OK! I've had it

[Soyboy]

Sorry you are having those problems. I'll just chime in also and say that you should call the Equalizer Co. and discuss it with them. They seem to be great folks. We have had ours since 2003 and have never had (knock wood) one single problem with it. Most folks that have them seem to be very pleased with them (as are the Reese dual cammers, Proprides and Hensley folks). Good luck with solving it to your satisfaction.

[wahoonc]

I have never used a Hensley or ProPride. I have used Equalizer and Reese in various applications for years and have never had issues with either one. FWIW on my 1975 Airstream 31' when towing with the F150 I use heavier bars than when towing with the F350.

I am not an engineer, but if something keeps breaking there would appear to me to be a problem with the installation, especially given the fact there are thousands of happy owners of the Equalizer hitches out there. I would contact them and see what their recommendation is. Not to belittle your dealer, but not all dealers are competent, might need to find a different one, or learn to do it yourself.

Aaron

[dkottum]

The Equal-i-zer must be one of the easiest hitches to set up if you simply follow the instructions. The company is generous with telephone support. You might want to try it yourself, one more time.

The fact that it is easy to set up doesn't mean it can't be done wrong. My dealer has done hundreds of them and still set mine up wrong. Too short of distance for the bar support brackets (should be 32" from center of the ball), not any down tilt to the hitch head (helps trailer to return to center and resist rollover in turns), and bar support brackets mounted too high (too much tension on the bars).

If your tow vehicle is a 3/4 ton, Inland Andy claims 1000# bars are too rigid. Of course others will dispute that claim, but they may not have his experience.

doug k

[aftermath]

Uh, what? "not any down tilt to the hitch head."

I think you have to have some downward tilt otherwise there would be no pressure at all and you might as well just tow on the ball only.

I agree, the directions are relatively simple to follow. I feel as though I have mine dialed in pretty good. I don't have a lot of pressure on the bars, I do have a tilt to the head and the numbers before hooking up and after are all within the given parameters. The most important factor is that it tows nicely. Just got back from the Balloon Festival and had to drive in some rather strong winds. No issues.

I will try to attach a photo Ken took. It doesn't actually show the hitch but you might get an idea of how level I am.

[Rust]

I'm no towing expert but I have to say that so far in 25 years of RVing the equalizer hitch has been the best one I have used to date.
But I think the 1000 lb bars are a problem for your tongue weight.
I believe my bars are 600 lb with a 750 lb tongue weight, and it works great but was set up by a towing specialist.
Head is angled and brackets are back 31 inches.

George

[Ganglin]

The Airstream dealer in Buda TX is a "displaying dealer" only for Equalizer. There's only one "servicing dealer" in a 100 mile radius of Buda. Good luck with it....

Equal-i-zer® Hitch - Where to Buy - Dealers

[slowmover]

Since it's a second-tier hitch (and of lesser performance than similar rank Dual Cam), an upgrade to a Pro Pride is worth considering. Pullrite, too, if so inclined (and if available).

Going over the present hitch is worthwhile as to installation & setup. As is the performance of the GM hitch receiver (welds not cracked; not twisting under load).

Going over the hitch rigging is (or ought to be) mandatory, if not already done (scaled values adjusted). Time spent here establishes a baseline for comparison for any changes.

As the queersteer GM is a slightly weird beast I'd be inclined to ask of Andy Thomson at Can Am RV if he noted anything worth considering in hitch rigging.

.

[JimGolden]

I'm going to have to disagree with some of you guys on this one.
I have used the Reese Dual Cam, and I don't like it as well as I do the Equal-I-Zer. It tows OK, but I don't think it tows any better than the Eq, and I don't like having to fight the chains with it.

That being said, the Reese is a decent hitch. I think it's a personal preference thing; Ford vs. Chevy. I like Dodge though

Truly the Hesley or Propride is a nicer hitch. I'd have one if I could justify the money. But I've pulled thousands of miles with my Eq.

It is a shame that many dealers are incompetent. I have a thread on here that I did years ago where I go into great detail on how to set up an Equal-I-Zer. The one problem I had was the link plates that bolt over the tongue that the L-brackets attach to; when I'd torque the two bolts down (one above the tongue and one below), it would pinch the tops and bottoms of the plates together and bow out the center. It was then easy to rock it back and forth. I made two doubler plates out of heavy steel plate and welded the factory link plates to that. That stiffened them up to where they couldn't bow. I then torqued it down and haven't had to touch them again in four years. Another guy on here just welded his link plates to the tongue when he had the same problem. But anyway, other than that initial setup issue, I've had no trouble with it at all.

You do need to have a cant angle on the ball. I believe it's 5-7 washers or something like that. You didn't say what bolt you're shearing off, but I'd bet it's the grade 8 bolt that goes in the shaft of the hitch that takes the slack out and rotates it tight against the washer stack; in other words, the bolt that sets the cant angle. There is a torque spec for that bolt; I believe it's 50 ft-lbs, but you'll have to look in the directions. If you're putting 100 ft-lbs on it, you could very easily shear that bolt. But anyway, the cant angle washer stack is one of your adjustment variables. There are two ways to adjust the hitch: One you vary the cant angle with the washer stack, and two you raise or lower the L-brackets in the link plates. Typically, one washer gets you about halfway in between the adjustment of one notch on the L-brackets. So, let's say you are slightly tail low with the truck with the L-brackets at X setting, and you go to slightly tail high by moving the L-brackets one notch, you can take the L-bracket back to where you were before and add one washer to your stack; that should get you about half way.

Anyway, not to sound like an Equal-I-Zer salesman. If it aggrivated me the way it has you, I'd probably throw it over the hill into the weeds too. I just think your dealer hosed you on the setup and is causing you problems. The hitch itself is a decent unit.

But, the Reese Dual Cam is a good one too and it won't break the piggy bank. The Hensley Arrow and the Propride are both excellent. I wish you the best.

[GCinSC2]

kingfisher24,

Any chance for pictures of the damaged components please?

I inherited an Equal-I-zer with the purchase of my used trailer and I have gone over mine a bit using the manual to re-set it up and such. I'm not a high mileage or frequesnt tower but my rig is now finally towing with relaxing comfort and it required several factors to all be up to par to get it there. I do see some wear on the bar support brackets.

The pics could just give me what to look for info.

Good luck.

Gary

[GinMame]

I'm going to echo what others have said, give Sean at ProPride a call, absolutely out of this world customer service. If however you wish to seek a second opinion, give Andy at Inland RV a call, it is my understanding that he tends to favor Reese Dual Cams. Plus Andy's safety background is unbeatable where Airstreams are concerned. Though you might consider PMing Andy, I've never had any luck actually getting him on the phone when I call Inland, but have been able to reach him on the forums.

Good Luck,
Rion

[Wingeezer]

Happy with Hensley!

[SteveH]

I agree with most everyone else....something must be wrong with the setup if you are braking stuff. The Equalizer has been around for a long time and basically has a good reputation, although I have not personally used one.

If you just have to replace it, I can't say enough good things about the ProPride. I debated a long time about spending the money, but after using it, think it's the best thing I ever bought for the trailer.