New trailer

[bruse001]

My wife and I are looking at travel trailers and think we have found the one we like. We will be towing the trailer with a ram 2500 diesel and the trailer weighs around 6k. I don't see any problems with the truck towing it. The dealer said a sway bar would be needed. This is our first trailer and I'm looking for all advise I can get . I'm sure I'll gave more questions as I'm still reading a lot of post on here.

Thanks,
Brian

[Firehawvvk]

Huntindog wrote:

Firehawvvk wrote:
We just got a new TT and looked at a WDH with anti sway control but it was not fit for backing. You had to unhook something or disconnect something in order to back up. What a pain. We ended up with a different on that works well. Just be careful which one you get. That's all I'm saying.

This is a common internet myth.
The truth is that the sway control reacts the same whether going forwards, or backwards.
It is possible on some TV/TT lash ups to turn sharp enough to damage a friction control when going forward. It is more likely to happen when backing though. If one is careful not to cut it too sharp (an assistant can help) then backing will not cause any harm on any setup. Also some tests when it is first installed can determine just how sharp of an angle you can do safely. On some TT/TV setups, other damage will occur before the friction control is hurt.

Saw the ad in Trailer Life March issue for the Blue Ox (page 55) and they say that their unit does not require disconnecting before backing. The one I was originally going to purchase required it be disconnected before backing. Internet myth???? Think Not!

[Firehawvvk]

Dog Trainer wrote:
The Blue OX Sway Pro is a very good hitch and IMO one of the easiest to set up and maintain. Blue Ox has been in the towing products arena for a long time.

Check out Trailer Life (March issue) p.55 and the ad for the sway control and it says that their unit does not require disconnecting before backing. Internet myth??? Seems not so much to me.

edit: somehow I got the wrong post and cannot delete this post....sorry.

[Houston_Remodel]

It depends on wind and weight compared to the TV. I often tow a low trailer filled with tile, cement, bricks, block and the occasional Bobcat. As the weights climb I have to me more careful with speed and load distribution. The light weight 8 foot box trailer I tow most days just doesn't weigh enough to make a difference to the TV. But the TT certainly does.

[azrving]

So every car trailer, cargo trailer, utility trailer and 4 place or enclosed snowmobile trailer, always need this stuff too? Sure are a lot of people out there not doing it.

[djsamuel]

goducks10 wrote:
For that size trailer and truck I'd recommend the http://tweetys.com/andersen-no-sway-weight-distribution-hitch-4-drop-rise-2-ball-4-3-8-frame-bracket...
Very quiet and grease free.

I'm towing a 5,000 pound trailer with a Ram 1500 using the Andersen hitch. Can highly recommend it in situations where you are looking for sway and bounce control more than weight distribution (not the Andersen's biggest strength). We traveled from Florida to Arizona and Utah, experiencing high crosswinds and semi's along the way. Even while some other trailers on the road were swaying A LOT, ours stayed right behind us; no white knuckles at all. The other hitches suggested are also good choices, but for your situation, take a look at the Andersen.

[lenr]

X2 on RV dealers not knowing how to set up WD hitches. My first experience, the dealer set up way too much WD taking too much weight off the rear wheels causing them to spin every time I started from a stop.

[dadmomh]

Suggest you NOT "try it". Just takes 1 oops and you're in deep stuff. A semi passing, a gust of wind, a panic stop.....then you'll be glad you have it. You may go through your RV life and not have any of these happen, OTOH..... Our HTT had an Equalizer and it did a fine job, albeit noisy and greasy. When we moved to our TT we changed to the Blue Ox 1000 and it's wonderful...quiet, clean, easy to hitch and the bars and lightweight enough for me to lift, which I couldn't with the Eq. For about a $500+ set up, it's pretty cheap insurance for your family and the rest of us. Make the investment.

[coolbreeze01]

I've used the Blue Ox Sway Pro with my 2500 and 3500 Rams, towing two different trailers. I like how simple, quiet, clean, and effective it is.

Enjoy your new trailer.

[spadoctor]

Yes on the WD hitch. My personal choice is the old fashioned Reese with dual friction sway. Dual because my trailer is 10K plus. Friction because ease of use and works well....and yes a myth about not backing up. I have used this set up since 1988, towing over 250000 miles, with no issues. Whatever one you get read the manual and get to know the unit well. Most dealers do not know how to properly set up a WD hitch and are not willing to spend the time needed to get it right. Once set up properly you will hardly know the trailer is back there.

[lenr]

Ever see a U-haul trailer loaded so heavy that the car or small SUV pulling it is pointing its headlights to the stars? And, the rig is weaving all over the road? That’s because the front axle no longer has a decent amount of weight on it. You want WD to return a normal amount of weight to the front axle for proper steering. Proper steering is one component of sway control. Set the weight distribution so the back bumper of the 2500 comes down inches and the front bumper comes down close to 3/16 inch. (The articles describing WD setup as bringing down the front and rear the same are for your Dad’s station wagon—not a pickup designed to carry lots of load in the back.) I don’t tow over 200 lb hitch weight on my F-350 without WD. Then add some kind of anti-sway device. Many will say it’s not needed on a 2500, but why take a chance. My son had a pole trailer push his F-350 long bed dually crew cab across 3 lanes of interstate in an out of control sway; then it pushed it back; lucky no other cars/trucks around. Now he uses WD and sway control on the same truck pulling a 5K trailer. Sway is very scary.

[FLGup]

I too have been interested in the BlueOx. I currently have an EZ with one friction bar. Though it works fine, I'm tired of the snaps/pops & groans and having to stop before backing and removing the sway bar. Grease on distribution bars is also annoying. All minor, but anoying.

Is the BluOx SwayPro quiet? And can you back up / turn sharp, etc without removing anything?

[Dog_Trainer]

The Blue OX Sway Pro is a very good hitch and IMO one of the easiest to set up and maintain. Blue Ox has been in the towing products arena for a long time.

[Huntindog]

Firehawvvk wrote:
We just got a new TT and looked at a WDH with anti sway control but it was not fit for backing. You had to unhook something or disconnect something in order to back up. What a pain. We ended up with a different on that works well. Just be careful which one you get. That's all I'm saying.

This is a common internet myth.
The truth is that the sway control reacts the same whether going forwards, or backwards.
It is possible on some TV/TT lash ups to turn sharp enough to damage a friction control when going forward. It is more likely to happen when backing though. If one is careful not to cut it too sharp (an assistant can help) then backing will not cause any harm on any setup. Also some tests when it is first installed can determine just how sharp of an angle you can do safely. On some TT/TV setups, other damage will occur before the friction control is hurt.

[Firehawvvk]

We just got a new TT and looked at a WDH with anti sway control but it was not fit for backing. You had to unhook something or disconnect something in order to back up. What a pain. We ended up with a different on that works well. Just be careful which one you get. That's all I'm saying.