Towing without mounting the anti-sway spring arms (bars)

[Mike_and_Verena]

I have an E2 Fastway weight distribution hitch, overall it has worked well.

Just want to ask a question, I'm still a newbie. So far every time we've gone anywhere we put the sway bars on and even in strong cross winds the trailer was steady.

Do I need to put the spring arms (sway bars) on for short trips across town in good weather? It seems to me that there shouldn't be any problem to that. Just want to double check if anyone has any ideas on this.

Thanks.

[allen8106]

Part of the issue with your post is that I think you are confusing two different components. You mention spring arms (sway bars) in the same sentence implying they are one and the same. They are not. The spring bars as you call them are the weight distribution bars that takes weight off the back axle of the tow vehicle and moves to the front axle. The sway bars are different bars that minimize the back and forth sway of the trailer when towing. I would not tow without the weight distribution bars unless the you are certain it won't create steering issues, meaning minimal weight is moved front to rear without them. I would certainly consider not installing the sway bars for a cross town trip, just make sure you keep your speed down as to much speed will likely initiate sway that could lead to a disaster you don't want.

[intheburbs]

Campfire Time wrote:

intheburbs wrote:
No issues. Trailer was stable, nor more push/pull than my trailer with WDH/Sway control.

How did the steering feel? Your front end seems a bit high. GM spec is to bring it back down to stock height.

Steering felt fine. Based off my weigh slip, the trailer reduced my front axle weight from 3700 to 3200 lbs.

But seeing as how its empty front axle weight is 3300 lbs, I wouldn't expect much of a difference in front axle height or steering feel.

The trailer added 1600 lbs to the rear axle, and removed 500 lbs from the front axle. So the front end looking high is due more to the rear squatting than the front rising.

[AmericalVette]

Mr. Camper wrote:
Compare the extra few minutes putting them on and taking them off with the time spent when you don't and the ball separates and the RV goes straight when you turn right. Actually saw this happen this fall on route 9 in Arkansas. The guy was heading south on 9 and the driver made a right onto 10 westbound. He missed a pothole, made the turn and his RV continued south, hit a ditch and turned on its side. Took almost 10 minutes for the police to arrive.

I'm guessing this happened Perry County, perhaps?

[rbpru]

I have a Blue Ox WD hitch with anti-sway built in. I pull the TT around the yard on just the ball but on the road I need the WD hitch.

[Campfire_Time]

intheburbs wrote:
No issues. Trailer was stable, nor more push/pull than my trailer with WDH/Sway control.

How did the steering feel? Your front end seems a bit high. GM spec is to bring it back down to stock height.

[intheburbs]

PAThwacker wrote:
Towing ratings deduct pound for pound of passengers weight, gear and tongue weight. You were in danger zone.

Signed,
Happy k2500 sub owner.

I already said I was over on many of my ratings. What "towing ratings" are you referring to? The 8600 GVWR covers all weight including passengers, gear and tongue. I was at 8840. I wouldn't call 3% over "in danger zone."

The weights on the slip were taken with my family and gear already on board. And as I'm sure you already know as an owner of one of these beasts, the K2500 Suburban has a curb weight right around 6500, and my unhitched weight was 7720, so that's a clue that I already had passengers and gear on board. 😉

[wing_zealot]

Yup, they could be two different components, but in this case the sway control component is integrated into the spring bar component. As for myself, I would still call them the weight distribution bars.

[hohenwald48]

Little off topic but - I hear a lot of folks use the term "sway bar" and "spring bar" like they mean the same thing. I thought the spring bars were what provided the weight distribution and the sway bars were what provide sway control. Can't they be two different components?

[Mike_and_Verena]

Thanks. True, just a few minutes to put them on. No reason not to.

[Anmacc2]

I don't use my bars if I'm towing through the streets and staying under 45mph. Always use them on the highways or going over 45mph. Back of my truck drops about two inches without bars.

[bobndot]

Depends on how beefy the truck is . It depends on how much the rear of the truck drops and how much the front of the truck rises when you hitch it to your ball w/o a WDH.


Here is more info on WDH vs. no WDH .

[PAThwacker]

intheburbs wrote:
I borrowed a buddy's trailer for our vacation - it's for sale and I was thinking about buying it.

He rarely tows it; used it more as a destination trailer - no WDH or sway bars. We towed it around the UP of Michigan - about 1,000 miles total. No issues. Trailer was stable, nor more push/pull than my trailer with WDH/Sway control.

Yes, I was exceeding the weights on the sticker of my receiver by quite a bit, as the tongue weight was around 1100 lbs. I did research, got my weights, and talked to a few friends who are engineers at GM. I was also exceeding my GCWR (16,000 lbs), GVWR (8,600 lbs) and RAWR (5500 lbs). I made the decision that in this case, I felt safe towing this trailer with my family aboard.

Towing ratings deduct pound for pound of passengers weight, gear and tongue weight. You were in danger zone.

Signed,
Happy k2500 sub owner.

[DutchmenSport]

Not sure about your E2 Fastway, but my E2 - 4 point really cannot be used without the bars. The hitch head assembly is on a pivot with a set screw (or bolt) that turns to adjust the hitch head angle easily. If the bars are not attached, the shear weight of the trailer on the hitch will cause the hitch head to pivot downward (backwards). With the bars on, the weight of the camper actually forces the hitch head up until it rests against the bolt adjuster.

My old Reese system had the hitch had fixed. It couldn't be adjusted, but my E2 hitch cannot be used JUST by itself. My old Reese, the hitch head actually bent and there was wear and tear on the metal so the bolts could never tighten enough to stop the slack in the actual head. So I switched to the E2 shortly after we got our current camper.

If the hitch head is fixed and cannot tilt (like mine does), yes, you can tow with just the hitch with no bars. I've moved my camper around with just the Reese Hitch, even though it bent, but not on the road at all.

The answer is, "YES" you can tow without the bars. The question you need to ask yourself is, "Do you really want to compromise the safety and functionality of your system?" Without the bars, the weight on your to vehicle will be distributed far different. For even a short distance, you might not like the way it handles.

All I can say is, hitch up without the bars, and go for a short drive. See how it feels. But take those bars with you. If you drive a thousand feet from your driveway and you realize ... OMG did I make a mistake, you can pull over and hook up those bars immediately and get back in your driveway. If it handles OK, they you have your answer.

[intheburbs]

I borrowed a buddy's trailer for our vacation - it's for sale and I was thinking about buying it.

He rarely tows it; used it more as a destination trailer - no WDH or sway bars. We towed it around the UP of Michigan - about 1,000 miles total. No issues. Trailer was stable, nor more push/pull than my trailer with WDH/Sway control.

Yes, I was exceeding the weights on the sticker of my receiver by quite a bit, as the tongue weight was around 1100 lbs. I did research, got my weights, and talked to a few friends who are engineers at GM. I was also exceeding my GCWR (16,000 lbs), GVWR (8,600 lbs) and RAWR (5500 lbs). I made the decision that in this case, I felt safe towing this trailer with my family aboard.

[PAThwacker]

nickthehunter wrote:
The hitch on your TV has a rating for tongue weight. It will be two numbers, and it will be something like "500 lbs. without WD system", and a second number like "1500 lbs. with WD system". I don't have a clue what you're towing with, but if the tongue weight of your TT exceeds that first number (without WD system), you have a potential disaster in the making; if you tow without those bars hooked up.

This^