Sway Bar Vs Weight Distribution
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7613
Printed Date: 12 May 2024 at 5:08pm
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Topic: Sway Bar Vs Weight Distribution
Posted By: Rod Pod
Subject: Sway Bar Vs Weight Distribution
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2016 at 11:59am
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Can anyone explain to me what the difference is between a sway Bar hitch and a weight distribution hitch?
What do I need to tow my R Pod 180 with a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Latitude 3.2L V6 4WD SUV? (Yes it can two 4500 lbs. and tongue weight 450 lbs.) My dealer states I don't need anything...  ------------- Loree and Rod Misha - Black Lab (child) 2016 R Pod 180 with R Dome - Serendipity Pod |
Replies:
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2016 at 12:10pm
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You may or may not "need anything". A lot of towing comfort is subjective. It's not a "vs" thing. They do two different things. If your truck squats in the rear when hooked up, you need a WDH. If you have sway.. well.. you need anti sway. Some WDH's include anti-sway. We "don't need" a WDH.. but we run one because the ride is much improved. We have never suffered sway, but I am careful about loading. And our new eX has built in sway control. ------------- |
Posted By: JohnBG
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2016 at 1:01pm
Wow, that's unusual. Usually, a dealer will try to sell you everything under the sun...  Take it for a drive or a few short trips and decide what you want or need. I had a lot of people telling me I needed a WDH or a sway bar to tow my 171 with my Honda Ridgeline. So far, I have neither. There was one really windy day where the sway bar might have come in handy. I camp close by maybe most 200 miles away so I can live without a WDH as my bumper don't sag much when the trailer is connected. But everyone's setup and tastes are different. Some folks have a WDH even though they might not really "need" one for a smoother ride on long trips. If you live in a really windy area or camp there, a sway bar kit might be a good thing.
------------- 2010 R-Pod RP-171 2010 Honda Ridgeline TV |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2016 at 3:20pm
Mine said I didn't need a WDH, but I was getting just a little too much squat, and even more after I went to two 6V deep cycle batteries instead of a single 12V. My dealer did recommend a sway bar, but he threw it into the deal. |
Posted By: P and D Podders
Date Posted: 08 May 2016 at 11:28pm
| How does a WDH work? Do I have to change the receiver? I have a sway bar that does help but I do notice that the back end of the TV does sag. We are new to RVing but have already done a 4300 mile trip and anticipate more long trips. |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 8:29am
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WDH and sway control are two separable, but often combined, functions. A weight distribution hitch (WDH) corrects for weight added to the rear of the tow vehicle behind the rear axle. It's main function is to return weight to the front axle that does all the steering for the pair. If too much weight is removed from the front axle the TV will lose steering control and seem to "float". It will also affect breaking. Therefore the WDH transfers weight from the TV rear axle back to the front axle and also the trailer axle. Secondary effects of WDH are less porpoising or bouncing when going over bumps and dips. This greatly improves ride quality and reduces driver fatigue. Sway control is just that; control of trailer sway. Depending on trailer loading, speed, wind conditions, and 18 wheeler traffic the trailer may walk from side to side or sway. Sway control devices use some sort of friction based apparatus to damp this sway. Sway is difficult to anticipate and even more difficult to stop if it gets started. Although the two functions are separate, they are often combined in good hitches. E2, Equalizer, Reese, and Anderson are some of the best brands. They all use the standard 2" receiver and come with all the necessary extras. Depending on your tow vehicle you may or may not "need" sway and/or WDH, but most folks eventually find they want both. With PODs, the general experience is anything less than a half ton PU or large SUV such as Expedition or Suburban will require WDH/Sway control. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: Retroactive
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 11:08am
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My Tahoe is a beast, and I am still giving serious consideration to a WDH/Sway combo. In MA we have a lovely combo of terrible roads, and sudden coastal cross winds. Like CharlieM said, a day of arduous conditions with a long drive can lead to noticeable "driver fatigue".
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Posted By: julieboyles
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 11:35am
| Since this is new to me, do owners here recommend either (or both) for a 2008 Ford F150 towing a 178? There'll be only me and not much added weight/stuff in the trailer at this early point in my trailing (if I happen to go more full-time, perhaps). |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 12:26pm
With the F150 you won't "need" the WDH, but experience says you'll want one. You can try without it for a while and decide after a few trips. The WDH will definitely improve you towing experience. With the WDH you should also get integrated sway control since it is essentially free. My personal preference from experience is the Fastway E2, but the Anderson is very popular for trucks like the 150. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: Retroactive
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 1:36pm
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Can you just pull the pin out of the E2 to disconnect while the Pod is parked at a site?
EDIT: In the meantime I saw a video on how to detach, and got the WAF. It will be here in two days... ------------- |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 1:54pm
If I understand your question the answer is NO. Like any WDH, the E2 exerts a lot of force on the bars when traveling. To relieve the pressure you have to raise the tongue using the tongue jack until the bars are loose. Then you remove the bars, lower the tongue, release the ball latch, and raise the tongue to disengage the ball. Reverse to couple up. For this reason many folks eventually add an electric tongue jack. I used the manual jack with the POD, but my wife made me buy an electric when we got the new Camplite. Now life is much better. DO NOT try to decouple the hitch without going through the above sequence. There are large stresses and stored energy built up in the bars and improper use can lead to personal injury. The Anderson has a different method of relieving stress, but still requires careful attention. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: Retroactive
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 2:33pm
Thanks. I saw a youtube video in the mean time. The guy showed the procedure for lifting it up to pop the bars off before decoupling. Should be convenient enough. I already ordered it on Amazon, seems like a wise investment for only $266...
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 2:35pm
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Not long ago someone posted here with a warning about unhitching correctly, they apparently had to go to the ER because they didn't remove the tension before disengaging a chain-style WDH. Messed up their hand. ------------- 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: Retroactive
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 2:46pm
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The video the guy made was good for an amateur. He was very careful about detaching it at the site, he was doing it in the snow! Next dumb question: I got the 8,000Lb hitch which specs a tongue max of 800Lbs. Does that mean that it will theoretically compensate for up to that weight, if someone threw some extra stuff on the tongue?
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Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 2:58pm
Yes, but you'll still be limited by the TV specs. 8000/800 is a bit overkill for a POD, but it'll work. The ride may be a bit stiffer. From your previous post, what is a WAF? ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: Retroactive
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 3:02pm
WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor ------------- |
Posted By: P and D Podders
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 4:07pm
| I have a Curt receiver on my BMW X5 with sway control. Do I need to adapt it for the WDH or is WDH an add on? On our last trip we drove on several highways that the expansion joints bounced us pretty good. I have also noticed that the back of the X5 tends to sag but not enough to alter control. |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 09 May 2016 at 7:41pm
I'm not specifically familiar with the Curt receiver, but WDHs all fit a standard 2" square receiver. The shanks and bar attachments are all part of the add on WDH. The WDH will greatly improve the bounce problem. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |