Sway bars?

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   We bought a 176 and we are trying to figure out if we need sway bars for our new camper. Our pulling vehicle is a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab with a standard wheel base. 10000lb towing capacity. We like to go from Alabama to the Rocky Mountains. We like to tow in very high altitude.

If so, what would your recommend?

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HandsCamping Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 02 May 2018 Location: Alabama Online Status: Offline Posts: 11	Topic: Sway bars? Posted: 12 May 2018 at 5:15pm
	We bought a 176 and we are trying to figure out if we need sway bars for our new camper. Our pulling vehicle is a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab with a standard wheel base. 10000lb towing capacity. We like to go from Alabama to the Rocky Mountains. We like to tow in very high altitude. If so, what would your recommend?
	Stanley & Erica Hand Alabama Rpod 176 Chevy 2500HD

mcarter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419	Posted: 12 May 2018 at 5:23pm
	I tow with a Chevy Silverado , a 2015 178, I use a single sway attachment, no WDH, no issues. I'm not convinced I need the sway, but I feel better. I had a bad experience when I first bought camper. I didn't know the empty TT had a full aft FW tank, and it did sway. Once I knew it and corrected for it, I made it home, after that I added a sway bar, and I don't tow with a full fresh water tank, plus I do know my tongue weight. BTW -you are at 40% of your tow capacity, you're good.
	Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288	Posted: 12 May 2018 at 7:01pm
	I think that is the problem with the design of the 178. The aft water tank is not good for just the reason you mention. The 179's location forward is much better. I do travel with a full tank as we tend to dry camp along the route and not stay where we could easily add water. Starting with a full water tank and empty black and gray water tanks is a good thing. Of course, with the 179, as the fresh water tank empties and the gray water tank fills, it would have the same tendency. My generator on the Trailer Tray compensates for that though.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

GlueGuy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2629	Posted: 12 May 2018 at 7:34pm
	+1 We were on a short trip last week (not pulling our R-pod ) and at a wayside rest we met an individual with a 178. One of the first things he mentioned was the aft-mounted FW tank. In fact, he was draining it in the parking lot to help the sway problem. We were in a windy area, and it was probably starting to act up.
	bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost

mcarter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419	Posted: 12 May 2018 at 8:02pm
	+2 - I have said that since I have been on this forum. In fact I have said on numerous occasions, if you don't own a 178 or an aft FW tank RPod, you don't get it. If you have a 179 - Bless You - not the issue. The OP asks about a sway bar, I was forthcoming in discussing the 178 issues and with a TV perfectly capable of towing said trailer, I use a sway bar. Honestly if I don't fill the FW tank, I do NOT have a sway issue, and lastly I have never had an issue finding potable water in the U.S. Not at least where I had to travel with 30 gals of it.
	Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

jato Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3224	Posted: 13 May 2018 at 5:22am
	After 1 scary experience towing our 177 (yes, it has aft FW tank) with an empty water tank we have always towed with a sway bar. Granted, our TV has a shorter wheel base than a Silverado (Explorer), however since having the sway bar we always leave with a full tank, boondock quite a bit and stay put at times so we need to carry water, but have rarely had issues with sway with an exception of a couple instances where the cross-winds in the mid-west were quite extreme and even in those cases the sway was minimal. We would slow our speed accordingly in those cases to 50 or so. To date we have traveled over 25,000 miles, most of it going to the Rockies and crossing the Mid-West.
	God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."

flat6s Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 21 Mar 2016 Location: Burlington, Ind Online Status: Offline Posts: 84	Posted: 13 May 2018 at 7:10am
	A sway bar is mighty cheap insurance

mcarter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419	Posted: 13 May 2018 at 8:00am
	+1 to Jato - the 178 is not the only Pod with an aft water tank, frankly not sure about the 176, the frame configuration appears close to a 178.
	Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

HandsCamping Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 02 May 2018 Location: Alabama Online Status: Offline Posts: 11	Posted: 13 May 2018 at 8:23am
	We had the exact same experience with a full FW tank while pulling the camper home from the dealership. It swayed several times. We could not drive over 66mph. We didn’t realize until we had made it home that the tank was completely full. The 176 FW tank is aft.
	Stanley & Erica Hand Alabama Rpod 176 Chevy 2500HD

ArenaBlanca Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 07 Sep 2016 Location: Alamogordo, NM Online Status: Offline Posts: 158	Posted: 13 May 2018 at 11:39am
	I have a 179 which I tow with a Chevy 2500. So towing capacity isn't at issue for me nor is the full tank/ empty tank. I don't feel the need for a WDH but I do use sway control. The Rocky Mountains seem to rise directly out of the flat the plains. The plains are noted for wind gusts and "dust devils." Tucumcari NM recorded a wind gust of over 80+ mph this spring. I haven't ever seen gusts that high in the mountain passes but why take a chance. As flat6s said, "A sway bar is mighty cheap insurance."
	Enjoy Life!!