Recommendations to replace stolen hitch

[SeaJim]

We've had a EAZLift 600 lb hitch for our 23 FB and Touareg TDI for a couple of years and it worked fine. It was stolen and now we need to replace it. The 600 lb EAZLift kits are back-ordered for at least a month. My other options are a 1000 lb EAZLift or a 600 lb Equalizer for more than double the cost of the EAZLift.


Would appreciate input from folks here on best option for our RV & TV setup. Any concerns about using the stiffer 1000 lb EAZlift? Thanks!

[Bill M.]

I would not want the stiffer bars. Are you planning a trip in the next month?

[waninae39]

The bars need have a capacity above what is need ,but not too much.
Ie 450lb tongue weight with 600 lb bars ok. 1000lb bars NO!
50% MORE THAN NEEDED MAX. Double is too stiff
Too little, you are looking for trouble.
As others have stated, too stiff is bad and may cause damage

[Belegedhel]

How much is your loaded tongue weight+cargo weight in the back of the vehicle? I'll bet you will find that 650 is low and that 1000 lb bars may not be so far away from your actual load.

good luck!

[sheriff1]

Ez lift not nearly as effective as equalizer . Blue ox is second best to equalizer. Of course if you want true sway control, PRO PRIDE!

[reginac]

Originally Posted by SeaJim

We've had a EAZLift 600 lb hitch for our 23 FB and Touareg TDI for a couple of years and it worked fine. It was stolen and now we need to replace it. The 600 lb EAZLift kits are back-ordered for at least a month. My other options are a 1000 lb EAZLift or a 600 lb Equalizer for more than double the cost of the EAZLift.


Would appreciate input from folks here on best option for our RV & TV setup. Any concerns about using the stiffer 1000 lb EAZlift? Thanks!

Call etrailer and the dealers and see what they recommend. And buy hitch and coupler locks.

[megster]

Originally Posted by reginac

Call etrailer and the dealers and see what they recommend. And buy hitch and coupler locks.

My suggestion is to call Andy at CamAm to both get a recommendation and buy it from them. They keep a lot on hand and are very fair.

[jackanddiane]

Pulled a 27 fb cross country three times with a husky centerline and our Touareg No issues - piston controlled anti sway. Great hitch.

[uwe]

Originally Posted by SeaJim

We've had a EAZLift 600 lb hitch for our 23 FB and Touareg TDI for a couple of years and it worked fine. It was stolen and now we need to replace it. The 600 lb EAZLift kits are back-ordered for at least a month. My other options are a 1000 lb EAZLift or a 600 lb Equalizer for more than double the cost of the EAZLift.


Would appreciate input from folks here on best option for our RV & TV setup. Any concerns about using the stiffer 1000 lb EAZlift? Thanks!

First, before you buy, determine your tongue weight. Published data is usually off by enough to make this worth while. Make sure you have water and propane full. maybe add a few crates of stuff in the front, like you would when you travel. My experience tells me that you will have a tongue weight approaching 600 to 700lbs. If this was my sole decision, then I would opt for a 1000lb equalizer system. In my experience it has the best balance of friction sway control and weight distribution. After initial setup, which is crucial, it will perform flawlessly. An if not, the company stands behind their product 100%. I own 2 of their hitches, and so far have been super happy with them. But again, key is determine your actual tongue weight. Don'
t go with published data. Then add the weight of your brackets and bars as well. Touaregs are super cool, but have short wheelbase and limited tongue weight allowance. Make sure you stay within the law.

[TouringDan]

Following

[PatLee]

The problem with trying to use Andy at CanAm is that the U.S/Canadian border remains closed.

[BayouBiker]

For the Touareg and the 23' setup your Eaz Lift Elite was a very good choice. I would look harder for someone with the same setup in stock. Don't switch to an Equalizer as, though they work very well, they are too stiff for the trailer and too aggressive for the vehicle and will contribute to oversteer tendancy with the Touareg. If you can't find an Eaz lift get a Curt or Reese or other with similar design. Don't get the Eaz Lift Recurve, it is not a good match for a few reasons.

I have the Blue Ox, and it is not a good fit for you either. The Andersen would be good but it is incompatible with the Atwood 88xxx series coupler all Airstreams prior to 2019 have. It can be tweaked, I just did it and put the Andersen on to replace my Blue Ox so I can directly compare it, but most won't want to mess with the tweaks.

[SeaJim]

Thanks to all for your information and suggestions! Following up on my original post. As it turns out, only the ball mount and the sway control bar were stolen - they were in a storage shed, not mounted on the TV. We got the 600 lb EAZlift setup originally based on conversations with CanAm, among others, and it worked well for us for 2 years.



Here's where we ended up. Since we still have the 600 lb bars, I got a 1000 lb kit and using the ball mount and sway control bar from it. We contacted several local dealers, CanAm and Dometic directly. Here's what we learned.

- Dealers generally only stock the EAZlift Elite kits, not individual parts. They were not sure whether the ball mount components were the same for the 600 lb and 1000 lb kits. We were finally able to confirm from Dometic and CanAm that both kits have the same ball mount components.
- The EAZlift 600 lb kits are back ordered at Dometic as they have had a huge increase in business this summer due to the surge in RV business from due to Covid

- Apparently there is also an increase in thefts of hitches and other RV gear

- CanAm does have a few 600 lb kits, but freight to Seattle is over $US200.
- Dometic customer support was very helpful, as was CanAm and High Sky RV Parts in Washington.


So we got a 1000 lb Elite kit locally, we're installing it with our 600 lb bars and we're rolling again. Thanks again to folks for taking time to respond. Anyone need a set of 1,000 lb bars ?

[JCWDCW]

Originally Posted by PatLee

The problem with trying to use Andy at CanAm is that the U.S/Canadian border remains closed.

The suggestion was for advice.... no border issues there and Andy would be pleased to discuss I’m sure
CanAm were selling Easylift when I replaced the ancient Hensley two years ago
JCW

[SeaJim]

Originally Posted by JCWDCW

The suggestion was for advice.... no border issues there and Andy would be pleased to discuss I’m sure
CanAm were selling Easylift when I replaced the ancient Hensley two years ago
JCW

Absolutely! As I mentioned, CanAm has been a reliable source of information for us. They do carry and recommend EAZlift Elite for the RV/TV combination we have. They are the only place we could find the 600 lb kit in stock and they can readily ship to the US. The only rub is the $200 it would cost to ship to Seattle, but if we didn't have the 600 lb bars, I would have ordered the kit from them in a heartbeat. Highly recommend CanAm for their expertise and customer service.

[mbsprouse]

I am using the EazeLift 1000 for my Touareg TDI and 19ft bambi. So far I have really like it. Easy to install and not too stiff.

[Native143]

Originally Posted by megster

My suggestion is to call Andy at CamAm to both get a recommendation and buy it from them. They keep a lot on hand and are very fair.

I have 800 lb bars on my 20’. And CanAm set it up.

[RogerBart]

My 2014 Flying Cloud 20FB came with an Equalizer. Andy at CanAm suggested replacing it with the 800lb EAZ Lift Elite... said the Equalizer bars were very stiff and put were hard on the hitch and the A frame of the trailer... especially when on uneven pavement.

I called everywhere looking for the EAZ Lift Elite, because as mentioned above, they are on back order. Then a few popped up on Amazon for $290... it is being delivered tomorrow.

Good luck and safe towing!

[AlbertF]

I acquired an Eazlift hitch with 1000 lb bars from CanAm when we had the old Overlander. I’m using the same equipment with the 22FB.

The 1000 lb bars work perfectly. They are tapered, so they don’t achieve full tension right away. I have two links hanging.

Yes, higher rated bars will put more stress on the trailer, but probably not nearly as much as towing with a three quarter ton pickup.

[qwertyd10n]

Originally Posted by BayouBiker

For the Touareg and the 23' setup your Eaz Lift Elite was a very good choice. I would look harder for someone with the same setup in stock. Don't switch to an Equalizer as, though they work very well, they are too stiff for the trailer and too aggressive for the vehicle and will contribute to oversteer tendancy with the Touareg. If you can't find an Eaz lift get a Curt or Reese or other with similar design. Don't get the Eaz Lift Recurve, it is not a good match for a few reasons.

I have the Blue Ox, and it is not a good fit for you either. The Andersen would be good but it is incompatible with the Atwood 88xxx series coupler all Airstreams prior to 2019 have. It can be tweaked, I just did it and put the Andersen on to replace my Blue Ox so I can directly compare it, but most won't want to mess with the tweaks.

What coupler do 2019's and later have? It's compatible with the Andersen WDH's?