Hey y'all, I'm new to Good Sam.

[Voncoly]

• I've tried to figure it out. I clicked on the Introduce yourself tab and it put me on posts from 4 years ago. I think probably why not as many people are on here is because there are so many very active FB RV Community Sites that are simpler to navigate. But, I've always been very determined LOL. Anyway, I'm about to to be a brand new Nomad. My husband passed away in January and I'm selling my house to live in my camper. Camper is all packed and ready. Everything checked and double checked. New tires, wheel bearings re-packed, LP tanks filled, new hitch battery, will weigh us once I'm out on Interstate 20 at scale. I feel blessed to be driving a 2012 Chevy Silverado 2500HD 4x4 with transmission cooler and pulling a 2018 Dutchman Aspen Trail 28 ft bumper pull. I took an online certification course for pulling a camper. The only thing I have to do is learn to hitch up new weight distribution bar and anti sway. My question for the community is, how important is this sway bar?  I watched a few videos about that you have to get out and disconnect if backing or hitch will be in a bind going in a driveway with a severe dip. Do y'all do all this jumping out and disconnecting for such?

[opnspaces]

15 years pulling my trailer down rutted desert trails and never disconnected the sway bars. Just last year I started disconnecting then promptly forgot and went right back to not disconnecting. Never had an issue leaving them connected.

[JIMNLIN]

***My question for the community is, how important is this sway bar?  I watched a few videos about that you have to get out and disconnect if backing or hitch will be in a bind going in a driveway with a severe dip. Do y'all do all this jumping out and disconnecting for such?***

 I always make a short trip down the road to determine what my truck/trailer combo needs which includes a anti sway type hitch.

 I use a Husky Centerline TS 1200 lb bars on my wifes 2016 1500 crew cab chevy 4wd pulling a 10k car hauler....7680 lb tractor with cab/loader....sits 11' 9" on the trailer with 9400 lbs on the trailers axles....1200 lbs on the the trucks rear axle. Very top heavy load that pulls like a storage shed on wheels.

 No disconnect is needed when going forward or backing in any terrain including pasture work.....construction work sites which both can have "dips" / off camber surfaces worse than any road or normal driveway dip.

[pbeverly]

Sway bar is important. When I check into a campground and while my vehicle and trailer are straight I disconnect my two bars and the friction bar before going to my site, takes less than a minute. 

[Voncoly]

Thanks Beverly, what about this recommendation if going in a driveway with a severe dip. Is it going to do any harm, or should I throw the flashers on and unhook for this dip? Would it really do any harm if I don't disconnect for severe dips?  Or is it just the severe side to side like when backing?

[JDsdogs]

I too would disconnect for backing for backing over dips or tighter turns. I have read my weight distribution hitch owners manual from cover to cover, nowhere does it mention or recommend disconnecting the torsion bars when backing. The system just makes a bunch of racket when backing which indicates stress. I don’t think it hurts a thing to take the few minutes it takes to disconnect them.