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Old 09-15-2012, 08:47 PM   #1
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1974 31' Sovereign
Vintage Kin Owner
Phoenix , Arizona
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 74
hitch and sway bars

I've read a lot about the Propride hitch. I'm wondering about sway bars. When I bought my Airstream the guy tried to sell me sway bars but to be honest, I had no idea if I needed them or not. Do I? What exactly do the do? Any particular kind I should look for?
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Old 09-16-2012, 08:51 AM   #2
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1988 32' Excella
Robbinsville , New Jersey
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Well your sig says you have a 31' so I would say you need something to control sway regardless of what tow vehicle you have. Many WD hitches have sway control built in and wouldn't need sway bars added. A sway bar is a friction device added onto a hitch to help control sway. The Propride is a sway elimination WD hitch, Andersen and Reese are sway control WD hitches and an easy lift is just a WD hitch and would need a sway bar.


Note to avoid complaints I added this last sentence.
There are other hitches of each type, I wont try to list them all.
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Old 09-16-2012, 08:57 AM   #3
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Common Sense , Texas
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I have used several different types of sway "control" hitches, ones with the friction bars, and two different types of Reese Dual Cam hitches, and now a ProPride.

The ProPride is by far the best hitch I have ever used. I have approximately 50,000 miles of towing with the ProPride now, on three different trailers, and no sway ever. Yes, it costs a little more, but so does an Airstream, and no doubt they are the best.
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Old 09-16-2012, 10:14 AM   #4
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Cat City , California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by girlscan2 View Post
I've read a lot about the Propride hitch. I'm wondering about sway bars. When I bought my Airstream the guy tried to sell me sway bars but to be honest, I had no idea if I needed them or not. Do I? What exactly do the do? Any particular kind I should look for?
It sounds like you are already towing, right? If so, what sort of hitch are you using now? Do you notice any swaying? Swaying occurs, for instance, when a big truck whizzes past you in the other direction and you feel the trailer get pushed to the side a bit. If you feel that you have to correct the steering when this happens, you have enough sway that you would want some sway control.

Sway control is either part of the hitch design, or added on to the hitch design. There are differing levels of control, based on the design. Some designs attempt to eliminate sway, while others attempt to reduce or control it.

Hitches can cost $400 to almost $3500. And much of the cost justification for the expensive ones has to do with "sway elimination." To some people, $3500 is a drop in the bucket. To others it would be a small fortune. So, it takes a little careful and prudent analysis to figure out what makes sense for you.

Also, the amount or severity of sway is GREATLY related to the kind of TV and the kind of TT, and the way you load and set them up. Some setups will have a lot of sway, others will have much less sway.

Here's a whole tread that discusses sway in general. It will give you some ideas as to what it is and what causes it. http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...ses-96224.html

If you are experiencing a lot of sway, it's something you should work to reduce. It can be very dangerous.

If you have a "typical setup" - you might take comfort in the fact that the majority of "typical setups" get by just fine with a hitch costing about $600 - $800. These are usually called "Trunnion Bar Weight Distribution Hitches." They are very effective, pretty easy to use, and are the most common. They generally use "friction" to control sway and do a good job.

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All of the above is opinion. YMMV.
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