Used travel trailers plus anti sway bars

[Brittany8928]

Hi

We are completely new to travel trailers so bear with me.

We are looking at different sizes campers and do all of them need anti sway bars?
Do you really need to purchase from the dealer or can you purchase on your own and install? We were quoted an additional $900 for the bars, added to the price.

When looking at used travel trailers, what should we look for as far as issues with the interior and exterior?

Any brands we should stay away from? The current one we are looking at is a 32'  2009 heartland north trail 31BHD at the dealer.

 

[steveblonde]

you can install your own very easily - not sure where you are located but any hitch shop or truck accesories place should have them at about 1/3 of that price

http://www.curtmfg.com/Category/40/Specialized%20Towing

http://www.reeseprod.com/products/weight-distribution/!yYrs%7C3AV4tl7RgcIHKx73cgn0oZ2M1T

cheers

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Not all RV's require sway bars. Like I've got a 31' Jayco Eagle and weight in at 8,020# and don't use sway bars at all. Very stable. Sway is a sign of imbalanced setup.

 

[Brittany8928]

Thank you both for the info. We are so new to this and once I started reading about the sway control systems, I figured I would like to get input from other people.

 

[Joezeppy]

Just be sure you understand the difference between "sway bars" and "weight bars" or more formally - a weight distributing hitch. You will almost certainly need a WD hitch. Many WD hitches also include anti-sway systems, too. They are more expensive but can still be had for much less than the $900 you were quoted.

 

[blw2]

Not all RV's require sway bars. Like I've got a 31' Jayco Eagle and weight in at 8,020# and don't use sway bars at all. Very stable. Sway is a sign of imbalanced setup.

Not to be contrary, but I disagree.  Not counting 5th wheels and gooseneck trailers, every bumper pull trailer can be inherently unstable.  Sure, a lot depends on the lengths, wheelbases, weights, how smooth you drive, road conditions, etc... as to how much, but it's a potential. 
I've towed seemingly very stable trailers that got squirrely without warning, for example one time in construction zone going around a curve when the bank angle was just off enough and just the right bumpy area.... and maybe a truck was passing at just the right moment....and it happens in a hurry. 

Just last weekend saw a TT on its side in the middle of I-95 with 3 or 4 ambulances screaming away trying to get to the scene....

Personally, I've towed trailers my whole driving life..... If I were pulling a large bumper pull TT, I would invest in a weight distribution hitch with integral anti-sway - hensley arrow or similar, or AT LEAST an equalizer or similar.... even if I were pulling it with a 3500 dually.... smaller TT I would have at least a friction type.  The only exception might be the very small popups or similar and small boat trailers assuming my TV was substantial.

To the OP, I think you are really asking is if all Travel trailers (TT) need a weight distribution hitch.  the answer is dependant on the tow vehicle and the weights.  they serve to transfer some of the tongue weight to the steer axle.

I think there is a nice write up on this in the forum library.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The question stated "anti-sway bars" but it seems pretty clear that it is asking about a weight-distributing (WD) hitch with its spring bars. Those "bars" are not there for sway control, though in some hitches they also assist in that function. They apply spring tension to shift trailer tongue weight forward on the tow vehicle, distributing the large tongue weight more evenly onto both front and rear axles.  If a trailer has more than a few hundred lbs of tongue weight, the tow vehicle will likely require a weight-distributing hitch to carry that weight. Note that it is the tow vehicle that needs the WD hitch, not the trailer. Some tow vehicles can safely carry more tongue weight than others, so it is possible a trailer can be towed without one.  The spring bars are rated by the amount of tension they apply, e.g. 900 lbs or 1200 lbs.  The size is determined by the trailer tongue weight and the tow vehicles capability.

Trailer sway is a function of its balance but balance changes with the loading so there are anti-sway devices designed to assist in sway control where the balance is less than optimal. You may see an adjustable friction plate clamped near the WD hitch, but some WD hitches have a sway control mechanism built in. Examples include the Reese Dual Cam and the Equal-I-Zer hitch brands.

To answer your question, yes you can buy your own, or specify to the selling dealer what type and brand of WD hitch you want. Since part of the WD mechanism is installed on the trailer tongue, it is usually easiest to have the trailer dealer install it.  We can talk more about brands and models of WD hitches when you are ready.

 

[Jeff in Ferndale Wa]

after I bought my trailer last year,I found I needed a WD hitch.
Here's the thread with all of my Q&A:

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,73452.0.html

 

[Carl L]

Check out our library.  This article covers a lot of the ground you need to cover:  http://www.rvforum.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=428:buying-used-trailer-or-fiver&catid=38&Itemid=132

 

[Mopar1973Man]

I guess I'll have to agree to disagree with blw2...  :

You'll find only the RV market pushes sway bars but you go over to utility trailers rarely see sway bars or even WD hitches uses. Again like my 2000 Jayco was sold with a WD hitch (no sway). Then my BigTex utility trailer is sold without either a WD hitch or a sway bar. What's the difference? Only 1,000 pounds GVWR the BigTex is only 12 foot vs 31 foot. Even the utility trailer is only a single axle brake setup. Like I said only 1,000 pounds GVWR  different.

 

[blw2]

Good point moparman....
It's something of a quandary for sure.... why is it that you never see a boat trailer, even a big one with a friction sway bar?
I've towed boats most of my life and don't think I've seen one.....
and as you said, never see them on utility trailers either.... or rarely WDH either....?

But the way I look at it,
any of these trailers can sway under the wrong conditions.
but they are normally loaded to a better balance state that a typical RV trailer
and they are not going to typically pulled by a marginal tow vehicle

but, any of them can sway, so given a choice I'd rather have it than not.  Especially with a big TT
A TT the size of your can flip that dodge truck.

Put your utility trailer behind say a jeep.... or a minivan.  Different situation too.

& I'll add this.  I didn't have WDH or sway bars on my little popup.
It was so small I couldn't even tell it was behind my silverado.
I kept it properly loaded with plenty of weight on the ball.
It was rock solid 99% of the time.  I could maneuver, or anything safely.... Almost impossible to induce sway if I tried.....
BUT twice or maybe three times, when road/wind conditions changed for the worse, it really started to wag my tail.  Once really bad

Had I been towing with my wife's mini van it might have been ugly.  My silvy was heavy enough, AND my wheel base long enough, AND I didn't freak out and make it worse.... so it worked out.
but
ANY trailer can and will sway given the right force inputs.
even a 5th wheel or gooseneck... but the steering / correcting dynamics are different due to the hitch location....

 

[Tinmania]

It's something of a quandary for sure.... why is it that you never see a boat trailer, even a big one with a friction sway bar?

I would say hitch weight, less wind resistance in the front and sides (for crosswinds), and depending on the boat overall weight. I used to move my 22'-26' pleasure boats over to my hitch by hand (on concrete). I used to position them into my garage by hand as well, with the front down on the wheel or with the help of a trailer dolly (like a hand truck that has a post and a ball to attach to trailer).

How many travel trailers, when unhitched, rest on a wheel?




Mike

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

A 3000-4000 lb trailer may not need WD unless the tow vehicle is puny. We are only talking 300-400 lbs of tongue weight, and boat trailers usually don't change their balance point like a TT can when water is added or purged or a weeks worth of gear is loaded.  Many pick-up trucks can easily handle 600+ lbs of tongue weight without WD.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

http://i56.tinypic.com/o0pbw6.jpg

Here you go... This truck cleared 1.3 million miles of travel hauling boats cross country no WD hitch and no sway bar. This boat is roughly 18,000 pounds. One of my good friends that hauls boats for clients anywhere they wish.
https://www.facebook.com/FlynnMarineTransport?fref=ts

So this comes back to why is the RV industry pushing WD bars and Sway devices but everything else in the world from utility trailers, boat trailers, etc don't require them nor do the manufacture suggest it? Just to make you think. Like myself I'm also a forum owner and talk to hundred if not thousands of people and what they haul.

So what is actually required and why?  ???

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I don't see anywhere that the "RV industry" or any trailer builder requires WD. It's the tow vehicle that needs it.

WD was always needed when hefty sized travel trailers were being pulled by passengers cars with soft suspensions. The tow vehicle is what needed WD, not the trailer. Trucks and large SUVs with more capable rear suspensions may not, depending on their payload rating and hitch specs. The hitch (and associated hitch mounting hardware) will determine the maximum weight carrying capacity for the vehicle & hitch. If that number is exceeded, WD is required.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Ok... On the learning curve.

So there is no reason for my truck / RV combo to require a WD hitch then. What your saying Gary. I was basically sold something that is not required for my tow vehicle if it capable of towing all other trailers in the same weight class (7,000 to 9,000) pounds without a WD hitch. Or am I still missing something?  (Scratchin head).

What I looking for is a requirement of WD and Sway bars. I know you said soft suspension is one. But always there is all this talk of requiring a WD hitch. Then I would be one of the few that would not require it. Even though I will still use my WD hitch because it already setup for the RV.

 

[Joezeppy]

I think the RV industry pushing WD hitches is based on 2 things:

• RV dealers also sell WD hitches ($$$) and
• many TTs, as is often pointed out on this forum, are at the upper limits of the TV.

Maybe some dealers also take into account that a lot of folks hauling TTs are just starting out and take the time educate them about weights and the need for a WD hitch.

I've seen maybe a handful of commercial/contractor/cargo type trailers and one monster class A hauling a stacker that were using WD hitches.

I'm with you on the weights, Mike - my truck is rated for up to 1,000 lbs weight carrying. The tongue weight on my TT is in the 900 -1,000 lb range and I have towed it to a couple of local campgrounds without the weight bars. It tows it fine but I don't care for the excess bouncing on our back roads.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Thanks that's what I was looking for.  8)

Like over on my side of the fence truck owners are typically looking to do leveling kits to reduce the rake of the truck. But just hitching up the RV without the weight bars typically does this just fine. I will admit the WD bars do seem to reduce some of the bounce but not all of it. A certain amount of rake is designed into the truck for trailers to pull down on the suspension and allow it to level out.

So back to the OP I would suggest still the WD bars for your purpose but you might have to do a pull or two to see if you really need the sway bars.