Pretty Please no lectures, but....

[honda03842]

JUlie,

Emilie's correct. I use the following to lock the ball mount to the hitch, simple and easy to install.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o03_s00

The locking pin is like this one.
http://www.amazon.com/Trimax-T-3BLAC...er+locking+pin

[tomterrific01]

When reading about the Roadmaster quiet hitch, I ran across a mention of a cheaper option at Home Depot. FYI

Superstrut 3-3/16 in. U-Bolt Beam Clamp-ZU501-10 - The Home Depot

[floyd]

A friction anti-sway device will add a level of stability to your tow set-up if added to a properly balanced trailer.
A load leveling hitch would border on silly for a Scamp13.
Short trailers in general do better with short wheelbase tow vehicles.
The best set-ups tend to be proportional, but there is more to a chassis than wheelbase... such as spring rates, turning circle and steering ratio.
I have not driven a Jeep like yours, so there are too many variables to make a definitive comment as to its suitability for any application.

My Escape with a 103" wheelbase is a perfect match for my Scamp13 .
It has proven to be stable and comfortable under all conditions.

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by MC1

Norm.... I'm surprised you went that high with the air pressure on your Honda.

I'm sure it worked for you but did you find the tires wore more in the centers???

Our G35 has a listed tire pressure rating of 34lbs all around. When connected I went to 36 in the fronts and 38 in the rears and that is with a 700lb tongue weight trailer using a WDH. Note the WDH added 90lbs to each front tire of the vehicle. 200lbs went back to the trailer tires which left approx 150lbs for each rear tire. Overall well balanced.

Wayne,
If you have to realize i never towed before and really you don't find much comment about air pressure on most trailer sites. I was reading the Can AM site and came across something about increasing tire pressure to improve the stiffness of the side walls to prevent the trailer from causing the side walls to rollover do the trailer side pressure. I can't say 39 pounds was intelligently chosen however I knew the upper limit 44 lbs. We used it for 7 years and noticed no particularly uneven wear. We are tire rotators.

I suspect the Honda CRV was loaded more than the typical CRV. I recall it weighed 4000 lbs loaded (compared to 5000 for the Odyssey).

Regardless, we never had a tire problem. A couple of nail flats over the year.

WHen we drove across Labrador when it was a dirt road, we reduced the pressure giving berth to spikey gravel. Of course our speeds were low,,, you now we're dilly dallers. We often averaged 25 mph across Labrador.

Of course you know we have a heavy tongue to prevent sway (200 lbs)...just kidding. In my towing tips I never mentioned a level trailer. We travel level.

Interestingly your pressures are near to ours...maybe I'm copying you.

Take care Wayne,

Norm

[Ttocs M]

Hi, Norm and Ginny;
Could you please give details on items #8 pressure/temp tire sensors, #12 how to measure the tongue weight using bath scale and jack, #22 trailer breakaway switch? I'm unfamiliar with these.

Is an anti-sway bar appropriate for a 13 ft trailer (and will it improve backing up?

And where on earth do I order #15?

[floyd]

Originally Posted by M Scott

Hi, Norm and Ginny;


Is an anti-sway bar appropriate for a 13 ft trailer (and will it improve backing up?

A friction anti-sway device will increase the stability while traveling forward. Its like a muscular little arm on the trailer reaching out to hold onto the TV to keep it stable. It works on the principle of brakes.
It is not recommended for complex backing up since it makes the trailer less responsive to turning.

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by floyd

A friction anti-sway device will increase the stability while traveling forward. Its like a muscular little arm on the trailer reaching out to hold onto the TV to keep it straight. It works on the principle of brakes.

It is not recommended for complex backing up since it makes the trailer less responsive to turning.

Just wondering if you have it mounted on one side does it "favor" backing up one way or the other? Does backing toward the anti-sway or away from it make any difference?

Since most people try to back in toward the side they can see best I'm just wondering if that influences which side the arm gets placed on.

And won't the bar release the friction with a flip of the tension lever or does it have to be disconnected to allow free movement before trying to back into a camping spot?

Not a big deal but just wondering. Going down the road in comfort and safety is probably worth a little extra when backing in and dropping the camper.

[honda03842]

It does release with a flip of the tension lever. In our first year I use to release it. Since then we never loosen it backing up. Ours has always been located on the passengers side.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

Just wondering if you have it mounted on one side does it "favor" backing up one way or the other? Does backing toward the anti-sway or away from it make any difference?

Since most people try to back in toward the side they can see best I'm just wondering if that influences which side the arm gets placed on.

And won't the bar release the friction with a flip of the tension lever or does it have to be disconnected to allow free movement before trying to back into a camping spot?

Not a big deal but just wondering. Going down the road in comfort and safety is probably worth a little extra when backing in and dropping the camper.

I seldom bother to release mine when backing into a campsite. If it is set tight and you have a complex compound back-in, releasing it can make it a little easier.

The side of the tongue makes no difference, some larger trailers actually use two of them.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Wayne,


Regardless, we never had a tire problem. A couple of nail flats over the year.

Take care Wayne,Norm

Thnxs for the details Norm and it sounds like you got the pressures right for your tire size and towing requirements. That is what counts. I'm guessing our low profile 55 series tires allow us to keep the pressure where we do.
An SUV tire would have a larger sidewall and your move to get the pressures up would keep them from wallowing.

[Steve L.]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

... Does backing toward the anti-sway or away from it make any difference?...

Maybe it's like when you play a country western song backwards...you get your dog back, your girlfriend back...

Maybe you back up it induces sway?

I still disconnect mine to back in...just to be safe in terms of not bending the antisway bar in a tight turn.

[RogerDat]

Never used one, in the past I sometimes help brother-in-law with hooking up his large stick built. Thought I recalled two anti-sway bars but was not sure.

Ah that was it! What Steve said. If you jack knife backing in bad things happen to the sway bar.

I think the more hours one spends towing the more value they can get from investing in certain equipment. Or if terrain or climate tend toward certain extremes. Those wind blown western and mid-western states come to mind. Mountain areas for trailer brakes on a small trailer etc.

Of course there are also those cases where it takes a precise set up of equipment to bring something back into safe zone from the edges. Brother-in-law was pushing the capacity of his F150 to tow that trailer, sway bars helped bring the rig into safe towing zone from border line nuts.

[Tom Trostel]

IMHO, the best way to stop motion between the draw bar and the hitch is Hitch Riders "Hitch Vise". I never leave home without it.

http://hitchrider.com/nowobble.htm

[Joe Romas]

Originally Posted by Tom Trostel

IMHO, the best way to stop motion between the draw bar and the hitch is Hitch Riders "Hitch Vise". I never leave home without it.

http://hitchrider.com/nowobble.htm

X2!
I can not see the u-bolt one shown from HD lasting too long or staying tight

Spend the extra money for a well made product


Joe

[Bob Miller]

Post corrected below

[Bob Miller]

I use the "U" shaped "Roadmaster Quiet Hitch" to eliminate play between by drawbar and receiver. We just completed an almost 5000 mile, month long tow, and it was tight for the entire trip.
Here's a link:
http://www.amazon.com/Roadmaster-061...NBQ8TQRQYKBHGV

[rowdy]

As my husband always says, "it's not whether you can pull it, it's whether you can stop it." Make sure you get a good trailer brake. The hitch ball and tow locks are essential. Friend of mine parked his motorhome and toad at a strip mall while at dinner. If he didn't have locks on everything, his Honda would have been gone.

[Uplander]

Back to the original question...towing with Jeep Wrangler...answer is very simple...maximum weight as per Jeep....2,000 pounds....exceed that and your short wheel based perfect ride will fail and become a major safety problem.

Most daily drivers make poor tow vehicles...Corvettes with top down are great daily drivers but not for towing....Jeep Wranglers fall into that category.

Tow safely!

Happy Camping.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Uplander

Most daily drivers make poor tow vehicles...Corvettes with top down are great daily drivers but not for towing....Jeep Wranglers fall into that category.

Tow safely!Happy Camping.

A towing pro once wrote. "With big brakes and superb handling the perfect TV would be a Corvette, but with no trunk, where would one put all your stuff."....... Grill, great dane, 6 cases of Miller, MIL, etc.

One of the most important consideration when setting up any rig is the selection of an optimal hitch and setting it set up right. I'm not understanding why there is not more discussion about this all important item.

We see Jeeps around here that are towing good sized trailer and the reason it works it that the hitch etc is Creme de creme. Instead of over sized wallowing tires we see right sized LT tires. Some use a WDH with various sway control devices. There was a pic of one on RV Net that was equipped with a Hensley no sway hitching system.

[Uplander]

Not all Jeeps are created equal....the Jeep Wrangler can not be compared to a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a V8 5.0Ltr engine and proper tow package.
The OP had the former and that has a 2,000 pound maximum tow rating from the manufacturer.....I'll assume the Grand Cherokee has at least a 5,000 pound tow rating...always best to know your limits.

Tow smarter and safer.....Happy Camping!