Towing without equalizer bars hooked up

If your WDH is designed to use bars for sway control, isn't it rather defeating the purpose by not putting them on?? It's an extra 5 minutes and it only takes 1 time to find out that you wish you'd had them on. Our TT never leaves the driveway without....neither did our HTT. Strongly suggest using it as it was designed to be used.

I am wondering if I can get away without them. I am going to a 23 ft tt behind a 1 ton dually that was used for a truck camper. It has a Torlift superhitch, torklift stable loads and supersprings. 600 lb of hitch weight will lower it maybe an inch tops and the rear is already higher that the front.

I always use mine, but I only have a 19N Mallard and I wouldn't be afraid to tow it without the leveling bars. (I'm assuming that's what you're talking about) I once had a 24 foot that didn't have that type of hitch and never had any problems. Heck they built campers for years and didn't have a setup like that at all. So, it's not a have to, but if you have them I would use them while on the highway. But that's just me. I too come from backwoods and have towed stuff my entire life without issues.

(don't jinx me)

I don't even have bars for my 20 footer. I've been on the scale and things are balanced good enough that there just not needed. I towed it almost 1000 miles this summer and never had a problem in any types of conditions. But, I'm a 50 year old farm hand and have towing things since I was 15.

I normally use the bars when towing my 18'TT on the highway, but go without them for short moves from storage to home, or towing it when light (empty truck & no water in tanks) when on dirt roads or desert tracks. The extreme angles on off highway roads that I see would definitely damage something. As stated above, GO SLOW on rough and off road is definitely most important.

I towed it from LA to San Francisco area without bars when I purchased it with no problem at all - of course empty and light for that trip.

Would agree that taking a large TT off-road in very extreme conditions might not be a good idea. But, TT axles are close together and close the middle. Consequently, I believe the frame does not see as much twisting as it would if the wheels were at each corner. Northwood makes their own frames and they are heavy. I towed my 24'Nash 200 miles north of the arctic circle in Canada, well over 1000 miles of unpaved roads with no significant problems.

My present 30' Arctic Fox has two slides. I think the slides might be vulnerable to twisting much more than a TT without slides so, I'll be a bit more careful. I do not, however, hesitate to take the 30' off the pavement. Nothing extreme, (that might depend on definition as well), but, forest service roads and some primitive campsites. The biggest factor in not over stressing things is to go slow.

The hitch head is no stronger or less strong with the bars on or off. The weight is just applied differently.

dwirkus wrote:
I have a 24 foot travel trailer with an equalizer hitch. My pickup can handle the tongue weight OK without it hooked up. I was wondering if it's OK to tow a travel trailer using the equalizer stinger without the bars hooked up or should a person buy a completely different stinger?

You should be able to tow without the weight distribution bars connected, unless your hitch system needs them to hold it together somehow. Take your bars along and go for a test drive. If you can find a road with some nice whoop de do's on it - those places where commercial truck's lift axles leave skid marks are good, "doubles" are even better - and drive over them at speed. Then connect the WD bars and level up your truck a bit and see which way you like it best.

Many trailers tow fine without WD because they have short rear overhangs. Many RV trailers don't tow as well without WD as with it.

Give it a try both ways and post an update.

Jframpey wrote:
I have towed my 6000 lb trailer short distances without a wd hitch ( from storage lot to home. About 5 miles) with my 2500 Chevy. The truck handles the dead weight ok... If you don't mind the feeling that a gorilla is jumping up and down on the rear bumper every time you cross a bump in the road!

I wouldn't recommend towing any distance without wd bars in place to stiffen the ride.

I would agree.

My equalizer bars are like my American Express card, never leave home without them. For the few minutes it takes to put them on and take them off, I'd rather be safe than sorry. Haven't had a problem yet and don't want to.

I have towed my 6000 lb trailer short distances without a wd hitch ( from storage lot to home. About 5 miles) with my 2500 Chevy. The truck handles the dead weight ok... If you don't mind the feeling that a gorilla is jumping up and down on the rear bumper every time you cross a bump in the road!

I wouldn't recommend towing any distance without wd bars in place to stiffen the ride.