Need some info here. Went Sat and purchased a 01 wildwood 27' travel trailer. This will be my 1st so I need all the (good) advice I can get.
I will be taking delivery later this week.
OK here is my delima...Asked the salesman about needing a sway bar and he immediately said I didn't want one because I would not be able to back up with one attached. This doesn't make sense to me. I could see him trying to push one on me because of commission but he is trying to get me to not purchase one. Granted If I don't need one than why spend the money.
I am more interested in his comments about backing up issues than purchase price now.
He stated that if I were to pull into a gas station and overshot the pump for example I would have to either pull through and swing around to try it again or get out and remove the sway bar.
Has anyone had this issue? It seems to me that if they were indeed made this way no one would buy them!
I will be pulling this with an 04 f-150 screw 4x4 with 5.4 and 3.55 and factory tow package. He says that the wd hitch has enough sway control built into it to for my rig.
Any advise here would be greately appreciated. If I truly need one I will buy one. My family is worth much more than a few $100 for the purchase and a little inconvience when backing!!!!!!!

 

I suppose some sway bars may act different but I have an EazLift sway bar set up on my 30 foot travel trailer and I never think about it when I back up. I even make some pretty tight turns while backing. It probably is better if you loosen the sway control when you are backing but I never have. The only indication I have that it is there is if I am making a slow tight reverse turn the rig may make popping noises and small jerks as the sway bar friction surfaces slip and catch.

To loosen the control on my EazLift sway bar, you just turn the big handle one or two turns and then it is loose.

A sway bar helps when towing in cross winds and whenever a big rig passes. You will be more relaxed after a long drive with a sway bar, I would buy one for this reason alone. It also helps decrease the chance of fishtailing if you go too fast. Without the sway bar, I notice my rig is more prone to side to side motions.

The only time the manual says to remove the sway bar is when conditions are slippery. The stated reason is that in slick conditions the sway bar may have a tendency to make the whole rig go end for end instead of fishtail.

I am finding it rare when a sales guy knows what he is talking about.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

[.

I am finding it rare when a sales guy knows what he is talking about.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson[/QUOTE]


well said but at this point if he knows anything he knows more than me.

thanks for the info.
i'll research different models and maybe add one later.

 

I have to agree, I can't see where backing up would make any difference. Especially if you were straight and not turning. Besides, how could you bcak into a parking space for camping, unless you had to take it off every time you had to back up, not a very practical design, and wouldn't sell any too well if that were the case.

 

I just put the Reese Dual Cam sway control on my trailer. There was a nice improvement in control and I have not had any problems turning or backing up. I'm running a 06 F350 CC and a 32' Jayco travel trailer.

Now if i could improve the darn porpoising that occurs on some concrete interstate highway...!

 

I have the Equalizer system on my 03 supercrew/28' Timberlodge and I've been very happy with this set-up. It does pop and squeek a little while backing, but no trouble really.

 

I would suggest buying the best sway bar you can afford. I have a cheap Bully and am soon replacing it with something better. I am pulling a 27' Attitude with a 99 F350 SuperCab 4X4 PSD and many times the sway is a white knuckler. If anyone has good suggestions on pulling an 11,000 pound tag along, I would appreciate it.

 

Hi,
I would go with a good sway control that is combined with the weight distribution such as Equilizer or Reese Dual Cam. They really work well and do not cost much when purchased as part of the WD setup. Like you said, what is a $100 when you have your family on board!

 

I am kind of piggy backing on this post. I was just looking at the Reese Dual Cam system. I currently have a WD hitch with round bars. Do I understand that I can replace my bars with the dual cam bars and sway controlers and be on my way?

 

Gpeade,

If you are using a dual cam weight distribution hitch the sway control is integral to it and not a seperate piece. The older friction type sway controls do indeed recomend that you loosen the adjustment bolt when backing. As an earlier poster noted it is easy to do with the hand adjustable bolt setup. Even removal is easy due to the quick release nature of the conections. The friction setups are obsolete in my opinion.

Make sure your dealer has sold you a dual cam setup and not just a weight distribution hitch with no sway control. You need sway control for a trailer of that size and it needs to be properly adjusted for your tow vehichle / trailer combo. Go to the Reese web site and read the owners manual / instalation guide for the dual cam hitch system so you can be assured that the dealer has done the job correctly.

Be carefull while you are learning to pull the new trailer especially when big trucks or fast moving vehicles are passing you or when it is windy.

I would recomend that you go weigh your truck with a full tank of gas and note the weight in your owner's manual in the towing section. After you get the trailer you can weigh again at a multi segment scale where each of the two truck axles can be weighed seperately and the two trailer axles are weighed together on a third scale segment. CAT scales are easy to find and cost about $8.00 to use. You will be able to see the effects of the distribution hitch in the weigh ticket and assure yourself that you are not overloaded as well as determining how much usefull load capacity you have remaining for family, food and stuff.

Wings,
You will need the whole hitch system including the trunion head, the spring bars, the dual cam hangers that go on the trailer A frame and I believe even the shank (draw bar) is different for the trunion head type hitches.

Gene

 

Wings,
You will need the whole hitch system including the trunion head, the spring bars, the dual cam hangers that go on the trailer A frame and I believe even the shank (draw bar) is different for the trunion head type hitches.

Thank You Gene. I will go and talk to a dealer this week

 

Wings:

Are you getting sway even without cross winds? If so, you don't have enough tongue weight. Weight behind the axle acts like a pendulum causing the sway. Move items forward in the trailer, empty your holding and water tanks (get fresh water close to where you're camping instead of carrying from home) or leave some items at home. Also consider getting the truck and trailer weighed. If the 2 (or 3) trailer axles have vastly different weights or are overweight, you need to balance the load better or reduce the load.

 

Thanks for all the advise folks. Ordered a reese high performance dual cam sway control late Friday from USA-trailer-hitches.com. Cheapest place I could find it $163.13 with shipping.
I do intend to weigh my rig once I get it stocked and set up how I want it.
Thanks again
Gerald

 

Sportdeck262. I am going to put my sandrail and fill the gas bottles in the trailer tonight. I usually have a full compliment of clothes and supplys in the trailer. I plan then to level the trail at the mid frame and find the tongue height and compare that to my trucks hitch height and make ajustments as needed. My goal is to get within an inch or so at rest.

Thanks

 

I see a number of suggestions have been posted - but there is another - check the axles very carefully. A bent axle or one misaligned or even a bent wheel can cause severe sway. Even having the trailer unbalenced from one side to the other can aggravate sway. I have a 30 foot wilderness which weighs about 7000 lbs give or take, which I pull with a '05 F250. (Pics in gallery). I experience no sway on the open road, and slight (minimal) in cross winds, and T-Trailers passing close. This all without the aid of a "sway or stabilizer" bar, and no white knuckle moments. But, the trailer must be mechanically correct, and loaded right to do this. JMHO.