Re: Newbie help ;)

Cattiva73 wrote:
Hallo everyone,
We just purchased a 2013 32' Dutchmen Aspen Trailer and I just cant wait to go out and use it!
Before we do that..we're going to take a class on how to use and hook it from the dealership where we bough.
We're going to pull it with my AWD Escalade.

The sales man insists that we have the famous Weight Distribution with sway bar Hitch (Camco 48058 Elite Weight Distributing Hitch Kit):
Purchase price $400 plus install Total $700! from them.
But,
I found the SAME THING much much cheaper and I believe my husband and I can install it.
I also found the Reese Pro series WD Hitch

QUESTION:
Which Hitch is better CAMCO EAZ LIFT or REESE PRO? and should we pay the $$ to the dealership or do it ourselves and save a little ;)

Thank you for all your hep.

Welcome to the forums. I take it you have purchased one of these two, fine trailers:

2013 Aspen Trail 3125RLS (probably this one if no kids)


or


2013 Aspen Trail 3130QBS

I, too, think these grand trailers are at the maximum for your 1/2 tow vehicle, so you will want to proceed with caution.

Your intuition is quite correct about the WD hitches. They are fairly easy to install. The Eaz Lift and Reese Pro are nearly identical and possibly the same hitches with different stickers. Eaz Lift was the first WD hitch on the market, used to make the special carbon steel spring bars for all makes and this may still be true. You will need at least 1000 pound spring bars for one of the above trailers.

All of the friction hitches work indentically in principle. The friction is meant to damp any sway oscillations, if it is needed. So you can't go wrong with these two hitches you mentioned in spite of the fact they are not exorbantly priced like some versions.

One advantage to the two you referenced is they will accept one, two or no friction bars, the need depending on the natural stability of your towing combination. One friction hitch that is a little different is the Equal-i-zer brand. The friction cannot be removed from this hitch since the friction is built into the design by binding the linkages.

There are some hitches that do not work with friction. The lowest cost one is a Reese Dual Cam WD hitch. When this hitch is pulling straight ahead, a couple of cam wheels ride in two detents. They are held there by the weight of gravity and resist any turn (such as sway) by causing some of the trailer tongue weight to lift the wheels out of them and roll them ahead. The idea is that the rig goes straight down the highway and is held this way in tension by the detents.

EDIT:
It has been suggested I edit my understanding of the Reese Dual Cam WD hitch in the above paragraph.

The following description was offered to me:

The Dual Cam IS a friction based hitch just like the Equal-i-zer but has (in my opinion) a couple of advantages. It also does not have any "rollers" or "wheels" at all. It simply has a crook in the bar that fits over a solid steel hump or "cam" and that crook slides back and forth as the vehicle turns or tries to sway.

As the bars slide on the cam, it raises up the spring bar which increases the friction between the two surfaces. It is this friction that prevents the sway. The farther the trailer tries to sway, the higher the cam lifts the bar and increases the friction.

When the trailer starts to return to center, the friction decreases to allow the trailer to return and the cam slides back into the V of the bar. This is an advantage over the Equal-i-zer in which the friction stays exactly the same all through any sway movement.

Another expensive type is called a Pullrite and it pulls the trailer from a joint that is under the truck, near the axle, to gain much more steering leverage over the trailer than a standard bumper location. This hitch may not be available for the Escalade.

The final type is also more expensive and two companies make these hitches. They are complicated with internal linkages and gain leverage over the trailer by using geometry. The two companies are Hensley and Pro-Pride, both designed by the same man named Jim Hensley. I bought one of these fine hitches, used, from a fellow that pulled with a Chevrolet Tahoe which I believe has a similar wheelbase to your Escalade.

Frankly, the shorter wheelbases are slightly less straightline stable than a longer wheelbase like a Suburban or Escalade ESV, and he did have a crash related to a sway and jack-knife prior to upgrading his hitch. Consequently he upgraded to a Hensley, which are just about bullet-proof. When he upgraded further to a larger 5th wheel suitable for full time living, he sold me his beloved Hensley.

Finally, I would say in your case to go ahead with the economical Eaz-Lift, and consider upgrading to a Hensley type if sway is a problem. If I were you, I would also consider upgrading tires to Load Range C, especially if you need tires anyway. The original tires are purposely soft for the utmost riding comfort during passenger-only driving, but heavier duty tires will likely be less squishy while towing, besides adding a measure of safety.

Have a great holiday!

Wes
...