How much does your WDH and sway deterrent weigh?

[CopilotCompanio]

I'm doing the imaginary math for an E350 van. GVWR says 9100#. And, I'm leaning toward Blue Ox Pro? If the math puts me in a pop-up tent, I guess I should sell the TV. Thanks, /CC

[SoundGuy]

proxim2020 wrote:
With the Blue Ox there's no real dialing in or fooling around with it because everything is all set and fixed.

The original version of Blue Ox Sway Pro did have an adjustable head but those being sold these days now have a fixed head so yes, there's no "dialing in", no need for head adjustment, and no need for a special torque wrench as that required for adjusting head angle with an Equal-i-zer. The Sway Pro's head bolts are spec'd to be torqued to 257 ft-lbs, 'though any of us who may own a typical workshop torque wrench rated to 250 ft-lbs would find that to work just fine.

The only adjustments are in how many links you use on the bars to transfer weight.

AND initially setting the correct hitch head height.

Most of the parts in the hitch are not serviceable so there's not much you could lose. There's no adjustment bolts, washers, pins, etc. The only part I can see anyone losing is the supplied wrench, which happens often. In that case you can just use a 1" socket to turn the latches. Since the hitch has a lifetime warranty, if a part fails or isn't performing correctly then Blue Ox will send you a replacement. I had an issue with the powder coating on my bars and latches. It was purely a cosmetic issue. Blue Ox FedEx me replacements along with return labels and I had it the next day. They have some of the best service in the industry.

And the BEST part - if you later move to another trailer in a different weight class that requires higher (or lower) rated weight distribution all you have to change are the spring bars, everything else remains the same. Not so with an Equal-i-zer with which the head has to be replaced as well. 😞

The Sway Pro may be fairly heavy but IMO it's a more user friendly design than the now dated Equal-i-zer.

[Community Alumni]

The Blue Ox hitch uses the caster effect to keep the trailer in line with the vehicle. The angle that's built into the hitch head creates the caster effect. The caster angle points rearward towards the trailer. This creates positive caster for the trailer. The bars and the caster work together to create a self centering force (sway control). It's what causes the trailer to want to maintain a straight line. Other trunnion hitches have less to no caster in the hitch head, so they have to rely on something else for self centering like the cams in the Reese Straight Line. The Blue Ox does the same thing without the additional parts. With the Blue Ox there's no real dialing in or fooling around with it because everything is all set and fixed. The only adjustments are in how many links you use on the bars to transfer weight.

Most of the parts in the hitch are not serviceable so there's not much you could lose. There's no adjustment bolts, washers, pins, etc. The only part I can see anyone losing is the supplied wrench, which happens often. In that case you can just use a 1" socket to turn the latches. Since the hitch has a lifetime warranty, if a part fails or isn't performing correctly then Blue Ox will send you a replacement. I had an issue with the powder coating on my bars and latches. It was purely a cosmetic issue. Blue Ox FedEx me replacements along with return labels and I had it the next day. They have some of the best service in the industry.

[jerem0621]

I hardly removed my sway control (standard friction bar) when backing... I didn't take it all the way off when I unhitched either. Just unhooked the side on the hitch head. Two work better than one and I used both of them.

I can't wrap my head around HOW the Blue Ox system works. I'll stick to my standard hitch with its friction sway controls. They work great and I can really dial in the weight distribution. Another thing about the standard weight distribution hitches.... they are pretty universal...if you lose a part any mom and pop RV store should have the parts for the Standard hitch... not all places carry parts for the Blue Ox, Equal-I-zer, Dual Cam...etc.

Thanks

Jeremiah

[Hannibal]

Don't shoot the messenger. I stumbled upon this looking for some dual cam arms for my hitch.

https://www.etrailer.com/question-116001.html

[downtheroad]

Directly from the Blue Ox Sway Pro features list re; backing up...

"Furthermore, unlike many friction-style sway controls, the SwayPro allows you to back up your trailer without having to remove or disengage the system."

[BubbaChris]

I have owned the Andersen for 3 seasons. It is light and easy enough that my wife can get us completely hooked up on her own.

On the other hand, I personally feel it is less effective than the Equal-i-zer or Blue Ox Sway Pro - especially in terms of transferring weight back onto the front wheels. We fixed some of our wiggle/sway issues this year by switching to LT tires on my Expedition, moving away from P-series.

I'd guess the sweet spot for TT weight with an Andersen is 3k-5k, my TT is about 6,600 packed to camp

[SoundGuy]

CopilotCompanion wrote:
Thanks for all the replies. This weighs far less than I thought. Which of these brands allows me to back up without disconnecting?

BarneyS wrote:
All brands of WD hitches allow backing up without disconnecting anything.

That said, we camped with a friend who backed into his campsite with his Reese Strait-Line WD system engaged and in doing so severely bent the street side frame bracket. :M Turned out the trailer wheels had dropped into a noticeable depression which in turn placed excessive torque on the frame bracket. A couple of us managed to (sort of) bend that frame bracket into shape but on his day of departure he chose to remove the system entirely and towed his Airstream home behind his F250 without it. I too would normally not remove my WD spring bars before backing up but do keep this previous experience in mind and would remove it if the ground surface were that uneven.

The users of a standard friction sway control have a warning in the instructions to remove before backing but I used one for many years and never took it of when backing and never had a problem.

That said, one might as well remove the sway bar instead of just loosening it as it's going to be removed later anyway when the trailer is unhitched. I have a friend who a few years ago was towing a Coleman Bayside who did (he thought) just loosen his sway bar rather than remove it, backed into his site, and promptly bent the sway bar like a pretzel. :M Saw it with my own eyes and yes he should have loosened it more but simply removing it would have avoided the issue entirely. 😉

[harley4275]

If the sway control is bolted correctly ,you just need to loosen it when driving thru campgrounds as the friction is not needed. When I used that system I never wasted time to remove ,just loosened. That is if I remembered.
Under no circumstance do you take off the levelling bars as you will bottom out the tongue jack and bend it or bottom out the hitch shank.

[BarneyS]

CopilotCompanion wrote:
Thanks for all the replies. This weighs far less than I thought. Which of these brands allows me to back up without disconnecting?

All brands of WD hitches allow backing up without disconnecting anything. The users of a standard friction sway control have a warning in the instructions to remove before backing but I used one for many years and never took it of when backing and never had a problem. Regardless, the warning is for the sway control only and not for the hitch itself. If you have one and want to take it off it only takes a couple of seconds to get out and remove it. No tools needed.
Barney

[rbpru]

I have jack knifed the Blue Ox backing in to a camp spot with no I'll effects.

Just an example of what happens when you take your mind off what you are doing.

[camperforlife]

If you think your Blue Ox is heavy, get the one with the 2" hitch bar. I don't know what the weight of mine is but it is HEFTY!! The shank is solid 2" of steel.

[downtheroad]

Blue Ox Sway Pro....absolutely no need to unhook it to back up at any angle.

I use this to move it around....really makes it much easier...

Hitch Grip....LINK

[gmw_photos]

CopilotCompanion wrote:
Thanks for all the replies. This weighs far less than I thought. Which of these brands allows me to back up without disconnecting?

I never disconnect my BlueOx to back up.

EDIT: here is the cheapskates version of how to not have to pick up the weight of it at home. The dolly is $13 at harbor freight. Some scraps of 2x8 I had laying around, obviously built to the correct height for this truck.
Screw it all together. I just roll it over in the corner under a workbench when not in use. If a person was afraid it would fall off, you could attach a strap over it.

[CopilotCompanio]

Thanks for all the replies. This weighs far less than I thought. Which of these brands allows me to back up without disconnecting?