ouR escaPOD mods

The latest mod: Installing a Hayes No-Sway Electronic Sway Control. After our accident in December, I wondered what I could have done to stop the sway caused by wind and ice at the beginning before it got bad enough to be beyond correction. I think the Hayes No-Sway will be helpful. When it detects a sway condition, it applies the trailer brakes. It has an internal GPS and gyroscope. The GPS detects speed so it does not become active until the speed is above 45 mph. That is so low-speed maneuvers won't cause the brakes to apply when they are not needed. The gyroscope detects the sway and triggers applicaton of the brakes. This, in combination with the Equal-i-zer, should provide for better outcomes should I encounter another situation with ice and wind that we encountered in December.

There is an issue since the Stromberg-Carlson Trailer Tray on which we carry our generator blocks a clear view of the sky. That would mean the GPS part would not operate effectively and thus would negate having the device mounted. I contacted technical support, but the reply was to mount it in a place I had already rejected as not having a  clear view. Since the angle between the front and side of the Trailer Tray is very similar to the angle of the tongue, I decided to mount it there. I used a piece of angle iron I had and nuts and bolts to drill and mount the No-Sway. The iron was painted with Rustoleum Rust Reformer paint as it already had some surface rust which I brushed away with a wire brush before painting. Because the device would block access to the sewer hose carrier on that side, I ended up modifying the bracket on the other side to allow the door on that side to swing freely.

I'm going to try to post a couple of pictures again and hopefully, this time they will stay posted and not turn into a broken link.





I'll report on hos well the Hayes No-Sway works after we get a chance to test it. It is likely we won't really notice much of a difference since under normal conditions, the Equal-i-zer will handle normal conditions and we are unlikely to encounter the ice and wind conditions in the summer. However, it will be an additional safety measure should some unexpected condition arise that would not be handled well by the Equal-i-zer alone.

Also, i am thinking of getting the BAL hide-a-spare to mount, which one is the right one for the bigger spare tire and the narrow frame of the R-pod? I already reinforced the hitch at the back for my bike rack and mounted the spare on the A-frame but i am experiencing heavy tongue weight. I bought the class II/III Air Safe hitch for a smother ride but seem to have extreme tongue weight, I'm at my maximum 100psi to get a level ride and that is with almost zero water in the tank since i am able to be connected with a city water supply and power on my trip to Bend, OR.

Originally posted by DaPod Also, i am thinking of getting the BAL hide-a-spare to mount, which one is the right one for the bigger spare tire and the narrow frame of the R-pod? I already reinforced the hitch at the back for my bike rack and mounted the spare on the A-frame but i am experiencing heavy tongue weight. I bought the class II/III Air Safe hitch for a smother ride but seem to have extreme tongue weight, I'm at my maximum 100psi to get a level ride and that is with almost zero water in the tank since i am able to be connected with a city water supply and power on my trip to Bend, OR. I want to buy the hide-a-hitch to help with weight rather than buying another hitch like a Gen-Y torque hitch.

First, BAL mount. The 28215 is the one you will want to get as BAL no longer makes the 28210, which is the one I got. I am currently not using mine, as after we had the accident, I bought the Nissan Frontier, so things I had put on a luggage rack on the back of our trailer now ride in the truck bed, so the spare is on the back receiver again. I may mount it again to be able to put a "bumper" on the back to carry the sewer hose, but haven't gotten to it yet. My tongue weight is about 600 lbs since i have the generator mounted. I may put the generator in the truck and put lighter items on the tray instead but I will want to build a box to hold them. No matter which BAL mount you get, you will have to modify it as all of them will be too long to fit. The BAL will flex and allow you to get the spare in the space between frame members behind the tanks and steps (if yours is a 179 like ours). Measure the thickness of the tire and mount the BAL to allow for the space needed. I mounted ours with the hinge end (driver's side) lower down and used stainless steel bolts, washers, and nylock nuts to hold that end. That let me get it low enough while still providing excellent support. The latch (passenger) side, also got SS bolts, washers, and nylock nuts.

As for the Air Safe, it may provide a smoother ride, but it is not a weight-distribution hitch. Neither is the hide-a-hitch. You don't say what tow vehicle you have. Instead of either hitch you mention, you may wish to look into the Equal-i-zer (what I use) or the Fastway E2 hitch or the Andersen No-Sway hitch. Any of these will help with the weight distribution and help control sway as well. You will get a better ride and less porpoising with them also.

Agreed that a WD hitch may be overkill for the Tahoe, but it would improve your ride. The general rule is 10-15% of the trailer's weight should be on the tongue. You don't want too much toward the back as that will increase sway. U-haul has a good demonstration of this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWd8ml9mFMo

It takes a little practice, hang in there!!