Visit our Popular Forums

m.hony · 02-07-2016, 06:40 PM

Check parts every trip!

Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

VT Wanderer · 02-08-2016, 06:20 AM

m.hony has it right - every time you hook-up, check all bolts and nuts

m.hony · 02-08-2016, 04:38 PM

...and have appropriate size sockets, ratchet handles, wrenches, torque wrench and cheater pipe with you at all times-
Check all nuts and bolts at every campground along the way on longer trips.

Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

ROBERTSUNRUS · 02-08-2016, 11:33 PM

Hi, just like my tires, I make a visual check, of my hitch, at all rest stops, gas stations, and camp grounds. But since I made my copper pipe modifications, no part of my hitch has ever come loose; And this has been several years and many tens of thousands of miles.

SCOTTinNJ · 02-09-2016, 04:50 AM

If you put a small dab of colorful paint on each bolt and a fixed metal piece adjacent to it you can quickly see any movement. I use pink.

interstateflyer · 02-10-2016, 12:44 PM

I recently moved from a 1500 to 2500 TV. The AS dealer replaced the shank with one that lowers the assembly.

The service manager and mechanic, who have both attended Equalizer training, noticed that I had greased both ends of the bars. They said that grease at the trailer end may quiet the hitch but will reduce friction and thus cancel out much of the the anti-sway effect of the system.

They recommend that I use the plastic sway bracket jackets. Equalizer told them that the jackets actually enhance the anti-sway effect while also quieting the system.

**Rocinante** · 02-10-2016, 02:22 PM

Good call. We love our sway bracket jackets.

m.hony · 02-10-2016, 04:53 PM

All noise goes away with Sway Bracket Jackets and liberal amounts of grease in every nook and cranny on the hitch head.

Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

Alphonse · 02-10-2016, 07:39 PM

Bracket jackets actually decrease the sway control and that was confirmed to me a couple of years ago when I called Equalizer. As I remember they admitted about a 15% decrease in frictional resistance. The jackets certainly quiet things down but also come at a cost in terms of friction resistance. (And yes, avoid grease on the ends of the WD bars on the trailer end.)

interstateflyer · 02-10-2016, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alphonse

Bracket jackets actually decrease the sway control and that was confirmed to me a couple of years ago when I called Equalizer. As I remember they admitted about a 15% decrease in frictional resistance. The jackets certainly quiet things down but also come at a cost in terms of friction resistance. (And yes, avoid grease on the ends of the WD bars on the trailer end.)

Apparently they reduce friction and thereby effectiveness less than does grease. The best way to achieve 100 % sway control is to live with the noise.

**Rocinante** · 02-10-2016, 08:48 PM

It was either add jackets or get rid of the hitch. We've had great experiences since adding this simple part to our Equal-i-zer. Much quieter, and we still have great control on the road.

Gsmblue · 02-10-2016, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocinante

It was either add jackets or get rid of the hitch. We've had great experiences since adding this simple part to our Equal-i-zer. Much quieter, and we still have great control on the road.

The bloody things should be inlcuded in the purchase price, made our use of the hitch much more pleasant!

kscherzi · 02-10-2016, 10:19 PM

Still have to regularly clean and re-grease the hitch head for silence. The jacket brackets just somewhat silence that end of the hitch. Anyway, noise isn't bad with this hitch. The noisier the better the sway resistance. Sometimes we sound like an old battleship waltzing onto camp. AREEEEEEEEP! CLUNK CLUNK. SQUEEEEEL, CHUNK CHUNK CHINK.

**Rocinante** · 02-10-2016, 10:41 PM

They're cheap enough, and they should definitely be included with every hitch.

First time our hitch squealed it's way through the campground, we just told all those staring at us that we had a load of zombies inside and to keep an eye out for them in case they got loose.

Seriously though, since we got the jackets and maintain the head with proper lubrication, it's a joy to use the Equal-i-zer.

m.hony · 02-11-2016, 03:44 AM

The Sway Jacket Brackets are accessories like the pins with the flip over bail-
Like Harley chrome-
Like solar and inverter and 16" wheels and tires-

Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

Rich W · 02-11-2016, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m.hony

The Sway Jacket Brackets are accessories like the pins with the flip over bail-
Like Harley chrome-
Like solar and inverter and 16" wheels and tires-

Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

I got the jackets and the pins and I'm thoroughly pleased. Now I don't get grease all over my hands when we hook up and I don't have to fool with all those cotter pins.

It's much quieter now, even if the head is making noise the rest is quiet, except for that CLUNK that drives the wife crazy. With every CLUNK I get an AIEEE from her; weird echo. When I see I'm going to have to round a corner I turn the radio up to minimize the noise level, from both.

Gsmblue · 02-11-2016, 09:01 AM

After 15 months of use, I have put my Equal-i-zer up for sale on CL. It served me well for the majority of that time, but my needs changed...

For 75% of people this is the perfect hitch and I will always recommend it as such.

m.hony · 02-11-2016, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richw46

I got the jackets and the pins and I'm thoroughly pleased. Now I don't get grease all over my hands when we hook up and I don't have to fool with all those cotter pins.

It's much quieter now, even if the head is making noise the rest is quiet, except for that CLUNK that drives the wife crazy. With every CLUNK I get an AIEEE from her; weird echo. When I see I'm going to have to round a corner I turn the radio up to minimize the noise level, from both.

Get you an old timey cardboard can of axle grease.
Slather it all over, under, and in between every moving part.
Move the weight bar sockets side to and push tease up into every single bit until you move the sockets back and forth and everything is greasy- nothing dry-
Hitch head will hush!

Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

m.hony · 02-11-2016, 12:16 PM

I should have said wheel bearing grease...

Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

Rich W · 02-11-2016, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m.hony

I should have said wheel bearing grease...

Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

I know what you meant.
Can you even GET axle grease anymore? Wasn't that for the old covered wagons? I think it's just an old term for any thick grease.

The wife doesn't mind the squeaks, although I do clean up the spring arm sockets from time to time and slather them with waterproof outboard motor prop shaft grease. It's that big CLUNK when the spring arms move to the L-bracket or out to the retaining pin that makes her yell.