# Equalizer Hitch



## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

I know this topic has probably worn you all to a frazzle, but I really trust what you all have to say.

When we purchased our TT, the hitch, WD bars and brake controller were all thrown into the deal. We have the Husky brake controller, Reese WD and the Reese friction anti sway bar setup.

Now that I have heard so many not so great things about friction sway controls, my DW and I want to get the Equalizer Hitch.

Here are my questions:
1: My dealers catalog sells the 1,200 for $636.00 and I just found one on eBay for $399.99 plus free shipping from RV Wholesalers Specials...would this be the best deal I will find?

2: Is it easy to switch out what we already have? Can we do it ourselves?

3: What size would you go with for the 28KRS? 1,000 lb tongue weight/10,000 lb trailer or the 1,200 lb tongue weight/12,000 lb trailer? Since our cargo area in front is rated to 1,000 lbs, I'm thinking the 1,200 lb would be best









I'm upset that the dealer set us up with a somewhat cheesy towing package. It makes me mad that they know who to prey on and cheat when it comes to quality and safety. We didn't know any better at the time, but now we do...









I wonder if they would give us credit for this stuff and order what we really want.

Sorry for so many questions, I just want to get this right the second time 
around









Thanks!
Dawn sunny


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## mik0445 (Jun 5, 2006)

I think I would go with the 1200# set, just to be safe. You know as well as I do there is no way we are going to keep the 600# tongue weight when we have a toy in the cargo bay. As far as setting things up, I think you should be able to do it yourself, as long as you have a little bit o mechanical skills, and this will also help with adjustments down the road. Don't know about prices though, everything costs a lot more up here!


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## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

I purchased my Equalizer from RV Wholesalers at that price, but I called them and placed the order instead of using eBay. Also had them drop ship it to my selling dealer. Talked to a very nice lady about the shipping arrangements. She even called me to tell me when it was shipped out.









To make a long story short, the dealer messed up the set up, so back home I completely reset my hitch. Install is pretty straight forward, so you can do it yourself. The only problem I had was that the hitch head bolts were larger than any wrench I had -- 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 inch (can't remember), so I had to borrow one from a mechanic.

I would also say the 1200 lb. bars, especially if you are hauling toys. I'm not sure what the downside may be though if you are not hauling.







A stiffer ride?


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## FridayYet? (Feb 9, 2006)

GoVols said:


> I purchased my Equalizer from RV Wholesalers at that price, but I called them and placed the order instead of using eBay. Also had them drop ship it to my selling dealer. Talked to a very nice lady about the shipping arrangements. She even called me to tell me when it was shipped out.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ditto (purchased my Equalizer from RV Wholesalers; best price and service!),
Ditto (dealer installed it wrong. I had to re do it, but it was not hard at all. great instruction video online and paper directions.),
and Ditto (I went with 1200# bars. same price; plan for the future).

Mike


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Dawn,

You definately want to go with the 1,200# bars. I have the 1,000# on my 28RS-DS, and they work, but the 1,200#'ers would have been better.

As far as installing it yourself, they are pretty easy - heavy!, but easy. The instructions are complete and very easy to follow. As GoVols mentioned, the hitch head bolts are big,and you also need access to a 200lb-ft torque wrench. Those are a little hard to find, and expensive, but not a bad investment if you have a W/D hitch setup to maintain.









The price looks good to me, and I have heard many good things about RV Wholesalers. Go for it!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Go with the 1200 lb bars
Sounds like a nice price from RV Wholeseller
You should have no trouble doing it yourself just read the instruction carefully
And take your time doing it and double check everything

Don


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Thanks you guys







I knew I could count on you action

I will call RV Wholesalers on Monday to order the 1,200 lb hitch. It's really cool that everything is built in (WD and sway) unlike what we have now...

Dawn sunny


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## Katrina (Dec 16, 2004)

Ditto on RVWholesalers.
I like the Equalizer much better than the Reese that it replaced.


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

Following the equal-i-zer directions EXACTLY will give you a very nice improvement in towing. I did not use a torque wrench on mine, I put a 4 foot breaker bar over the end of my wrench and tightened it as tight as I could. It hasn't fallen off so I think it's tight enough







.

Mike


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Hi all,

I have one more question...did you have to take measurements to find out which size shank to order for your equalizer hitch or did you use the one that comes standard with it which is the 3" drop 5" rise.

Thanks








Dawn


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## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

I would say in almost all cases the standard shank will work. My truck is a Z71 off road package with 17 inch wheels; it sits up pretty high, and the standard shank was fine.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

skippershe said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I have one more question...did you have to take measurements to find out which size shank to order for your equalizer hitch or did you use the one that comes standard with it which is the 3" drop 5" rise.
> 
> ...


Dawn,

In our case, the shank that came with the hitch worked fine. As GoVols said, it is pretty generic and will work in most cases. That said, you do need to measure the coupler height on the trailer, add a little extra height to that (based on an easy calculation in the installation manual), and match your ball height to that, as closely as you can. You will find out soon enough if the standard shank will work or not.









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

OK, sorry one more question...

I saw another post asking whether or not the equalizer hitch needs to be removed from the TV while camping...can someone please give me a scenario of what needs to happen with the hitch once you unhook the TT? These sound really heavy and not too easy to move around on a whim.

Thanks,
Dawn


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

Relax. You can get a hitch lock and can keep it secured on the TV while you camp. Some will remove it if they don't want to keep banging their shins. I put the w/d bars in the back of my Yukon on a blanket. They do get greasy. Many crafted neat little holders out of pvc pipe secured to the A frame area to hold them and keep off the ground. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I want to make sure all my hitch equipment is safe and secure. I'd hate to lose a part and then figure out how to tow it home. Check the gallery for some of the pics. I can't remember off hand who posted them.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

campmg said:


> Relax. You can get a hitch lock and can keep it secured on the TV while you camp. Some will remove it if they don't want to keep banging their shins. I put the w/d bars in the back of my Yukon on a blanket. They do get greasy. Many crafted neat little holders out of pvc pipe secured to the A frame area to hold them and keep off the ground. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I want to make sure all my hitch equipment is safe and secure. I'd hate to lose a part and then figure out how to tow it home. Check the gallery for some of the pics. I can't remember off hand who posted them.
> [snapback]131527[/snapback]​


I also saw that RV wholesalers sells equalizer emergency kits that contain all the little parts that you would need...i'll look for some gallery pics.

Thanks!
Dawn


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## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

skippershe said:


> OK, sorry one more question...
> 
> I saw another post asking whether or not the equalizer hitch needs to be removed from the TV while camping...can someone please give me a scenario of what needs to happen with the hitch once you unhook the TT? These sound really heavy and not too easy to move around on a whim.
> 
> ...


I don't want banged up, greased shins, so I usually pull out the hitch, put the locking pin back in it, and set it underneath the propane tanks of the camper. When I'm too lazy to do that, I will lower the tailgate on the truck, which will keep one from banging shins and/or greasing pants. I have also left the hitch in place and rotated the bars back towards the bumper and left everything in place. The nuts holding the bar receivers have enough torque on them that the bars will not swing around. I also slip a cover over the hitch ball.


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## Humpty (Apr 20, 2005)

I usually leave it all connected and swing the bars to the bumper. Guess I should get a lock so it does not grow legs!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

I like to unload the Suburban, then back it up to one side of the trailer. This keeps kids from running between TV and TT.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

My standard procedure is to remove the bars, and store them under the trailer (Right now, I just put them on the ground, but intend to install a holder under the 'A' frame for them, if I ever get a little time!). I leave the hitch in place on the truck, but it is locked on. Finally, I wipe the hitch assembly down to get all the grease off it. I also put a hitch lock on the trailer itself.

I have found that one shin banging per family member seems to pretty much take care of that issue!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

skippershe said:


> campmg said:
> 
> 
> > Relax. You can get a hitch lock and can keep it secured on the TV while you camp. Some will remove it if they don't want to keep banging their shins. I put the w/d bars in the back of my Yukon on a blanket. They do get greasy. Many crafted neat little holders out of pvc pipe secured to the A frame area to hold them and keep off the ground. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I want to make sure all my hitch equipment is safe and secure. I'd hate to lose a part and then figure out how to tow it home. Check the gallery for some of the pics. I can't remember off hand who posted them.
> ...


Hey Dawn....

If you have a Harbor Freight Tools store around, you can get a 300 pc. assortment of hitch pins for $3.99 on sale. That is pretty much the only thing you would need to back up.

Happy Outbacking!

Tim


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Highlander96 said:


> campmg said:
> 
> 
> > Relax. You can get a hitch lock and can keep it secured on the TV while you camp. Some will remove it if they don't want to keep banging their shins. I put the w/d bars in the back of my Yukon on a blanket. They do get greasy. Many crafted neat little holders out of pvc pipe secured to the A frame area to hold them and keep off the ground. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I want to make sure all my hitch equipment is safe and secure. I'd hate to lose a part and then figure out how to tow it home. Check the gallery for some of the pics. I can't remember off hand who posted them.
> ...


Hey Dawn....

If you have a Harbor Freight Tools store around, you can get a 300 pc. assortment of hitch pins for $3.99 on sale. That is pretty much the only thing you would need to back up.

Happy Outbacking!

Tim
[/quote]
Thank you Tim, yes, we do have Harbor Freight Tools here









Dawn


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

I'm more worried about someone else deciding they need my w/d bars more than I do. I keep them locked in the truck.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

campmg said:


> I'm more worried about someone else deciding they need my w/d bars more than I do.


Not trying to be a smart-a** here... But, for what?
If they have a hitch that uses them, they already have the bars.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

PDX_Doug said:


> I'm more worried about someone else deciding they need my w/d bars more than I do.


Not trying to be a smart-a** here... But, for what?
If they have a hitch that uses them, they already have the bars.

Happy Trails,
Doug
[/quote]

Not being a smart-a** at all Doug but there's never much sense to mischief and thievery. Maybe there's pirates out there -- arrrrgh. Will the 1,000 lb bars fit the 600 lb hitch head? Maybe they want to upgrade. Maybe taken to place across a fire pit to hold a grilling grate in place. As you can see, I have no idea but just don't want to worry about it.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

campmg said:


> I'm more worried about someone else deciding they need my w/d bars more than I do.


Not trying to be a smart-a** here... But, for what?
If they have a hitch that uses them, they already have the bars.

Happy Trails,
Doug
[/quote]

Not being a smart-a** at all Doug but there's never much sense to mischief and thievery. Maybe there's pirates out there -- arrrrgh. Will the 1,000 lb bars fit the 600 lb hitch head? Maybe they want to upgrade. Maybe taken to place across a fire pit to hold a grilling grate in place. As you can see, I have no idea but just don't want to worry about it.
[/quote]

Good points, campmg!

I know we certainly never did anything in our youth just for the heck of it!








As far as heavier bars fitting in lighter hitch heads, I doubt they will, as they have different sectional dimensions.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## theroyz71 (Apr 9, 2006)

I just ordered the 1k/10k Equal-i-zer hitch for our Tail-Gator. It lists a 720# hitch wt but unlike the KRS it is a conventional toy hauler so I shouldn't be overloading the front. I hope.

BTW, I ordered mine from www.rvpartsclub.com. It was cheaper than RVWholesalers.com by a couple bucks including shipping.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

theroyz71 said:


> I just ordered the 1k/10k Equal-i-zer hitch for our Tail-Gator. It lists a 720# hitch wt but unlike the KRS it is a conventional toy hauler so I shouldn't be overloading the front. I hope.
> 
> BTW, I ordered mine from www.rvpartsclub.com. It was cheaper than RVWholesalers.com by a couple bucks including shipping.


Hey, four bucks is four bucks!


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## theroyz71 (Apr 9, 2006)

skippershe said:


> I just ordered the 1k/10k Equal-i-zer hitch for our Tail-Gator. It lists a 720# hitch wt but unlike the KRS it is a conventional toy hauler so I shouldn't be overloading the front. I hope.
> 
> BTW, I ordered mine from www.rvpartsclub.com. It was cheaper than RVWholesalers.com by a couple bucks including shipping.


Hey, four bucks is four bucks!
[/quote]

Amen brutha!









Oops, I guess that's amen sista!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

skippershe said:


> I just ordered the 1k/10k Equal-i-zer hitch for our Tail-Gator. It lists a 720# hitch wt but unlike the KRS it is a conventional toy hauler so I shouldn't be overloading the front. I hope.
> 
> BTW, I ordered mine from www.rvpartsclub.com. It was cheaper than RVWholesalers.com by a couple bucks including shipping.


Hey, four bucks is four bucks!
[/quote]

Or a gallon of gas in another month.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Oregon_Camper said:


> I just ordered the 1k/10k Equal-i-zer hitch for our Tail-Gator. It lists a 720# hitch wt but unlike the KRS it is a conventional toy hauler so I shouldn't be overloading the front. I hope.
> 
> BTW, I ordered mine from www.rvpartsclub.com. It was cheaper than RVWholesalers.com by a couple bucks including shipping.


Hey, four bucks is four bucks!
[/quote]

Or a gallon of gas in another month.








[/quote]
Yipes, Now that you mention it, I guess we'd better get our hitch from these guys then...


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