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View Poll Results: Was your Equal-i-zer Brand hitch installed incorrectly?
Yes, it is installed incorrectly 18 54.55%
No, it is installed correctly 15 45.45%
Voters: 33. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 06-16-2007, 08:32 PM   #1
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Equal-i-zer installed incorrectly?

Incase you missed it, there is an Equal-i-zer Question thread that raises a concern that many Airstream owners may have had their Equal-i-zer brand weight-distribution hitch improperly installed, even if it was done by an Airstream dealer!

Equal-i-zer’s Customer Support representative, Josh Jones, sent rgodfrey a detailed description of the problem along with the solution, which is found in post #17, page 2, of this thread:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464/equalizer-question-32805.html
(Copy & paste the entire quote from Josh onto Word to see all of the words).

My curbside Equal-i-zer Sway Bracket was installed incorrectly by my Airstream dealer just 6 months ago when I purchased my Safari. As you can see in my photo in post #24 of this same thread, the lower bolt went under the propane line and through the lowest hole on the bracket. According to Josh, the propane pipe should have been lowered enough for the bolt to pass through the holes just under the A-frame, enabling the bracket to hold more securely.

I’m not sure yet what I’ll do about it. Some say that by the time I get done writing about this, I could have fixed it myself. My cautious side tells me that moving the propane line might void my 2-year Airstream warranty!

Josh says there may be many people out there with incorrectly installed Equal-i-zer Hitches.

Is your Equal-i-zer brand weight-distribution hitch incorrectly installed, and if so, what do you plan to do about it?
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Old 06-16-2007, 11:05 PM   #2
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Hi, SilverGate. My hitch was installed by the selling dealer exactly like yours. My trailer is close to three years old and has many thousands of miles on it with out any problems except that the left side "L" bracket came loose. I have cured that problem. I believe at this time I will just leave it as is.
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Old 06-16-2007, 11:59 PM   #3
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Was faced with the same problem, I just gently worked the LP line until I had a nice curve that the bolt would fit through without touching, now the bracket is nice and snug with no problems to date.
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Old 06-17-2007, 06:13 AM   #4
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Mine is installed correctly....that is....UNDER the frame and ABOVE the LP line. It was installed by.......ME! IIRC, the install manual was very specific about NOT putting the bracked around the LP line, and common sense also dictates this.

Bending the LP line (it's copper) is not difficult. I added a small section of rubber hose to itto prevent additional chafing. The hitch works flawlessly!
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Old 06-17-2007, 10:30 AM   #5
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Looks like mine has been installed incorrectly, with the bolt below the lp line on all three trailers, twice by the dealer and once by me. But no problems over 8 years and thousands of miles.

However, on the second trailer, the fittings on the trailer were installed too far aft. So during a tight turn the long rod slipped free of the "L" bracket. I had to move the brackets forward.
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Old 06-17-2007, 12:25 PM   #6
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My Equalizer was installed by the dealer, but instead of trying to thread the bolt between the propane line and the frame they simply moved the brackets forward of the hose clamp, shortening the lever arm of the weight bars by about 10". The distance from the center of the hitch to the center of the brackets is supposed to be 32", which I moved it to after I got home.
There really isn't much space between the propane line and the bracket bolts. I check this all the time to see if there is any interference. So far so good.

Terry
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Old 06-17-2007, 08:47 PM   #7
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Wrong Installation Here

Yes mine is wrong too. Three rivets hold the LP line close to the frame, so the installer put the bolt through the bottom hole instead of re-routing the gas line. You can clearly see the plates are bowing, and I have been having problems with the square headed bolt that holds the L-bracket, loosening.

Since the trailer is still under warranty, right now my plan is to wait until I get to Jackson Center in October and have the factory fix it. I'll be checking that square bolt at every reststop until then.

Lewster: Please post a picture of your installation so we can all see how you did it with the pipe bend.

Randy
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Old 06-17-2007, 09:09 PM   #8
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Another bone-head installation

Quote:
Originally Posted by rgodfrey
Yes mine is wrong too. Three rivets hold the LP line close to the frame, so the installer put the bolt through the bottom hole instead of re-routing the gas line. You can clearly see the plates are bowing, and I have been having problems with the square headed bolt that holds the L-bracket, loosening.

Mine was done exactly the same way with the bracket bowing at the bottom. AS Dealer installed..of course. I always check and tighten all hitch hardware before each tow...so I never had a problem with the bracket or bolt loosening.

John
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Old 06-18-2007, 05:49 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rgodfrey
Yes mine is wrong too. Three rivets hold the LP line close to the frame, so the installer put the bolt through the bottom hole instead of re-routing the gas line. You can clearly see the plates are bowing, and I have been having problems with the square headed bolt that holds the L-bracket, loosening.

Since the trailer is still under warranty, right now my plan is to wait until I get to Jackson Center in October and have the factory fix it. I'll be checking that square bolt at every reststop until then.

Lewster: Please post a picture of your installation so we can all see how you did it with the pipe bend.

Randy
Will do........as soon as I get a minute. I'm in the throws of last minute prep for the trip!
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Old 06-18-2007, 11:04 AM   #10
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I just added a yes no option poll to this thread.

Mine was installed incorrectly by the dealer.

Jack
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Old 06-18-2007, 03:03 PM   #11
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After reading the initial thread last week I noticed this weekend that mine was installed incorrectly by the dealer also. Although I haven't had any problems with the EQLZR, my L brackets do bow out very slightly from the frame.

I have had terrible service from my dealer so it didn't surprise me to find it done incorrectly. Just one more thing to be disappointed about lately.
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Old 06-18-2007, 08:05 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dbradhstream
After reading the initial thread last week I noticed this weekend that mine was installed incorrectly by the dealer also. Although I haven't had any problems with the EQLZR, my L brackets do bow out very slightly from the frame.

I have had terrible service from my dealer so it didn't surprise me to find it done incorrectly. Just one more thing to be disappointed about lately.
Your dealer's name wouldn't rhyme with 'GATES' would it now?
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Old 06-18-2007, 09:11 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lewster
Your dealer's name wouldn't rhyme with 'GATES' would it now?
Lew -- Microsoft?

Or are you baiting us? My turn...
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Old 06-19-2007, 05:44 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CanoeStream
Lew -- Microsoft?

Or are you baiting us? My turn...
Why.....I wouldn't THINK of such a thing!?!?!?!?!?
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Old 06-19-2007, 08:49 AM   #15
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Ours was installed correctly because I watched the installation and I told the installer that I wanted the gas line to run over the bolt instead of between frame and bolt. Did not seem right.

I also added a thick piece of "hose" to the bolt to protect from possible rubbing. The only hard part was drilling a coulpe of rivetts out that hold the support brackets for the propane line, one I replaced.
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Old 06-19-2007, 09:03 AM   #16
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crazylev,

Post a picture of your installation, so we can see what your dealer did.

Thanks,

Randy
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Old 06-19-2007, 10:06 AM   #17
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Mine is correct because I installed it, I was changing the regulator on my '63 so at the same time I moved the line and added a new rubber hose from the regulator to the line and solved the hitch bracket problem.
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Old 06-19-2007, 03:39 PM   #18
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Yes, lewster, I've received of late, from one whose name rhymes with gates, service that I'd generously rate as not so great.
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Old 06-19-2007, 03:41 PM   #19
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Hey, but it was worth all the hassle because by posting that reply I got my third Rivet! Well, actually, it wasnt' worth it at all ...
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Old 06-20-2007, 11:55 AM   #20
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Hi Randy,

I don't have a real good close up of my set-up and my AS is about 22 miles from me. The best I can do is this:

http://www.airforums.com/attachments...4/dsc_2044.jpg

You can see the small bracket on the under side of the frame that supports the gas line. That had to get repositioned slightly.

Jonathan
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