Is stabilizer necessary?

[sonomabill]

I bought a Blue Ox, what a pain to put it on and take it off, what alternatives do I have? None, another model? Etc?

[AnnArborBob]

Since you mention the brand "Blue Ox," by "stabilizer" I assume that you are referring to a weight distributing/sway control (WD/AS) hitch set up and not the four stabilizer jacks that are located at the four corners of your Airstream, correct?

If that is correct, then be aware that it is highly inadvisable to pull your Airstream without a WD/AS hitch. If you don't like the Blue Ox, I would investigate other brands. We use a Reese and are very happy with it. Hooking it up adds about 2 minutes to the hitch process. Other major brands that folks use are Hensley and ProPride. There are lots of threads with strong opinions about each type. In my opinion it's kind of like Apple vs. Windows. I have not seen very many threads that discuss the Blue Ox hitch so perhaps that scarcity of comments is a reflection of that brand's lack of popularity?

[Tincampers]

Takes me about 5 minutes. What issues are you having?

[terryV]

If you are referring to the weight distributing hitch as the stablizer, then the answer is probably yes, it is necessary, unless your tow vehicle is a 10 ton bob truck.

Some brands seem to be somewhat labor intensive. People who own them have, no doubt, figured out all the angles, and get by just fine with them.

I have an Equalizer (Spell ?). It is about as simple as it gets. You lower the coupler onto the ball, lock it, raise the jack up which picks up the rear of the truck, lock in the rods, swing them onto the brackets, and install the little rod keepers. Then you retract the jack and drive away. Actually it takes less time to do it than to tell you about it.

Now if you were referring to the stablizer jacks that steady the trailer while camped, no, you do not have to use them.

If we stop to make lunch or to use the BR or even to grab a few hours of sleep, we do not put down the jacks. We usually do not unhitch the AS at this point, either.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by sonomabill

I bought a Blue Ox........

Just how did you get him away from Paul?

Bob

[xrvr]

You do not have to take the hitch out of the receiver each time you stop. Just remove the sway bars. Jim

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by terryV

If you are referring to the weight distributing hitch as the stablizer, then the answer is probably yes, it is necessary, unless your tow vehicle is a 10 ton bob truck.

Some brands seem to be somewhat labor intensive. People who own them have, no doubt, figured out all the angles, and get by just fine with them.

I have an Equalizer (Spell ?). It is about as simple as it gets. You lower the coupler onto the ball, lock it, raise the jack up which picks up the rear of the truck, lock in the rods, swing them onto the brackets, and install the little rod keepers. Then you retract the jack and drive away. Actually it takes less time to do it than to tell you about it.

Now if you were referring to the stablizer jacks that steady the trailer while camped, no, you do not have to use them.

If we stop to make lunch or to use the BR or even to grab a few hours of sleep, we do not put down the jacks. We usually do not unhitch the AS at this point, either.

The BO works the same way. A caveman could do it.

[slowmover]

The appeal of a BO is the apparent simplicity compared to others in its class. We all have to get used to using them. It'll sort itself in your mind soon enough.

[Gene]

I think I have seen Blue Ox at Camping World. CW tends to sell only one brand of quite a few items in the store. They probably get a break from the distributer for exclusivity. CW has a lot of brands offered online including BO, but all I could find online were tow bars made by BO. They do make a WD hitch however.

But I recall few or no members of the Forum ever mentioning Blue Ox. Try the search function and see if anything comes up for BO, or check the hitches subforum for BO. This does not mean that BO is inferior, but it is strange it is not a very well known product.

You could go to a suspension shop and talk to them. They may or may not know about them and may or may not be biased. I would pick a suspension shop over an RV dealer because RV dealers do not deal with hitch and suspension issues only and may have less expertise. You'll have to make your own judgments about who knows what they are talking about. For a price, they can show you how to set it up.

If you don't like what you hear about the BO, return it. If it is not a WD hitch with sway control, return it. We have used an Equalizer for 50,000 miles and it works fine. It takes time to understand how it works and how to adjust it. The Airstream dealer did a lousy job, so I set it up properly. Once done right, it has stayed right. When new, it will require further adjustment as the parts wear in. It is pretty easy to hitch and unhitch with it and requires no chains like some others. It also costs a lot less than the ProPride and Hensley. PP is quite a bit cheaper than the H by about $500 and from all accounts is better than the H. These 2 are the premier hitches, but those of us with shorter trailers have done well with cheaper hitches. Shop around, prices can be all over the place.

Gene

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by sonomabill

I bought a Blue Ox, what a pain to put it on and take it off, what alternatives do I have? None, another model? Etc?

Lets have a deeper description of what you are questioning. The term "stabilizer" does not relate to anything that is involved with hitching up.

A picture would save many additional questions.

[xrvr]

The Bo is a WD hitch with sway control and many members on the forum use them. I have used one in the past and considered an excellent hitch. Jim

[reelfastgreg]

the BO is not difficult to use. i had to try two different chain lengths until i found the one that seemed more solid. the dealer set it up but the front end of the truck seemed to light, so i simply added a link. BO claims you don't need a sway control bar with this hitch.

are you using the front jack to raise the trailer before you try and engage the chain?? same thing for unhooking, takes a couple of minutes but no big deal.