Do I need sway control with my rig?

[GREENovaters]

I have a 2005 F-350 4x4 Diesel Dually with the FX4 (off-road) package and have purchased a AirSafe Class 6 hitch. Does anyone think that I need sway control with this? I will be pulling a 1998 34' Excella from Arizona to Maryland.

[overlander63]

In a word, Yes.

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by overlander63

In a word, Yes.

Ditto

[85MH325]

Yes times three.

Roger

[snake]

If you have to ask, the answer is yes, and if you don't use it you won't know until it's too late. I remember one time I forgot to put it on and had to swerve to avoid something on the interstate, almost lost it. Cheap insurance!

[LI Pets]

Why did you get that hitch?

the specs are way over kill, can you return it or did you use it?
I wonder if that will give you a stiff ride because it is about double your needs.
But with out WD or sway

2,500 lbs Tg Weight

20,000 lbs GTW

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, if your truck is thirty four feet long and weighs the same or more than your trailer, then you will be OK without sway control. Otherwise you shouldn't leave home without one.

[Kevin245]

Yes.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f161...ngs-56634.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...ime-46232.html

Granted your truck is big but unexpected things happen. Being prepared can make the difference.

Regards,

Kevin

[whitsend]

You have a honking big truck, but you also have a huge trailer. Do you need sway control? In a word, yes. For the safety of your family, For the safety of others on the highways, and lastly - for the safety of your rig (your Airstream AND truck). Sway can & does "get away from you & far beyond your abilities to control it" very very fast and usually leads horrible wrecks & broken bodies in some cases. Yes, you do need sway control.

[Mike Leary]

I'm moving this thread upstream so victorialhq notices it.

[62bam]

YeS,yEs,yeS, YEs, no matter how you look at it!

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by LI Pets

Why did you get that hitch?

the specs are way over kill, can you return it or did you use it?
I wonder if that will give you a stiff ride because it is about double your needs.
But with out WD or sway

2,500 lbs Tg Weight

20,000 lbs GTW

I have a AirSafe class 5 which will not give you a stiff ride for the trailer but considerably reduces it. That is why I got it and is what AirSafe hitches are designed to do. I use it in conjunction with a weight distributing hitch. The AirSafe and/or WD may have a minor affect on reducing sway but will not do much in a severe sway situation without additional sway control.

[RichHog]

Are like The American Express Card, don't leave home without it!

[GREENovaters]

I appreciate everyones input but could really use some guidance on particular brands/models that people have actually used with success! I know, no one can say what will work best for me or which one is the absolute best period.... but all of you out there trailering with a rig like mine can give me some "real guidance." I called REESE and the person on the other end of the phone said that I had to have a weight distribution system to be able to use their "dual cam" system....

I have purchased an AirSafe class 6 hitch with a double tabs for the balls for some sort of sway system but don't know if a weight distribution system will work with it. I'm not worried about cost - I am worried about safety! Again, I want a sway system of some sort but am not sure what will work for my rig and setup. Advice?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by GREENovaters

I appreciate everyones input but could really use some guidance on particular brands/models that people have actually used with success! I know, no one can say what will work best for me or which one is the absolute best period.... but all of you out there trailering with a rig like mine can give me some "real guidance." I called REESE and the person on the other end of the phone said that I had to have a weight distribution system to be able to use their "dual cam" system....

I have purchased an AirSafe class 6 hitch with a double tabs for the balls for some sort of sway system but don't know if a weight distribution system will work with it. I'm not worried about cost - I am worried about safety! Again, I want a sway system of some sort but am not sure what will work for my rig and setup. Advice?

All you needed from the beginning, was a Reese dual cam 750 load equalizing hitch.

When pulling an Airstream, a load equalizing hitch is about as mandantory, as a sky diver wearing a proper parachute.

Without it, simply put, you and all your passengers, as well as innocent people, could be severely injured or killed.

How do I know? I investigated over 1000 loss of control accidents, specifically involving only Airstream trailers.

The results of that has previously been posted many times.

Andy

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by GREENovaters

...I want a sway system of some sort but am not sure what will work for my rig and setup. Advice?

there are 3 or 4 ways to TRY to reduce the potential of sway.

1. friction OUTRIGGERS (those can be added to the airbag hitch) which are the LEAST desirable approach

2. w/d bars that incorporate FRICTION sway reduction (dual cams or '4 point' friction like the equalizer) these can ALSO be added to the airbag hitch.

3. an UNDER frame 5th wheel type hitch (the 'pullrite' design) which will NOT work with the air bag hitch...

4. a projection point/4 bar hitch (pp or haha) and THESE don't work with the airbag hitches.
_______________

really THAT IS IT.

IF you REALLY want ABSOLUTE sway control buy a pp/haha and DITCH the airbag contraption.

IF you want to use the air bag see choices #1 or #2....
______________

these posts keep asking for BETTER or more specific advice.

there ISN'T any.

u have 4 choices and ONLY 2 work with airbag hitch.

NOW you've got to decided if EITHER of the friction control add ons are ENOUGH sway control 4 you.

cheers
2air'

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

...Without it, simply put, you and all your passengers, as well as innocent people, could be severely injured or killed.

How do I know? I investigated over 1000 loss of control accidents, specifically involving only Airstream trailers.

The results of that has previously been posted many times.

Andy

in actuality the "results" have never been posted, only YOUR claim of results.

and suggesting that the lack of "load equalizing" will KILL people is irresponsible.

and really not accurate either, since LOAD EQUALIZING does not EQUAL sway control...
____________

and YOUR so called PROOF is based on THIS questionnaire...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/atta...9&d=1232471897

which after YEARS of claiming to have PROOF of accident causes was FINALLY posted here...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...ire-47613.html

no disrespect intended, but...

not only are the questions USELESS

the answers to ANY of them proves NOTHING.

it's a (preliminary) survey type questionnaire, based on OWNER recall of several issues.

so the recall is subject to error, and THOSE survey questions don't lead to PROOFs...

the initial statistical analysis of the answers MIGHT help develop more PRECISE questions with VERIFIABLE answers...

and THAT process might lead to correlations or "suggestions" of issues to explore FURTHER...

but there is NO PROOF of anything in those questions.

and the ANSWERS to those questions have NEVER been posted or viewed PUBLICLY either.

in THIS case statistics IS statistics and

statistical analysis leading to PROOF needs more/better data AND questions.

cheers
2air'

[Lumatic]

Here is my Airsafe Class 5 with a Husky weight distributing hitch. Sway bars are not attached but I use one friction type sway bar with this combination. If a WD hitch mounts to my class 5 Airsafe I would be surprised if you can't also mount it on the class 6

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

I ask you, to quit challenging...

the ONLY challenge is to the CLAIM to have PROVED what causes accidents...

85 or 90 % of the time.

based on THAT questionnaire, reportedly used 30+ years ago.
___________

there simply aren't ANY questions on that form that lead to PROOF of what did or did not cause an accident.
___________

and NOTHING in this post is directed at you personally, but you have made the claim and did post the questionnaire.

and BOTH the claim and questionnaire are HERE for others to challenge.
____________

as JUST ONE EXAMPLE of this, lets consider the "holding tank" question....

and ASSUME 100% of the accidents involved empty tanks and 100% of NON accidents reported FULL holding tanks.

that would be a STRONG indication that HOLDING TANK WEIGHT/volume has SOMETHING to do with the accidents...

but it would NOT PROVE what caused ANY accidents or WHY accidents happened or did NOT happen.

and UNLESS SOMEONE VERIFIED that the holding tanks were EXACTLY as reported by the people filling out the questionnaires...

even THAT CONCLUSION is suspect.
____________

it is a SURVEY type questionnaire and does not lead to PROOF of anything.

cheers
2air'

[Minnie's Mate]

The simplest, and best way to answer the OP's question is for him to call Airsafe and ask their customer service people. All he needs is the weight of the trailer, the tongue weight, and a few other pertinent pieces of information and he will get the best solution to sway control for his hitch. I don't understand why he called Reese to see if their hitch was compatible. The Airsafe folks would have a recommendation for a compatible sway control system.