Backing with stabilizers
I have heard that you cannot back with stabilizers on. I expect no sharp turns but doesn't seem reasonable not to be able to back with them on. What's the truth?
Forum Discussion
21 Replies
3oaks wrote:
downtheroad wrote:
You got it and anybody with TT towing knowledge would have gotten it too. :@
I'm guessing that the poster is referring to backing with sway bars on the hitch...???
A new member who just joined this forum yesterday just misspoke.
No problem if the new member misspoke but grew up with TT's and other than something was obviously wrong, I didn't get it until the discussion got going.- The OP never responded to confirm that's what he/she meant. Well, at least we all had a good conversation without that person.
- I back up with the sway control bar off but the weight distribution bars in place. I wouldn't move my TT an inch with the stabilizers in anything but completely up and locked in.
visamcamexdisc wrote:
. I see your from Susanville, we grew up there. Did you go to high school there?
I have heard that you cannot back with stabilizers on. I expect no sharp turns but doesn't seem reasonable not to be able to back with them on. What's the truth?- I bought a new friction type anti sway bar for my previous trailer. The instructions in the package said to remove it when backing and also to not use it in slippery conditions.
With the current trailer I bought an Equal-i-zer hitch system. It does not have the above restrictions. - I just have one sway bar and I remove it prior to backing, I have one that a friend gave me for parts, seems his son-in- law did not remove it and it got terribly bent.
However I never move the camper fwd or back or with the stabilizers down. - When using a friction control bar, you CAN back up, so long as you do not create a sharper angle between the TV and TT than you do when turning going forward. Ghe bar has no idea whether you are going backwards or forwards... But when backing, it may be possible to cfeate a severe enough angle to cause un interference proble which can break things..
So backing with in reason is no problem... Jack knifeing the rig can be a problem. - To the OP....if you go to e-trailer.com , you can read lots of neat stuff on the topic. Pictures and videos as well .
You should remove a friction sway control device before backing up at sharp angles. That's why some hitches say "allows backing" or "doesn't allow backing up".
You can back up in a relatively straight line with slight turning but be careful to NOT turn too tight as you could damage the hitch set up while using a friction sway control slide bar. Therefore , its good practice to remove a friction sway control slide bar before backing.
Equalizer brand or HUSKY brand with built in sway control like the Equalizer 4 way hitch can be left in place while backing. - I have never disconnected my Eqaulizer brand hitch to back up, even at sharp angles.
