Do I NEED sway control??

[Relentless]

I think its common sense that if you can reduce or eliminate the chance of 6,000 lbs. doing its own thing while attached to you and your loved ones at 60 plus mph than you should do so. If you can't afford a decent hitch that will do this then you might want to consider doing something else with your spare time.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Relentless

I think its common sense that if you can reduce or eliminate the chance of 6,000 lbs. doing its own thing while attached to you and your loved ones at 60 plus mph than you should do so. If you can't afford a decent hitch that will do this then you might want to consider doing something else with your spare time.

Amen, amen.

Andy

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by bryanl

... None of the posts here really define what sway control is...

only because those ISSUES have been addressed already in MANY other threads and several times...

books tend to improve with each edition or revision

by building on prior work, snipping OUT the errors and while incrementally adding new thoughts, ideas and solutions.

but repetitive new threads on common/old topics tend to ignore that process and ALL of the prior postings,

dumbing down with each new edition...

which is WHY these self help books were written...



and the advance materials...



eventually we'll just be finger painting the info...

cheers
2air'

[Mike Leary]

Originally Posted by Relentless

I think its common sense that if you can reduce or eliminate the chance of 6,000 lbs. doing its own thing while attached to you and your loved ones at 60 plus mph than you should do so. If you can't afford a decent hitch that will do this then you might want to consider doing something else with your spare time.

Agreed; we've seen some very scary outfits blowing in the wind. So scary, we've taken the next off-ramp and had lunch or breakfast or whatever.

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

only because those ISSUES have been addressed already in MANY other threads and several times...

.....eventually we'll just be finger painting the info...

cheers
2air'

Gotta agree with ya.

When you look at the quality of some of the old threads, like this, the current thread just seems kind of hollow.

I think lots of people just got tired of the same old rehash with no new info, and it just keeps degenerating.

[Mike Leary]

Originally Posted by markdoane

I think lots of people just got tired of the same old rehash with no new info, and it just keeps degenerating.

What's important is knowledge; I belong to some professional forums and it is amazing how few people use the search function. We still give advice even though it's the same stuff over and over. You high posters should know that.

[Inland RV Center, In]

One of the nice things about the "Forums", is that new people sign on almost everyday.

Those new owners have no idea what subjects may or may not have been discussed before. They also probably don't know the in's and out's of this Forums, as to "how to find things".

All of us were newcomers at one point.

Let those, new newcomers, ask away with the questions, as that's how all of us learned.

If an oldie doesn't want to read the repeat posts about old subjects, then so be it.

BUT, I feel that, as a group, we should not only welcome new comers, we should also try to help them better understand all about Airstreaming.

Where does it say, new comers should not have the same opportunity to learn on this Forums, as much as those have, who have been around for a long time.

Almost sounds like the older Forums members know, and that's as far as it should go. Maybe some of the old hot shots are not interested in the up bringing of new members.

I, for one, humbly disagree with that.

Everyone is welcome, and therefore everyone should have the same chance to learn.

If not, then the future of this Forums, quite well, may resemble the future of WBCCI.

I sincerely, hope not.

Andy

[THEPILL]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

only because those ISSUES have been addressed already in MANY other threads and several times...

books tend to improve with each edition or revision

by building on prior work, snipping OUT the errors and while incrementally adding new thoughts, ideas and solutions.

but repetitive new threads on common/old topics tend to ignore that process and ALL of the prior postings,

dumbing down with each new edition...

which is WHY these self help books were written...

Attachment 97869

and the advance materials...

Attachment 97870

eventually we'll just be finger painting the info...

cheers
2air'

2air, your post count would be waaay low if all of your "use the search button" posts were deleted. Instead of pointing try leading.

Just say'n



I for one like the "live" information. Also go try searching for black tank problems in relation to a NEW airstream...Impossible. Most things here are related to Vintage repairs not too many new. It's a lot to weed through. The questions get answered a lot faster by posting and coming back to it. Sometime I do both, post the question then search. That way you get old info and fresh info.

Just say'n

[Mike Leary]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

All of us were newcomers at one point. If an oldie doesn't want to read the repeat posts about old subjects, then so be it. Everyone is welcome, and therefore everyone should have the same chance to learn.

[Mike Leary]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

but repetitive new threads on common/old topics tend to ignore that process and ALL of the prior postings,

What a crock.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Mike Leary

What a crock.

A bowl to cook in..

What a cucurbit...

[biggoofball]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

A bowl to cook in..

What a cucurbit...

a watermelon? then I googled. can you believe? a website dedicated to cucurbits? Cucurbitaceae & The Cucurbit Network

[bryanl]

2air, there is another interpretation about the plethora of posts: it is that the issue is not cut and dried, is not clear, and runs counter to the experience of many. If 'sway control' was a settled matter, it would not stimulate pages of discussion many times over. People work the issue because it is not settled.

As for the "I think its common sense that if you can reduce or eliminate the chance of 6,000 lbs. doing its own thing while attached to you and your loved ones at 60 plus mph than you should do so." type comments, they illustrate the point. If you really wanted safety, you would not take your family, much less yourself, out on the road in an RV. at all.

But the fact is we do get out on the road. We make choices about risk versus benefit.

The use of ridicule is almost as telling as the 'group think' meme that runs in threads like this. Both illustrate that actually examining the risks and the trade-offs that are being made every day are being shoved aside. The implication is that rational thinking about the risk versus benefit is uncomfortable for many.

Using logic like expressed in this thread, I could say that, since I saw an SOB crash, it is unsafe to tow an SOB. That makes about as much sense as noting an Airstream with a HAHA overturned near Bordertown that I saw a while back and then claiming that driving while towing an Airstream with a HAHA is unsafe.

This kind of unthinking 'safety at any cost' is perhaps why so many newbies get sold a friction bar sway device. They read threads like this and conclude that they have to buy one to be safe. They don't examine their needs, the options, and the benefits to determine what is best for them. They take the advice here that, if they buy a sway control device, any sway control device, they will be safe on the road and won't have to worry about handling or crashes or white knuckles everyone talks about.

They say you can't buy love: that may apply to safety as well. You can take precautions in order to help reduce the risk of bad decisions. You can be aware of your emotions and feelings and how they influence your judgment. But do be careful when others say you just gotta' as it is your decision.

[pmclemore]

Sure you can choose not to use a sway control device.

But you shouldn't say that that choice doesn't matter, that choosing one or the other is just a coin flip in the scheme of things.

Pat

[TWaugh]

Is anyone using this version of the Reese SC Hitch? (weight distribution with friction sway control)
http://www.reeseprod.com/fitguides/d...ID=66151&dlr=0

[Diesel1]

Originally Posted by pmclemore

Sure you can choose not to use a sway control device.

But you shouldn't say that that choice doesn't matter, that choosing one or the other is just a coin flip in the scheme of things.

Pat

And still........ no proof( other than subjective-it feels good), that choosing sway control or not is more than a coin toss. Adios, John

[ROBERT CROSS]

I forgot....just what are we trying to prove here?

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

I forgot....just what are we trying to prove here?

There is a faction here that believes that until proof is provided that sway control is advisable, the rest of us are out of line advising that someone use sway control.

I do not know what form this proof is supposed to take, but it is apparently not pictures of accidents, unless you have sworn affidavits from those that did not survive the wreck stating that lack of sway control contributed.

you might as well resign yourself that every time one of us recommends sway control, sooner or later one or more of these detractors will show up to tell us that we don't know what we are talking about. I decided a while ago, that I would just ignore them. Let the person with the original question sort out the wheat from the chaff.

The amusing part is that the OP of this thread made his decision quite some time ago.

Regards,
Ken

[THEPILL]

Originally Posted by w7ts

There is a faction here that believes that until proof is provided that sway control is advisable, the rest of us are out of line advising that someone use sway control.

I do not know what form this proof is supposed to take, but it is apparently not pictures of accidents, unless you have sworn affidavits from those that did not survive the wreck stating that lack of sway control contributed.

you might as well resign yourself that every time one of us recommends sway control, sooner or later one or more of these detractors will show up to tell us that we don't know what we are talking about. I decided a while ago, that I would just ignore them. Let the person with the original question sort out the wheat from the chaff.

The amusing part is that the OP of this thread made his decision quite some time ago.

Regards,
Ken

Yes I have.

Update:
I drive a Ford F250 4x4 Crew cab Shortbed.
I tow a 25' International
I have a Reese Dual CAM W/D Hitch with 800lb sway bars.

Like the one shown:
Reese Strait-Line Trunnion Bar Hitch and Dual Cam HP Sway Control | RV Supply Warehouse

Did I NEED it? Lets put it this way.... I don't want to find out later that I did need it.
Am I happy? Yes Peace of mind is a wonderful thing.

Topic Closed and Thank-you all for your advice and opinions.

Shane

[Pacerized]

If anyone is interested in adding the dual cam setup to their reese round bar system you might want to check out this site TRAILER WEIGHT AND SWAY CONTROL GET R HITCHED RIGHT | AJS TRUCK & TRAILER CENTER I think this may also work with both the round bar and square bar Trunnion system as long as they have the bent front tips on the WD bars made for the Dual Cam setup.
It's the older cam system but they're new in the box for only $40. That's quite a deal compared to buying the newer gold colored cams for over $200 and I'd think they would still be effective. Actually less then added 2 friction sway controls.

Charlie