Worth the Cost? Weight Distribution, Anti-Sway

[Timcharlie]

Hey guys,
Brand new to the Travel Trailer world. My wife and I are looking at a 2016 Cougar 35'. I drive a 2009 4WD Nissan Titan V8 with the towing package. It is rated to tow upwards of 9300 Lbs. The Cougar XLite is well within that range.

I am going to purchase a WDH with the anti-sway as well. The question I have at this point i, the dealership offers 3 levels/types. Unfortunately I don't know the names or descriptions but I was hoping somebody may have more information/descriptions.

Thanks guys

[rideandslide]

This is where you don't want to skimp $. my vote Blue Ox Sway Pro, Reese Straight Line or Equalizer 4 Point. All 5 to 6 hundred.

[Superslif]

Cheaper WD setups will cost you $300 a better setup your looking at $500 (square trunion bars and s "forged" head). And yet others $600+. But the end result is much a smoother ride and being safe.

[Timcharlie]

Thanks all for your responses. I will definitely purchase one for the setup when we pull the trigger, maybe in July.

[MikenAmber]

We use the Equalizer 4 way hitch have since 2008 tow a 34ft TT no problems with it it does however , squeeze now an then.

[Superslif]

Bought mine on- line at reesehitches.com . I got the 800 pound bars with the forged shank and chrome ball delivered for a hair under $500. I went with the "forged" shank, because the cheaper shank "cast" I had a buddy who's cast shank broke in half while pulling out of a gas station. The forged steel shank was only about $35 to $40 more.

[rodney1942]

short and quick,, have u noticed all the s type skid marks on the highway?? these are caused by campers that do not have a wdh, I will never go any where without it hooked up. it is your life!!

[NFlcamper]

Originally Posted by Timcharlie

Hey guys,
Brand new to the Travel Trailer world. My wife and I are looking at a 2016 Cougar 35'. I drive a 2009 4WD Nissan Titan V8 with the towing package. It is rated to tow upwards of 9300 Lbs. The Cougar XLite is well within that range.

I am going to purchase a WDH with the anti-sway as well. The question I have at this point i, the dealership offers 3 levels/types. Unfortunately I don't know the names or descriptions but I was hoping somebody may have more information/descriptions.

Thanks guys

Hey Timecharlie, your post may get lost in someone else's thread, and you may not get answers you need. You may want to ask this in your own thread and get specific answers to your questions. But, real quickly, I will give my opinion; although you can tow up to 9300# (say like an equipment/car trailer properly loaded to 9300#), I feel the length of your trailer will catch wind and airflow off other vehicles and will be the "Tail that wags the dog". Travel trailers catch WAY more wind than boats or any other type of trailer. Makes them more unstable the longer they get. If you do go with this, buy the best - NOT the cheapest sway and WDH combo you can find. I can testify to feeling the trailer move the truck from when I had an extended cab GMC 1500 z71 that weighed 5300# loaded, fueled, and ready to go. Same 27' trailer, but now with a Dodge 2500 Quad cab and diesel that weighs 7350# and the wind/ airflow off other vehicles is so much less. I have seen a similar setup as yours in the median here in Jacksonville, having too much trailer and not enough truck. Guy came around curve that was going under an overpass and couldn't see traffic had stopped, emergency HARD braking and he jackknifed into the median.

[Onstar20]

Originally Posted by NFlcamper

"I will give my opinion; although you can tow up to 9300# (say like an equipment/car trailer properly loaded to 9300#), I feel the length of your trailer will catch wind and airflow off other vehicles and will be the "Tail that wags the dog".

Agreed. Putting together the technical specifications for a matched TV/TT will prove this feeling.

[Timcharlie]

Thanks NFLcamper and Onstar - we did purchase a Reese Dual Cam HP High -Performance Sway Control with a WDH......We have towed her "around town" a few times at his point to try to get use to the configuration so it will take some time to unpucker my you know what. We are hoping to camp for the first time in a couple of weeks.

NFLCamper-I will have a side seat driver that will remind me numerous times to watch my speed and the sides of the trailer etc......I will be respectful of of the weight and size for sure.

[Riccochet]

Be sure to get your brake controller dialed in. Find an empty road or large parking lot and do some hard braking from 30-40 MPH. Moving forward is half the battle, coming to a stop quickly and cleanly is just as important.

[Timcharlie]

Riccochet,
Thanks for the advice. We have been practicing our backing up of the trailer in a parking lot but I will focus some time on the braking as well.

Tim

[Hogwarts6471]

I am very new with this RVing business. I got my used trailer at CW with no instruction on towing; they said I didn't need WDH just anti sway. I now know a little more and I need WDh because my 2003 Trailblazer pulls my baby RV. It needs all the help it can get. SOoo, after visiting 3 different hitch places and RV places, I have 3 different recommendations. Any of you want to give your opinion? One place said Anderson was good for 5th wheels but not so much for TT's. I am rather up to my ears on the internet looking at this stuff. Need your advice.
I do love this site.. so much info for us that are really new. Who would have thought about critters getting in and making a home! Now, that's another thing I didn't know. Thanks for making me aware.

[CCH]

eTrailer has a lot a really good stuff on WD - http://www.etrailer.com/faq-weightdistribution.aspx

Strongly recommend going to a CAT scale to weigh Trailblazer by itself and then re-weigh with trailer attached - before ordering a WDH. There is a good video on the CAT site about how it works - and Sunday is usually a quiet day, but easy to do on any day. Let us know the results

I have a Reese Strait-Line with round bars (the eTrailer site will help decipher that description &#128521 and it does a phenomenal job on my rig.