Airstream newbies need help please - sway bar noise

[lynnrae]

Hi all. My husband and i just purchased a 20 ft flying cloud. The sway bar makes a large creaking noise when making turns and slight maneuvers. Any tips on how to alleviate this? Many thanks!!

Lynnie and Michael Lutz
Leawood, KS

[jdalrymple]

That's normal.

If it is a friction type sway control, it works just as the name implies. Friction is not always quiet.


JD

[MrUKToad]

Is it new? Ours took about eight months of use to quieten down but as JD says above, fiction can be noisy so I'd not worry about it.

Our dealer was quite scathing about the quality of the friction material and actually offered to replace ours at cost, but we stuck with them and they're fine now.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by lynnrae

Hi all. My husband and i just purchased a 20 ft flying cloud. The sway bar makes a large creaking noise when making turns and slight maneuvers. Any tips on how to alleviate this? Many thanks!!

Lynnie and Michael Lutz
Leawood, KS

What type sway bar do you have?

Andy

[lynnrae]

Thank you all for the quick and helpful replies. The sway bar we have is a Pro Series. Agree that it might just take some usage to break it in! Stayntuned as we surely will have more question down the road! Safe travels to all!

[drboyd]

We have a Reese Dual Cam hitch, and it's scary-noisy. It sounds like something worth a couple thousand dollars just broke every time you turn a corner with it.

But it works like a charm!!

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by drboyd

We have a Reese Dual Cam hitch, and it's scary-noisy. It sounds like something worth a couple thousand dollars just broke every time you turn a corner with it.

But it works like a charm!!

Spray some silicone on the cams and saddles.

Reese's sway control is torsion, not friction, for the dual cams.

Andy

[dznf0g]

Or petroleum jelly for the Reese. Andy, when did Silicone start to be recommended? Never thought of that....a bit cleaner, I'd suppose. Daily applications?

[drboyd]

I'd have to say it's a combination of torsion and friction. If it were only torsion, and friction were unimportant, they'd say it was all right to use axle grease on the cams.

The self-centering effect of the torsion/springs, along with the "shock absorber" effect of the friction, is what makes the dual cams such a a great hitch setup.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by drboyd

I'd have to say it's a combination of torsion and friction. If it were only torsion, and friction were unimportant, they'd say it was all right to use axle grease on the cams.

According to Reese, some 40 years ago, the dual cam friction is only 4 percent of the sway control, when the bars are bending as they should be.

When the bars have little to no bend in them, the the friction part is all that's left.

Why no bend??

Today, all to many owners install hitch bars that generally speaking, are way over rated for the job intended.

Reese square bars, work fanastic when bending about 2 inches, with the dual cam.

Mine were bending three inches.

Reese's bars are tested for a 5 inch bend.

The greater the bend, the better the sway control.

But, that bend scares some owners into thinking "WOW" the bars are going to break.

Andy

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

Or petroleum jelly for the Reese. Andy, when did Silicone start to be recommended? Never thought of that....a bit cleaner, I'd suppose. Daily applications?

The silicone was a thought I had, on November 10th, 2012 at 8:50 PM

Why not??

As you say, clean stuff.

Just a quick shot will kill the noise made by the very dry dual cams and saddles.

Cheap, available everywhere, easy to use, no instructions really needed, not messy, and a small spray can will last a long long time.

Another Airstream item adding to the KISS basket.

Works wonders on all the exterior gaskets as well, since it prolong's their life.

Andy

[drboyd]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

<snip>

Today, all to many owners install hitch bars that generally speaking, are way over rated for the job intended.

Reese square bars, work fanastic when bending about 2 inches, with the dual cam.

Mine were bending three inches.

Reese's bars are tested for a 5 inch bend.

The greater the bend, the better the sway control.

But, that bend scares some owners into thinking "WOW" the bars are going to break.

Andy

Seeing as how Reese doesn't have too many choices when it comes to bar rating, how should I pick a set of Reese bars for 600 pound tongue weight?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by drboyd

Seeing as how Reese doesn't have too many choices when it comes to bar rating, how should I pick a set of Reese bars for 600 pound tongue weight?

Hitch bar ratings are matched to the trailer tongue weight and the exact type of tow vehicle.

What exact tow vehicle do you have?

Andy

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

Or petroleum jelly for the Reese. Andy, when did Silicone start to be recommended? Never thought of that....a bit cleaner, I'd suppose. Daily applications?

This has been in the AS tool box for awhile now, pretty handy stuff.

Bob

[drboyd]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Hitch bar ratings are matched to the trailer tongue weight and the exact type of tow vehicle.

What exact tow vehicle do you have?

Andy

The trailer is a 1978 Trade Wind and the tow vehicle is a 2005 Tahoe 4X4.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by drboyd

The trailer is a 1978 Trade Wind and the tow vehicle is a 2005 Tahoe 4X4.

Use 600 pound rated hitch bars.

You already have the over kill tow vehicle, that has very little suspension.

Andy