Equal-i-zer Sway Control Hitch vs Blue Ox Sway Pro

[airstreampek]

Don't know if this has been asked before or not but just like the title says, for those of you who have used or know someone who used both the Equal-I-zer Sway Control Hitch and the Blue Ox Sway Pro, what are the likes and dislikes for both in terms of reliability, pricing, availability, style, loudness, etc. All opinions would be greatly appreciated. And if you have other brands you prefer, the likes and dislikes of that brand would be appreciated also.

[Mixter]

Here we go!

[Photobum]

Interested in this conversation....

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by airstreampek

Don't know if this has been asked before or not but just like the title says, for those of you who have used or know someone who used both the Equal-I-zer Sway Control Hitch and the Blue Ox Sway Pro, what are the likes and dislikes for both in terms of reliability, pricing, availability, style, loudness, etc. All opinions would be greatly appreciated. And if you have other brands you prefer, the likes and dislikes of that brand would be appreciated also.

Hi, I have owned and used my Equal-I-zer brand hitch for nine years now. Only two concerns for me. (1.) "L" brackets moving; I made my own fix and never looked back. (2. Noise; When set up properly and lubed in the correct places, the noise is livable. I have towed in all kinds of weather conditions, some where others would have stayed home. For many, many thousands of miles. "In all of this time, my trailer only once swayed violently out of control; It was parked in my driveway during a 5.0 Earthquake."

[SteveH]

Don't think you'll find many people that have experience with these two particular hitches because the Blue Ox Sway Pro is relatively new. However, by it's design, the Equal-I-zer will be more noisy, and rougher riding. Also by design, the Blue Ox will not have as good of sway control as the Equal-I-zer.

In the end, however, most any weight distribution hitch on the market today will do a good job for you assuming it is sized correctly for the weight of the trailer, and installed/set up correctly.

[m.hony]

Equal-i-zer.
Keep it greased.

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by m.hony

Equal-i-zer. Keep it greased.

Yea, but the sway control works on friction, and a lot of it. If you grease it, that reduces friction, so wouldn't that also reduce effectiveness of the sway control?

[m.hony]

It's not that part that is noisy, really.
Most of the noise comes from the hitch head/ball.
They make an accessory called sway brackets jackets that cuts down noise where the spring bars move back and forth on the brackets. This only slightly effects the sway control.
When I lubricate it, I lubricate the moving parts of the hitch head and the ball. This cuts down noise tremendously.

[SteveH]

Sorry, don't believe that because I've had one of them, and I've watched them when people are parking at rallies. The majority of the noise comes from the bars sliding in the frame side brackets, and the "L" latches binding and popping on top of the bars, which is where most of the friction occurs creating the sway control. Lubricate them there to reduce noise, and you also decrease the sway control.

[m.hony]

Do Hensleys and ProPrides pop and moan and groan?
I promise mine is a lot less noisy after lubricating the hitch head.
I never grease it where the bars slide back and forth in the L brackets.
I know when it is time for more grease because the noise comes back.
My EazLift made a bunch of racket, too.
I think they all do.
I hear everyone else driving through the campground and backing in. Theirs are noisy, and they have all brands and styles.
Anytime you have metal on metal friction you have an opportunity for noise.

[m.hony]

Squeeeeeeeaaaaaaaal...
Pop, pop, pop...
Squaaaaaaaaaaawk....
Tick, tick...

[SteveH]

Actually, the ProPride's do not make any noise at all. They have no friction type sway control, it is all done thru geometry. The Hensley's don't either.

I currently have a Reese SC, and it IS a friction type sway control hitch, and it makes no noise either, but it is not metal on metal.

I've had an Equal-I-zer, and they do make noise from the bars sliding on the "A" frame brackets BECAUSE they are metal on metal. The loud popping noise they make when turning is the "L" brackets binding, again metal on metal.

Sheeesh, I thought everyone knew about the noise made by the Equal-I-zer hitches, especially the owners. Maybe you are playing the radio so loud that you don't hear yours.

[m.hony]

Yel. System on blast.
All the more reason to buy a ProPride.
My Equal-i-zer makes more or less noise depending on lubrication.
It is no louder than my EazLift, in fact it seems quieter to me.
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeak.

[SteveH]

Have you had your hearing checked lately?

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by m.hony

It's not that part that is noisy, really.
Most of the noise comes from the hitch head/ball.
They make an accessory called sway brackets jackets that cuts down noise where the spring bars move back and forth on the brackets. This only slightly effects the sway control.
When I lubricate it, I lubricate the moving parts of the hitch head and the ball. This cuts down noise tremendously.

Originally Posted by SteveH

Sorry, don't believe that because I've had one of them, and I've watched them when people are parking at rallies. The majority of the noise comes from the bars sliding in the frame side brackets, and the "L" latches binding and popping on top of the bars, which is where most of the friction occurs creating the sway control. Lubricate them there to reduce noise, and you also decrease the sway control.

Hi, you are both right, sort-of. The spring bars riding on the "L" brackets, metal to metal, make a lot of noise. The "Bracket Jackets" do make the hitch much quieter. I have felt no loss of friction, but I'm sure there is some. I travel long distances and when the spring bar sockets get dry, there is a lot of moaning and groaning. On most long trips, I clean, lube, and adjust/torque my hitch at home, and do it again at the turn around or half way mark of my trip.

[Rocinante]

What?

We just had an incredibly noisy experience with our Equal-i-zer, which was resolved by applying grease to the "L" brackets on the trailer's A-frame. We've never had problems with sway, nor did we have problems after lubricating those "L" brackets. In fact, we rode side by side with a tractor-trailer rig for enough miles to be annoying but not once did we have sway issues. I credit the AS design for that, I guess. We were much happier with our load balancing hitch after we greased those brackets and quieted things down.

[m.hony]

Eeeeeeeeerr
Aaaaaaawwwwww
Tick tick
Pop
Eeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeer
"I thought I heard that camper comin'"
Squeeeeeeeeeeeak
Squeeeeeeeallll
Clunk bump

[m.hony]

"That expensive trailer and it sounds like a hunk o' junk."

[m.hony]

I know a guy who puts wax paper on the L brackets.

[SteveH]

I've known people who put wax paper on the hitch ball. Wax is a good lubricant, and it won't get your pants dirty.