antisway question

[giro53]

I went overboard and bought the Hensley hitch., Actually the Pro Pride which is the same designer. Never feel sway either being passed or in crosswind. Have to say I am happy with the performance although it is very pricy. Also has the added advantage of being an antitheft as the receiver is specific to the hitch. This is not an advantage when in the shop as they cannot move it with their usual setup.

[Roger C H]

We have towed thousands of miles, from Washington to Arizona four times, and never had a problem with sway or wiggle. We keep our TV tires at 36 and the trailer tires at 50 psi. We do put a lot of miles through Oregon and California both of which have a towing speed of 55.
We recently purchased a 2014 Outback and we will see what that combo does.

Here is a study done across the pond:

Bailey of Bristol - Caravan Stability Studies

[ruscal]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Russ I am assuming the pins you are bending are on your anti sway device and not your hitch bar? as I have never had a hitch pin bend.... wonder if perhaps you need to find stronger or larger pins...

Carol,
Yes the hitch pins tend to open up after several miles towing. I have not analyzed what causes it. I just replaced the originals with new ones. They are as heavy as will fit through the holes. I will fashion some large safety pins to try if I can't find any to buy. I like the idea of a clasp to prevent the pin from escaping.
Russ

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Roger C H

We have towed thousands of miles, and never had a problem with sway or wiggle. We keep our TV tires at 36 and the trailer tires at 50 psi.

Roger, we are in a similar boat. Car tires at 36lbs and trailer tires 38lbs. The 750lb rated Reese WDH is a big factor in our no sway, no wiggle, no drama ride.

Originally Posted by giro53

I went overboard and bought the Hensley hitch., Actually the Pro Pride which is the same designer.

My hat goes of to you for taking such a positive step with regards to towing and safety.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by ruscal

Carol,
Yes the hitch pins tend to open up after several miles towing. I have not analyzed what causes it. I just replaced the originals with new ones. They are as heavy as will fit through the holes. I will fashion some large safety pins to try if I can't find any to buy. I like the idea of a clasp to prevent the pin from escaping.
Russ

Russ, I am wondering if perhaps there is an issue with the set up and perhaps to mush stress is being put on it? Are you doing sharp turns or backing up with it attached perhaps?

[honda03842]

Russ,

We also had a pin that lost it's spring. We bought a new one at Tractor Supply that was thicker and have not had a problem in a couple of years. We do leave the anti-sway bar on and 'normally' tightened when backing. We do not over-tighten, it should slide.

[Roger C H]

I forgot to mention that we have no sway nor weight distribution control mechanism of any type.

[ruscal]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Russ, I am wondering if perhaps there is an issue with the set up and perhaps to mush stress is being put on it? Are you doing sharp turns or backing up with it attached perhaps?

Guilty as charged to both counts. I never could figure out why you couldn't back up with it tensioned. Maybe that is what opens the clips? It seems the sway device wouldn't know which way the rig was going, since in normal operation it resists both compression and extension. I can see how the tires on the trailer would try to skid sideways with the device tensioned when backing up on ice or in low traction situations though.
Russ

[MC1]

Originally Posted by ruscal

I can see how the tires on the trailer would try to skid sideways with the device tensioned when backing up on ice or in low traction situations though.
Russ

This is one of the possible down sides of the Andersen hitch. The anti sway component is built into the head.

The amount of resistance is relative to the amount of chain tension. There is no other adjustment. On a slick road or icy condition the vehicle could want to go in a straight line instead of making a turn. This problem is amplified due to the weak weight distributing factor (in some cases) of this unique design.

[TADinVanUSA]

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Thank You everyone for all the information and advice. Currently our Scamp is all buttoned up for winter but when spring arrives we will verify the weights and everything else that is needed. The '04 Grand Cherokee has a great deal of sway due to a small diameter rear anti sway bar which we replaced with a 1" Addco swaybar and it has helped with that problem in both driveability and towing. This is our first with a TT and we are looking forward to next summer.

[ruscal]

Originally Posted by TADinVanUSA

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Thank You everyone for all the information and advice. Currently our Scamp is all buttoned up for winter but when spring arrives we will verify the weights and everything else that is needed. The '04 Grand Cherokee has a great deal of sway due to a small diameter rear anti sway bar which we replaced with a 1" Addco swaybar and it has helped with that problem in both driveability and towing. This is our first with a TT and we are looking forward to next summer.

Terry,
Merry Christmas to you. The Jeep really shouldn't be introducing very much sway. The stiffer sway bar you added should keep the Jeeps body roll down. (leaning in corners). Jeeps use panhard bars to control the wag or lateral movement between axle and chassis. Most lateral movement you feel is likely coming from the tires. My tow vehicle is a Wrangler. It has similar rear suspension to yours, but mine has shorter rear overhang which lessens the tendency to wag. Yours has longer wheelbase which is a benefit, and should make it a better TV than the Wrangler, even with a longer overhang. With a balanced trailer and proper tire inflation you should have a desirable and safe safe rig.

Russ

[ruscal]

Originally Posted by ruscal

Carol,
Yes the hitch pins tend to open up after several miles towing. I have not analyzed what causes it. I just replaced the originals with new ones. They are as heavy as will fit through the holes. I will fashion some large safety pins to try if I can't find any to buy. I like the idea of a clasp to prevent the pin from escaping.
Russ

I'll try to attach a sketch of the safety pin I was thinking may work.

Also when camping yesterday I discovered I could insert 2 pins on the front anti sway bar hitch, as they put the holes on the inboard side too. A little redundancy for peace of mind...
Russ

[deryk]

Russ I use a similar pin to hold my water heater outside door closed...less likely to pop off.