Equalizer install in Central Florida

[Skip Stone]

Greetings!. Newbie owner of a 2016 20' Flying Cloud that will be delivered to my home in Central Florida. My TV is a 2015 Ford F-150 3.5 Ecoboost with the tow package. I have been reading the forum for several months to educate myself and appreciate the professionalism of this community.

I have decided to purchase the Equalizer WD/anti sway hitch and have two questions. Can anyone recommend a knowledgeable installer in Central Florida (Tampa to Daytona)? I believe proper installation is critical to towing safety and peace of mind.

My second question is related to total vehicle and trailer weight. Since my Ford only has the standard ball / hitch setup and the Equalizer should be installed with a full truck and trailer load, how do I accomplish this? Load the water, trailer and truck to almost max load and slowly tow the the recommended installer?

Any advice to this newbie is greatly appreciated.

[68 TWind]

The equalizer is not hard to install or set up but once installed it does take a little time to tweak it and get it set up just right. It is not hard and Equalizer has a very complete manual with the hitch. They have a great help line too, so if you need to call them they will walk you through any difficulties. Also, there a several good Youtube video's on how to set it up. Yes, having the truck and trailer in camping condition is best. You should be able to get it set up close to where is needs to be and then take the rig to a dealer. If you have the ability and follow the instructions you should be able to do it, and save a lot of money and time.
Be sure and buy the Equalizer ball with the hitch. You can take the hitch to your local mechanic or machine shop and they can torque the ball down if you don' have the tools. The others bolts are not big and a good 1/2in. ratchet set and torque wrench are all you need.

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by 68 TWind

The equalizer is not hard to install or set up but once installed it does take a little time to tweak it and get it set up just right....snip...
Be sure and buy the Equalizer ball with the hitch. You can take the hitch to your local mechanic or machine shop and they can torque the ball down if you don' have the tools. The others bolts are not big and a good 1/2in. ratchet set and torque wrench are all you need.

If I recall correctly, the bolts that hold the head to the shank (which need to be removed and replaced to get the ball height correct) require something on the order of 300 lb.ft. of torque. I bought a torque wrench capable of that torque on e-Bay, but had to add a pipe cheater bar to get to the proper torque. I had to use it several times to get it right, and again when I changed trucks. If you could get the bolts loose, you could adjust it without torquing it and then take the truck only somewhere to get a mechanic to torque it for you.

That said, TWind is correct, it is not rocket science. I had never done it before and was able to do it, given the right tools.

Al

[Duane K]

Hello, I'm new to this and not sure how to find a trailer inspector for an Airstream I found for sale in Lake Worth, Fl. I think I found your name listed under inspector...
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks, Duane K.

[Mrjkq]

Sure it's easy if you have the tools & ability. There is a Camping World near Tampa off I-4, they will do it!

[Al and Missy]

OP is in Cocoa Beach. I didn't think about Camping World, but there is one at 520 and I-95 in Cocoa.

[Troy Tyson]

Originally Posted by Skip Stone

Greetings!. Newbie owner of a 2016 20' Flying Cloud that will be delivered to my home in Central Florida. My TV is a 2015 Ford F-150 3.5 Ecoboost with the tow package. I have been reading the forum for several months to educate myself and appreciate the professionalism of this community.

I have decided to purchase the Equalizer WD/anti sway hitch and have two questions. Can anyone recommend a knowledgeable installer in Central Florida (Tampa to Daytona)? I believe proper installation is critical to towing safety and peace of mind.

My second question is related to total vehicle and trailer weight. Since my Ford only has the standard ball / hitch setup and the Equalizer should be installed with a full truck and trailer load, how do I accomplish this? Load the water, trailer and truck to almost max load and slowly tow the the recommended installer?

Any advice to this newbie is greatly appreciated.

I tow a 27 ft. with a 2015 f150 with 3.5, My hitch is an Andersen Hitch,As far as I am concerned there is none better.

[m.hony]

The hitch comes with easy to understand instructions.
If you feel you can do a DIY job, any RV dealer can install it the Equal-i-zer hitch in just about an hour.

[Glenn T]

You've got the same trailer and hitch as I have. I followed the instructions & set it up myself. A few notes:

The 600 lb. bars are the right ones for the FC 20. The 1,000 lb. bars, in my opinion, would be too stiff.

When hooking up, I always lube the hitch ball AND sway bars. I know the bars are supposed to rub for sway control, but mine made very loud noises, even on the smallest of turns.

Worse yet, they would "stick" slightly while driving straight down the road, causing the vehicle to pull alternately to the left or right slightly. A little spray oil on the bar supports and contact points made the system work perfectly. I've never had a problem with sway, even in a strong crosswind.

[xrvr]

There are lube nipples on the hitch. If you lube the bars you are taking away the sway control. Yes it does occasionally make it difficult to center out and you can feel it on the tv. That's why you should not use sway control of that type in icy conditions.

[Two Peas]

Hi - we used Mesa RV outside of Orlando - they were super. Got us in and out and had called the day before.