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01-11-2013, 11:01 PM
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#1
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I Bought it I Broke it...
1976 31' Sovereign
Migratory
, North America
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 110
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Weight Distributing Hitch
I'm looking into getting my '95 Chevy G20 (max load 5,000lbs or 10,000lbs w/ weight distributing hitch) primed up to be able to lug around a '76 Sovereign, yet avoiding the massive amount of trailer sway I experienced while carting the massive beast of a silver slingshot home the other day.
So from what I've gathered, I need a weight distributing hitch. Which I've found, including the big ol' adjustable shank & ball mount and a couple of trunnion bars. It was my understanding that at that point I would only need some brackets to attach to the aframe tongue of the Airstream and I'd be good to go...however, the fellas I bought the trailer from seemed to think I need an additional piece on the tongue itself. Attaching a photo or two here of what my tongue looks like (a real piece of wiring fiasco if I've ever seen one), to hope that someone out there might have an idea of where I should direct my research next?
And are those the brackets there near the rear of the tongue?
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01-11-2013, 11:59 PM
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#2
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4 Rivet Member
1988 32' Excella
Bonita
, California
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 325
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Looks like you have a mount for a additional sway control device that goes on that ball on the curb side in front of the bracket for the WD bars. I'd start new and just get an up dated system that does both WD and sway as in the equalizer set up. There is many options and opinions.
Looks like this is your set up
__________________
Happiness only real when shared.
Christopher Johnson McCandless
2/12/68 - 8/18/92
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01-12-2013, 08:16 AM
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#3
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Rivet Master
1988 32' Excella
Robbinsville
, New Jersey
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 3,161
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I agree with RUMSHIP that you should get a W/D hitch with built in sway control Andersen and ProPride are a couple of others.
Before that you should clean out the coupler and check it for cracks and how well it holds the ball, they do wear out and yours looks original and close to 37 years old.
Also cleanup and paint the tongue to get rid of that rust after making sure you have a good coupler.
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01-12-2013, 08:27 AM
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#4
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4 Rivet Member
2008 16' Safari
Destrehan
, Louisiana
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 395
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I've got the hitch that goes with this. PM me if you want it.
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01-12-2013, 10:16 AM
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#5
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Rivet Master
1976 31' Sovereign
Oswego
, Illinois
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,017
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I have reese so called dual cam today with reese adjustable head that I have used since 60s never had sway or any issues, have had 26,30 &31 ft pulled w 1968 Chrysler, 2000 chev. hd 3/4 ton pu. Adjusted right should never be prob. inc. x wind truck suction etc. I pull between 65 & 80 mph below 60 hard to pull
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01-12-2013, 11:50 AM
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#6
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
St. Catharines
, South Western Ontario
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,367
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Lots of good ones to choose from. The more popular proven brands are.....
Pro Pride
Hensley
Reese
Equalizer
Easy Lift
__________________
Airstreams..... The best towing trailers on the planet!
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01-16-2013, 01:29 AM
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#7
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4 Rivet Member
1987 25' Sovereign
Oregon
, Ohio
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 491
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If you do need a new coupler take a look at the Quickbite, it is the easyest one I have every used.
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01-16-2013, 07:18 AM
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#8
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Rivet Master
1971 25' Tradewind
1993 34' Excella
Currently Looking...
Estancia
, New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,743
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As Rumship said you have the hardware on the tongue for a WD hitch and a friction sway control. The bracket farthest back is for a WD hitch that uses a short length of chain to adjust the tension. The small ball in front of that is for the friction sway control. For the friction bar you will need a second ball on your hitch next to the tow ball.
__________________
Sail on silver girl. Sail on by. Your time has come to shine.
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01-16-2013, 09:13 AM
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#9
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Rivet Master
2012 25' Flying Cloud
Battle Lake
, Minnesota
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 7,714
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Not sure what you mean by "massive amount of sway" but a sway control device may not help this much. The trailer must have at least 10% of its weight on the tongue or it may sway badly as speed increases. Higher speed will start sway. Soft passenger P-rated tires on the truck move about sideways on the sidewalls causing trailer sway.
When you get the weight distribution and sway control hitch sorted out, also take a look at other factors that cause trailer sway.
doug k
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01-16-2013, 12:24 PM
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#10
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Rivet Master
1974 Argosy 26
Morrill
, Nebraska
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,014
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If the trailer was not level while towing. It could be another cause for your sway problem. This is just one of many factors.
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01-24-2013, 11:31 AM
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#11
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3 Rivet Member
1982 34' Limited
Harrowsmith
, Ontario
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 142
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Given the extra U bolt you have under the propane tank mount I wonder someone took off one of the original Reese Dual Cam setups. I have the same trailer and mine came with the dual cam as well as the ball mount for the friction sway on both sides. I've been experimenting a bit and I found the dual cam to work much better than the friction. This site has a good article on it: Tuning a Reese Hitch
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04-13-2013, 09:14 AM
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#12
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I Bought it I Broke it...
1976 31' Sovereign
Migratory
, North America
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 110
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We ended up finding a great deal on a Reese setup...came with a sway control bar (as RUMSHIP noted we had the hookup already on our tongue for) and the two weight distributing bars. We still get pushed around a bit if we get over 65mph, but anytime we're going that fast it's usually on accident. I try to keep it around 55mph and, aside from big rigs and Class As doing 90mph passing us on the left, we don't get pushed around too much.
Also made short work of all of that rust...which took some time but after we removed most of it and Rustoleumed the tongue everything looks as good as new.
Thanks for everyone's help on getting my family and I set up with this!!!
__________________
My family and I have been full-timing via various modes of travel since 2008. Going on two years in our '76 Sovereign.
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04-13-2013, 09:49 AM
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#13
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Rivet Master
1976 31' Sovereign
Oswego
, Illinois
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,017
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Hitch set up
Quote:
Originally Posted by clicknathan
We ended up finding a great deal on a Reese setup...came with a sway control bar (as RUMSHIP noted we had the hookup already on our tongue for) and the two weight distributing bars. We still get pushed around a bit if we get over 65mph, but anytime we're going that fast it's usually on accident. I try to keep it around 55mph and, aside from big rigs and Class As doing 90mph passing us on the left, we don't get pushed around too much.
Also made short work of all of that rust...which took some time but after we removed most of it and Rustoleumed the tongue everything looks as good as new.
Thanks for everyone's help on getting my family and I set up with this!!!
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If you have Reese dual cam set up do some fine tuning as I have this set up & pull up to 80 mph never sway or side suction, using since dual cam invented
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