Driving from Seattle, WA. to Augusta, GA. with my 34' bumper to bumper travel trailer with a loaded weight of 7,500. My TV is a 2014 RAM 3500 Crew Cab Long Box CTD with AISEN tranny and 4,200 payload. Not really worried about weight distro, but more about anti-sway. Do I even need one of these hitches? Can I tow without? My old TV was a 2013 F150 and the TT threw me all over the road with a cheap chain WD hitch with one sway bar. I am wanting input as to just use the hitch I have, get a EQ style hitch, or just tow without any type of WD hitch. I really don't want to spend any more than $400 if I have to get a new hitch.

Yes you do. You can tow without it but I guarantee it will handle better, bounce less and move around less with a proper WDH. A friend of mine also has a Ram 3500 and bought a 7K# TT. Because it was his first trailer and he knows I've been towing so long, he took my word that he needed a wdh even though it towed home from the dealership OK.He was shocked at the difference in ride it made to get the WDH set up. The truck was much more stable and needed less steering input. It also rode better. He could tell all this in a manner of a few blocks!So yes, you should get one.

I already have one, but it is a cheap round-bar chain set-up with a single sway bar. Will this do the trick, or should I get something different. Kinda a pain to take the sway bar off every time I have to back up. Also, does it matter that I use an adapter to convert my 2.5" receiver to accommodate my 2" shank?

They all work if set up right. You might find with the WDH set up right you will not need the sway bar.

I use WD with built in sway with my Chevy dully 3500 long bed crew. I attempted to just moving the camper around the property without the bars and the back end of the truck dropped too much for my comfort level. I knew I had to keep the WD bars on if traveling on the road, even short distances.I had a Reese (chain link) WD hitch I used on 3 different campers and several different tow vehicles and it worked very will with a simple Reese friction sway bar. Somewhere along the line, when we got our new Outback, the hitch head bent, causing the ball to lean backwards. I ended up getting an Equal-i-zer system to replace the 10 (plus) year old Reese. That Reese towed quite a few thousands of miles, so no complaints. Things just don't last forever.For your set-up, I strongly suggest you re-evaluate your current hitch and WD system. For the size of your new truck, you should not have any problems with even a moderate system. Based upon your description, it sounds like you did not have the bars tight enough. Raising the bars by one or two links in the chain WILL make a big difference.Before investing in a new WD system, try your old one. Make the chains tighter. Then if you still have problems, THEN look into a new system. I have a feeling your bars are simply not tight enough.

I would use both the WD and the sway bar. There is usually no need to take the sway bar off if it is installed correctly and you don't jacknife the trailer while backing up.No matter what size truck you have, the tongue weight of the trailer placed several feet behind the rear axle still displaces weight off the front axle and upsets the steering geometry of the truck. You will find both the steering and ride to be better if you use it. There is probably no need to purchase a new hitch. Just use what you have (as long as the WD spring bars are of the correct size), set it up correctly, and you should be good to go.You can get help setting your hitch up here.Good luck.Barney

Anti-Sway Hitch not so much weight distro | Good Sam Community

14 Replies

jerem0621
Explorer II
Jan 13, 2015
campigloo wrote:
If you don't want to spend money on a new hitch and would rather spend it on diesel, I'm totally with you. I use one of those trashy round bar hitches with the friction bar that is so antique. I pull my 36' 10000 lb trailer about 10000 miles a year and it has served me well. I'm sure the other hitches are better but this works for me. Point is, what you have will work fine and two friction bars are needed for that length. I have yet to remove the bars for backing up and have yet to damage one. Maybe I'm just lucky. Any WD will give a better towing experience than nothing at all.

Yep, I'm a huge fan of those trashy standard WD hitches (adjusted correctly) and dual friction bars. Thousands of miles towed by me....never a problem with my standard Hitch and bars. I didn't remove the bars backing up either unless I was really jack knifing the truck and trailer.

Thanks!

Jeremiah
campigloo
Explorer
Jan 12, 2015
If you don't want to spend money on a new hitch and would rather spend it on diesel, I'm totally with you. I use one of those trashy round bar hitches with the friction bar that is so antique. I pull my 36' 10000 lb trailer about 10000 miles a year and it has served me well. I'm sure the other hitches are better but this works for me. Point is, what you have will work fine and two friction bars are needed for that length. I have yet to remove the bars for backing up and have yet to damage one. Maybe I'm just lucky. Any WD will give a better towing experience than nothing at all.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Jan 12, 2015
While not absolutely mandatory, a 2.5" shank would eliminate on source of slop in the system. You can use the adapter sleeve, but the hitch fit won't be as solid.

If you're going to buy a new shank and a new sway bar, consider spending a little more to get a new modern WDH with the sway control integrated. The integrated systems work much better than the old friction bars.
Airstreamer67
Explorer
Jan 11, 2015
I'd use what you got, but would install the recommended second $50 sway bar.

That's what I got on my F250.

Steady as she goes.
JBarca
Nomad II
Jan 11, 2015
My F350 has the same payload rating as your truck and I have upgraded the receiver so be able to handle more weight carrying TW and TW with the WD hitch. Back in 05, the truck receivers area not as heavy rated as todays newer trucks. So I have the equipment to tow my camper with no WD or sway control.

However I will hook up the WD bars and the anti sway control every time the camper leaves the yard. The ride is so much more smooth, less bucking in the truck up and down and while the camper is balanced to 15% to 16% TW pending my bikes on the front, I still want anti sway for the 1 time bad things come at me. And I also use WD on my 10K flat deck trailer to make the ride so much better. Even when the trailer is empty, I just lighten up the chains.

Since you have a nice new truck and a good sized trailer, get the right hitch equipment to do the job. Do you know your loaded tongue weight from a scale ticket? Is your current WD hitch rated heavy enough? Your single friction bar is not enough for a 34 foot camper.

You have a really good truck, and you know what you paid for it. Don't stop short at a $400 price tag to not have the right equipment. $150 more and it can buy a Reese Trunnion bar hitch with the DC. And that goes all the way up to a 1,500# TW if needed. Save a little if you only need 1,200#

Good luck and have a safe tow

John
kayakcrazy
Explorer
Jan 11, 2015
fireman41 wrote:
If you don't have to move alot of weight and don't want to mess with bars and grease, get the anderson no sway hitch. I use it with my Jayco 26bh and my f250 works great.

X2 Love my Andersen Hitch
fireman41
Explorer
Jan 10, 2015
If you don't have to move alot of weight and don't want to mess with bars and grease, get the anderson no sway hitch. I use it with my Jayco 26bh and my f250 works great.
downtheroad
Explorer
Jan 10, 2015
Cross country trip planned with a 34 footer. Every kind of condition on the planet.
Bite the bullet and do it correctly. Adding another friction sway bar may be easier, but is not the best way to go.
Equal-i-zer or my choice -Reese Dual Cam Strait Line.
jscheelar
Explorer
Jan 10, 2015
Great, thanks for all the input. I will definitely continue to use my WD. I read that with the length of my trailer 2 anti sway devises are recommended.
BarneyS
Explorer III
Jan 10, 2015
I would use both the WD and the sway bar. There is usually no need to take the sway bar off if it is installed correctly and you don't jacknife the trailer while backing up.

No matter what size truck you have, the tongue weight of the trailer placed several feet behind the rear axle still displaces weight off the front axle and upsets the steering geometry of the truck. You will find both the steering and ride to be better if you use it.

There is probably no need to purchase a new hitch. Just use what you have (as long as the WD spring bars are of the correct size), set it up correctly, and you should be good to go.

You can get help setting your hitch up here.
Good luck.
Barney