On our just-completed trip, we experienced substantial sway with out 17 FD
Casita when we crossed uneven pavement lanes during a heavy rain and had to brake.
I have never experienced sway with this
Casita before. Upon arrival at our destination, I examined the sway bar by taking it apart. There is the outer, tubular end (trailer end), and the flat end (toward the vehicle) that slides inside the tubular end. Between the two there is a bar of material that looks like brake lining material. I found that that brake lining bar was broken in half.
Has anyone else had this happen to their sway bar? Is that inner brake lining bar replaceable? Just wondering.
I purchased a new sway bar and had it shipped to a local WM. The new one is a Reese sway bar. I do not know the brand of the one originally supplied by
Casita, because the label had worn off. When we picked up the Casita, we were told to tighten the sway bar handle as far as it would go, and then back off 1/4 turn. That instruction is in the packet of instructions that Casita provides.
By the way, I called Camping World that was not too far away to ask about their having a replacement sway bar. They said their parts was busy, and that they would call me back. The did so only after 36 hours later. What if I had been broken down and in need of a part???
I similarly called Casita, and was told that they had to call me back because the parts people were busy. They never called me back.....
However, the Reese sway bar had different instructions. It said to just tighten the handle until the screw "bottomed out", whatever that means. I guessed it meant as tight as it will go, but there are still many threads before the screw would be all the way in.
I tightened it as far as I could reasonable tighten it, and then like the Casita instructions said, I backed it off 1/4 of a turn.
We started our trip home and the sway bar made loud groaning noises when we made any turn. I thought that it needed to be broken in, so I drove that way for a couple hours. The noises persisted, so I stopped and backed the handle off a little more. The noises continued.
I am afraid that if I back it off more, there will not be enough friction to reduce sway.
Can anyone advize me as to how tight this new Reese sway bar should be tightened, and as to if the noises are to be expected (the original bar never made noises while driving, but some noise occassionally while backing up).
Thanks again,