A poll on WDH w/sway control - R-pod Owners Forum

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GlueGuy

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Topic: A poll on WDH w/sway control
Posted: 08 Mar 2020 at 10:42am

+1 I agree that hooking up a WDH is no big deal. Once you understand the dynamics, it only takes a few minutes to hook or de-hook as it were.

bp
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mjlrpod

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Posted: 08 Mar 2020 at 9:26am

I use the E2 system also. I have the 600/6000 square friction bars. I don't understand why anyone would say using wdh is a waste of anything. Making sure your vehicle is somewhat level, and each wheel, front and back, is firmly planted against the road to assure the best possible control is not a waste. I also feel that having at least some sway control, is much better than no sway control. It's like stating that you should never ever wear a seat belt, because you'll probably not get into an accident today. Unless you buy a wdh that is guaranteed easy to install while your camper sways violently out of control as you drive down the highway, I would say it's not a waste.

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Wirat

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Posted: 08 Mar 2020 at 6:23am

Hey cool thanks for the responses. I can read about the differences on the websites that sell them, but those differences, clearance, installation time, etc. don't really mean as much to me as feedback from people like you actually using them with our particular type of trailer. I think I will go for the round bar version too if it's cheaper and seems to work with the R-pods as well as the trunnion does.

When I first bought this camper my neighbor (who has 30 years RV experience) told me I should get a WDH for safety reasons even though the trailer is light compared to others. I don't really see people here using them much on small stuff. I called Etrailer and the guy there told me for the R-Pod it would be a waste of money and would not make a difference until I was towing around 7,000 lbs. But then, my truck is only rated at 6,200 lbs max, so I think the Etrailer guy was missing the "big picture". To me it seems the physics should be the same just on a smaller scale...

When I read "installation" is easier for the trunnion style, do they mean each time you hook it up, or are they referring to the one-time installation when you first bolt the parts to the frame? If it's the one time initial installation they are referring to that's not a big deal to me.

CharlieM

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Posted: 07 Mar 2020 at 7:17pm

Round bar E2 600/6000 here. Glue Guy is right about ground clearance but that's seldom an issue.

Charlie
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GlueGuy

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Posted: 07 Mar 2020 at 4:26pm

Originally posted by Wirat

Old post new question - for those using the Fastaway e2 is it the trunnion or round bar style? I see both offered in the 6K model. I don't know what the pros and cons of each are other than the trunnion one cost more, so I assume it might have some advantages over the round bar type.

The trunnion has a little bit more clearance under the hitch, so if you have limited clearance at the back of your tow vehicle, it might be the better choice. We have the round bar version.

bp
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2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost

Wirat

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Posted: 07 Mar 2020 at 4:10pm

Old post new question - for those using the Fastaway e2 is it the trunnion or round bar style? I see both offered in the 6K model. I don't know what the pros and cons of each are other than the trunnion one cost more, so I assume it might have some advantages over the round bar type.

offgrid

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Posted: 22 Feb 2019 at 4:17pm

Originally posted by StephenH

Ideally yes, it would be better if one realizes that the slope of the ground will be a factor. It isn't always apparent.

Agreed, but when in doubt you can always release the bars first. Your hitch and jack will also let you know. If when you lift the tongue with the jack the load on the jack is getting heavy, the rear of the TV is coming up more than usual and the wdh bars are still under a lot of stress then you have a caution flag.

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StephenH

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Posted: 22 Feb 2019 at 3:36pm

Ideally yes, it would be better if one realizes that the slope of the ground will be a factor. It isn't always apparent.

StephenH
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offgrid

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Posted: 22 Feb 2019 at 6:32am

Originally posted by lostagain

If you have a slope issue and can't get the bars off without the tool, then take them off ahead of time when you're on the flat and move the trailer to the slope without the bars in place.

The concern about tension on the wdh bars when on uneven terrain is a very good one. Consider that your wdh is set up on flat ground so its trying to keep all 3 axles of your rig in a straight line. So, if say you're backing down a slope into a flat campsite your wdh is trying to lift both the trailer tongue and the rear of your TV up in the air. The tension on the bars under those conditions is going to go way up. You could easily have a thousand pounds of tension on the bars, probably more.

In that case, even if you lift the tongue with the jack before you release the bars you will now be hanging the back of the TV on the hitch and tongue jack, which isn't a great idea either. So, I agree with lostagain, the best thing to do under conditions where the TV rear axle is going to end up sitting low relative to a straight line drawn between the trailer axle and front axle is to release the wdh tension before parking.

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lostagain

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Posted: 22 Feb 2019 at 5:52am

Stephen, I am not familiar with the Equal-I-zer WDH. I was describing a danger in the Fastway e-2 in which the friction occurs on the L brackets mounted on the tongue and the bars pivot at the head of the hitch. Sorry for the confusion.

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