Bad sway problem

[Aage]

Another reason to do a daily check on tire pressure and lug nut torque (when travelling) is that today, there are people who take pleasure in creating dangerous situations.

Once years ago, while towing our boat on a four-lane highway, I noticed a severe vibration coming from the back. As I was slowing down to pull over and inspect, I heard a heck of a noise and saw one of the trailer tires sail past me, carrying on down the road!

While walking along the side of the road to collect the rim and tire, then turning around and re-tracing the previous half a kilometre to find two of the lug-nuts, I remembered that just that morning, I had re-checked the torque on both tires.

What other conclusion would you come to? It was Vandalism, pure and simple.

Now when we travel with the rig, whenever I am away from it for a while, say while eating, at the least I do a quick walk-around and caste a close eye on the lug-nuts. I can tell by looking at them if they have loosenednow.

Better safe than sorry, as I've heard...

cheers,
Aage

[frscott]

I think I have uploaded pictures of the hitch, it turns out it is a drawTite. I will check tires, and buy a torque wrench, but I need some explanation of "Measure the top of the square bar as it enters the trunnion. " The top of the square bar to what should I measure? Also "It also appears the frame plate which holds the cam arm assembly" What is the frame plate and what is the cam arm?

Again, I apologize for being such a newby, but I can be taught!

Thanks

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by frscott

I think I have uploaded pictures of the hitch, it turns out it is a drawTite. I will check tires, and buy a torque wrench, but I need some explanation of "Measure the top of the square bar as it enters the trunnion. " The top of the square bar to what should I measure? Also "It also appears the frame plate which holds the cam arm assembly" What is the frame plate and what is the cam arm?

Again, I apologize for being such a newby, but I can be taught!

Thanks

The trunnion is the part that goes into the ball mount.

However the procedure that I outlined is for a Reese hitch.

Andy

[overlander63]

The WD bars for the Draw-Tite should have the WD rating on them, on a printed sticker. The small trailer ball on one side of the big one is for a friction type sway control. There should be another ball just like it on the right side of the A-frame on the trailer tongue, with what looks like a flat bar going into a slot. There should be a crank to tighten the sway bar up, so it will tend to restrict movement.

[Pfredd]

Just because a hitch has "bars" doesn't mean it has sway control.

The bars are primarily for weight distribution.

A REESE Dual Cam setup also uses the bars for sway control as well. I do not know if Draw Tite has the same setup.

A lot of people have bars for weight distribution and a friction sway control attached to one side of the hitch.