Blue ox sway pro anti sway ability

[Highway_4x4]

Been reading about the different hitches with anti sway. The one I have now is the round bar with friction sway brake. The holes in the head where the bars go are worn oval. So looking at the Blue Ox sway pro unit and wondering if there is really any anti sway control in that hitch using the WD bars as the anti sway device? Does anyone have one and feels there is good anti sway control with it? Towing a 30ft, 7K pound TT with a Dodge 2500 diesel.

[coolbreeze01]

Highway 4x4 wrote:
OK, it works, somehow, it's the caster. I am kind of old school, I can see how the friction ones work. So, the more you turn the more force there is to put it back straight. So what about tight turns in a CG or gas station? Also I am going to need a 2 1/2 inch shank for the class 5 hitch. I will need a crane to lift it. I know a proper loaded TT and hitch doesn't sway. But what about that cross wind and then a semi goes by on the wind side, there is the sway.

You can't control the wind or semi's. You can control your own speed.

[katysdad]

Might check out Husky's Centerline.

[Highway_4x4]

OK, it works, somehow, it's the caster. I am kind of old school, I can see how the friction ones work. So, the more you turn the more force there is to put it back straight. So what about tight turns in a CG or gas station? Also I am going to need a 2 1/2 inch shank for the class 5 hitch. I will need a crane to lift it. I know a proper loaded TT and hitch doesn't sway. But what about that cross wind and then a semi goes by on the wind side, there is the sway.

[eluwak]

About how it works... The pivots for the bars are angled so that there is a natural tendency for the TV and TT to be in a straight line. the more you turn, the more the resistance builds up... Kind of like a pendulum. The friction of the pivots isn't super high, but enough to dampen the system as far as I have seen.

As always, YMMV 🙂

[coolbreeze01]

I have the "old style" Sway Pro. The hitch is easy, clean, quiet, and effective. As far as sway, a trailer properly set up, doesn't sway anyway imo.

[JBarca]

Highway 4x4 wrote:
So looking at the Blue Ox sway pro unit and wondering if there is really any anti sway control in that hitch using the WD bars as the anti sway device? Does anyone have one and feels there is good anti sway control with it? Towing a 30ft, 7K pound TT with a Dodge 2500 diesel.

Hi,

There have been several iterations of the Sway Pro over the years. If you are buying new, and the dealer has the most recent, the hitch head is a non-adjustable head. The head was made this way on purpose by Blue Ox.

Here are 2 threads where it was discussed in more detail on the new fixed tilted hitch head version and attempts on how this hitch actually works for anti-sway. I do not know if there has been a definitive answer as to why it works. I may have missed that post. Especially when the instruction manual of the time stating that if excessive sway is noticed, to add more tongue weight as a fix. H’mm, OK. I myself have not come to grips with the castering effect they use as an effective anti-sway. However Sway Pro declares it works, just they do not go into enough detail to figure out how.

Good and Bad about Blue Ox Sway Pro

Eating Crow - the "new" Blue Ox Sway Pro

Folks who have used the Sway Pro have reported favorable replies, however they may not know or why it works, just their experience was good. There may not be a lot of sound data to compare the Sway Pro to say the Reese DC or the Equal-I-zer. Where either of those 2 hitches had bad results and then the Sway Pro fixed it. And if there was, I myself would question a few things on how the Sway Pro fixed it.

You have a good truck with good suspension matched to your size camper. Keep the camper loaded to keep the TW in the ~ 13 to 15% range per GVW and with good WD, the trailer should track well. The Sway Pro does WD well, although it does not have as fine an adjustment between WD settings like the older Sway Pro did.

As far as anti-sway, that remains a good question. The hitch does have many other nice features. Hopefully some day we may be able to get good data on “why” it works. With your truck and camper, odds are favorable from the responses on RV net you may have a good experience too.

Hope this helps

John

[Drew_K]

The Blue Ox has some cool design features, but I still don't understand how it provides sway control even after watching their promo video. You still have a bar suspended by chains, which basically looks like the typical WDH setup, except the Blue Ox has a rotating mechanism for tightening the chain instead of a flip up bracket. I don't see how that provides any sway control beyond the typical chain / bar setup.

Can anyone explain?

[BenK]

I like it after read a couple of threads on this. I'll be seriously looking
at the Blue Ox for my next setup

• Love how they designed that nifty chain latch assembly
• That latch assembly also shortens the chain's moveable range to increase the anti sway resistance
• Proof of that was in another thread where someone said their bars bent turning tight. Reaffirms #2
• See how they have forged the bar ends to additionally add to the anti sway control.

[MetalGator]

I have the Blue Ox swap pro. It works very well and is easy to setup. This is the only hitch I have ever used so I don't have anything to compare it to. I don't have any sway with my 29' TT.

[eluwak]

I have it, it's there, and it seems to work. I understand the physics behind it, but as far as if it work any better than other similar priced systems I don't know. I think it's as good as the others anyway.

I bought it because it is easier to hookup than the equalizer, and no little pieces to lose (I would). They all seem to have their advantages/disadvantages, and the more important thing IMO is to have a properly setup trailer.