Best WD and anti-sway hitch?

I would wait until you know what the actual tongue weight on the trailer is before you buy the WDH. The spring bars in WDH hitches have different weight ratings and it is important that you have the correct bar rating matched to your actual tongue weight. The actual tongue weight is determined by going to a scale. If you want to get your WDH before you get your trailer, I would try and find out from this or other RV forums what your actual tongue weight is. Keep in mind that it can vary somewhat for your particular case due to how you load your trailer and a few other reasons. The factory published dry tongue weight is useless info. Our actual tongue weight is almost double the factory dry tongue weight. This caused me major problems in setting up our WDH as the first set of bars we purchased were significantly too small.

If the OP says money is no object on the hitch, then in the same vain, I would go the extra mile and take your TV and trailer to a scale to get weights, the actual payload capacity of the TV and the trailer and what the weight distribution between axles is. This is one of the best things you can do in any event, as you are otherwise flying blind and are *thinking* all is okay, when it may not be. We got some real surprises after going to to a scale like we are almost at the GVWR of our trailer without much really in it. Also, the payload capacity of our truck is about 1,000 lbs less than what the door jamb sticker says.

After doing some research, I ended up deciding on a Reese dual cam hitch ($450 on ebay). I had no end of trouble trying to get the weight distribution right with 800 lb bars. The rear of the trailer was also bouncing a LOT. Then I installed 1200 lb bars and then it was easy to get set up. The bounce in the rear of the trailer also calmed down a lot.

I don't believe in the Anderson hitch. It relies on compression of the urethane bushings and has no adjustment in different spring bar ratings like most other hitches. It seems to be a low tech. design and from what I have read, only works okay on lighter trailers. If OP has lots of cash, why go this route...

We have the Reese DC setup and I love it (after finally getting setup right). I love the self-centering action it has which the other friction types don't have. Many swear by the friction type WDH hitches like Equalizer and also the add-on friction bars. Many swear by the Reese DC. As an engineer, I like the design of the Reese DC. I love the performance when towing. I can see how some might have to re-adjust the cam arms if the TV is loaded and the bumper drops and/or if the tongue weight of the trailer varies, esp. as in the case of a toyhauler. We have a 3/4 ton truck and the tongue weight is pretty constant at just under 1,000 lbs so the cam arm setting doesn't need to be re-adjusted. Adjusting the cam arm nuts can be a PITA and you don't want to have to touch them unless necessary.

If I wanted to spend lots of extra $$, the Husky centerline is one I might look at. Centerline

Another thing to consider is whether or not you use round spring bars or the square trunnion bars. Our current ones are trunnion and the last ones were round bar. I like the trunnion ones better. I had trouble with the little spring clip and pin on the hitch head that holds the bar in place. We actually lost the pin once, but fortunately it was at home somewhere. Good to buy a spare set of spring clip and pin. There are pros and cons of trunnion vs round bars and it's maybe best to research the forums.

Reese Dual Cam - we had it on three different TTs. One TT came with a different system, but after 2 trips with it, we ditched it and bought another Dual Cam. If you're not a handy type (which DH and I are NOT - lol), have a hitch specialist install it to make sure it's done right.

I agree with every thing you wrote. However, in my experience, you left a couple of negative items out.

1) When hitching and unhitching having to unscrew those big bolts every time. That has quickly gotten to be a pain with me. 2) Don't unhitch at much of an angle between the TV and the TT. I once had a dickens of a time getting it rehitched due to the angle.

I had a Traillite for a year and an Equal-i-zer came with it. That waas an easy hitch and unhitch.

Last year I got a HiLo. Tried the Andersen hitch for it. Everything was great, including me being able to install it. But the hitching and unhitching has become a pain for me.

I'm planning on trading the HiLo for a Koala very soon. I'm going back to the Equal-i-zer.

DarthMuffin wrote:
I think the best value and simplest is the Anderson hitch. Less expensive, lightweight, simple, easy to install, setup, and use. Infinitely adjustable. Don't need to disconnect when backing. As an added bonus all the people at the RV store will ask about it ;-)

Thanks all.
I agree with jmtandem. It certainly makes perfect sense to at least start with a properly loaded and balanced trailer....and go from there as needed.
??

chevor wrote:
Nothing better than putting a band-aid on behind a 1/2 a truck to pull an oversized trailer and thinking its perfectly safe.

add me to those that have experienced this .
i have been criticized on this forum for towing a 21T Komfort (7200# axle gvw) with a 9200 # gvw duramax .
it is my 4th rv and my last , ordered and purchased new in 2002 .
"real drivers can tow with an f150" , they say .
we were in the practice of towing long distances and the business of thinking a half ton pickup with a fancy equalizing hitch did not work out as well as planned .
if you go to the tire store and see these f 150's with their wheels off and then walk over to an f 250 with the wheels off you will be surprised how puny the f 150 brakes are compared to the f 250 .
plus with an hd2500 duramax we have extra payload capacity which allows us to load all heavy items in the pickup and still load the 21T with 1000# on tongue weight and 5400 # on its axles .
because our pickup weighs 6800 # empty and 8600# loaded with tongue weight the trailer follows the pickup perfectly on the twistiest mountain roads we can find.
i have an equalizing hitch . i only use it for extra long trips .
i don't really need it .
i really like toyota products . we owned a supra , 3 lexus LS 400's and 2 Avalons. for a half ton pickup i would really consider a tundra .
these new equalizing hitches are very good .
but the money is better spent buying a minimum f250 or hd2500 pickup if you plan to tow a travel trailer .

IMO, the "best" would be the one matched and set up correctly to your TV and TT. The "easiest" would be the one you don't have to adjust since they all require about the same amount of setup/take down.

I've owned a regular friction based WD system with an anti-sway bar for our previous HTT and it was perfect.


For our current TT, I started with a Reese Dual Cam. This had to be constantly adjusted and was never quite right. Probably my fault because most users love it, but it wasn't for me.


Found a used Hensly on craigslist and for the first time feel comfortable enough letting DW tow while I sleep on long trips.

Trailers that sway are better off cured rather than overpowered.

I agree.

I think many of us could, or already have, come up with a swayless tow if we have an eighty thousand dollar budget. We could keep close to 2.5k of the 3k hitch money to play with. There is no reason to eliminate something that doesn't exist in the first place. Trailers that sway are better off cured rather than overpowered.

I am going to be getting a new trailer soon and have used equalizer in the past with good results. That being said, I will be ordering a propride hitch to use with the new trailer. I will be towing in the mountains of virginia and wet virginia. 50k truck, 30k trailer, and the safety of my family and others....what's another 3k in the grand scheme of things? The Hensley and propride eliminate sway before it starts...they don't fight it. To me it's a no brainer