Best sway control & Yukon towing

[kfp673]

Hello All,

I have 2 separate but related questions. Before I jump in, I am within my weight limits and fully understand a heavier truck would tow better than our Yukon. With that said, I have 2 questions.

1- Sway control. What is the absolute best system? Our travel trailer is just over 30' and when I bought it a few years ago I relied on the RV dealer to recommend the hitch equipment. What they gave me was Reese WD system 800b (tongue weight is in the 650 range) and a single friction sway bar. When I am towing at slower speeds through the hills I have no problem, but anything over 50 mph and the sway gets pretty bad. Windy days can get a bit scary. I would like to get the best sway system I can to completely eliminate the sway if possible. I have played with the WD setup to see if I could eliminate sway that way. I thought the tongue weight might be a little light so I dropped down from the 3rd chain link to the second to see if that helped. Not sure if it helped the sway because it made handling pretty bad so I quickly put it back.

2- We have a new 2015 Yukon. I used to tow with a 1/2 ton Ram so similar capabilities (obviously less payload). However... the new Yukon has an auto leveling rear air suspension. It is pretty cool in that any load added and the compressor kicks on and levels the rear. My question is when should I set the WD bars. Should I drop the hitch on the ball, allow the air ride to level, and then set WD bars? or turn the truck off and set WD bars, then allow air ride to adjust? Or does it matter at all?

The big issue here is the sway control. Is what I have as good as it gets? should I add a second friction bar? better systems? Thanks for your help!

[krobbe]

I would think that eliminating the cause of the sway rather than bandaiding it with a different hitch should be a priority.
Is the tongue weight of the TT at least 12 to 15% of the loaded up weight?
I use a Sureline scale to check my tongue weight before pulling out. I've had to move some weight to the back to bring it under 15%. But I've added extra batteries, larger propane tanks and gas can to the tongue. My fresh water tank is forward of the axles As well as a heavier memory foam mattress and the forward storage compartment full of tools, grill, air tank, ladder, bottle jack, etc.

[lenr]

If the OP’s Reese WD bars have the crook in the end (not straight) then the next step up would be to add the Reese Straight Line (other name-> Twin Cam) to the existing hitch. The only way to change tongue weight is to shift cargo in the trailer from the rear to the front. Changing the links on the WD only changes the distribution of the tongue weight from the rear to the front of the tow vehicle. Too little WD bar “could” cause a bit of over-steer.

[Dannyabear1]

Thats a mighty short wheel base TV for a 30' trailer

[Winnebago_Bob]

It would be easier to offer advice on a good hitch if you would give specifics on the trailer being towed and the tow vehicle.

If all you're looking for is general info, I guess your question is adequate.

I prefer Reese or Equalizer hitches (weight distribution and sway control). Hensley hitches and the like are good, some argue the best, but if you have enough tow vehicle for your trailer then they are really overkill and extremely expensive for whatever perceived benefit there may be. My opinion only.

Hensley "prevents" sway by transferring the forces involved in sway into the vehicles in question - your truck and trailer. If you don't have enough truck to begin with....

I've towed with a Hensley and couldn't tell the difference from my Reese dual cam, but then again, my priority is making sure I have enough truck to pull my trailer.

I'm awaiting delivery of an Arctic Fox 28F with a GVWR of 10.4K. I'm pulling it with a Reese SC hitch w/1200 pound bars because it's a good hitch and I'm tired of dealing with chains. I'm dragging it with a 1 ton.

Trying to recommend a hitch for pulling 30 feet behind an light SUV without even knowing what your target tongue weight is would be a SWAG at best.

[BurbMan]

The absolute best sway system is either the Hensley Arrow or ProPride P3 hitch system, hands down. These are the only 2 that use the geometry of the 4-bar linkage to prevent sway sway, not just manage it. Another good choice is the Pull-Rite if they make one for your vehicle.

Regarding the auto-level on the Yukon, read your owner's manual, it should tell you the specific steps for hitching a WD hitch with auto-leveling.