Help on sway control and hitch
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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4192
Printed Date: 07 Jun 2025 at 10:44pm
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Topic: Help on sway control and hitch
Posted By: jloftin60
Subject: Help on sway control and hitch
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2013 at 8:55pm
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Tow vehicle is a 2013 Suburban with a very high hitch, pulling a R-177. Even with a 8" drop receiver with a 2" ball, the nose of the trailer is riding a little up. I am not using a weight distribution,or anti sway hitch.
On the interstate with a side blowing wind, the ride is a little rough. Before I go spend a lot of money on something I don't need, what are your thoughts? What do I need to do to smooth things out? |
Replies:
Posted By: Jdub
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2013 at 9:12pm
| Reese friction bar on one side......works great. |
Posted By: rex
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2013 at 9:41pm
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I have had good luck with wind tabs I installed,dont have the pushing feeling when being passed by large truckc,just a thought. ------------- jrr |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2013 at 9:41pm
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I have the same problem with my WDH, even with the longest shank the nose is still slightly up. Between that and an improvement in ride quality with the WDH in place, I still use mine. Nose-up inclination contributes to sway, so you need something, at the very least the friction bar.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2013 at 9:46pm
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I agree with Jdub, friction bar worked wonders for us and if you do it yourself it is well under $ 100.00 total plus a little bit of your time, maybe an hour of labor.
------------- 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." |
Posted By: jloftin60
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2013 at 12:54pm
 
Hopefully this will solve my problem. |
Posted By: P&M
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2013 at 2:54pm
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yup, friction bar should do the trick for you! ------------- P & M ... and Comet too! 2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod 2018 Ram 2500 |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2013 at 7:14pm
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I would measure first to see if a 10 inch drop will level out the trailer and then go with whatever anti-sway you decide on. I have to use a 12 inch drop on the Jeep to have the trailer level, but don't use anti-sway. Goose ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee 
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Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2013 at 5:58pm
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I held out for a year and a half before buying friction sway control for my rpod. I had never encountered any major sway until a particularly windy drive up the coast of Lake Huron; even then, it wasn't too severe, it was just relentless (and tiring) for a couple of hours. I decided to give a friction bar a try - frankly, its well worth it for the calming influence it has on the trailer. The cost was minimal ($80 for the sway bar, $20 to have someone weld the tab onto my draw bar, the rest I did myself). ------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2013 at 6:10pm
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Good Move Outbound, We experienced a similar situation in that the first couple of short trips we had our pod in the spring of 2011, no problem but going up I-75 from Gaylord north to the Mackinac Bridge the cross-wind was so severe we had to keep it at 45 mph. After that we did as you and have been 'happy campers' since. ------------- 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." |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2013 at 9:03pm
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Ditto for me, the pod is so comfortable to tow I put off getting sway control until a day when I wished I had it.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Jdub
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2013 at 11:28pm
| We had bad sway the first trip out, but we were hauling a full load of water for a dry camp. The pod does handle differently for us (suburban TV) when loaded with water versus not. But the sway bar locks the pod in place whether we are carrying water or not. So a good investment. |
Posted By: LizKev
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2013 at 3:20pm
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%20 - www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Reese/RP66082.html
Strait-Line Weight Distribution System w Sway Control - Trunnion Bar - 10,000 lbs GTW, 600 lbs TW is what I bought. My tow vehicle is a 1/2 ton GMC Sierra. Might be a little late for you but just wanted to share. I took the pod up through the Skagit valley north of Seattle. It is windy up there. No trouble what so ever. The reason I went for a dual cam sway control is because it is suppose to prevent the swaying from even starting, where as the traditional bar attached to the little ball on the side will stop swaying once it begins. I am no expert by any means so take this for what it is. Maybe I am just a sucker for Reese marketing guys. Either way I have had no problems pulling my pod with this setup. ------------- 2014 r-pod 178 2000 GMC Sierra |
Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2013 at 11:17pm
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We just returned from our trip out west. We drove 10,750 miles and were out for 73 days. We went from NC to Calif and back with lots of side trips to Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada.. So, we can definitely talk about sway-winds, tractor trailers and major gusts. We have a 2012 Ford Expedition and use a 10" drop shank with a 600/6000# Equalizer 4 point Sway Control WDH to pull our RP173. We had ZERO problems with sway during our entire trip. We drove on looong straaaight desert interstates at 70mph and had trucks pass us in both directions. We drove over 12000 foot mountain ranges and in wicked side canyons exposed to cross drafts. Never felt unstable or unsafe. I am totally happy with our current set-up and would recommend the Equalizer system without hesitation. Vann |
Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2013 at 7:53am
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hopefully not a goofy question here. my last trip down to florida and back, i did drive in quite a bit of wind; especially in the flats of northern arkansas and southern missouri. by the way, if you have never been in this area, i think it may be the flattest place on earth!!! i have never really encountered much sway pulling the pod, i do not use either a sway bar wdh, etc; just the old standard hook-up. obviously felt the trailer and my truck being affected by the wind at times during this trip. ok, here is my goofy question. exactly what do you guys mean by sway. i mean i know what sway is, but how much are we talking about? I frequently/always look in my mirrors when being passed by trucks, or in major winds. obviously i get some sway, but it seems like so minimal and normal; or is any sway abnormal? when you use sway bars, is this totally eliminated? it seems like in major wind situations, your still going to be pushed around. am i being unsafe or stupid by not using at least a sway bar? i am definately not opposed to getting one. hopefully this all makes sense. hogone ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2013 at 8:17am
For me there are two types
of sway. The first is when the trailer moves back and forth in an oscillation.
I don't get this much but it is harry when I do. The sway control reduces this
by adding friction to the hitch articulation point to dampen oscillation. The
other type of sway I get because of the short wheel base of my Jeep Liberty is that the trailer pushes sideways on on the hitch and this pushes the front of my TV
around. This is even worse on the Pod because it is a single axle trailer that
rotates on the axle easier than a tandem axle trailer would. Again the sway control reduces the sway by making it harder for the trailer to rotate on the hitch. ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition 
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Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2013 at 9:34am
I'm like you. I don't really get the sway control thing. We've had our pod almost a year now and have had it out several times. Several thousand miles on the road now. The first time I felt any sway at all was a couple of weeks ago coming back from the Smokies. I think it was due to half a tank of water (too much weight behind the axle). The sway was only technical; yes there was detectable sway, but it was in no way dangerous or even threatening. It was as to sway the way the threat of snow is to snow when they close schools in Middle Tennessee. In Middle Tennessee they close schools if it gets cloudy and the temperature drops below 40 degrees. We are scared to death that a school bus be caught out in a blizzard and will slide off the road and down a 2000 foot cliff killing scores of children. And of course they will be buried under an avalanche of snow and we won't find them until next summer. If sway gets out of control you could die in a fiery wreck. (That is probably not as paranoid as the my Middle Tennessee snow analogy.) Just my opinion coming up here: I think a lot of people with pods get sway control and WDHs because they've heard they might be a good idea and they can afford them. I know that's silly and that pod owners are probably above average savvy about things like this, and maybe too I've been good about keeping 60% of my load in front of the axle or maybe I've just been lucky. Maybe there is something about the 176 (no T) that makes it less prone than other pods to want to sway. Bottom line, I remain unconvinced about the need for sway control or WDHs for my personal use. They are almost certainly good things but maybe some people need them more than others. I hope these aren't famous last words. If I do need sway control I hope I get a warning like Doug apparently did. All that said, if I come across a good deal on a WDH with sway control I might grab it up. Safe than sorry and all that... TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: Jdub
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2013 at 11:27am
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We drive in the west on big open sweeping mountain sides with lots of crosswinds. I feel the sway of the pod on the back of a suburban. I also pull a 14 foot raft on a trailer....never felt a bit of sway with it, so there is a real difference between the two. Do I think I could control the rpod sway with the brake and caution? Sure, probably almost always. But for $80 bucks I don't have to even think about it because the friction bar locks the rpod on the back of the car. Hell, I waste $80 bucks all the time on worthless crap. But the friction bar actually works. My 2 cents.....
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2013 at 2:36pm
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friction bar...........sway bar..............same thing? ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: HavaPod
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2013 at 11:24pm
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...also, what does WDH mean?... ------------- Steve and Peggy Thorndill HavaPod 2013 R-Pod 177 Tacoma, WA |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2013 at 11:36pm
Weight distribution hitch. A hitch that transfers some of the weight off of the rear of the TV and into the front wheels of the TV and the trailer axle. ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2013 at 8:12am
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------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2013 at 8:19am
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trying to research before i ask, but i guess i'm not finding what i'm looking for. so it appears a sway/friction bar attaches to the camper with bolts/screws and to the tv on the shank on a small ball. do i need to get a new shank for this or is there an adapter? jloftin 60, you posted a picture of one that seems of interest to me. where is that from? i didn't see it on etrailer. appreciate any info. also, do these need to be disconnected when backing, making sharp turns whether going forward or backing? hogone ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2013 at 8:38am
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This is the E2 Trunion Weight Distribution Hitch from Fastway. It combines friction sway control with Weight Distribution. You in no way have to go this route. Many here just go with a bolt on friction sway control. I went this route because my wife found the bouncing up and down the the TV did when we hit a bump uncomfortable. The two bars are spring bars that resist the rear of the TV sagging and bouncing. They also transfer some weight of the weight off of the tounge to the front wheels of the TV and the axle of the trailer.  ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2013 at 9:44am
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ok, still researching. now i see what outbound means in regards to the weld on bracket!!! just green in this area!!! i see they sell shanks with the bracket on, but haven't seen one with a 4 inch drop, but i guess a good welder could do it right. ok, now another question. if your only using one bar, does it matter on which side you put it on? etrailer and the hitch store have a curt bar for $46. any thoughts. thanks for everyone's input, hogone ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2013 at 9:40am
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just purchased the bracket and bar from etrailer............$84.95 ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2013 at 11:00am
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You had mentioned a bracket that had to be welded on to the tongue. Mine is attached with 6 self-tapping screws which only require large pilot holes.
------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |
Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2013 at 11:16am
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sleepless: I was talking about a bracket that gets welded to the receiver hitch for the ball for the sway bar to attach to. ya, the bracket that attaches to the pod is screwed in. I found a bracket that just fits under the ball however, like the picture jloftin60 posted. i think outbound used the bracket that gets welded onto the receiver hitch. hope that all makes sense. do you find that a sway bar helps alot? ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2013 at 4:41pm
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We purchased our 177 nearly 3 years ago and brought it home in March during a snowstorm; no problem with sway, even though we had a fair amount of wind traveling across the U.P. of Michigan. The first 'shakedown trip" was another experience however. Once we got above 45 MPH we got a massive amount of sway with about a 10-15mph crosswind. We opted to spend the big bucks, about $ 85.00 and got a sway bar for our Explorer; problem solved, never had an issue since that was installed. Maybe for some of you big boys with the longer wheelbase this is not necessary, but for those of us with smaller TV's and shorter wheelbases, this is a must in my opinion. ------------- 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." |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2013 at 5:01pm
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Either side of the tongue is fine for a friction sway bar. You DO need to remove the friction bar from one ball or the other while backing. You do not need to do anything while backing with a WDH. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2013 at 6:41am
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ok, thanks; that's what I thought I had read in the past. it's interesting however that none of the sellers of these mention this, unless it does in the instructions. curious however, why while backing? ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: Jdub
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2013 at 8:27am
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Because you may need a more angled turn while backing versus pulling. Plus the weight of the trailer pulls the bar while towing but backing the force is opposite with the car pushing the trailer. Regardless, when you pull up to a parking spot, just get out, loosen the bar, and back up. If you forget, you will be reminded as you hear the groaning of the bar.
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Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2013 at 9:03am
Most WDHs come with the hole for a sway control bar already drilled in the receiver hitch on the right side of the coupler ball. I assumed you already had a WDH. As the others have said, a sway bar makes all the difference in the world. Once I have the tension lever set in the best position, I have never found a need to further adjust it. When I have to remove it, I turn the lever 2 complete turns counter-clock wise to loosen it, remove the pins at each end and it comes right off. Then, when you mount it again in the future, slip it on, insert the 2 pins, turn the lever 2 turns clockwise to set it, and you are done. It takes only a matter of seconds to do it each time. ------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2013 at 12:43pm
To clarify, my comment was about WDHs that have friction control built-in, like the Equalizer or E2. There are some that don't, usually the ones that are chain-based. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Crashola
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2013 at 1:08pm
| We tow our 177 with an Armada -- which is a plenty big tow rig. But I still opted for the anti sway. No sway problems at all. Now if they can just find a way to take care of that little bit of disconcerting sway that comes with the grooved freeways around here . . . but then again everything sways on that! |
Posted By: Thinker
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2013 at 5:07pm
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I tow my 171 with no WDH and No sway bar. I have my tires aired up, I have my trailer nose heavy. I do not load cargo on rear bunk, I removed my rPod table and I stack anything I want to haul there. I haul with bare minimum water. I have my trailer level with my hitch. I keep my TV tire pressure up.
I do not have sway. I do not have loss of control when passed by semi trailers. I do not have problems backing up. I do not haul the extra weight of a WDH (I have had them on other rigs - groan) I do have two batteries now, this adds to front weight. ------------- Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171 
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Posted By: Thinkcooper
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2014 at 2:08am
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I'm about to order an E2 WDH/sway set-up for our 177 on the 4runner TV. 600/6000 or 400/4000? Oddly, the 600/6000 is cheaper but sounds like it needs more weight on the ball to hit the sweet spot. Advice appreciated.
Edit: currently our 177 has dual batteries. I'll be adding a second propane tank and fabbng a two bike rack. Maybe I should order the 600/6000 and call it a done deal.
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2014 at 7:39am
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The factory has verified you can go with any model above the minimum required for your situation. I opted for the 600/6000 model in case I moved up to a heavier camper. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Thinkcooper
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2014 at 10:16am
Great to hear. Thank you!
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