Sway control?
Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
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=8113
Printed Date: 22 May 2025 at 12:06am
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Topic: Sway control?
Posted By: CoosBayRPodder
Subject: Sway control?
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2016 at 1:53pm
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The last travel trailer I had I was a older 18 foot with two axles so it was very stable and towed like a dream, now with the RP 180 with only one axle I was curious on the need for sway control. I will be towing with a 2011 Chevy Silverado 1500 ext cab/long bed 4x4 truck. Do you recommend sway control? I was not intending on using any. ------------- Roy & Dudi 2017 R-Pod 180 "PODdy Time" 
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Replies:
Posted By: Retroactive
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2016 at 2:30pm
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The Rpod is so light, compared to it's surface area, it might as well be a windsail. I never notice my Rpod behind my Tahoe, until an 18 Wheeler blows by me and the pod shimmies like crazy...or you hit an dip in the road and the thing practically wants to go airborne. The E2 hitch is going on my pod before I go on ANY more trips at all. ------------- |
Posted By: WillThrill
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2016 at 2:53pm
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I'll second the motion to go with an E2 hitch. We tow our 177 with a GMC Envoy XL, and even though we are well below the recommended weight limit, I would never attempt to tow our Pod without a weight distributing hitch. Besides eliminating sway, it also prevents 'diving' and makes towing a much easier and safer proposition. I've not heard anyone regret their purchase of one. ------------- "Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkien 2014 Hood River 177 2005 GMC Envoy XL |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2016 at 2:56pm
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I have a standard round bar WDH and a separate sway bar. The sway bar really does help. The advantage to the separate sway bar is the use of brake pads for friction. The E2 and similar WDHs with integrated sway control get their anti-sway friction from metal-on-metal contact. I wonder if anyone has tried adding brake pad material to the bar and bracket.
As for semis making the rig shimmy, just get in their draft. :) |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 12:58pm
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The metal-on-metal contact is all you need. Most of the weight of the tongue is being applied at that interface (half to each side).
CoosBay - I always recommend a WDH with integrated sway control. When I moved up to our 2010 Suburban I tried 1/2 of a trip w/o the sway bars installed and never towed w/o them again. Improves the ride quality a lot. ------------- 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: CoosBayRPodder
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2016 at 12:35am
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We ended up going with the Husky Centerline TS. ------------- Roy & Dudi 2017 R-Pod 180 "PODdy Time"
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Posted By: Rustler
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2016 at 3:10am
That's what I got for towing our 171. But haven't yet towed it very far. I'll report how it works with a RAV4 Toyota going over the Siskiyou mountains. I'm curious if any forum members have experience with that Husky hitch.
------------- Russ 2009 Toyota RAV4 V6 w/ tow package 2016 Rpod 171 HRE |