Towing question

[acadianbob]

Originally Posted by befink

We are looking at purchasing the same Shamrock 233s - So I'm guessing we will need equalizers to tow it with our 2007 Nissan Aramada? Was hoping we could get away without having to buy them.

It would be a huge mistake and safety risk to forgo a WD hitch with sway control.

[MegaTracer]

Originally Posted by befink

We are looking at purchasing the same Shamrock 233s - So I'm guessing we will need equalizers to tow it with our 2007 Nissan Aramada? Was hoping we could get away without having to buy them.

I pull a Tracer 3150BHD with my 2007 Armada. I have the Equalizer brand hitch and it tows beautifuly! I highly recommend it. Very easy to hook up and detach for towing. Anything over 5,000lbs Nissan requires a weight disro hitch according to the manual. Electric brakes too.

Things to know about your Armada is there is a "big tow package" option that allows you to pull up to 9100lbs. An easy way to tell is you will have a transmission cooler gauge and load leveling suspension. Without that I believe the towing capacity is between 6,300 and 7,300 lbs depending on gearing.

Good luck with your purchase!

[bayoubuggie]

TracerMada, I have the 2950 which has a similar tongue weight. I'm looking into the equalizer hitch, can you tell me what weight bars you have?

[Platokidd]

I use mower guard on the L brackets and spring bars at contact points.
It embeds into the metal over time. The best part is no mess.
MowerGUARDâ„¢ - Graphite Undercoating for Mower Decks and Blades
Good grease on the bar socket pivot points and ball.
The noise dont bother me , scares the heck out of the woman but I get I kick out of that!

[bikendan]

befink, if you would read your owner's manual towing section, it would state the amount of hitch weight that would require using a WDH. anything at or above that amount, would need one.
i'm sure that the 233S's hitch weight would require it, especially with a soft suspended SUV.

the best WDH's have built-in sway control, such as the Equal-i-zer or Reese Dual Cam.
the ones with add-on friction anti-swar bars, are old technology and are a hassle.

[MegaTracer]

Originally Posted by bayoubuggie

TracerMada, I have the 2950 which has a similar tongue weight. I'm looking into the equalizer hitch, can you tell me what weight bars you have?

I run the 10,000lb bars. They are good for 1,000lbs of tougue weight. My Armada is limited to 900lbs. My tracer is close to 700lbs if tongue weight

[befink]

So signed all papers for the 233s at the dealer this weekend.
Picking up next weekend, because we had snow...

But they reccommended using the Reese round bar WDS with 800 lb bars ($600), they said Dual Cam is extreme overkill for this size trailer?

Thoughts???

[rockfordroo]

I pulled my Roo19 (~4600lbs) with a Chevy Traverse (5200 lb capacity) for a year and realized it just didn't have the oomph and bought the Silverado. I did have a WDH. One day I that first year I decided to pull the trailer over to the storage lot (about 5miles) w/o hooking up the bars on the Traverse. HUGE DIFFERENCE. It convinced me!

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by befink

So signed all papers for the 233s at the dealer this weekend.
Picking up next weekend, because we had snow...

But they reccommended using the Reese round bar WDS with 800 lb bars ($600), they said Dual Cam is extreme overkill for this size trailer?

Thoughts???

IMHO, i would never tow a full height trailer w/o a wdh with built-in sway control, so it's not overkill.
I tow the 23SS w/the Equalizer with the 1000lb bars and it's definitely not "overkill".

[Cowracer]

I tow a smallish 21ssl with the king of the SUV's (Diesel Ford Excursion) and I wouln't dream of hauling it on a public road without WDH and sway control. I'd rather go without trailer brakes than without the WDH and sway, and I aint about to go without trailer brakes. LOL!

nobody ever found themselves wrecked in a ditch going, "Man, I had too much hitch on this rig"


Tim

[befink]

The dealer recommended the Reese Trunnion Style, 10,000/800lbs for our
Shamrock 233s with 2007 Nissan Armada.

Seemed to do well on the 1 1/2 hour trip home from the dealer (even as a dusting of snow/slush started), so we'll see how some test trips and our first trip goes...

If not, we'll have to look into the Equalizer, i guess...

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by befink

The dealer recommended the Reese Trunnion Style, 10,000/800lbs for our Shamrock 233s with 2007 Nissan Armada.

Is that with the Dual Cam setup ?? If not, do you have friction bars for sway control ??

[befink]

No and no...
I kept asking dealer about it.
They said dual cam was overkill.

Now it does have the ability to add on the friction sway bar onto this one, the spot is there for it, it was sold seperatley, but again, after asking numerous times, said we didn't need them with our TV and that trailer...

Thoughts?
I think it would be easy enough just to by the add on sway bar, and just put it on myself.

This is all new to me - only ever pulled a popup before, now it was a HW with weight of 3795, but never had any WDS for that with the Armada. But we have some 2 and 4 hour trips planned for the summer and want to make sure its a right, and safe!

[Kaadk]

I tried once to pull without my anti-sway bar in place. DW had taken the truck to get some groceries before I could retrieve the pins for it off the back bumper and we had lost them. Well, 20 minutes down the road I was pulling into a Meijer's to buy a new set of pins. No way am I ever pulling without one again.

i don't know your setup, only you know that, but look at this way. What's safer, with an extra safety feature, even if it's overkill, or without?

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by befink

I kept asking dealer about it.
They said dual cam was overkill.

Now it does have the ability to add on the friction sway bar onto this one, the spot is there for it, it was sold separately, but again, after asking numerous times, said we didn't need them with our TV and that trailer...

Thoughts?

The Dual Cam system is not overkill IMHO. I would never tow my trailer (which is only 4' longer than the Roo) without some type of sway control......and I tow with a fairly long wheelbased 1/2 ton pickup.

You may never have the need for sway control. But just the wrong wind gust, a tractor trailer traveling too fast/too close, or an emergency braking situation the sway control will suddenly become invaluable.