Attaching Sway Bar to Tongue

[Lumatic]

My 71 has a sway control bar welded to the tongue. The problem is PO had it put in the wrong dang spot making tight turns a problem. From what I have read/heard the bar type sway controls are pretty standard. The center of the sway control ball is supposed to be 24" from the center of the tow ball. I am a couple of inches shy. The current sway contol ball is welded to a plate which is welded to the tongue.

My 71 is one of those Beatrice years Airstreams with the lighter frame.

My questions are:
a. Can I safely drill holes in the tongue to bolt on another ball?
b. Should I take it to a shop and have it welded?
c. Anybody suggest a good plan c?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

My 71 has a sway control bar welded to the tongue. The problem is PO had it put in the wrong dang spot making tight turns a problem. From what I have read/heard the bar type sway controls are pretty standard. The center of the sway control ball is supposed to be 24" from the center of the tow ball. I am a couple of inches shy. The current sway contol ball is welded to a plate which is welded to the tongue.

My 71 is one of those Beatrice years Airstreams with the lighter frame.

My questions are:
a. Can I safely drill holes in the tongue to bolt on another ball?
b. Should I take it to a shop and have it welded?
c. Anybody suggest a good plan c?

Take it to a good welding shop.

They can cut the old ball off, without damaging the A-frame.

Then have them weld it where you want it.

You have a :friction type" sway control.

Are you aware that if your towing in rain or snow, that you must take it off, or back way off the adjustment? If not, you can have a problem when making lane changes.

Andy

[easyride]

You can use self drilling screws to mount bracket.I always lined up trailer & truck,figured out where 1/2 of the sway bar was ,and that`s where I mounted ball to frame.Dave

[Kevin245]

Both of mine are attached with self-tapping screws. The tongue tube on my 76 is 3/16" tubing which is fairly substantial.

Will you need to remove the existing ball mount to attach the new one?


Regards,

Kevin

[Sean Woodruff]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Are you aware that if your towing in rain or snow, that you must take it off, or back way off the adjustment? If not, you can have a problem when making lane changes.

Most people using them ARE NOT aware of this fact. Makes them just about as useless as an ice chest in an igloo.

[Lumatic]

I just noticed in my original post I stated the "sway control bar is welded to the tongue" What I meant to says the sway control ball is welded to the tongue. Looks like in the above posts they figured it out.

Nevermind what I say, you know what I mean.

Yeah, I heard about that lighten up on the sway control on slippery roads. Also take off the sway control bar when backing because if you back into a jacknife position you can force the bar beyond its limits. Been there done that.

[overlander64]

As a plan C, why not switch to far simpler classic Dual Cam Sway Control that mounts with U-Bolts? It won't take much labor or additional parts to push toward the cost of a new classic Dual Cam Sway Control.

Kevin

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by overlander64

As a plan C, why not switch to far simpler classic Dual Cam Sway Control that mounts with U-Bolts? It won't take much labor or additional parts to push toward the cost of a new classic Dual Cam Sway Control.

Kevin

I would like to convert mine to a dual cam, but I have the straight bars and they would need to be replaced as well. I was wondering if this setup would work. It has a piece that bolts on the arms to make it work like a newer arm.

Draw-Tite Dual Cam Sway Control Fits 4 inch and 5 inch Trailer Frames 26000#

[Lumatic]

I should have mentioned what I have for a hitch. I have an almost new Husky WD hitch mated to an Air Safe class 5 hitch. I want to keep this for a while. My guess is the Draw Tite Dual Cam Sway control won't work easily with this combination and I would need at least a new WD hitch. Right?

I also have a generic friction sway bar and an older Reese friction sway bar.

[overlander64]

Greetings Richard!

Originally Posted by azflycaster

I would like to convert mine to a dual cam, but I have the straight bars and they would need to be replaced as well. I was wondering if this setup would work. It has a piece that bolts on the arms to make it work like a newer arm.

Draw-Tite Dual Cam Sway Control Fits 4 inch and 5 inch Trailer Frames 26000#

That is part of the beauty of the classic Dual Cam Sway Control -- it works with almost any existing weight distribution spring bars -- flat-rectagular, flat-square, or round. The saddle attachment just bolts into the same two holes that the chain currently uses for mounting. This is the setup that I use with both of my coaches and both of my tow vehicles.

Kevin

[azflycaster]

The friction ball I installed several years ago to my TW is attached to a plate which bolts onto the frame. I drilled 6 holes in the frame and installed the screws. I don't think the frame is any weaker because of this.

[overlander64]

Greetings Lumatic!

Originally Posted by Lumatic

I should have mentioned what I have for a hitch. I have an almost new Husky WD hitch mated to an Air Safe class 5 hitch. I want to keep this for a while. My guess is the Draw Tite Dual Cam Sway control won't work easily with this combination and I would need at least a new WD hitch. Right?

I also have a generic friction sway bar and an older Reese friction sway bar.

The answer to whether the Dual Cam Sway Control will work with your Husky hitch depends to a degree upon which of the Husky weight distributing hitches that you have.

• If yours is the "Centerline System", you already have a hitch with sway control that functions in a similar manner to the Dual Cam System.
• If yours is the "Round Bar or Trunion" weight distributing hitch, the classic Dual Cam Sway Control should work with your existing weight distribution bars -- it just bolts on as a direct replacement to the chains.

This classic Dual Cam Sway Control System is the one that I use with both of my trailers and both of my tow vehicles.

Kevin

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by overlander64

Greetings Lumatic!




The answer to whether the Dual Cam Sway Control will work with your Husky hitch depends to a degree upon which of the Husky weight distributing hitches that you have.

• If yours is the "Centerline System", you already have a hitch with sway control that functions in a similar manner to the Dual Cam System.
• If yours is the "Round Bar or Trunion" weight distributing hitch, the classic Dual Cam Sway Control should work with your existing weight distribution bars -- it just bolts on as a direct replacement to the chains.

This classic Dual Cam Sway Control System is the one that I use with both of my trailers and both of my tow vehicles.

Kevin

I've got the square trunion bars with the chains.

I wonder if the Dual Cam system is more sway control than I need for my 25' 4500# Tradewind?

[overlander64]

Greetings Lumatic!

Originally Posted by Lumatic

I've got the square trunion bars with the chains.

I wonder if the Dual Cam system is more sway control than I need for my 25' 4500# Tradewind?

Dual Cam Sway Control works with any trailer that has at least 400 pounds of tongue weight according to what the technician from the engineering department told me when I inquired before installing it on my Minuet 6.0 Metre. Most of the Airstreams since 1965 as well as most of the Argosy coaches easily meet the 400 pound hitch weight requirement when they are loaded for an excursion.

Kevin

[rogerdodger]

I am reading this with interest, I have an Eaz-Lift round bar system, would like to use the reese dual cam you show here. Anyone else using this dual cam on their older round bar systems? I would like to hear about them, good or bad.