Question for Blue Ox Sway Pro owners

[camperforlife]

How many of you use the supplied wrench? I towed for the third time this weekend and find the supplied wrench to be too wide and difficult to keep a good grip on it. I went out and bought a 1/2" breaker bar and a socket to unhook when I got home and the difference was night and day.

Part of my problem is I have enclosed propane tanks and battery and my rotating latches are partially under the fiberglass shroud. If my truck was not level when unhooking it made it very difficult to raise the tongue high enough to relieve the pressure for a comfortable release of the latches. I had the supplied wrench flip out of my hands. The camp site had the front of my truck on the blacktop making it about 2 feet higher than the back when unhooking. When leaving I couldn't get enough leverage to hook up at that angle. The new breaker bar certainly looks to me like it should have been the supplied wrench.

[eluwak]

I don't have any issue with the supplied wrench. Once a year I spray it all down with WD40 and it keeps the mechanism working smoothly. I also do it with the full weight on the truck already (no power jack and too lazy 🙂 ).

[Community Alumni]

JoeTampa wrote:
My only complaint about the wrench is that it is all black and blends in to the spots on my truck that I usually leave it on, which you may safely take to mean that I drove off with one on the back of the truck. The replacement was spray painted orange. 🙂

That's too funny. I've also left my wrench on the bumper a few times. Somehow my wrench always stays put, even over a 200 mile journey lol. That's a really good tip on respraying it a more visible color.

[camperforlife]

JoeTampa, I agree, I pretty much screwed myself by using the robo foot on the jack. If I blocked it I probably would have had more lift.

[JoeTampa]

camperforlife wrote:

gmw photos wrote:
If you run the tongue jack up a little higher, the BO bracket turns very easily. One of the fellas on the Airstream forum got hurt when the wrench slipped because he had not run the tongue up enough to release the tension on the bars. I did a little vid for him to show how easy it is to turn them if you do in fact raise it enough.
Having said that, yes a 1 inch six point socket fits it correctly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpt_Wbf2qHs&feature=youtu.be

If you re-read my original post, the front of my truck was on the blacktop drive making the back artificially low making it impossible for my power jack to lift it enough to make it easy. In reality, I see this condition often and needed a solution better than the supplied wrench.

On Edit: GMW Photo, after later rereading my comment to you it sounds harsh, my apologies. The video you posted is valuable but unfortunately didn't work in my situation.

If you can't get the nose high enough to release sufficient tension, try using a few level blocks or wood under the tongue jack foot. I use the supplied wrench and have never had one iota of a problem with it. I raise the TT enough so that the bars swing free in the chains (I push the bar with my foot while raising the TT until it "gives") and then unlock them. It takes very little torque to rotate them at that point as there is no pressure. Same with hooking up - if the cams don't rotate very freely to the lock position, I raise the TT more. To my thinking, if you need a breaker bar to latch or unlatch, you're not high enough. My only complaint about the wrench is that it is all black and blends in to the spots on my truck that I usually leave it on, which you may safely take to mean that I drove off with one on the back of the truck. The replacement was spray painted orange. 🙂

[camperforlife]

happiestcamper, I'm still learning with the Blue ox. This was actually only my third tow with it.

Unhooking wasn't near the issue as trying to hook up. I wanted to pull the trailer up on level pavement then hook up but my power jack has a robo foot that couldn't retract without some tongue weight taken off with the WD hitch. The whole angle of the truck/trailer made it a tough scenario. Had I used the jack without the robo foot extended I would have had other options. Live and learn.

[the_happiestcam]

camperforlife wrote:

If you re-read my original post, the front of my truck was on the blacktop drive making the back artificially low making it impossible for my power jack to lift it enough to make it easy. In reality, I see this condition often and needed a solution better than the supplied wrench.

If you see this often and find it a problem - why not remove the bars at the front check-in? You have a power jack so it would take no more than 2 minutes. REMEMBER to pull the jack up before you move - I made one unusable one time by not remembering.

[camperforlife]

gmw photos wrote:
If you run the tongue jack up a little higher, the BO bracket turns very easily. One of the fellas on the Airstream forum got hurt when the wrench slipped because he had not run the tongue up enough to release the tension on the bars. I did a little vid for him to show how easy it is to turn them if you do in fact raise it enough.
Having said that, yes a 1 inch six point socket fits it correctly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpt_Wbf2qHs&feature=youtu.be

If you re-read my original post, the front of my truck was on the blacktop drive making the back artificially low making it impossible for my power jack to lift it enough to make it easy. In reality, I see this condition often and needed a solution better than the supplied wrench.

On Edit: GMW Photo, after later rereading my comment to you it sounds harsh, my apologies. The video you posted is valuable but unfortunately didn't work in my situation.

[gmw_photos]

If you run the tongue jack up a little higher, the BO bracket turns very easily. One of the fellas on the Airstream forum got hurt when the wrench slipped because he had not run the tongue up enough to release the tension on the bars. I did a little vid for him to show how easy it is to turn them if you do in fact raise it enough.
Having said that, yes a 1 inch six point socket fits it correctly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpt_Wbf2qHs&feature=youtu.be

[BenK]

Went over to double check and this is the image from their site...looks like a
good length to fit a socket in spite of the mold release angle on the flats








and their supplied wrench

[BenK]

Thanks for posting this...my next WD Hitch system will be this

Thought that the pictures of what they supply for the chain mechanism looked like
it would work as you guys have said, but I carry lots of tools with me and a 1/2"
breaker bar one of them

Ask if the 'nut' has tapered sides as the pictures show. Not a good thing, IMHO,
but understand as part of their manufacturing process (release angle for the casting)
Think it is long enough to not be an issue

Otherwise, nits to me. The overall architecture is way better, IMHO, for what
I want for my next WD Hitch system

[handye9]

I too, find the breaker bar / long handled ratchet, much easier to operate the hitch. With a couple different sized sockets, that same ratchet / breaker bar is available for changing the water heater anode, adjusting hitch height, or changing a tire. The Blue Ox wrench does a fine job of collecting dust in my garage.

[Goostoff]

My nephew bought this setup last year when he bought a new trailer. He fought with the system all last summer. He finally sent it back to the company last week in favor of a different brand.

[Telemarc]

I used the stupid wrench once and bought a 24 inch breaker bar and socket the next day. Should come with it!!

[trucker495]

had the very same issue with my swayproHow do you like the hitch? I love mine.
Happy trails,
Kyle