RE: WDH vs. Friction sway hitch

Danusmom · Sep 28, 2003, 07:05 PM

We currently have a simple ball hitch for towing. Since I have a tendency to pack a lot of " stuff" --probably nearing the danger zone for towing capabilities, sometimes-- should we invest in a WDH instead of a simple friction sway hitch? My concern is towing through the Shenandoah Mountains this summer --possibly just me driving with 2 y.o. DS in the back seat as DH may not have the vacation time available.

All of our camping trips thus far have been ~2.5 hours drive with no mountains. But we do cross one very tall bridge (Zilwalki bridge -? sp)with some steep grades going to & from about mid-way to cg. We don t experience much loss in towing capabilities here. Nor have we ever experienced a semi passing us on the downgrade --Thank God!

We ll have the electric brakes hooked up...thanks to Dave s article in PUT mag.

Thanks for your input!

Peace be with you all.

PS Can t remember if this info is in the sig. line:
TV = 1999 Dodge Ram, V8, 5-speed manual trans
PU = 1999 Coleman Nevada w/AC unit

Tim5055 · May 25, 2003, 05:14 PM

DanusmomThis is the comment that scares me

QuoteSince I have a tendency to pack a lot of " stuff" --probably nearing the danger zone for towing capabilities, sometimes-- should we invest in a WDH instead of a simple friction sway hitch?

Neither a friction sway bar not a WDH will increase your carrying capacity.

A friction sway bar, as it s name implies uses friction to make the start of a sway incident more difficult to start. It takes the single ball mount and adds a friction bar between the A frame and the rear of the tow vehicle. If you experience sway when towing (or even as insurance) a friction sway bar may be in order.

The WDH, again as it s name implies distributes the weight being carried. By using a " lever" type action, it takes some weight off the tow vehicle rear axle and transfers that weight to the tow vehicle front axle and the trailer axle. There is no increase in carrying capacity. As a side benefit, some WDH will also reduce the posibliity of sway starting. The reason to get a WDH is if you are within the carrying capacity of both the TV and pop up, but the rear of the TV sags when hooked up - a WDH may be in order.

Danusmom · May 25, 2003, 06:03 PM

Danusmom

QuoteThis is the comment that scares me

QuoteSince I have a tendency to pack a lot of " stuff" --probably nearing the danger zone for towing capabilities, sometimes-- should we invest in a WDH instead of a simple friction sway hitch?

Neither a friction sway bar not a WDH will increase your carrying capacity.

All the more reason we are towing with the truck & not the 2002 Windstar minivan.[8D]

Having read many of the posts in most of the forums for PU, I ve learned to keep a keener eye on what is packed & where it is packed in regards to weight. I was often accused of " packing everything but the kitchen sink" when I was still living at home. Now I have the kitchen sink on wheels![

][8D]

Seriously, my goal is not to increase our towing capabilities with either hitch mentioned. But, rather which one would give us greater stability towing through the mountains...given my packing history. At first thought, the friction sway bar sounded like it would be sufficient & save us money. However, the WDH is sounding like it would add a bit more insurance, should I mis-allocate weight when packing either the TV or PU.

Overall, I m just more than a little anxious towing through the mountains with the PU this summer.[

] I ve traveled from Metro Detroit to DC many MANY times most of my life, until recently --haven t been back since burying my grandmother on my 1st wedding anniversary. Yet, I ve never traveled this route towing anything. And, actually, we re headed to Luray, VA (~1.5 hours west of DC) for the family reunion I m planning.

So, if you have any more tips with this added info....please feel free to tap away on your keyboards[

]

Peace be with you all.

Tim5055 · May 25, 2003, 06:15 PM

DanusmomNow, going back and actually reading your signature I will give specific advice - go with a friction sway bar. There is little chance your Dodge Ram needs any help in the rear end, unless of course your idea of packing is to pick up a load of gravel for the campsite.

IMHO a WDH would be overkill on your truck.

Danusmom · May 25, 2003, 06:51 PM

DanusmomBless you, tim5055! DH will thank you, too! Especially now that I have your sage advice which will save us $$$. Installing the AC earlier this month has already put a big dent in our camping budget. However, there is no way we could survive camping in VA in August without AC. BTW, we have also purchased the solar covers from PopUpGizmos before the rate increase.[

]

Thanks, again, for your input, Tim!

Peace be with you all.

wahoonc · May 25, 2003, 06:53 PM

DanusmomDanusmom,
We tow our Niagra (which is a real pig) with either a F-150 V-6 or F-150 with the small V-8, both of ours are automatic, but all I use is the friction sway control. We used to tow with a V-6 Exploder it would have benifited from a WDH, but the trucks don t need it.

Aaron[

]
Oh BTW Mooooooooo![8D]

SheBantam · May 25, 2003, 08:39 PM

DanusmomI 81 around Luray is a piece of cake, unless it is a raceweekend in Charlottesville, If you are coming down through Charleston WV, I 64 can be tricky if you are going a little too fast down them der hills. Get that sway bar!!!

You have a big pick up, probably bigger than the F50 I tow the Bantam with.

I spoke with my dealer about a WDH for the Bantam, he said that with the set up I have. all I might get is a less bumpy ride on very bumpy roads. Since you have a stronger, bigger truck you probably would need a WDH less than I would. I may need one for the popup, that is going to be pulled with a Windstar.

I too drive a 5 speed manual trans, which makes the weight limits " lower" . That seems to be to protect the clutch. My husband says it is cheaper to put in a new clutch occasionally than it is to buy a new tow vehicle. My father pulled popups, TT and a big fivver with an F100 with a manual trans in the 70 s and 80 s, all over the country. He had some clutch problems, but the truck is still running with the original trans.

I pulled the Jayco through the mountains without sway control, I pack a lot to the front, including the stove which I remove from the gally. My only problems was my own doing, going too fast down a mountain, and when I felt the pull, I tapped the breaks. I go nowhere with Bantam without a sway bar.

Get the sway bar and realize the WDH only puts some of the weight on the front end and will not protect your clutch. There is a big price difference

Danusmom · May 25, 2003, 10:13 PM

Danusmom

QuoteOh BTW Mooooooooo!

ROTFLOL!!! How s the flashlight? LOL, DS loves his lion flashlight!

Shebantam, thanks for the insight. We ll probably purchase a new TV long before a new clutch is needed. DH has both a bachler s & master s degree in Mechanical Engineering. He loves doing all the simple maintenance on the vehicles himself. After his 90 Daytona (his turbo toy) needed the racket-pinon (?sp) steering gear replaced for the 4th time, I FINALLY convinced him to donate the car to charity.

Thanks, again, all, for convincing me the least expensive option will suffice.

Peace be with you all.

wahoonc · May 26, 2003, 07:11 AM

DanusmomDanusmom,
I am the envy of the younger set around here[

] We actually ordered a few more of them for upcoming birthdays.[

] It works great. You know one of the best things about being an adult....You get to pick your own toys[8D]

Aaron[

]

GotDaughters · May 28, 2003, 12:16 AM

DanusmomDear Danusmom;

I think I might have the cheapest option of all on your hitch problem. I would not bother with either. Weight distribution on a pop-up is a complete waist of money. These are trailers that way less than 4,000# s. There is no weight to distribute, especially with the truck you are using. There is nothing wrong with a little sag when the trailer is loaded up. As long as you are within the axle rating you don t need anything else.

On the sway control; are you experiencing any sway? If you are not sure than you are not. Sway is not nearly as common as everybody seems to think. I have heard that on some of the bigger tent trailers it can be a problem, but I never saw it. We towed our Niagra with the Windstar for years and never swayed at all. We have dual cam sway control on our Hybrid now, but quite frankly it is a pain in the butt. If you don t need it you don t want it. Even the friction bars are a pain. You got to take them off when you back up, and eventually you will forget and bend one all up. They don t work in the rain, and it is just one more thing to remember to bring. Nothing is worse than loosing one of the hold down clips.

I know my advice is a bit different from the rest, but I would suggest not worrying so much. If you start having a problem with sway, then do something about it. If not just relax and don t worry so much. Spend the money on camping, not camping gear.

Good luck and have fun.

Gary

labontefan · Jun 02, 2003, 02:39 PM

DanusmomI have a Coleman Utah that I purchased last October. The first couple of trips I towed without sway bar. If I got over 60mph on the Interstate, I could feel the trailer start to sway. NOT a good feeling!!! I took it back to the dealer in March and got a friction sway bar. The tongue on the Utah comes predrilled with the holes to add the ball, and the dealer took the hitch ball off my old hitch & put it on one with the ball for the sway bar. The whole thing--sway bar, new hitch, installation--cost me about $120. Having made two LONG trips (4-5 hours), including one up and down a winding mountain road, with the sway bar, I consider it a great investment!

Another great investment was my new TV. I was towing with a 1999 Jeep Cherokee. I had a factory Mopar hitch installed a couple of years ago, but did not get the rest of the towing package. The Jeep had to work to pull the Utah, and braking was always a little stressful--the brakes tended to chatter under load. Since I live in the mountains and can t get anywhere without going up or down at least one, that was a problem. I traded the Jeep in on a brand new 2003 Dodge Durango with a Magnum V8 and full towing package. I just got back from a trip to Charlotte and what a difference! We were zipping down the Interstate at 65 mph with the cruise control and the AC on. I loved it!

If you have a Dodge Ram, you shouldn t have any problem, but I do think the sway bar (AKA " sissy bar" as a friend calls it) is a good investment. Maybe most of it is mental, but I sure feel more comfortable towing with it, than I did without it.

Danusmom · Jun 02, 2003, 02:58 PM

DanusmomHey, Gary:

I showed DH your post. I can t repeat his comments. Not because they were profane. But because he went into " gear-head" mode & I had trouble following him after my eyes glazed over[&:]. He has a bachlor s & master s degree in Mechanical Eng. He has also done many stress engine tests in various settings as part of his nearly 2 decade career with the automotive industry. Bottom line --> he wouldn t trust the Windstar to pull our PU on a flat road, at least not for long, without consequences; much less through the mountains.

Thanks to all who made a post! It helps having different view points in order to make a well rounded decision.

Peace be with you all.

News: