Help me pick a WD hitch

[RTFMOK]

TT: 20' Sunline estimated 3700 dry to 4400 wet, not weighed
TV: '03 Tahoe 5.3L 4WD Z71 3:73

Looking at the Reese 49902 with 750 pound bars, comparing to an Equalizer.

Between the two, I am leaning towards the Reese as the chains make adjustment for varying weight easier. From what I have read, the Equalizer requires wrenches to make changes.

Also willing to consider other manufacturers.

Not sure this combo really requires WD, but still expect it to make for a better driving experience.

Thanks in advance, look forward to all your opinions!

[RTFMOK]

I took some measurements of the combination.

Not weighed yet, my lady towed it a couple miles to a really flat slab. The TT is above dry weight (battery and one of the two propane tanks filled) with all tanks empty and minimum contents inside.

Measuring to the wheel well lips at axle centerline on the tow vehicle:
Front no trailer 35.25, trailer connected 35.75; Front axle lifts 1/2 inch.
Rear no trailer 37.5, trailer connected 36.25; Rear axle drops 1-1/4 inch.

With a 2" ball drop, the trailer sits less than 1/4 inch high in the front. So it is basically level.

Ball height with trailer connected is 17.25.

The tongue jack has 8 inches clearance to the ground.

The top of the trailer frame is 17.5, the bottom is 13.5 (4" frame).

With a 10+ mph gusty crosswind, my lady could feel the trailer, there was no drama, but she felt it could be more comfortable/less "work."

So, I expect fully loaded that the numbers will move a bit more, but the basic geometry looks good.

The bottom of the trailer frame at 13.5 inches is pushing me towards a trunnion style WDH instead of round bars and chains. Less stuff hanging down so close to the ground.

Thoughts?

[RTFMOK]

Got some better specs for the TT:

• 3455 Dry Weight (No battery, propane, spare, water, or waste).
  
• 380 pound Dry Tongue Weight
  
• 5000 Max Gross Weight

So that brings me to a predicted 750 pound loaded tongue weight (15%). Not bad for my eyeball estimate.

For the Tahoe, from Trailer Life:

• 7400 pound Max Trailer (w/5.3, 3.73. and 4WD)
  
• WD and sway control required over 5000 pounds

The Tahoe is "well optioned" so taking off, leather, etc., it should be able to handle a 5000 pound trailer.

Seems close to the edge though, so going to have to weigh it to confirm.

(Edited to include correct max trailer for the TV)

[drsteve]

On the subject of removing the friction sway bar to back up... The reason for this, near as I can tell, is that if you jackknife the rig tightly enough, you can bend the bar. When I used one, I only removed it when making a really tight cut backing into a campsite. Most of the time I just left it attached, never had a problem.

[SoundGuy]

RTFMOK wrote:
The Blue Ox is pricy too! Not a show stopper if it is the right tool for this job.

I know I need to weight the rig, but by eyeball for the weights (3700 to 4400 pounds trailer weight), does 750 pound bars sound about right?

Based on your guesstimate as to what this trailer will weigh loaded & ready to camp you'd be running somewhere around 600 lbs of gross tongue weight, plus or minus, so sure a Blue Ox Sway Pro which is available with 750 lb spring bars would work just fine. BTW, not only is the Sway Pro easy to set up but if you ever change to a different trailer that would require heavier or lighter spring bars all you have to change are the spring bars, with an Equal-i-zer you have to change the head as well, at which point you might as well sell the entire system and buy another. One commonality - the Sway Pro, like the Equal-i-zer, doesn't require the use of a separate friction sway bar.

[RTFMOK]

The Blue Ox is pricy too! Not a show stopper if it is the right tool for this job.

I know I need to weight the rig, but by eyeball for the weights (3700 to 4400 pounds trailer weight), does 750 pound bars sound about right?

[downtheroad]

To keep the discussion going....way back when we had an Equal-i-zer it worked ok....but screeched and groaned VERY loudly to announce that we had arrived. My wife hated it.

Our present hitch, BlueOx was a cinch to set up and to use. It's dead quiet and is a great sway controller/stopper.

Downside is that it is really beefy, thus really heavy. Much heavier than our Reece Dual Cam was.

[RTFMOK]

I'll take a look at the other products mentioned above. I did have a recommendation for Blue Ox but had not looked at it yet.

Completely forgot about Andersen, been out of RVing for a while.

I do remember the setup taking a while, and as I used to rent rather than have the same combo long-term, I'm liking the input that I won't have to be changing things often.

As I recall, the Equalizer makes noise, and this is the friction providing anti-sway. I've read some folks grease those parts, which does quiet it down, but it seems to me that also removes some sway control.

Removing sway control for backing up... Will need to look at that closely. That could be annoying. Not so bad once at the destination, but have had instances where I have had to back up while enroute to somewhere.

And yes, I will need a torque wrench to tighten up many of them; but I like collecting tools. Thanks for the pointer on the thin wall socket, would likely have missed that and had to grind down whatever socket I did get... And then buy the right one after my modified socket broke.

[SoundGuy]

RTFMOK wrote:
Looking at the Reese 49902 with 750 pound bars, comparing to an Equalizer.

Between the two, I am leaning towards the Reese as the chains make adjustment for varying weight easier. From what I have read, the Equalizer requires wrenches to make changes.

Also willing to consider other manufacturers.

Unless you expect to be towing more than one trailer you'll find that once you establish the number of chain links for correct weight transfer you won't be changing the number of links just because you may load more into the trailer on one trip than another. However, that Reese WD you mention requires the use of a separate friction sway bar while the Equal-i-zer does not as it features integrated 4-point sway control as a function of it's design.

Equal-i-zer installation requires a torque wrench capable of 430 ft-lbs and a thin wall 1-7/8" socket to properly tighten the hitch ball but since that's a one time requirement you should be able to find a shop capable of doing this for you. The bigger issue is the need for a torque wrench capable of 320 ft-lbs to correctly tighten the two head shank bolts, a problem because not many of us have such a wrench in our workshop. I got lucky as a friend loaned me his monster 600 ft-lb torque wrench, a good thing since it took me a 1/2 dozen tries before I got my Equal-i-zer adjusted the way I wanted it. Once adjusted it works well but because it needs to be entirely pulled apart to change the number of head washers you really do need access to a suitable torque wrench.

An alternative solution may be to instead go with a Blue Ox Sway Pro which has a fixed head angle, doesn't use head washers, and does use chains to determine weight transfer - much simpler, dead quiet in operation, and arguably works as well as an Equal-i-zer.

[gmw_photos]

For that combo of truck and trailer I suspect any of them would work well.

I like my blue ox swaypro.

[downtheroad]

Good advice above....also take a look at the BlueOx Sway Pro.
After using one for the last 3 years, I have become a big fan...
Had Equal-i-zer, and Reece Dual Cam previously...both good.

BlueOx.....LINK HERE

[DutchmenSport]

My vote for Equal-i-zer, but I'm biased too!

But, with a trailer as small as yours and as light weight, the Andersen is a good alternative. (note, Andersen spelled wieht an "e" not an "o") Click here.

[drsteve]

I'd go with the Equal-i-zer, or another hitch that has built in sway control. They work better than the add-on sway control bars, and you can back up without removing them. Adjusting for different weight is simple, remove a set screw and relocate the bar saddles. Takes about 30 seconds.

But Barney is right, once you have it set to your liking, you'll probably never change it anyway.

[BarneyS]

The Reese with the added on friction sway bar should work fine for your combination. That said, so would the Equal-I-zer. I would not worry about adjustments for varying weight - unless you plan on carrying loads of rocks like was done in the movie "The Long, Long Trailer". :W I would bet 99.9% of us never change the hitch settings once they are properly set in the first place. I towed with a similar Reese for quite a few years but used the Dual Cam system for sway control.

I also feel that your tow vehicle will certainly need the assistance of WD. The Tahoe is primarily a passenger vehicle and not designed as a tow vehicle. It has soft rear springs with P tires and an engine that works great for everyday driving but not quite so well for towing a load. Keep in mind that there is a big difference between towing a small utility trailer and towing a travel trailer no matter how big or long, because of the frontal area and the windage of the overhangs behind the trailer axles. The Tahoe will tow utility trailers and pop-ups all day but may struggle with a travel trailer in my opinion. I would tow with that Yukon in your signature! 🙂

The Sunline is a great trailer. They were well made and comfortable rigs. They are not the lightest one around though. Too bad they went the way of so many others during the recession and folded. Mine did the same.
Good luck.
Barney