equalizer bars

[Blakew76]

Took my trailer to the dealer this morning & they remedied the WDH issues I was having. Things look way better now, & look proper as well.

[Terier]

Originally Posted by Blakew76

Took my trailer to the dealer this morning & they remedied the WDH issues I was having. Things look way better now, & look proper as well.

Good to know. You know we're going to ask for pictures. OK, I can do without pictures but am curious how many links you have leftover after connecting to the hooks/saddles.

[Blakew76]

I now have 5 chains left over, they said 6 in use is the minimum you should have, which I have now. The bars are now pretty much level when tensioned & there's tons of room between the end of the bars & trailer frame. The vertical chain angle is just slightly off, but within the angle allowed. They raised the hitch up the shank 2 holes, & added a washer. The TT rides level now & the TV is 1/2" higher in the front & just under 2" lower in the rear then when empty. It handled nicely on the highway too.

[Terier]

I have limited experenice in this area but in the pictures it didn't look like it was set up right to me. I've never counted how many links I have in use but I will next time I hitch up. I just know how many leftover links there are for my setup.

Are you still able to lift the handles up easily by hand? Or do you now use the cheater bar?

[Blakew76]

I need the bar & take the weight off with the jack now, which makes it easier. They modified the chain brackets to fit beside the battery box so I was able to keep the 2 six volt batteries as well.

[Blakew76]

The chain angle after the dealer modified the lift brackets. Looks alot better to me.

[MtnGuy]

[youroo]

OK,now what about some sway control. Youroo!!

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by youroo

OK,now what about some sway control. Youroo!!

Yeah, I missed that, Youroo.

[Blakew76]

It doesn't sway at all. Just once in the wind, but was minor.

[Terier]

Originally Posted by Blakew76

It doesn't sway at all. Just once in the wind, but was minor.

The choice is up to you but I wanted to share my two cents. This is something that you really don't need until you need it. Very simple to install and requires less work than the HD bars. I used a anti-sway bar and my trailer is a little smaller.

[Triguy]

I second (or third) the need for at least one sway bar.

The sway you are referring to (probably the push-pull from a passing semi or the push from a gust of wind) is an issue but it's not THE issue. Real sway is an uncontrollable conciliation that progressively gets worse as the trailer moves side to side. Its not a daily event, but like Terier said, you should prepare for it just in case it does happen to you. Once started, it is hard to stop and the best way to deal with it is to use sway control and drive slower. My two cents.

[Blakew76]

Thanks for the sway bar insite. I've driven transport trucks & am used to pulling trailers but know pulling a TT is alot different (trucks being 5th wheel & never sway). Im surprised the dealers don't suggest them when purchasing a TT. What are the causes of a bad sway situation?

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by Blakew76

What are the causes of a bad sway situation?

Probably the biggest contributor to sway is a tongue weight that is too light for the overall weight of the trailer. A minimum of 10% is suggested, and 12 to 15% is probably better.

A errant gust of wind can start sway. The bow wave of a semi can start sway. Most times, the trailer settles right back behind the tow vehicle. But if the driver "over corrects" for the sway, and then the trailer goes even futher the other way, then it can get out of hand. It is natural for someone to put the brakes on when that starts to happen.....which is the worst possible things to do. Accelerating the tow vehicle while gently applying the trailer brakes will usually correct a sway problem that has gotten out of control.

With a fairly substantial truck and shorter trailer like the OP has, sway is not as much of a concern as with a shorter, smaller tow vehicle and a longer, heavier trailer.....but it can still happen. I think sway control is a good thing for anybody pulling a conventional, upright, bumper pull trailer.

[Triguy]

My one and only experience with sway was with a flat bed trailer that I had improperly loaded this summer with a very heavy skid loader. It started as I got close to freeway speed. Frightening. I've thought about it since then and here is what I think.

Uncontrollable sway is a side to side motion that begins as you reach a certain speed that probably will become more violent at higher speeds. Technically, I've heard that its the trailer moving faster than the tow vehicle for any number of reasons.

I believe its caused more by both improper loading along with high speeds. With loading too much weight behind the trailer axle's, the tongue weight is too light and sway can occur more easily. The aft portion of the trailer is heavier than the front causing the tail to wag the dog. Having said that, I've heard stories from people that lead me to believe that they just hit a triple storm and stuff happens. The point being that sometimes bad things can happen no matter what you do to minimize it.

So, what if it does happen? Sway control helps as a properly adjusted hitch with sway control joins the TV and TT at the hip. As does keeping your speed reasonable.

How should we react? The best way to straighten out a sway is to apply the trailer brakes only and the worst thing to do is touch the truck brakes and/or to try to steer out of it. This is not an easy thing to do (to take a hand off the steering wheel and reach for the brake control), but its required.

If we brake the truck, than the sway will become worse. The trailer will move forward as the truck brakes and the trailer will need to take the long way around the truck, causing more sway. If we try to steer our way out of it (like we would if a car starts to skid on icy snow) we end up doing the exact wrong thing and make the sway worse. We will accelerate the magnitude of the sway.

You can go faster and accelerate out of the sway, and this will work if you have the room because you end up snapping the TV/TT combo into a straight line. This is what I did with the skid loaded, but I don't think its the best solution. The problem I see is that I was then going faster and that can bring up other issues (traffic ahead, a sharp turn in the road, unsafe conditions, etc.).

So, if real sway occurs, do not steer and do not apply your brakes and do not speed up. Maintain your speed, use your brake controler to slow the trailer (snapping it back into a straight line) and hold the steering wheel hard in a straight-ahead position. You will know when the trailer brakes slow it and begin to reduce the sway.

Again, my two cents.

[Blakew76]

Thanks for the info, definitly good to know! I think being aware of things when towing is a crucial factor as well. Just like always looking in the mirrors & watching your speed.

[MtnGuy]

Here is what happens when sway gets out of control:

freeway crash caught on tape - YouTube

And that looks like Ford Super Duty or Excursion.