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Old 04-08-2018, 02:49 PM   #21
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I've got way more slope than that in my driveway and I've never undone the sway bars. I had the Equalizer on our 28' Jayco and the Blue Ox on our current 38' Cherokee. 12 years and never had a problem with either one of them.
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Old 04-08-2018, 09:40 PM   #22
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I remove my blueox bars before backing in the driveway. My driveway looks like yours but the truck will be level and trailer down which puts a lot of stress on the bars when trying to unhook. I also have to remove them when putting in storage because I have to jacknife it in and don't want to deal with the bars at those angles. Clearance is a concern so I have had to put a board down to clear the curb bit other than this no issues.
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Old 04-08-2018, 09:46 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by Kaadk View Post
If they're the friction sway bars that are independent of the WDH bars, they can be removed without taking the weight off the tongue. I'm talking about these kind:



Spin the handle to loosen them, pull the two pins and remove the bar. Since I'm the one doing the driving AND does the registration, then I go inside, register, come back, remove and then get back in the cab before driving the site.

If you have equalizer or some other built in sway control, then generally I see people just leave them on.
Just loosen the friction. That will stop the noise.
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Old 04-08-2018, 10:05 PM   #24
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The creaking and groaning from sway bars when finalizing a site at a campground never ceases to amaze me. They’re not needed within any campground.....you made it!



When my wife and I check into a campground, she goes into the office and gets us registered and such. While she’s doing that, I take the opportunity to unhook the toad so I can position the motorhome on our site.....takes less time than she gets us registered.



If we’re on a pull through site...bonus. I just evaluate the situation around the office and wait my turn to drive us onto our site.



Sway bar people.....disconnect them while you’re getting registered. It’ll be easier on the equipment, and easier on yours and everyone else’s ears.



Enjoy.


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Old 04-08-2018, 10:14 PM   #25
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When I had my TT I had no trouble backing with equalizer hitch hooked up but when I towed with 1/2 ton I had to have them on or I sagged and spare tire under trl only had a inch or two clearance on flat ground
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Old 04-10-2018, 08:14 AM   #26
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Or just get an Andersen and don't worry about it!
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Old 04-10-2018, 08:22 AM   #27
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Or just get an Andersen and don't worry about it!
I know Anderson makes a 5th-wheel gooseneck hitch...

Didn't know they made WD setups.
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Old 04-10-2018, 08:25 AM   #28
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I find it interesting how many people complain about the squeaking, moaning, Equalizer bars. I've use our for about 5 years now, and don't recall hearing them at all, even with the windows open and backing up. My wife has never said anything about them, either, and she is outside directing when we back up. I lube the bars as the directions indicate to do, but, that is it. No problems with sway from the lubrication, either. I got as much noise from the old chain bars as the Equalizer bars.
If you are not getting any creaking and groaning, I'm thinking if you don't have them tight enough?
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Old 04-10-2018, 08:32 AM   #29
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I know Anderson makes a 5th-wheel gooseneck hitch...

Didn't know they made WD setups.
They make a GREAT WDH! I got one and used it during a 12 day journey from VA Beach to Florida and it worked VERY WELL. A bit pricier than most, but it isn't heavy (shipping weight is about 65 lbs total) and can handle up to 1,000 lbs tongue weight and a 10,000 lb trailer. Does a wonderful job with my 21FBRS behind my 3.5 EcoBoost F-150.
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Old 04-10-2018, 08:51 AM   #30
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If you have the friction sway bar that is in post #23. Remove completely when backing up and you are at your destination. If kept tightened, you can and at some point in time WILL bend the sway bar. When backing into your drive way... take it OFF. One less thing to worry about. Any sharp turn when backing and it could be bent, you do not want that bar to be in the way and it will be.
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Old 04-10-2018, 09:24 AM   #31
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If you have the friction sway bar that is in post #23. Remove completely when backing up and you are at your destination. If kept tightened, you can and at some point in time WILL bend the sway bar. When backing into your drive way... take it OFF. One less thing to worry about. Any sharp turn when backing and it could be bent, you do not want that bar to be in the way and it will be.
All you have to do is loosen it...don't really need to take it off yet!

If the pressure is off of the sway bar, you will not bend it unless you are backing it off of a cliff!
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Old 04-10-2018, 09:35 AM   #32
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All you have to do is loosen it...don't really need to take it off yet!

If the pressure is off of the sway bar, you will not bend it unless you are backing it off of a cliff!
Look at post #23 at the 'sway bar' .... When backing into a driveway and cutting it hard to the door side, the 'sway bar' can come into contact with the tongue (and bend). If backing in and cutting hard (which can and does happen all the time) to the drivers side, the sway bar will be extended and could bend also. ie. take the bar off....
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Old 04-10-2018, 09:56 AM   #33
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Look at post #23 at the 'sway bar' .... When backing into a driveway and cutting it hard to the door side, the 'sway bar' can come into contact with the tongue (and bend). If backing in and cutting hard (which can and does happen all the time) to the drivers side, the sway bar will be extended and could bend also. ie. take the bar off....
Interesting...

I had a very similar setup (DrawTite w/Reese sway bar) for 20 years and two different TT's, and a very bad back-in to my side yard (tall curb, tight turn, neighbors truck in my way every single time, and had to remove all scissor jacks as they would get ripped off by the curb)...

And ALL I had to do was loosen the sway bar...not remove it!

Try it...you won't bend it...unless you are backing it off of a cliff!

However, if I had the time I would remove all of the WD stuff before I backed it in just because it was easier on the pavement than in the tight quarters next to the garage.

I now have a 5th-wheel and will never go back to a bumper pull...

What used to be a 30 minute chore hitching and unhitching the bumper pull TT is now a two minute piece of cake!

Footnote: I just sold my house in February, and one week after I moved out of the house (ie.- moved into my RV in an RV park while selling the house...my neighbor finally got rid of that old truck that always sat in that spot for 15 years
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Old 04-10-2018, 10:11 AM   #34
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Sorry fellow campers, but the creaking and groaning of the hitch is no different than the loud diesel engines that I see so many complaints about. Its just the way it is in a campground. Why people complain about these things fascinates me. Like complaining that the engines were too loud at a NASCAR race.

I also dont get the "remove the bars" discussion as a universal activity. With my equalizer I CAN NOT remove the bars without using the tongue jack to take the pressure off. You are suggesting I get out, jack up the trailer tongue, remove the bars, lower the trailer tongue, park the trailer, jack up the trailer tongue, drive out from under it, lower the trailer tongue... And then FRF would have a discussion about the tongue jack noise... Cant win no matter what
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Old 04-10-2018, 10:20 AM   #35
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Interesting...

I had a very similar setup (DrawTite w/Reese sway bar) for 20 years and two different TT's, and a very bad back-in to my side yard (tall curb, tight turn, neighbors truck in my way every single time, and had to remove all scissor jacks as they would get ripped off by the curb)...

And ALL I had to do was loosen the sway bar...not remove it!

Try it...you won't bend it...unless you are backing it off of a cliff!

However, if I had the time I would remove all of the WD stuff before I backed it in just because it was easier on the pavement than in the tight quarters next to the garage.

I now have a 5th-wheel and will never go back to a bumper pull...

What used to be a 30 minute chore hitching and unhitching the bumper pull TT is now a two minute piece of cake!

Footnote: I just sold my house in February, and one week after I moved out of the house (ie.- moved into my RV in an RV park while selling the house...my neighbor finally got rid of that old truck that always sat in that spot for 15 years


I haven’t bent mine, but I do have to jackknife it tighter than the bar’s minimum travel. I have to keep an eye on the backup camera to make sure I don’t contact the sway bar’s ball with the side of the trailer’s tongue, that’s how tight I turn it. (Yes, I do have to jockey it quite a bit to straighten it out after.) Road width vs trailer length vs driveway width doesn’t give many options.

In your case, it works, in my case, the bars come off. It’s just 2 pins. Takes all of 15 seconds longer.
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Old 04-10-2018, 10:27 AM   #36
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Sorry fellow campers, but the creaking and groaning of the hitch is no different than the loud diesel engines that I see so many complaints about. Its just the way it is in a campground. Why people complain about these things fascinates me. Like complaining that the engines were too loud at a NASCAR race.
Exactly!


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I also don't get the "remove the bars" discussion as a universal activity. With my equalizer I CAN NOT remove the bars without using the tongue jack to take the pressure off. You are suggesting I get out, jack up the trailer tongue, remove the bars, lower the trailer tongue, park the trailer, jack up the trailer tongue, drive out from under it, lower the trailer tongue... And then FRF would have a discussion about the tongue jack noise... Can't win no matter what
Thing is that most people don't seem to realize that this is the proper procedure to hitch up and unhitch...including most of the people that install these things!

In other words...there is a reason for going through this process!

They just think you put them on however they happen to fit the easiest and go...not even utilizing the WD and sway system for what it is meant to do!
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Old 04-10-2018, 10:34 AM   #37
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Sorry fellow campers, but the creaking and groaning of the hitch is no different than the loud diesel engines that I see so many complaints about. Its just the way it is in a campground. Why people complain about these things fascinates me. Like complaining that the engines were too loud at a NASCAR race.

I also dont get the "remove the bars" discussion as a universal activity. With my equalizer I CAN NOT remove the bars without using the tongue jack to take the pressure off. You are suggesting I get out, jack up the trailer tongue, remove the bars, lower the trailer tongue, park the trailer, jack up the trailer tongue, drive out from under it, lower the trailer tongue... And then FRF would have a discussion about the tongue jack noise... Cant win no matter what
You do not have the same type of sway bar as seen in post #23... No? That is what the dialog is about.
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Old 04-10-2018, 10:37 AM   #38
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Footnote: I just sold my house in February, and one week after I moved out of the house (ie.- moved into my RV in an RV park while selling the house...my neighbor finally got rid of that old truck that always sat in that spot for 15 years

Is there some kind of correlation between you moving and him moving 'that old truck' that was in your way?
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Old 04-10-2018, 11:27 AM   #39
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I agree, I don’t have the same bars as in #23, but a previous post mentioned the groaning and creaking of the bars (post #6). Therefore, if my bars creak and groan, I’m included. That sounded like a universal catch all for “all” hitches with bars. There have been many threads on here with the same complaint that “if your hitch makes noise remove the bars”. That’s all I’m saying. I don’t enjoy the creaking sounds that it makes, but I also can’t avoid it
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Old 04-10-2018, 12:29 PM   #40
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I also dont get the "remove the bars" discussion as a universal activity. With my equalizer I CAN NOT remove the bars without using the tongue jack to take the pressure off. You are suggesting I get out, jack up the trailer tongue, remove the bars, lower the trailer tongue, park the trailer, jack up the trailer tongue, drive out from under it, lower the trailer tongue... And then FRF would have a discussion about the tongue jack noise... Cant win no matter what
If you have the real Equal-i-zer, you don't need to remove the bars, when backing up.

One problem is that numerous people have not stated brand/model of their WDH.

The ones that have the old tech WDHs with add-on friction sway bars, should be the ONLY ones that should remove or loosen the sway bars.

Those of us with newer tech WDHs with integrated sway control don't need to do this.

I back my 27' TT up a 13% grade driveway to park it and I leave my Equal-i-zer connected.
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