Boondock towing

[Minnie80525]

We tow a 20' camper using a Fastway e2 WD/anti-sway hitch. I've had so much trouble with it in tight turns on steep terrain that I'm looking for a better solution.

Because this isn't a long or heavy trailer, I am considering the Anderson, but I'm open to any good solution that doesn't cause trouble in sketchy maneuvers.

Any thoughts from all you boondockers?

[Minnie80525]

> ... I would skimp on the trailer before I skimped on the hitch ...

Now there's a concept!

Towing safely in a windy region is paramount. Less "hitch-hassle" once I'm out in the boonies, that's the cherry I want on the safety cake.

FYI, I've come across a redesigned Hensley-type hitch by the originator of the Hensley. It's called the ProPride 3P..

It's a beast, and pricey, and probably overkill in my case, but it looks like the bee's proverbials for longer trailers.

[Minnie80525]

agesilaus wrote:

wopachop wrote:
... Are you guys 100% sure the OP cant loosen his bars and leave them installed while driving offroad?

No but they come off the other end fairly easily and one good jolt could toss them off. Or at least that seems to be the case to me. The round pins that hold them in are maybe a half inch or so deep in their sockets.

Exactly! And as I mentioned, they release and drop right out if they swing toward the TV too far.

Also, when you have to do this fire-drill, you're in rough country; having loose bars hanging down reduces ground-clearance at the hitch.

[agesilaus]

wopachop wrote:
Briefly looked over the e2 manual again. It talks about having to lift up a locking tab to remove the bars.

Are you guys 100% sure the OP cant loosen his bars and leave them installed while driving offroad?

No but they come off the other end fairly easily and one good jolt could toss them off. Or at least that seems to be the case to me. The round pins that hold them in are maybe a half inch or so deep in their sockets.

[Minnie80525]

agesilaus wrote:
I have an e2 and I can get the bars off in a minute or so so it isn't quite the major task it's made out to be. I have my hitch/unhitch stuff all more or less together tho ... If your using one of those conical plastic doohickeys to go under the jack, we gave up on that thing after a week or two.

Didn't I say it's easy? I did. It is. It's easy.

But it takes time. Each cycle takes time--more for me than you, I guess, owing to different rigs--and I value my time. You also aren't accounting for the time to find a good location, out of traffic, to do it. Where I go, that can be the most time-consuming part.

Anyway, fussing with the hitch is not part of the good times.

I have no idea what plastic doohickey you mean, but thanks for the tip.

wopachop wrote:
Briefly looked over the e2 manual again. It talks about having to lift up a locking tab to remove the bars.

Are you guys 100% sure the OP cant loosen his bars and leave them installed while driving offroad?

Yes, we're sure. 100% sure. :B

[valhalla360]

wopachop wrote:
Hope people reading this understand its OK to grease the L bracket. Especially if you keep the WDH hooked up when towing offroad. Or if you notice your vehicle sags a lot without the WDH. Both those examples would benefit greatly from a little bit of friction reduction. 

And I would hope people reading the above realize it's in direct conflict with the manufacturers manual.

[wopachop]

Briefly looked over the e2 manual again. It talks about having to lift up a locking tab to remove the bars.

Are you guys 100% sure the OP cant loosen his bars and leave them installed while driving offroad?

[wopachop]

Hope people reading this understand its OK to grease the L bracket. Especially if you keep the WDH hooked up when towing offroad. Or if you notice your vehicle sags a lot without the WDH. Both those examples would benefit greatly from a little bit of friction reduction. 

[valhalla360]

agesilaus wrote:
From the e2 manual:
"The contact points of the head and spring bars, as well as the hitch ball, should be kept clean and well lubricated with a good quality bearing grease. See Figure 27. They should be cleaned and lubricated before each trip. Check for damage or abnormal wear at the beginning of each tow and replace parts if necessary. Use a rag to clean dirt and road grit from all contact points regularly"

This is in reference to the front end of the spring bars where they attach next to the ball and pivot while turning.

Further down in the manual:
If after lubricating the hitch you still experience some noise do not be alarmed. This is generally caused by the friction between the spring arms and L-brackets, which means that your e2 hitch is working as it should to help control sway.

They also recommend disconnecting the bars in the OPs situation:
Do not tow your trailer on rough roads. Do not tow your trailer through profound round ditches, dips, or swales. Excessive strain on the spring arms and hitch head may cause hitch fatigue or failure.

[SteveAE]

Minnie80525,
I used to use a name brand (Reese???) chain supported, Weight Distribution Hitch. Noisy, greeasy, and frankly not the best weight distribution or sway reduction when it is all said and done. The Hensley (and other hitches in this class) is light years ahead. Passing trucks, sliding on ice, wind when in the desert that is blowing over big rigs, the Hensley is soooo much better (and don't let those who haven't used one tell you differently). Never considered the issue of going on rough terrain when I had the old style (still have the stupid thing somewhere in the barn), but I can see why folks here shiver at the thought. The Hensley is just different. Yes, hooking one up can, at times be more challenging....especially when the trailer is jackknifed into a spot on uneven ground (trailer pointed toward the sky while the truck is pointed downhill), but it isn't a deal breaker as the hitches positive attributes far outweigh this issue. And, like so many other things, you learn to accommodate. It also costs more, but only you can decide what this is worth (I would skimp on the trailer before I skimped on the hitch, but everyone is different). When I bought mine, I bought directly from the manufacture and my guess is that this is still the way they are sold now. Good luck.

[agesilaus]

From the e2 manual:
"The contact points of the head and spring bars, as well as the hitch ball, should be kept clean and well lubricated with a good quality bearing grease. See Figure 27. They should be cleaned and lubricated before each trip. Check for damage or abnormal wear at the beginning of each tow and replace parts if necessary. Use a rag to clean dirt and road grit from all contact points regularly"

[wopachop]

valhalla360 wrote:

The hitches with the L-bracket systems are intentionally NOT GREASED because it creates friction limiting sway. If all you want is weight distribution with no sway control, one of the chain based systems would be easier.

I interpret the instructions a bit different. Both the e2 and equalizer are saying you can grease the L bracket if you want to reduce the friction on purpose.

I think i figured out what happened with the equalizer instructions. 3 years ago i swear they had instructions to grease the L bracket to reduce noise and popping. Now it seems they are selling a jacket and calling grease messy.

-----------------------
In some cases the friction on the L-brackets can generate noise. Lubricating this joint is not recommended. A better solution is a set of official Equal-i-zer brand Sway Bracket Jackets™. They quiet the ride and reduce wear without the mess of using a lubricant.

[valhalla360]

wopachop wrote:
Ive driven my trailer both ways. There is zero chance i would drive it without grease on the L bracket ever again. There is too much friction in my opinion. Way too rough making turns. You can hear it load up and release rather violently. Ive had my L bracket supports move on me and i follow their torque specs. To me the L bracket supports are not thick enough metal. They want to bow out if you over tighten the bolts. Or you can torque them correctly and the darn bracket moves from the extreme friction.

Greasing the L bracket makes for a much more pleasant drive. I mostly need the weight distribution. Not the sway control. So having a small amount of grease is a benefit for me. But i also dont have to remove the bars. When i remove the hitch its all together in 1 piece and i dont touch the back 8 inches of spring bar.

Bummer for the OP because it sounds like he has to remove his bars and expose the greased end. I still think he/she should try leaving the bars attached but not under pressure. Are they somewhat stiff so they wont rotate forward enough to fall out? Leaving them hooked up for the terrain people are describing is a mistake i think.  

The hitches with the L-bracket systems are intentionally NOT GREASED because it creates friction limiting sway. If all you want is weight distribution with no sway control, one of the chain based systems would be easier.

I really don't get the OPs aversion to the 5 min it would take to release the bars and stow them. Maybe in the old days of manual tongue jacks but with electric jacks, it's not a big issue. I assume on any road where this is needed, traffic will be minimal, so no big deal just pulling to the side.

I do believe any WDH is going to be a disappointment if the OP is thinking any WDH likes going over rough of road terrain.

[wopachop]

profdant139 wrote:
So if crazy angles are bad for a WDH, maybe it is a good idea to take steps to protect the hardware when towing on rough forest roads??

Yup and for most setups the quick and easy answer is to get out and loosen the bars. If you have a chain style set it super loose. Easier than removing the bars. If you have an equalizer like me i just swing them out. Those are the only 2 im familiar with.

The Hensley that someone mentioned sounds awesome.
The e2 i would be curious to feel how stiff the bars are. I dont picture them moving much as you drive 15mph down a dirt road. If they did i would limit their travel using bungees or rope. The most time consuming thing should be watching the slow jack move up and down.

[wopachop]

Good catch on the manual and greasing the L bracket. I would bet money at some point i read the equalizer manual and it had me grease the L bracket. I did not want to, because i dont want to worry about rubbing against grease accidentally. But i like to follow instructions so i did.

Just checked the online manual again. Its telling me they do not recommend greasing the L bracket!! What in the heck? Either they changed the manual or the Youtube video they have told me to grease it. Wouldnt be the first time manuals contradict each other. In fact manuals often have blatant errors. 

Ive driven my trailer both ways. There is zero chance i would drive it without grease on the L bracket ever again. There is too much friction in my opinion. Way too rough making turns. You can hear it load up and release rather violently. Ive had my L bracket supports move on me and i follow their torque specs. To me the L bracket supports are not thick enough metal. They want to bow out if you over tighten the bolts. Or you can torque them correctly and the darn bracket moves from the extreme friction.

Greasing the L bracket makes for a much more pleasant drive. I mostly need the weight distribution. Not the sway control. So having a small amount of grease is a benefit for me. But i also dont have to remove the bars. When i remove the hitch its all together in 1 piece and i dont touch the back 8 inches of spring bar.

Bummer for the OP because it sounds like he has to remove his bars and expose the greased end. I still think he/she should try leaving the bars attached but not under pressure. Are they somewhat stiff so they wont rotate forward enough to fall out? Leaving them hooked up for the terrain people are describing is a mistake i think.