# 2 Towing Questions/opinion Needed



## knauby (Aug 16, 2012)

I'm new to towing so I would like to hear some opinions.

Is the sway bar necessary for short trips at non highway speeds. I move my trailer frequently just a few miles.

Is theft a real concern? I see lockable hitch pins for sale everywhere and wonder if I should buy one.


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## daslobo777 (Mar 24, 2007)

The first question is difficult to answer without knowing your setup. In my setup the Equalizer Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH) and Sway Bars are integrated and I would not even drive a few miles with the WDH setup properly. If your sway are are seperate from your WDH then I would say that you could get away from using them only if you are driving a few miles on secondary roads only. If you are driving on a highway or interstate fwy then always use your your comple WDH/sway bar setup.

Depending on where you drive/camp, we all like to think that we should be able to get by without lockable everything, including hitch pins. I do not use a lockable hitch pin when I travel, but when the TT is in storage I use a lockable hitch cover. Remember it only takes one theft to make the cost/hassle of a lockable something or other to seem pretty worth while.

Welcome to OB.com


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

My storage lot is about 2 miles away and all within 35mph zones. I don't connect my Equalizer WD bars for take it to/from this location. Anything else...Yes.

I lock the hitch while in storage. I think the lock was under $20, so well worth the 30 seconds it takes me to put it on.


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## GlenninTexas (Aug 11, 2004)

I wouldn't more than a few miles without the whole setup, but it sounds like your not. If the road is rough or very bumpy I'd go without the full setup either.

As far as the lock pin, I never bothered until one time on a camping trip the guy in the site next to me had driven into town and while there his hitch was stolen. He didn't notice it until the next day (Sunday)when he was packing up to leave. He had to drive over a hundred miles to find a dealer open that he could buy a replacement from. $20 pin is cheap insurance, I bought one on the way home from that trip.

Regards, Glenn


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## KTMRacer (Jun 28, 2010)

If your talking about your trailer, a lockable hitch PIN does virtually no good. The reason is that even with the hitch pin locked, you can drop the coupler over a 2" ball and drive off with the trailer. You need something that blocks the bottom of the coupler.

When we were resurfacing the community RV lot a few folks hadn't moved their trailers and I just put on my 2" coupler and moved the trailers into the street even though the hitch pins were locked.

If your talking about the TV reciever, yes,I have a lock for the reciever. don't want it disappearing either. Especially since my airsafe air ride hitch is pretty expensive.


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## Duanesz (Jul 10, 2009)

The big thing I would be worried about is tongue weight most class III hitches are only rated at 500lbs with out weight distributing hitch. How much tongue weight does your trailer have?


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## sulvester10 (Feb 20, 2012)

KTMRacer said:


> If your talking about your trailer, a lockable hitch PIN does virtually no good. The reason is that even with the hitch pin locked, you can drop the coupler over a 2" ball and drive off with the trailer. You need something that blocks the bottom of the coupler.
> 
> When we were resurfacing the community RV lot a few folks hadn't moved their trailers and I just put on my 2" coupler and moved the trailers into the street even though the hitch pins were locked.
> 
> If your talking about the TV reciever, yes,I have a lock for the reciever. don't want it disappearing either. Especially since my airsafe air ride hitch is pretty expensive.


thats why i lock mine open. they mite be able to move it but they won't be rolling down the road with it. but i just got the reese yellow lock for the trailer if I'm worried about someone moveing it. if i rember it was less the 20$.


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## Red Beard (Feb 13, 2010)

I have moved hitch locked open trailers&#8230;.tongue weight plus a strap around it and roll out.








That said I have the master lock tongue lock on my trailers, this system places a solid flat bottom plate under the tongue. 
Mater makes a lever that locks the hitch latch on top of the tongue but it will not fit our Outback due to the slight recess of the hitch latch when in the closed position.
When running down the road I due utilize a pin latch to assure that the tongue latch can not surprisingly open. I also thread the 6 pin wire harness and brake cable through the pin latch to prevent them from becoming chaffed or caught in the WD system.


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