We just purchase a 30' Aviator Electra and are super excited! This is a first for either of us!! We were told that we needed to get a weight equalizer/ anti Sway hitch. The salesman stated it would be $1200 for this hitch at his place and they would put it on and all... but that just seems to me a bit much... Do any of ya'll have any recommendations on a good one and how do we go about making sure its the right one for our trailer?

You can buy one and install yourself for about 500, not including tools. To buy from the dealer and have the dealer install is usually in the 750 range. 1200 is outrageous.

Thats what i thought.. Sales Men!!! But is there anything i need to look for as far as weight of trailer.. fully loaded trailer is suppose to be in the neighborhood of 8000... are the hitches weight classes or just a one size fits all kind of deal?

When I bought my trailer they wanted $770 for the 10k equal-i-zer brand hitch installed. I eventually got them down on it and the trailer together where I paid about $500 for the hitch, which is about the best you'll get even online.

Sharkgirl - welcome to the forum.The retailer etrailer.com has a wealth of information on WDH options that you can review and get knowledge as well as competitive pricing. Installation of my Equal-i-zer (that is a brand name, not to be confused with "equalizer" which is a generic term) took about 1/2 hour when I got my new trailer so at, say, $120/hour chargeout rate, a deal should not charge much more than $60 to install. Add that to the price and you would see how much profit the RV dealer is trying to claw back from you.

http://www.equalizerhitch.com/About%20Equal-i-zer/hitchsizes.phpTry this for determining the right one. I love the pop and squeeeeeeeeeeeee of our equalizer...it drives others nuts. :)

Equalizer/Anti Sway Hitch | Good Sam Community

nomad297
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
APT wrote:
WDH prices vary from $200 to $3000. Find out exactly what model he is selling at that price.

I highly recommend a WDH with integrated sway control for about $450. Equal-i-zer 4pt, Reese Strait Line, or Blueox Swaypro.

Where are you going to buy a complete Reese Straight-line for about $450?

Bruce
jfkmk
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
Just be aware if you buy the hitch to set it up yourself, you probably don't have all the proper tools. My wdh required the ball to be torqued to 450 ft lbs. that's a lot of torque! Fortunately they had a torque wrench at work that was large enough.
APT
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
WDH prices vary from $200 to $3000. Find out exactly what model he is selling at that price.

I highly recommend a WDH with integrated sway control for about $450. Equal-i-zer 4pt, Reese Strait Line, or Blueox Swaypro.
bigj3234
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
Our dealer threw in the hitch, sway bar and brake controller for free. Of course, none were "top of the line" by any means, but they get the job done. Hitch and sway bar are by EAZ-Lift. Bars are rated for 1,200lbs. If you search Amazon there are plenty of similar hitches for under $300, some with the sway bar as well.
SharkGirl
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
Bigbird.... that is a good question!! i have a Chevy 1500.. thought she could pull it but Ol' Betsy doesnt have enough umph to pull, she can only pull 5K... we are now looking at a Chevy 2500HD Duramax..
Bigbird65
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
I bought the Husky round bar hitch package here. It was pretty easy to install. I did have to "borrow" a torque wrench from a local auto supply to install it. The directions were very good and the package does include a good anti-sway bar. This setup is plenty big for your trailer. By the way, what are you going to use to pull the trailer?
SharkGirl
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
Oh he is definitely trying to rip us off... maybe cause we are getting the trailer at such a rock bottom price he is trying to pad the sale some?? tried to sell us some kind of coating as well... something they spray on the cushions and curtains and everything.. for another 1,000 bucks!!
SharkGirl
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
wow! thank you all for such great help!! i wonder what any of yalls views are on the Reese strait line system are..

on a side note.... I had bought my Thule racks from etrailer.com and from my experience they were great to work with!!
Rustycamperpant
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
our dealer gave one to us at "their cost" for $475 installed when we bought our first TT. Our camper is 6,400 dry, 8,000 gross. At $1,200 your dealer is truely ripping you off.
Magua
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
http://www.equalizerhitch.com/About%20Equal-i-zer/hitchsizes.php

Try this for determining the right one.

I love the pop and squeeeeeeeeeeeee of our equalizer...it drives others nuts. :)