Sway Bars Needed? |
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johnandwendee
Newbie Joined: 11 Mar 2014 Location: Ontario, Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 35 |
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Topic: Sway Bars Needed? Posted: 06 Apr 2014 at 8:41am |
We are looking at a 179. Will we need sway bars? We have towed a 5th wheel before but towing a "trailer" will be different.
Thanks John |
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John and Wendee
Bracebridge, Ontario Canada |
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CharlieM
Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 06 Apr 2014 at 9:13am |
Need more info. What will you tow it with? Compared to your 5er experience, sway is a bigger problem with bumper towing due to the geometry. A bigger concern may be weight distribution. Generally I recommend weight distribution coupled with sway control. Then you've got the best of all worlds.
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Charlie
Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
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johnandwendee
Newbie Joined: 11 Mar 2014 Location: Ontario, Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 35 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 06 Apr 2014 at 9:17am |
Thanks Charlie. We have not yet chosen a tow vehicle. We are hoping for a V6 SUV. Please tell me more about weight disttibution.
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John and Wendee
Bracebridge, Ontario Canada |
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Tars Tarkas
Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1447 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 06 Apr 2014 at 9:19am |
I've never used sway bars just so you understand my perspective on this.
There are at least several variables involved in whether you might need sway bars. Your tow vehicle, your trailer, the height of your hitch, the weight of trailer, the balance of the weight front to back, and the tongue weight at least. That's before you consider road conditions, like driving down hill in a cross wind and being passed by a giant tractor trailer. I do fine without sway bars with my 176 pulled by a Toyota FJ Cruiser. Your situation will be different. The smaller and/or shorter your tow vehicle, generally, the more likely you are to want sway bars. Sway bars can be an important safety consideration. Arguably, at least, they are somewhat inconvenient and they add weight. You can try towing without them and see how you do. If you need them, you can add them later. Or, you can go with the philosophy that it's safer to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. It's not necessary to have a weight distributing hitch to have sway bars, but they often go together. TT |
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2010 176
FJ Cruiser |
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ron_whitt
Senior Member Joined: 08 Sep 2011 Location: Chesterville On Online Status: Offline Posts: 261 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 06 Apr 2014 at 9:46am |
John, I also have an FJ, I only have a friction sway bar. Like TT said it all depends on your tv. With the sway bar I don't even feel the pod behind us. I have pulled the pod short distances without the sway bar and I could feel the difference pulling. The "only" time I've felt anything was when I was meeting a dump truck. Never when semi's, dump trucks, or buses pass us. When you go to back up you have to take the sway bar off.. Takes seconds to do that and your getting out to survey the land anyway....
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Ron & Shirley
2020 Tacoma 2012 177 rpod |
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CharlieM
Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 06 Apr 2014 at 9:57am |
Once again I find myself agreeing with Tars Tarkas. Weight distribution and sway control are complex subjects all wrapped up in the TT and TV combination. The Toyota FJ as a very capable TV and may get away with fewer helpers than a less capable SUV. So..........
I towed a RP172 with a 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L V6. It was a 4WD rated at #4500 towing and #450 hitch weight. After much research I went with the Fastway E2 weight distribution hitch (WDH) with built in sway control. I've tried driving with and without the E2 connected and I'll never be without it. Neither will my wife! That said, WDH and sway control are separable and some will argue for one and not the other, but the combination is easy, available, and "why not". Sway can be controlled with careful selection: maintain adequate tongue weight, minimize trailer weight behind the axle, maximize TV wheelbase, minimize distance from hitch ball to TV rear axle. Unfortunately the same conditions that minimize sway also create the need for weight distribution. As the trailer tongue weight increases the bumper hitch tends to lower the TV rear and and raise the TV front end. This takes weight off the front wheels and decreases your ability to control and steer the rig. A very uncomfortable and dangerous condition. The solution is a WDH which shifts weight off the TV rear axle, back onto the TV front axle, and also to the trailer axle. Lots of engineer speak here but it works. A search on this form and others for WDH/sway conntrol will keep you reading well into next week, pro and con. Do the research and come back with your questions. That's why we're all here. |
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Charlie
Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
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Old Dingo&Mrs.Dingo
Senior Member Joined: 07 Jul 2012 Location: Tarentum, PA Online Status: Offline Posts: 138 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 06 Apr 2014 at 10:58am |
Andersen makes a light weight (60#) WDH that provides both anti-sway and weight distribution. Because it uses weight induced friction on the ball, along with chains & urethane "shock absorbers", to provide control, it doesn't have to be removed when you back up. There are no bars to "pry" into position, just an adjustment with a 1/2" drive ratchet. It is also a little cheaper than most WDH systems. All FYI.
http://www.andersenhitches.com/Catalog/4-droprise-wd-kits.aspx |
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Old Dingo and/or Mrs. Dingo
181G 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee |
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Boomertype
Senior Member Joined: 12 Jan 2014 Location: Seattle Online Status: Offline Posts: 108 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 06 Apr 2014 at 5:03pm |
Sometimes with sway bars, they only save you that one time you need them most. Three words - Conditions, Conditions, Conditions!
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Hairy Podders
Senior Member Joined: 05 Mar 2014 Location: Northwest Ohio Online Status: Offline Posts: 217 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 06 Apr 2014 at 6:10pm |
We hauled our 2014 178 home a week ago in driving rain & 35 mph winds with our Wrangler Unlimited using a Blue Ox WDH with built in sway control. Comparing that experience to our Coleman Columbia popup camper is like night & day. I have hauled the 800 lb Coleman all over without WDH or swaybar. The 2642 lb Rpod was much more stable & easier to handle in the winds that we experienced than the Coleman in light winds in Iowa a couple of times.
Also, with the Blue Ox Hitch, you do not have to unhook anything to back into a camping spot. Also no annoying noises coming from the hitch when maneuvering tightly in gas stations. |
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Darryl, Julie & Lindsey
Cooper & Libby- Devoted Canines 2014 RP178 2006 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9062 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 06 Apr 2014 at 7:18pm |
Conditions is correct. I used to pull a popup which was suicide to pull w/o a sway bar, and tried all methods to reduce the problem. When I got the pod I was very happy to see how well it pulled - stable and smooth. I towed for some time w/o sway control. Then one day I was towing in a heavy wind and experienced sway problems, and decided I should finally get it. I figured I might as well get weight distribution at the same time. When I changed my TV to something that doesn't need either I still found the ride comfort was much better when using the WDH so I still use it.
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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