Good and Bad about Blue Ox Sway Pro

[Rescue16]

I just purchased a 2013 Cougar 32RBK travel trailer and I am towing it with a 2006 Ford F350 Crew Cab With the 6.0 Powerstroke. I am looking at getting the Blue Ox Sway Pro and would like to here the good and bad about this WD/Sway control. With my previous RV and vehicle (21SS Shamrock Hybrid and Ford E250 Conversion van) I used the Equalizer and all the experience was great it was really noisy.

Thanks in advance for taking a moment to tell me the good and bad!!

[uprighter]

From what I've read, this is not the current model. The have eliminated the adjustment bolts on the bottom and the head tilt.

[JBarca]

Since we may have hit critical mass in trying to understand the Blue Ox principal, I went back to look at the prior generation.

It had a hitch head that had tilt, trunnion sockets that had a bolt on the bottom I do believe where you could increase the trunnion socket friction and it had different snap up brackets. The spring bars are different in profile.

See here from one of my older pics


The bottom of the hitch head


The top, used and adjusting screw for the tilt system


The WD bars,


It seems the concept of this vintage had some things similar than the new one, but other areas different.

I have tried to find a pic of new or old one installed on a truck. Found one but did not want to link here not knowing the person. I think they are even an RV net member.

Many who have used them state they work well. And not dis-doubting them as their rig may be stable like it should be.

The WD part hands down works. At this point it is not clear the level of how effective is the anti sway portion as compared to other brands in the high friction category.

[JBarca]

BenK wrote:


Just in to peek and not enough time to really noodle this, but am liking it more.
So much more, maybe this instead of a Pullrite...just a maybe till more time
to go through how it works. The Pullrite's loss of ground clearance
a potential deal breaker for me...especially in light of my new found
attributes of this Ox system

Ben,

The Pullrite and the Blue Ox are in two totally different leagues as far as performance. That said there is no "perfect" hitch for every application.

The Pullrite has the most rock solid principal IMHO for trailer towing on the ball offered. It does however have some things that can not make it suitable in all applications. I almost owned one of the 2K Pullrites for my F350. In my case the lack of being able to have a receiver in weight carrying mode above 300# put the deal on hold. Having a 1 ton truck and only being able to haul a trailer with a max of 300# in WC mode was difficult to overcome the way I use the truck.

That said, where it fits the need it is the best option for towing large, long trailers on the ball.

[BenK]

Thanks GMW...never looked at this one and am now impressed and more
so with your comments

The Andersen is nifty in basic architecture, but they miss the boat, IMHO, with
their execution....and now read that they have a band-aide clip on
the coupler latch...telling and confirmation of sorts

Whereas BlueOx has done both well and will need to look at them more seriously
and closer when the time comes for me to purchase a WD system

[gmw_photos]

BenK wrote:
...snip...

Do see a new potential down side and is with extreme angles while
parking/maneuvering/etc. That limited number of chain links not
captured, which is a good thing while towing, becomes a potential
limiting factor...will the bars bend even more? Will the 'U' bolt
allow the chain to move more? Will the chain attachment allow the
chain to unwrap in the 'right' direction, therefore allow more movement
while turning 'tight'? This is the good and bad...it is part of
how they control sway while traveling, but that becomes an issue
while parking...I think...for now...anyone have one of these?

.....snip

Ben,
Good points, all. I am using the BlueOx and I too was concerned about tight maneuvers. I sent an email to them asking if I should disconnect the bars before, for instance, backing into a tight spot. They replied that was not necessary, so I never do. When I back into the spot where I park it here at home, it's as tight a turn as I can do ( the corner of the trailer is close to hitting the corner of the truck ), and there does not seem to be any harm done to or with the hitch.

[BenK]

Thanks to John's link, am changing my mind a bit for now and will take more time
later to noodle it

Reese/Draw/Ox/etc types use ever increasing WD forces during any off line orientation
between the TV and TT

Some have a change in bar end shape to increase that WD spring force more and
to limit the off line travel

Again, like their nifty chain attachment...except for the clamp on, but they have
a bolt on option. Also noticed that they do have a cross bar on the clamps.
Suggested that for the Andersen tongue attachment. That would limit any sliding

Since the Ox chain attachment also limits the amount of movement by the chain, it
acts to limit the side to side movement, which is part of the off line movement
of the TT's center line vs the TV's center line

That is where the other systems make 'noise'...the cams riding up
on the bar ends, or the bars moving side to side, or the chain moving
around side to side. This is similar to how/why the Andersen has
been reported to be silent. The only thing can see for now where the
Ox might make noise is the clamp on chain attachment moving (and again
there is a bolt on option)

Head tilt is to gain WD spring bar purchase and with that nifty chain attachment,
there should be no need for head tilting. Now see why they eliminated that
tilt function and reduced the number of parts & mating surfaces.

Another thing noticed is that they had flattened the spring bars and in the right
direction.

Flattened so that it will bend vertically as designed. Side to side will have
a much larger cross section, therefore more forces needed to bend it.

Marry that with the chain attachment assembly and the sided to side is very
limited or controlled to whatever side to side the un-captured chain links allow

Do see a new potential down side and is with extreme angles while
parking/maneuvering/etc. That limited number of chain links not
captured, which is a good thing while towing, becomes a potential
limiting factor...will the bars bend even more? Will the 'U' bolt
allow the chain to move more? Will the chain attachment allow the
chain to unwrap in the 'right' direction, therefore allow more movement
while turning 'tight'? This is the good and bad...it is part of
how they control sway while traveling, but that becomes an issue
while parking...I think...for now...anyone have one of these?

Just in to peek and not enough time to really noodle this, but am liking it more.
So much more, maybe this instead of a Pullrite...just a maybe till more time
to go through how it works. The Pullrite's loss of ground clearance
a potential deal breaker for me...especially in light of my new found
attributes of this Ox system

[jerem0621]

I would love to try one.

I really like the design.

Thanks JBarca for sharing the video.

[coolbreeze01]

Like the Blue Ox video shows, clean, quiet, simple, and effective.

[Ron3rd]

Can't say good or bad about the Blue Ox because I've never used one, but for what it's worth, Tweetys has the Equilizer for $499 with free shipping. Just ordered one last night.

[Ron_Gratz]

Francesca Knowles wrote:
Of course, with properly sized/inflated tires, the correct load distribution, and the correct speed one doesn't need mechanical sway controls at all!

As is well known throughout most of the trailering world EXCEPT in North America...

Much of the world outside of North America uses a variety of towing "stabilizers".

This article from the UK Camping and Caravanning Club discusses some of them.

Ron

[JBarca]

gmw photos wrote:

BarneyS wrote:
I fail to see how the chains can supply much,if any, sway control at all since the brackets pivot right along with the a frame and bars in a sway event and in a turn. The bars DO move forward and back but are not rigid side to side, which would be necessary for sway control to take place.
Barney

When the trailer is not in line with the tow vehicle, the bars have an unequal force applied to them. That unequal force is applied ( if I am understanding it correctly ) because of the fact the head of the hitch is tilted backwards at it's top.
As proof of this, when I am cranking up the chains on this hitch, if I don't have the truck exactly straight in line with the trailer, one bar will "chain up easily" while the other bar is very difficult to get the latch to turn. In that case, I have to crank up the tongue jack some more to get enough weight "off the bars".

It's that unequal force, created by the geometry of the hitch head, bars, and attaching chains that is apparently the force the keeps the trailer inline when it tries to sway.

At least that's my take on it. All I know is it works. And the weight distributing part works as well, a fact I verified by setting mine up and going to the CAT scale.

Hi Barney,

I have seen the new version up close at dealer and took a bunch of pics. The hitch is made well, craftsmanship wise. And it does have grease fittings on the trunnion pivot pins. There are no trunnion pivot bolts to tighten. The trunnion sockets pivot free other than the high force of the WD pulling on them.

Blue Ox has now created a video with a computer simulation. They show a computer model creating the effect gmw photos is explaining.

This Blue Ox should fire off Blue Ox site and scroll down to the 6 minute info video. They do not come out and say it, but they are down playing the Reese. I can tell they are Reese parts.

The WD part is straight forward like any other conventional WD hitch. However as said, no more head tilt. So chain links is the total adjustment. If you get real heavy bars in relation to the TW, the chains are going to hang down pretty far which then comes to the anti sway part.

The profile of the WD bars leads itself to be able flex more easy as compared to say, an all square Equal_I_zer. The concept "appears" to be counting on an angle being created down the center line of the truck and TT at the tow ball to create higher force on the down stream WD bar in relation to the sway force acting on the TV and TT. That higher force would tend to want to push the connection back towards the direction of sway force.

They intentionally have a large tilt angle backward on the hitch head to help create this higher force in the WD bar.

I can see the force it creates reacting on the hitch head and wanting to help bring the TT back in line. The further off center the TT and TV go, the larger the force. A similar WD force occurs on the Reese DC if the hitch head is titled approx 7 to 10 degrees to the rear. On the Reese the down stream WD bar increases in WD force riding up the cam and increasing the ultra high friction.

A difference in the Blue Ox is that the TV and TT has to become out of line for the force to build as going dead straight ahead both WD bars are loaded equal.

An unknown right now is, for a given TT length and TV wheel base how much force is needed in that down stream WD bar and how much off center angle of the TV & TT to exert enough force at the hitch head to dampen the sway action? Good question.

The ultra high friction hitches like Equal-I-zer or Reese DC use the friction to help prevent the angle between the TT and TV from forming while the Blue ox needs some level of angle for it to work.

I can see the force happening they are talking about, I just can't yet sort out how much force is needed and how far the angle between TV and TT needs to get to be effective in anti sway control of a large TT.

This would be a good one to stimulate Ron Gratz with.

John

[BarneyS]

I can see where that may apply a small bit of centering force BUT all normal WD hitches do the same thing and they do not have much sway control without add on devices or built in devices. That type of force is not exclusive to Blue Ox.

By the way, I am not saying at all that the Blue Ox doesn't work. It is just that I feel that they are stretching things to claim that the chains can do very much for sway control. Of course, I am not an engineer and could be way off base in my thinking.
Barney

[gmw_photos]

BarneyS wrote:
I fail to see how the chains can supply much,if any, sway control at all since the brackets pivot right along with the a frame and bars in a sway event and in a turn. The bars DO move forward and back but are not rigid side to side, which would be necessary for sway control to take place.
Barney

When the trailer is not in line with the tow vehicle, the bars have an unequal force applied to them. That unequal force is applied ( if I am understanding it correctly ) because of the fact the head of the hitch is tilted backwards at it's top.
As proof of this, when I am cranking up the chains on this hitch, if I don't have the truck exactly straight in line with the trailer, one bar will "chain up easily" while the other bar is very difficult to get the latch to turn. In that case, I have to crank up the tongue jack some more to get enough weight "off the bars".

It's that unequal force, created by the geometry of the hitch head, bars, and attaching chains that is apparently the force the keeps the trailer inline when it tries to sway.

At least that's my take on it. All I know is it works. And the weight distributing part works as well, a fact I verified by setting mine up and going to the CAT scale.

[gmw_photos]

Francesca Knowles wrote:
A w/d hitch with chains doesn't have sway control- for that you need one like the Equalizer or Blue Ox, which has rigid bars where the chains would be.

Of course, with properly sized/inflated tires, the correct load distribution, and the correct speed one doesn't need mechanical sway controls at all!

As is well known throughout most of the trailering world EXCEPT in North America...

That is incorrect information this poster is stating. If a person is new to this whole concept of weight distribution and sway control, I would suggest you do some research on the subject, and you will come to an understanding of how all this works.

As to the BlueOx swaypro, I have the old design, and it works very well for both weight distribution and sway control. I have pulled this trailer with this truck just "on the ball" and also with the swaypro.

As far as the 'new' design, I have not used it, but what it looks like to me is they have fixed the head at about tilt angle that I chose anyway, with the old design. As for the sway control, I "think" the adjustment on mine ( old design ) was mostly a fine tuning feature. I tried it adjusted to 40 ft-lbs, 60 ft-lbs and max at 80 ft-lbs, and to be honest, I could not get it to sway at any of the settings. So I left the bolts at 80 ft-lbs and called it good.

To "test" it, I took it out on a deserted road in a local industrial park on a sunday morning. I tried, what would essentially be violent lane changes at 20, 30, 40 and 50 mph. No sway. At all. As soon as the truck and trailer were back in line, it was all rock solid. I did manage to "rearrange" a few things in the trailer doing it though.
I also found a short section of road, where I was able to drop the right side trailer wheels off the edge, and drove it back up onto the lane. Again, it just tracked back onto the road, no drama.

I feel it's a good hitch. It seems very well made, the welds are good, the hardware is grade 8 on the hitch itself.

[BarneyS]

I fail to see how the chains can supply much,if any, sway control at all since the brackets pivot right along with the a frame and bars in a sway event and in a turn. The bars DO move forward and back but are not rigid side to side, which would be necessary for sway control to take place.
Barney