Blue Ox Sway Pro

[PKI]

Just back from 3500 miles, CA to Canada and back. Generally slower travel speed this trip. CA has max 55mph and most of BC and the Banff/Jasper parks are 100kph or less.

Hitch handles well. The only issue is that occasionally it will pop on a tight turn. Seems like the spring bar pivots are binding and then jumping into alignment. Anyone else noticing this behavior. Yes, pivots for bars are greased. Ball greased as well.

Really like the BOSPro. Travel safe. Pat

[NWRVR]

Originally Posted by PKI

Just back from 3500 miles, CA to Canada and back. Generally slower travel speed this trip. CA has max 55mph and most of BC and the Banff/Jasper parks are 100kph or less.

Hitch handles well. The only issue is that occasionally it will pop on a tight turn. Seems like the spring bar pivots are binding and then jumping into alignment. Anyone else noticing this behavior. Yes, pivots for bars are greased. Ball greased as well.

Really like the BOSPro. Travel safe. Pat

Are your brackets lined up where the chains are at a 90 degree angle to the brackets? If I am in a maximum tight turn mine will sometimes pop when I am straightening out. Glad the trip went well for you. Where did you go in Canada and did you have any problems getting into campgrounds?

[AWCHIEF]

Mine occasionally pops on the first turn after just starting out. Assumed (silly me) it was just every thing lining up.

[jtwind]

I just installed a Sway Pro on my 2017 19c, Tongue weight about 450 with no water, Blue Ox said to get the 750 bars as with the hitch itself and water I'd be quite a bit over the 550
's, Hitch is installed and I have it in the 7th link from the end of the chain. I'm calling the end opposite the U bolt and the torsion bar. I'd like to try the 8th but I see no way of getting it there. I'd have to bend the torsion bar somehow to get it hooked and don't have the 4-5 hands I'd need to do it. Any tricks and suggestions would be appreciate. Someone said to raise the jack? Does that mean to raise the jack and lift the rear of the truck a bit when hitched up? Thanks Jeff T

[TG Twinkie]

Yes, raise the tongue and the truck then connect the chains. As I recall this is the method stated in the owners manual. You should also raise the tongue and the truck when disconnecting the chains. Makes for a much easier and SAFER job. There is virtually no tension on the spring bars if you go high enough. Just remove the pressure on the lock pin with the wrench, then rotate until the chains fall out.

[Sjcjr]

Originally Posted by TG Twinkie

Yes, raise the tongue and the truck then connect the chains. As I recall this is the method stated in the owners manual. You should also raise the tongue and the truck when disconnecting the chains. Makes for a much easier and SAFER job. There is virtually no tension on the spring bars if you go high enough. Just remove the pressure on the lock pin with the wrench, then rotate until the chains fall out.

I might add that you should place a block(s) under the jack tongue in order to more easily gain height to help raise the truck and release tension on the bars.

[jtwind]

Originally Posted by TG Twinkie

Yes, raise the tongue and the truck then connect the chains. As I recall this is the method stated in the owners manual. You should also raise the tongue and the truck when disconnecting the chains. Makes for a much easier and SAFER job. There is virtually no tension on the spring bars if you go high enough. Just remove the pressure on the lock pin with the wrench, then rotate until the chains fall out.

You mentioned the owners manual, the Blue Ox directions don't mention this so the airstream manual mentions hitching with WD?

[TG Twinkie]

Look in the "Operation" section, see paragraph 5. It's pretty clear to me they instruct you to raise the tongue.

[PKI]

Originally Posted by NWRVR

Are your brackets lined up where the chains are at a 90 degree angle to the brackets? If I am in a maximum tight turn mine will sometimes pop when I am straightening out. Glad the trip went well for you. Where did you go in Canada and did you have any problems getting into campgrounds?

Yes, the brackets are aligned. However, we have not observed the event. Suspect this is not a one position is aligned for all conditions kind of deal.

We traveled without reservations. Went in on 93 and spent the night at Holliday Park. They had several nice adult facilities, a large dog park, a store. a place to eat, and even an herb garden. Problem was a 5 am wake-up call by a family of birds in the tree over our site. We spent the next night at the CoC park next to the river in Golden. The next day we drove up to Lake Louise and stayed at that park campground. We dropped the coach and drove down to Banff. As one lady from Germany told us, it is a nice looking place. We moved up the Ice Field highway to Jasper. The Whisper campground with facilities was full and had only the overflow dry camp lot. We moved on to Irvins in Valmount, BC. Then we headed South through Kamloops and stayed in a very small park in Hope. The next day we moved across the border back to the states. All of these parks were close to the train tracks and many were close to the highway as well. Believe that folks who enjoy dry camping may have an easier time finding park sites in better locations. We waited too late in the year to make this trip, but really enjoyed the mountain scenery and reasonably good roads.

Travel safe. Pat

[NWRVR]

Originally Posted by jtwind

You mentioned the owners manual, the Blue Ox directions don't mention this so the airstream manual mentions hitching with WD?

Here is page 6 of the manual. Note the "Optional" procedure. It is a bit obscure but it means jack up the tongue/rear of the TV to lessen the tension of the spring bars:

SwayProTM Owner’s Manual & Installation Instructions Operation
Hooking Up
1. Install the hitch head/receiver mount assembly into the towing vehicle receiver tube and secure with the 5/8” x 3” pin and clip.
2. Couple the trailer to the hitch head.
3. Install both spring bars into the bar pivot tubes.
4. Con rm that both of the rotating latches are tight on the tongue.
5. Attach the spring bar chains to the rotating latches with the appropriate chain link. Apply tension to the spring bar by using the wrench to rotate the latch counter-clockwise until the locking pin on the latch engages. Do this on both sides of the trailer. Optional: Supporting the trailer tongue weight with the trailer jack eases the tension on the spring bar chains and allows easier latching.
NOTE: If your trailer and/or axle weight has changed since your last trip, adjustments to the spring bar chains may be necessary.
Unhooking
1. While holding the wrench rmly, release the locking pin handle on the latch by rotating or pulling out on it. Rotate the latch clockwise until the chain is released from the latch. Do this on both sides of the trailer. Optional: Supporting the trailer tongue weight with the trailer jack eases the tension on the spring bar chains and allows easier unlatching.
The latch will rotate quickly when the locking pin is released. Ensure you have control of the wrench when releasing.
2. Disconnect the spring bars by pulling outward on the bars then slightly pulling up on the locking pins to release the bars from the bar pivot tubes.
3. Unhook the trailer coupler from the hitch head.
4. Remove the hitch pin and clip from the hitch receiver.
5. Remove the hitch head/receiver mount assembly from the receiver tube.

[Airtandem]

I have used the "jack lift" procedure on previous hitches; Reese, Equi -li -zer , Andersen and now the BO (Babe). Different Trailers, different hitches. This makes connect/disconnect easy.
Mike

[PKI]

Be very careful when hitching and unhitching the spring bars. Replace the OEM wrench with a socket and breaker bar so you can position your head and body away from the hitch when rotating the latches. Jacking up the hitch helps reduce the force, but take care until you are sure the force is released and maintain control until the chains are loose. Review the other BOSP threads for additional user experiences and suggestions. Stay safe. Pat

[NWRVR]

For PKI: Thanks Pat, it has been 42 years since we camped at Jasper when we lived in Edmonton and usually had the campground to ourselves. We are thinking about heading that direction through BC and return via Jasper/Banff. Thank you for the report, much appreciated!

Steve

[elmer]

I'm thinking about getting a SwayPro setup for my 23' Argosy and old Tundra 4.7L.

What do owners of older trailers do about the propane line that comes out from underneath the trailer and along the bottom of the trailer tongue?

My propane line turns to connect to the tanks at almost-exactly the 29"-from-the-ball point where the SwayPro wants to put its brackets.

Do folks relocate the propane line, or is there another way around this?

[AWCHIEF]

I removed the clamps holding the propane line. They were attached with screws. That gave the required slack to slightly pull the line down. Attached the brackets and reattached the clamps.

[elmer]

Thanks for the suggestion, I hadn't thought to try that.

OTOH, I only just realized that the clamp-on latches don't actually wrap around underneath the trailer tongue, and so I should be OK if the latches are 4-inches or less wide (or else they might hit the back of the propane tank tray).

[RamRider]

Latches just slide on and have a locking bolt. be careful though you can bust your knuckles on the tank cover when turing the locks to connect or remove the spring bars

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by RamRider

Latches just slide on and have a locking bolt. be careful though you can bust your knuckles on the tank cover when turing the locks to connect or remove the spring bars

This can in fact happen. But, if you test it first you can tell if there is too much pressure to safely remove. If it is, just raise the tongue a bit more. I almost broke my elbow once because I didn't realize how much pressure there was.

Another thing I did was to buy a 1" socket and a 24" breaker bar. I have a lot more control than with that dinky handle (which is somewhere near Stanley, ID).

[The Colonel]

I got a nice introduction into the world of this hitch. Too much pressure when I went to disconnect bars, sweaty hands and tool hit me in the head. I've learned a lot since then, namely which way to count links. I also got a 24" breaker bar, extension and socket to replace the BO tool. Just put on a Husky tongue jack last week (5000lb lift). And today when I lifted TT and TV to connect bars I could lock them by hand!

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by dblee1950

I got a nice introduction into the world of this hitch. Too much pressure when I went to disconnect bars, sweaty hands and tool hit me in the head. I've learned a lot since then, namely which way to count links. I also got a 24" breaker bar, extension and socket to replace the BO tool. Just put on a Husky tongue jack last week (5000lb lift). And today when I lifted TT and TV to connect bars I could lock them by hand!

I know that had to have hurt. After I lost the BO tool, I had to jack the trailer up as far as I could to be able to rotate the locks by hand.