Hitch SetUp Question for new TT

[Dougie123]

Hi All:

Just purchased a new Jayco Eagle HT 295DBOK and am wondering if I should add a second friction bar to my WD set up.

Specs are:
Truck - 2017 Ram 2500, CrewCab, Diesel - 17,200# towing, 2162# Payload
TT - 37.5' long including hitch, 10500# GVWR, 8500#dry, 850# dry hitch weight.

Previous camper- Shamrock 233S, 27' long including hitch, 6300# GVWR, 5000# dry, 500# dry hitch weight.

The truck did GREAT with the Shamrock with SINGLE friction bar, and #800 round Weight Distribution bars.

With the new camper, I'm planning on adding #1200 round bars, but not sure about SECOND Friction bar. I worry about sway, with such a long TT, but I'm looking for advice/experience from my fellow campers.

Many thanks in advance!
Doug

[sgfrye]

with that truck i would try it with one friction bar and then make a decision. our tt is 33ft long and approx 7500lbs cat scaled ready to camp. our truck is a f250 gasser. one friction bar is fine for us. very little sway at all.

[Hannibal]

A second friction bar can't hurt. If you don't want to go with an Equalizer 4 point, the second bar will give you some peace of mind and double the resistance to sway from passing trucks and crosswinds. Properly loaded, there shouldn't be any trailer induced sway.

[donn0128]

You might consider upgrading the hitch instead. Not cheap, but there other better alternatives for long trailers

[DutchmenSport]

I'm towing a similar size trailer, but am using a 1400/14000 pound 4 point Equal-i-zer WD hitch system. With such a system, you don't need a separate sway bar.

Initially, I towed this camper with an old style Reese with the torsion bars that has the chain links on the end. I used a single friction sway bar and it towed just fine. Of course, I'm also towing with a dually truck too.

The reason I ended up switching hitch systems was because the Reese was over 10 years old and this was the 3rd trailer. The last trailer was heavier than the previous 2 and I think, between age, wear and tear, and the extra weight, the actual hitch head bent downwards and then the sides where the bolts go through the shank bent in such a way that it absolutely could not tighten to straighten the whole thing out. I ended up going with the Equal-i-zer and have not regretted it since.

But, to answer your question, the single friction sway bar, on a similar size trailer as yours, served me well. Never an issue with sway.