Lzerarc
Member
- Joined
- May 29, 2016
- Posts
- 6
I wanted to share my thoughts and findings comparing the two hitches. When we bought our TT a couple years ago (2015 Passport 31re towed now by a 2015 F150, 3.5 eco and Maxtow package ) I requested an Equalizer hitch as recommended by many. The dealer set me up with an Fastway E2, which was "basically the same and better fit for your trailer". I did not know any better at the time and took their word for it. After a summer and a half of towing and swaying, I finally thought something just is not working right. I started researching more, and including this forum, found many people asking the same question but no clear response or comparison. I decided to order a #10k Equalizer hitch to swap to see if I noticed any improvements. Here are my findings:
The first thing to note is overall build and thickness of steel used. Many questions asked are if the bars are the same size and if the trailer brackets are the same. They are in fact not. Very similar, but as you can see in the photos there is a difference.
Starting first with the E2, the hitch assembly is completely different. You can see the connection of trunnion bars are different. The E2 the bars simply slip into the hitch and are easily removed without a pin. However they do not offer additional sway control as the Eq. does. There was not any noted stress on the pinch point when the trailer was hitched. You can also see in the photos that the bars on the E2 are about 1/8" less in thickness, coming in at 1 1/4" compared to the Eq. which is 1 3/8". You can certainly tell in the weight when they are lifted. The total hitch assembly with bars is about 15 lbs less than the Eq.
The connection brackets to the trailer A frame are also different. The E2 uses 2 bolts that bolt around the frame, and the plate steel thickness is also thinner compared to the Eq. I do not have that measurement, but you can see in the photo they are about 1/16" thinner. The Eq brackets are easier to adjust in setup I think since they are in 2 parts.
Moving to the Equalizer hitch assembly, it uses a pinch point where the bars slide in. The bars easily slide in and out of the square house, and a pin holds them in place. With the hitch properly setup without trailer weight, the square housing should be able to pivot some by putting a lot of force on the bars. It is my understanding these bolts should remain tight to increase sway resistance. The head assembly installs to an L shaped receiver than can be installed up or down depending on the trailer requirements. Also note that this is different between the 2. The Eq it is a little longer, and the hole placement is different. The bolts in the photos are setup for the same trailer and truck, so if you are switching hitches like I did, you can not simply place it in the same holes.
Attaching a trailer is basically the same on each. Set it on the ball, jack it up and push the trunnion bars in place. They both come with the pry bar, however the Eq is longer.
So the most important part...do they feel different? Before i answer this, I want to note the original E2 was setup by the dealer, but after having issues, I checked everything again and verified the setup was good with proper distribution on the wheels. I setup the new Eq myself. So the answer is....Yes, absolutely. There is a big noticeable difference right away. The E2 would sway, especially in crosswinds 15 mph and better. Living in the midwest, 15 mph is a calm day! I do not want to sell the Eq as not swaying, as it does. However it is not affected with winds less than about 25 mph. The biggest difference is the feel in the wheel. The other big difference is the E2 would sway and keep swaying. I never really increased, but just didn't stop or reduce. The EQ can have that initial sway with a wind gust, but it catches itself and stops it. The Eq was put to a test pulling it north on I35 across Iowa and then across I90 in MN and SD to the Black Hills. No issues on the trip with never ending wind.
Realize also my trailer is 32' long and only 6600 lbs loaded, so the combination is effected by wind more than others. Friends who have similar lengths but far heavier (also with Eq) tend to experience less wind effect.
However the ultralite trailers are a popular option. I think the E2 could be a good option for a shorter trailer, say 28' or less for example. However from my experience and my setup, the Equalizer was well worth the cost to change it out. It makes towing far more relaxed and on a calm day you do not even know there is a trailer back there if your eyes were closed.
Hopefully these comments are helpful to others in a similar situation or comparing the two hitches. The Eq is a couple hundred more than the E2 is my understanding, but I actually purchased my Eq on Amazon for $490 and set it up myself. I then took the hitch to Camping World and they torqued the ball and everything to the proper settings (free, took 5 minutes).
The first thing to note is overall build and thickness of steel used. Many questions asked are if the bars are the same size and if the trailer brackets are the same. They are in fact not. Very similar, but as you can see in the photos there is a difference.
Starting first with the E2, the hitch assembly is completely different. You can see the connection of trunnion bars are different. The E2 the bars simply slip into the hitch and are easily removed without a pin. However they do not offer additional sway control as the Eq. does. There was not any noted stress on the pinch point when the trailer was hitched. You can also see in the photos that the bars on the E2 are about 1/8" less in thickness, coming in at 1 1/4" compared to the Eq. which is 1 3/8". You can certainly tell in the weight when they are lifted. The total hitch assembly with bars is about 15 lbs less than the Eq.
The connection brackets to the trailer A frame are also different. The E2 uses 2 bolts that bolt around the frame, and the plate steel thickness is also thinner compared to the Eq. I do not have that measurement, but you can see in the photo they are about 1/16" thinner. The Eq brackets are easier to adjust in setup I think since they are in 2 parts.
Moving to the Equalizer hitch assembly, it uses a pinch point where the bars slide in. The bars easily slide in and out of the square house, and a pin holds them in place. With the hitch properly setup without trailer weight, the square housing should be able to pivot some by putting a lot of force on the bars. It is my understanding these bolts should remain tight to increase sway resistance. The head assembly installs to an L shaped receiver than can be installed up or down depending on the trailer requirements. Also note that this is different between the 2. The Eq it is a little longer, and the hole placement is different. The bolts in the photos are setup for the same trailer and truck, so if you are switching hitches like I did, you can not simply place it in the same holes.
Attaching a trailer is basically the same on each. Set it on the ball, jack it up and push the trunnion bars in place. They both come with the pry bar, however the Eq is longer.
So the most important part...do they feel different? Before i answer this, I want to note the original E2 was setup by the dealer, but after having issues, I checked everything again and verified the setup was good with proper distribution on the wheels. I setup the new Eq myself. So the answer is....Yes, absolutely. There is a big noticeable difference right away. The E2 would sway, especially in crosswinds 15 mph and better. Living in the midwest, 15 mph is a calm day! I do not want to sell the Eq as not swaying, as it does. However it is not affected with winds less than about 25 mph. The biggest difference is the feel in the wheel. The other big difference is the E2 would sway and keep swaying. I never really increased, but just didn't stop or reduce. The EQ can have that initial sway with a wind gust, but it catches itself and stops it. The Eq was put to a test pulling it north on I35 across Iowa and then across I90 in MN and SD to the Black Hills. No issues on the trip with never ending wind.
Realize also my trailer is 32' long and only 6600 lbs loaded, so the combination is effected by wind more than others. Friends who have similar lengths but far heavier (also with Eq) tend to experience less wind effect.
However the ultralite trailers are a popular option. I think the E2 could be a good option for a shorter trailer, say 28' or less for example. However from my experience and my setup, the Equalizer was well worth the cost to change it out. It makes towing far more relaxed and on a calm day you do not even know there is a trailer back there if your eyes were closed.
Hopefully these comments are helpful to others in a similar situation or comparing the two hitches. The Eq is a couple hundred more than the E2 is my understanding, but I actually purchased my Eq on Amazon for $490 and set it up myself. I then took the hitch to Camping World and they torqued the ball and everything to the proper settings (free, took 5 minutes).
