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Old 03-30-2017, 07:01 AM   #1
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Equalizer hitch

I'm new so don't shoot me for this question. I have a 3500 truck and a trailer that's well under weight for the trailer. Do I need to use an equalizer hitch? I think it's a waste at this point.
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Old 03-30-2017, 07:12 AM   #2
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You/We are all guessing right Now,but I know there might be a Time when you say "Boy I wish I had W/D with Sway Control"! Youroo!!
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Old 03-30-2017, 07:22 AM   #3
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You/We are all guessing right Now,but I know there might be a Time when you say "Boy I wish I had W/D with Sway Control"! [emoji106] Youroo!!
X2....
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Old 03-30-2017, 07:47 AM   #4
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X3.
Having a good sway control hitch is money WELL spent.
That giant shoe box/billboard you are towing is really susceptible to wind gusts, buffeting etc etc....
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Old 03-30-2017, 08:03 AM   #5
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X3.

Having a good sway control hitch is money WELL spent.

That giant shoe box/billboard you are towing is really susceptible to wind gusts, buffeting etc etc....


Suggestions for brand?
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Old 03-30-2017, 08:09 AM   #6
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Without knowing details of your setup, but knowing you have a 1T and smaller tt, an e2 may suffice. We had one when we pulled a travel trailer with a 3/4t and it worked great. There are better hitches, but it's a bargain.
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Old 03-30-2017, 08:24 AM   #7
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Equil-I-zer brand WDH from RVWholesalers
You will need to work thru the numbers to determine which size to get. Or you can call Equil-I-zer customer service. Or you can post more details here and we can help:
trailer empty weight
trailer actual loaded weight (or GVWR if unknown)
empty TW
loaded TW (if known)
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Old 03-30-2017, 08:31 AM   #8
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Suggestions for brand?
I and many others have the 4 point Equil-I-zer and love it. But there are several brands that you can't go wrong with that others on this thread use.
ProPride
Hensley
Husky
Curt

Just a matter on how much money you want to spend
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Old 03-30-2017, 08:33 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by jtstromsburg View Post
Without knowing details of your setup, but knowing you have a 1T and smaller tt, an e2 may suffice. We had one when we pulled a travel trailer with a 3/4t and it worked great. There are better hitches, but it's a bargain.
Thats a good point!
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Old 03-30-2017, 08:44 AM   #10
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I have an Equalizer 4 point and think it's a solid, well performing, bullet proof setup. With that being said, if I had a smaller trailer (currently almost 10K TT) that weighed less than, say 6K or so loaded, I'd be very tempted to try the Andersen. You won't get much weight distribution with it, but you likely need very little. And it's sway control design using friction material- basically a brake pad I think- is supposed to work very well. No grease, no noise and about 1/3 the weight of the Equalizer 4 point.
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Old 03-30-2017, 09:03 AM   #11
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Get the WDH. It isn't that much work to set it up each time, but it will make your towing a much better experience. Just the anti-sway alone is worth it.
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Old 03-30-2017, 09:30 AM   #12
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Depending on how small your trailer is, (length/weight) I am not so sure you need a WDH. Most modern trucks have built in "sway control" that can be turned on or off by the driver. If this is your case I would try it with your built in sway control first.

I am at the limits for size and weight of my TV and I needed the WDH. I find that in a strong x-wind the WDH and the built in sway control are not compatible and work against each other. I then manually switch off the built in sway control.

My previous trailer was about 60% of the max tow weight and the built in sway control was sufficient and worked well without a WDH. (Ford Truck)

Jack
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Old 03-30-2017, 09:33 AM   #13
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Make sure to consider Blue Ox SwayPro in your decision making process. Not the least expensive, not the most expensive, but, IMHO, the best when considering price v. ease of hookup v. performance v. flexibility v. portability.
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Old 03-30-2017, 12:49 PM   #14
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Anderson would be a good fit for a heavy truck pulling a trailer that is well under it's limits (as is described by the OP). However, someone with a 3500 pickup likely will want to utilize it more in the future (upgrade), and the Anderson is simply not up to the task of transferring any significant weight properly.


If you are absolutely sure you will not be upgrading anytime soon, then the Andersen is a good choice for good sway control, ease of use, as long as you only expect a minimum of actual weight distribution.
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Old 03-30-2017, 01:22 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by jaherbst View Post
Depending on how small your trailer is, (length/weight) I am not so sure you need a WDH. Most modern trucks have built in "sway control" that can be turned on or off by the driver. If this is your case I would try it with your built in sway control first.

I am at the limits for size and weight of my TV and I needed the WDH. I find that in a strong x-wind the WDH and the built in sway control are not compatible and work against each other. I then manually switch off the built in sway control.

My previous trailer was about 60% of the max tow weight and the built in sway control was sufficient and worked well without a WDH. (Ford Truck)

Jack
What is built into the truck is NOT the same type of sway control as you get from a hitch. The hitches use friction and/or mechanical design to keep sway from occurring in the first place. The truck will NOT do this. The "sway control" on the truck is basically a last ditch effort to try to straighten the combo back out after sway has occurred. Hitch is preventive, truck is reactive. What is offered on the truck should NOT even really be called sway control. A more appropriate term would be "ESRS": "Emergency Sway Reduction System".
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Old 04-02-2017, 08:11 AM   #16
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I currently run a weight distribution hitch with bars and chain.

The reason I ask is that I live in a mountain pass where a 70-100 km/h wind happens frequently. Loaded weight is close to 7k. The truck handles it just fine. It's the cross winds that are the real challenge.
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