 28' trailer could have easily overwhelmed your short-wheelbase Tahoe.:E

order an Equalizer WDH and a Prodigy BC from RVW. you'll get free shipping and your mechanic should be able to easily install it.
heck, you could install it yourself!!

my next suggestion is that before you venture out with the trailer, is that you educate yourself more about RV's, before you endanger you, your family and the rest of us.
the fact that you bought such an item without doing any research ahead of time, is something you can't afford to do again. you'll need to learn how RV's work and how to operate all the systems and how to get everything set up.

Than you everybody for all your help, glad I signed up for this forum. Now, my next question is, I called a local RV lot to see what kind of weight distributing hitch they have and he said he doesn't stock them but orders them as needed and he can get me a EQUAL-I-ZER for $745 plus $150 install. My mechanic and good friend (also a rv'er) said I can order it and he'll install for me but he has a 5th wheel, never had to install before. Do I go with the over priced dealer or my mechanic?

I think your seller was a lot more eager to sell and not worry about any details. TTs have electric brakes and they are controlled by the brake controller in the tow vehicle. I haven't had a TT since I started RVing in '69 but I remembeer my first trip. We had a 21' Layton 1969 and towed it with a Lincoln. The TT dealer said I should try just the Reese hitch and then see if I needed the sway control. I needed the sway control. That TT was heavy at 4400#. You should also have a breakaway switch that fastens to the truck and will apply the TT brakes should the TT ever break loose.
The next problem is what happens to your name when you are no longer a newbie?