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Old 01-19-2025, 05:56 PM   #1
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Backing with antisway bars attached

Do you remove your anti-sway bars before backing your TT? What about tight backup turns?



Any difference with weight distribution hitch?


I have read where you can cause damage if backing up with the bars attached.
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Old 01-19-2025, 06:01 PM   #2
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B & W Continium weight distribution hitch

I've been looking at B & W's Continium weight distribution hitch. Wonder what experiences readers have had with this hitch?
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Old 01-19-2025, 06:14 PM   #3
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You have to look at your particular rig and see if you could jackknife it enough to jam up the anti sway bar. Mine won't jam but I do loosen it when backing into a campsite to reduce noise. Most WDH these days seem to permit backing but you can verify in the description.
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Old 01-19-2025, 06:17 PM   #4
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I have never and I have never seen anyone mess with the anti sway bars before backing into a campsite. Doesn't make it right or wrong just the way I have done and seen it done.
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Old 01-19-2025, 06:25 PM   #5
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my w/d/h is the old chain type and i have a simple adjustible sway bar. i never unhook them . Jay D.
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Old 01-19-2025, 06:31 PM   #6
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I had a Husky chain-type WDH with the additional sway bar. If my back ups were fairly straight I didn't remove it. The bar on that should be long enough for tight turns.
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Old 01-19-2025, 07:10 PM   #7
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Typically, I remove the anti-sway bar prior to backing up but not the WDH bars (chain style). When going over a decent dip, like backing into my driveway, I always take off the WDH.
The risk on the say bar is jack knifing the trailer/TV enough to run out of stroke on the antisway. To me it is easier to remove it than worry about it.
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Old 01-19-2025, 07:59 PM   #8
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Turning and backing up I don't remove my bars but backing up and pulling out of my driveway I do. The initial steep angle of the driveway can put too much strain on the frame when the TV is flat but the trailer is uphill ( or vice versa). Also true over rough terrain.

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Old 01-21-2025, 10:49 PM   #9
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Have been backing my 27' trailer into some tight places. In the 8 yrs doing so I've never had to disconnect my WDH until parked. Never had an issue.

Husky Centerline 1200lb bars,no chains.





Happy trailering !
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Old 01-22-2025, 09:59 AM   #10
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The only friction bars that are recommended to be removed are the small ones that have the lever for tightening and the little ball cups on the ends.

Standard friction bar WDH that have the L bracket don't need to be removed. The only time you should removed the bars is when going on rougher off road sections where you get a lot of step angles between the truck and TT.

When I hitch up for a trip my trucks in the street and my TT's in the driveway in a deep V situation. I wait to pull out in the street off to the side before I crank up the WDH bars.

IMO the Continuum is a waste of money. With your TT you should have a well balanced TT in that the axles are fairly rearward. Fresh tank is over the axles. If you're towing with a 3/4 ton or 1 ton then a simple friction bar WDH would be fine. Most trailers tow fine on their own without a WDH. Adding one is mainly for situations where conditions are bad like high winds or evasive manuvoures.

As well as returning some weight back to the front of the truck if needed.
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Old 01-22-2025, 10:09 AM   #11
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It depends on the specific system...

We use an Andersen WDH that provides anti sway capability too. It doesn't need to be disconnected or loosened to backup even at extreme angles. And we often take advantage of our small trailer and single high lift axle to jack knife it into tight spots. We also created a calculator for the Andersen WDH to reduce the need for frequent visits to the scales:

https://www.borstengineeringconstruction.com/Andersen_WDH_Calculator.html

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Old 01-22-2025, 10:21 AM   #12
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Never removed the friction sway bar UNTIL the day I bent one backing into a site, $$ wasted. Always kept the Weight Distributing Hitch connected until parked. Once towed a 16 ft trailer without a WDH and we left it on it's side on Rt 95 in VA after being passed by two big rig trucks. Saw a 30+ trailer in the same position on I-75 in Florida a few years ago. Guy thought his truck towed it fine didn't need a WDH. He learned the hard way - it did!

So, disconnect the friction add on sway control and always use a WDH.
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Old 01-22-2025, 10:28 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tpaul View Post
Turning and backing up I don't remove my bars but backing up and pulling out of my driveway I do. The initial steep angle of the driveway can put too much strain on the frame when the TV is flat but the trailer is uphill ( or vice versa). Also true over rough terrain.
Yep; this. Any time there is a big angle difference between the attitude of the truck and trailer (like going up/down a steep driveway or offroad) you should remove the WD bars or you risk damage to the A frame.

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Old 01-22-2025, 11:08 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Pelletier View Post
Yep; this. Any time there is a big angle difference between the attitude of the truck and trailer (like going up/down a steep driveway or offroad) you should remove the WD bars or you risk damage to the A frame.

Dave
This is true, but the magnitude of this effect increases as the distance between the tow vehicle rear axle and the trailer axle increases. So short trailers don't see nearly as much risk as long trailers. And if the WDH uses chains like the Andersen WDH instead of using bars, the WDH essentially self-loosens whenever the tow vehicle is going downhill and trailer is still cresting and going uphill. Or in other words, traversing a valley may be problematic whereas traversing a hill is not for the Andersen WDH. And some tow vehicles and trailers are not designed to use WDHs at all.

Of course the even more problematic issue when dealing with unlevel terrain is ground clearance...and this is an issue no matter if you use a WDH or not...and again, this becomes more of an issue as distance between the tow vehicle rear axle and the trailer axle increases.

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