Weight distributing Sway bars & hitch for my trailer and truck?

[jack65]

I have a 20' 6,000 lb 18RS Outback trailer with a 2014 Ram 1500 SLT Quad Cab 4x4 5.7L V8 Hemi 400+ HP & TQ to pull it with (it has many upgrades).

My question which is a good weight distributing Sway bars & hitch to get? I don't want overkill as I've spent a quite a bit getting the trailer AND truck the past two weeks! I'm looking at this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._rd_i=15737521
It is rated for 10,000 lbs.

Also, can I install this myself or should I have a shop do it?

[busterbrown]

I'd recommend spending a little more $$ on a higher end hitch like an Equalizer 4pt WDH. The 2pt friction E2 friction hitch may not provide enough sway control for your 6K trailer as you're towing with a 1/2 ton truck. HP and Torque mean nothing in regards to sway. For the money, this is about the best hitch you can buy, until you get into the Proprides and Hensleys.

[66joej]

Second busterbrown's recommendation. Spend the extra money now and you will be happy with the added features of the E4.

[sourdough]

With 6000 lbs. behind you and a 1500 you will want a good WDH/sway control. I think you need to get a 4 point system and I would recommend the Equalizer. I've used others but the Equalizer is a much better system than the ones I've had. It may cost a bit more (not that much) but the weight distribution and sway control areas of towing are not the place to try to skimp.

[jack65]

Originally Posted by 66joej

Second busterbrown's recommendation. Spend the extra money now and you will be happy with the added features of the E4.

Saw your sig, I'm pretty sure that what you have (Equal-i-zer 10K hitch) is what the RV place I got our trailer from was trying to sell me yesterday. It was this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Equal-i-zer-9.../dp/B004TR8F5C

[Travelingcircus]

Its not overkill, when you need it. Sounds like you have alot invested in you TV and TT. Why not put a little more money into a hitch like propride or hensley. Overkill, perhaps, but that day will come when you wish had overkill, or glad that you have overkill.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Travelingcircus

Its not overkill, when you need it. Sounds like you have alot invested in you TV and TT. Why not put a little more money into a hitch like propride or hensley. Overkill, perhaps, but that day will come when you wish had overkill, or glad that you have overkill.

You expressed your opinion, this is mine:

Hensley and ProPride hitches are an "upgrade" to help with sway. They are not necessary in all, or even in most situations. To suggest to a novice RV'er that "If you don't buy a Hensley you'll be sorry" is, frankly, unwarranted.

Sway control hitches like Hensley and ProPride are an optional, personal choice, much like Anderson Ultimate hitches, sliding fifth wheel hitches, cushioned pinbox hitches, or gooseneck hitches. None of them are "mandatory" for safe RV'ing.

There are hundreds of thousands of RV'ers who have towed millions of miles without the benefit of either of your suggetions and have never had an incident that would cause them to say, "If only I'd had ....".

Not everyone will, one day wish for overkill and not everyone needs a Hensley or ProPride hitch to safely tow a properly sized and equipped truck/trailer combination.

[busterbrown]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Sway control hitches like Hensley and ProPride are an optional, personal choice, much like Anderson Ultimate hitches, sliding fifth wheel hitches, cushioned pinbox hitches, or gooseneck hitches. None of them are "mandatory" for safe RV'ing.

....Neither is upgrading to a higher quality tire but many do for the safety of their family and others on the road. It's not mandatory to upgrade tires but we all know the potential risk of the standard OEM product on the market.

Same as in the case of properly equipping a tow vehicle with a sway control device. You can rely on a 'run-of-the-mill', mass-produced hitch initially, only to realize that it's a relentless fight under sub-optimal driving conditions. This was the case in my situation when I, as a newbie RVer, "invested" a significant amount of my income in a mid-grade WDH that didn't live up to the claims of effective sway control. My trailer weights were on the mark too.

After a hair raising, dangerous trip with 30-40 MPH cross winds three months into my first RV season, I was never going to ever let that happen again. I spend countless hours researching every sway control hitch available to me. That's when I discovered the Hensley/Propride products.

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Hensley and ProPride hitches are an "upgrade" to help with sway. They are not necessary in all, or even in most situations. To suggest to a novice RV'er that "If you don't buy a Hensley you'll be sorry" is, frankly, unwarranted.

Absolutely wrong. An upgrade yes; "help" with sway, a definitive "NO". Both of these premium hitches completely "ELIMINATE" lateral sway...even when mated to a 1/2 ton platform vehicle. The design of both the Hensley Arrow and Propride makes it impossible for a forward moving truck/trailer combo to experience the side to side, fishtailing motion initiated by cross winds, passing semi's, or downgrades. Any lateral force on the trailer is applied over the length of the entire rig as the strut arms and cams prevent movement on the hitch ball. It's like no other sway control device on the market. And that's just it, it's not sway control.

If a member wants to promote the purchase and use of a premium sway elimination hitch to those who don't have much experience, I'm all for it. I wish I did more research prior to buying my Blue Ox Sway Pro. I wish I heard the voices of active users of a Hensley or Propride htich. But I didn't and have a lighter wallet because of it. Informed decisions include taking opinions from everyone, not just a specific segment. I will continue to promote my Hensley experience (even to a "Novice RVer") just like someone may continue to promote their Equil-i-zer or Anderson experiences. In the end, if a consumer has the funds and wants the safest hitch on the market, I see no problem with me providing them an honest opinion. YMMV.

And for the naysayers, my Hensley already saved my family's tushes on a Disney Trip we took 2 years ago. The link below details what happened. Worth every cent of the $1899 I paid for it.

http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums...6&postcount=33

[busterbrown]

Originally Posted by Travelingcircus

Its not overkill, when you need it. Sounds like you have alot invested in you TV and TT. Why not put a little more money into a hitch like propride or hensley. Overkill, perhaps, but that day will come when you wish had overkill, or glad that you have overkill.

^^^^ Absolutely true; same thinking can be applied to the 3/4 ton vs 1 ton debate. This is why I own a Hensley.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by busterbrown

^^^^ Absolutely true; same thinking can be applied to the 3/4 ton vs 1 ton debate. This is why I own a Hensley.

And it is your CHOICE to own a Hensley. IT IS NOT A MANDATORY ACCESSORY FOR SAFE TOWING and IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL FOR ANY APPROPRIATELY MATCHED TOW VEHICLE/TRAVEL TRAILER.

Nice to have, not essential.

This part of the discussion, the need to buy a Hensley, (unrelated to the OP's question) reminds me of Walter and the guy with the Hurry Cane. He suggests that Walter should get out of the stone age (and buy something he doesn't need) as he rushes away (obviously without need for his Hurry Cane) to win the arm of the lady walking past their bench..... Hensley, like Hurry Cane, is an alternative, but unlike Hurry Cane, won't always get you the girl.....

[busterbrown]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

And it is your CHOICE to own a Hensley. IT IS NOT A MANDATORY ACCESSORY FOR SAFE TOWING and IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL FOR ANY APPROPRIATELY MATCHED TOW VEHICLE/TRAVEL TRAILER.

IT'S NOT MANDATORY OR ESSENTIAL BUT IT'S ONE OF THE SAFEST WDH'S THAT AN RV'ER CAN INVEST IN...ESPECIALLY IN AN ERA OF EVER INCREASINGLY CAPABLE 1/2 TON TOW VEHICLES. AND WHY ARE WE SHOUTING?

Everyone has the right to their opinions, analogies, and viewpoints. That's why it's good practice to help broadcast real world experiences, even those that are not mandatory. It wasn't mandatory that I purchase and upgrade new trailer tires on a relatively brand new trailer. But I did. The OEMs could have made it through 3 seasons. But I like to play it extremely safe when pulling 7,000 lbs down an interstate. Same reason I invested in a Hensley. No, not mandatory, but it sure makes a difference in our travels. Again, YMMV.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

And it is your CHOICE to own a Hensley. IT IS NOT A MANDATORY ACCESSORY FOR SAFE TOWING and IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL FOR ANY APPROPRIATELY MATCHED TOW VEHICLE/TRAVEL TRAILER.

Nice to have, not essential.

This part of the discussion, the need to buy a Hensley, (unrelated to the OP's question) reminds me of Walter and the guy with the Hurry Cane. He suggests that Walter should get out of the stone age (and buy something he doesn't need) as he rushes away (obviously without need for his Hurry Cane) to win the arm of the lady walking past their bench..... Hensley, like Hurry Cane, is an alternative, but unlike Hurry Cane, won't always get you the girl.....

I have to agree with John. The initial reference about the Propride/Hensley was one that implied doom and gloom....if you don't have one something bad is going to happen and you will wish you had bought one. That's not true for probably 90%, at least, of RV owners. And to say that to a novice tower worried about the new hitch he just bought, which is more than adequate, is a little fer fetched for me.

I know some folks, not many (2-3?), have them on the forum and love them. I'm sure they perform fantastically. Far more have an Equalizer or others and love them too. There is not carnage on the road because they aren't using a Propride/Hensley. That's all John is trying to say and the assertion that if you don't have one you're going to "pay" is, well, just not right.

One member has one that he swears by and that's great. It came about because the TV/RV were not matched. That was discussed on the forum at length. If he had had the TV he has now the issue would not have even come up....I suspect. Just saying that a new RV owner coming in, with a pretty small trailer to boot, doesn't have to have an over the top hitch that costs a gazillion dollars to keep him and his family safe. JMO YMMV

[jack65]

Educate me, what is the difference between a 2-point & 4-point system. I'm new to this trailer pulling business as I was pulling a popup trailer the past two years and tent camping for 55+ years before that.

[Gegrad]

Jack- The 2 point hitch in your link only provides friction at the point where the bars touch the "L" brackets on the trailer. The spots in the hitch rotate freely in that style; in fact the guide will probably tell you to lubricate those spots.

In a 4 point hitch the connecting spots on the hitch also act as friction hinges, so both the contact point on the "L" brackets and the connecting points on the hitch act as friction points to fight sway.
https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...EQ37100ET.html

check out the pictures in that one where the bars connect... Those provide 2 more points of resistance. Edit: This is the same hitch you also posted above.

I had an Equalizer with my old rig and it was a good hitch system. I also recommend it.

[Jackitup]

Hi Jack,
I use the ANDERSON hitch works great no sway and very quite.

https://www.amazon.com/Andersen-3350.../dp/B006X21B0M

[Kylemcmahon1]

Originally Posted by Jackitup

Hi Jack,
I use the ANDERSON hitch works great no sway and very quite.

https://www.amazon.com/Andersen-3350.../dp/B006X21B0M

Second this. The Anderson works great. Easy to setup and easy to adjust. Plus light Pearce’s no hurting your back hooking up. Also if you are on un level ground much easier to hitch and un hitch.

[maccam1]

Just purchased a Reese friction stabilizing and sway in 1,spent 650.00 for it,did not want to spend that much,but after much consideration I decided it was worth it.i had the shop install it as there is a lot of measurement involved.
The one your looking at camping world recomenned,but went with the reese.

[Retired Copper]

They have all given you sound advise because I have towed with both the 10k e2 and the 10k e4. There is no comparison and the e4 is worth the money it cost me. I am sure there are other hitches that work well but I didn`t want to drill holes in a new trailer frame. They are not hard to set up.

[Retired Copper]

What they said, E4 ain`t no comparison to the e2 and I have both. You will save money in the long run and you can think those that recommended it later.

[cabldawg]

That's not a heavy trailer by any means. I use the exact same e2 on my trailer and it pulls it like it's on rails. I have 0 sway issues. It's a great system without emptying your wallet.