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Old 07-14-2017, 03:34 PM   #1
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What is an E2 weight distributor?

We put 1000 dollars to hold a 23FB until we close on selling one of our houses. We have a 2017 Silverado Z71 off-road 4x4. The AS dealer says we need E2 weight distributor hitch. Is this hitch any good and if not, what do I need to buy?

A newbie asking
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Old 07-14-2017, 03:47 PM   #2
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Perhaps they are taking about a EZ WD hitch?
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Old 07-14-2017, 04:02 PM   #3
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An E2 is a Fastway weight distributing hitch. There are a variety of models.

It is one choice for a weight distributing hitch, but there are others. You will find many opinions posted on which one is best, or worst. Perhaps someone who has used both the Fastway and other brands can offer a direct comparison.

https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...4-00-1061.html
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Old 07-14-2017, 04:17 PM   #4
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An E2 is a low cost clone of the Equal-i-zer WD hitch. My limited experience with it is 2nd hand, which is much like hearsay, but it would not be a hitch that I would purchase. Suggest you investigate the Blue Ox Sway Pro. It is more expensive, but will do the job well. If you need to spend less money, look at the Easylift with one or two friction type sway control links.

You are going to enjoy the 23FB. Take a look at the 23FB thread when you have some time. Pat
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Old 07-14-2017, 04:29 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by old 10s bum View Post
We put 1000 dollars to hold a 23FB until we close on selling one of our houses. We have a 2017 Silverado Z71 off-road 4x4. The AS dealer says we need E2 weight distributor hitch. Is this hitch any good and if not, what do I need to buy?

A newbie asking
Welcome to the forum!

As Pat suggested, you may want to ask your fellow 23FB owners what they use:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f142...um-166374.html

Good luck!

Peter

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. . .
You are going to enjoy the 23FB. Take a look at the 23FB thread when you have some time. Pat
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Old 07-15-2017, 07:13 AM   #6
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What kind of hitch do you recommend. The dealer said he recommended the EZ but checking on this site, people have mentioned the Blue OX. I pick the 23FB mid August.

Newbie asking.
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Old 07-15-2017, 07:26 AM   #7
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I use the e2 and it works just fine with my Dodge 2500. I didn't see a need to spend more.
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Old 07-15-2017, 08:09 AM   #8
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We use a Reese WD hitch (not dual cam) which the dealer recommended, with 800 lb. bars set lightly for our 5,000 lb. FC20. I think your 23FB is lighter? We also had a Reese setup on our old 25' so it felt familiar.

As someone said early on, ask 100 folks about the right weight distribution hitch, and you will probably get close to 100 different answers. No one right or wrong answer.

As mentioned in Post #5 you might learn something on the 23FB thread.

Good luck!

Peter

PS -- If TravlinMan is happy with his, that is worth something IMO, as his boondocking experience might suggest:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...go-166490.html
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Old 07-15-2017, 11:33 AM   #9
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23FB here. I use this. Time tested. Added a friction anti-sway device for under $50 and was out the door for about $250. Works great, trailer tows wonderfully.

You can spend thousands if you prefer, and I won't say doing so won't be better/safer/smoother etc. IMO it's incremental especially with a 23' trailer.

https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...rt/C17051.html
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Old 07-15-2017, 11:39 AM   #10
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We use the e2 with our 1999 Expedition and 31' Excella. Works great and is very easy to use.
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Old 07-15-2017, 12:00 PM   #11
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Just got thru helping a friend hook up an Anderson WDH this past week. This was by far the quickest and easiest WDH I have ever seen! Also one of the lightest. Among many advantages you don't have to install heavy tension bars with each hook-up....bars, btw, which have to be matched to trailer weight on all other WD systems except Anderson. My friend tells me it is so much better than his previous WDH.

I don't use or need a WDH on my TV/trailer set up. I get along just fine w/o one. You may also find the WDH is superfluous considering the TV and trailer you are about to buy. My suggestion would be to take your TV and trailer out for a shake down trip of a couple hundred miles before you get hustled into buying a WDH. You can always buy one later if you feel the ride is not smooth enough after your shake down run.
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Old 07-15-2017, 12:05 PM   #12
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If think the e2 is just a WD hitch, no sway control. Sc brackets can be added, one for up to 25 feet, two for larger trailers. Don't cost much and really easy to hook up.
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Old 07-15-2017, 12:41 PM   #13
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When you drop an Airstream on the hitch ball, you increase weight on the truck's rear axle and take weight off the steering axle. When you load gear in the back of the tow vehicle behind its axles, that takes more weight off the steering axle. Less steering control.

A w.d. hitch restores the weight on the steering axle, its most basic function. Traveling without one is potentially dangerous. Traveling with a w.d. of insufficient leverage (such as the Andersen) to transfer enough weight is a little less potentially dangerous.

A w.d. hitch installed or designed (such as the Blue Ox Sway Pro) with the hitch head and w.d. bars tilted down toward the back can help return the trailer to neutral when pushed to the side by wind, evasive steering, uneven road surface.

A w.d. hitch with flexible w.d. bars (unlike the Equal-I-Zer) put less stress on the receiver and trailer A-frame, and provides a smoother ride.

Then there are various sway control and sway elimination devices unique to each hitch. Friction sway control can dampen sway forces but can also resist the trailer returning to neutral behind the truck when pushed out, this can be dangerous on snow/ice. Separate sway bars on a hitch such as Eaz-Lift have adjustable friction, or friction can be released entirely on snow/ice without losing the w.d. function.

The Hensley/ProPride design projects the pivot point forward to the truck's rear axle, like a semi or fifth wheel. Sway inputs are stopped there, not transferred forward to the steering axle.

There are many hitch designs to choose from, the w.d./sway control represents up to 1/3 (with truck design and trailer design) of safe, successful towing. A lot if people have traded tow vehicles because of handling or weight issues that could have been solved with a better w.d. system and/or proper set up.
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Old 07-15-2017, 01:51 PM   #14
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PC, that is a good alternative to the Easylift hitch. Appropriate that you addressed the sway too.

DK, very good explanation of the available design concepts. Guess mentioning that not towing in ice and snow road conditions is worth including in the discussion. However, black ice does not identify it's location with sufficient time to always practice the exclusion in your travels.

Travel Safe. Pat
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Old 07-15-2017, 04:57 PM   #15
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Thanks for all the advice that I could comprehend. Now my head is spinning. I think l'll just use the E2 and see for myself like some here have suggested. Later, if I have concerns, I'll up grade. My first trip is 200 miles home on 4 lane highways and no hills. Speed limit is 70 and 60. I'll keep it under that by a least 5 mph. I'll see how it feels when the big rigs pass. My wife wants to go out west eventually, but by then I'll have figured it all out.
Later,
Old tennis bum
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Old 07-16-2017, 01:18 AM   #16
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Many members here have owned their Airstreams for a long time and don't like to admit there is something new and better coming down the road. For example,
your new Z71 has built-in electronic sway control (ESC)...just check your owner's manual. This system automatically and instantaneously activates individual TV brakes for just microseconds...so fast you aren't even aware of it...to stifle sway before it ever becomes noticeable. Vehicle mfgs have spent big bucks to develop ESC and recommend it if you tow a trailer. NO add-on mechanical anti-sway bars, or WDH's for that matter, can match this level of control because they can't activate wheel brakes. In addition, the newest ESC's on the market can attach to the trailer itself and provide individual brake activation to those wheels too. See the YouTube demo by Mr. Truck on a product from Tuson, for example of this type of ESC.
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Old 07-16-2017, 03:08 AM   #17
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What price progress? Only the richest of us can afford new trucks and thousand dollar hitches. We use what we've always used and what works well for us.
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Old 07-16-2017, 05:41 AM   #18
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. . .
In addition, the newest ESC's on the market can attach to the trailer itself and provide individual brake activation to those wheels too.
. . .
Just to clarify -- you are not suggesting that the OP's AS 23FB is wired to apply individual brakes from the signals of an attached ESC, are you? In the case of a four-wheeled travel trailer, do these new ESC units apply, for instance, both right (or left) brakes at the same time, or is each wheel controlled separately? Not sure about the physics/logic here.

Thanks,

Peter
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Old 07-16-2017, 05:47 AM   #19
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. . .
I think l'll just use the E2 and see for myself like some here have suggested. Later, if I have concerns, I'll up grade. . . .
Sounds like a great plan! Have fun . . .

Peter
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Old 07-17-2017, 01:23 AM   #20
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No Peter, that is not what I am suggesting. What is the big mystery here? If you want individual left/right trailer braking, you need to wire each side separately to the ESC module. Otherwise you will get simultaneous left/right trailer braking...still a far superior means of achieving sway control than mechanical systems. Any moderately competent DIYer can do the re-wiring. The directions come in American English.
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