# A Few Thoughts About The Equal-i-zer Hitch



## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

I have the Equalizer 1200/12000. I used is a few times with my 32BHDS and F150 and now a few times with my 32BHDS and F350. Here are a couple questions i wanted to pass along and see what you think.
These questions pertain to the sway controll portion of the hitch not the WD.

1. Can the same hitch perform well on both a 21' TT and a 32' TT. The bolts are torqued to the same spec. the dynamics on a 32' TT are much higher than on a 21' TT. how can that torque provide the same performance? Should the bolts be torqued slightly higher for larger/heavier trailers? i know what the manual says but am wondering if in theory it would perform better.

2. I believe I noticed better sway control with the system hooked up to my F150 than on my F350. This could be just in my mind but here is a potential reason. Using a system like the Equalizer that relies a lot on the friction of the bars on the L-brackets to control sway with a truck such as a 1-ton does the following.
- reduces the amount of WD put on the TV due to the stiffer suspention. 
- this reduced WD also means less pressure on the L-brackets for sway control. 
- can the lower pressure on the L-brackets reduce the effect of the swap control on the trailer?

With the hitch properly setup i can tell that during hookup of the TV to TT there is less pressure on the L-brackets.

In conclusion, im wondering of a hitch system such as an Equalizer is the right hitch for use with a large trailer and a HD truck. I could be completey off here and missing something. Let me know what you think and the experiences you are having. i will continue to use this setup for now as i have not felt that my safety has been in jeopardy but i am considering a change to a Hensly. If they really are all that much better.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

When I had the 28 TT and my dually with the dual cam, I knew transferring weight forward was not going to happen. I set the rig level, obviously and then tried to put the same tension I used with my suburban on the duelly to get the control of the sway control but not really needing the weight dist part. Sway control worked effectively.

It worked for me, right or wrong









John


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

We went from the LD truck to the HD truck, with no problems. Same trailer though, so don't know what difference thbat may make.


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

I don't have any experience with a 1-ton truck, but I can tell you most definately DO NOT over tighten the socket bolts on the hitch. Friction is a physical force that tends to resist movement. Theoretically speaking, more friction should provide more sway control, but you don't want to stretch the bolts or threads, nor do you want to cause premature wear to the hitch head and sockets.

The installation manual makes no distinction between tow-vehicle suspensions, other than giving you information for keeping trailer and tow vehicle level. And that's all you should worry about, IMHO.

If it were me, I'd follow the installation instructions to the letter. You may want to get new hitch head bolts and socket bolts, though, just to be sure they are still trustworthy. Be sure to get the right threads, grade of bolt, etc. I'd probably order new ones from the manufacturer - but I'm picky about that stuff.

It's my opinion that if you set everything up correctly, the sway control should work well for you. That was my experience when I moved from a 1/2-ton TV to a 3/4-ton TV. I'd guess that moving up to a 1-ton TV would not be any different.

Just my $.02.

Mike


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

You bring up a lot of good questions that I cannot answer. But, did you also test the height of the hitch ball when changing TV's? The instrutions do make mention to adjusting the height of the ball based on your suspension (1/2, 3/4 or 1 ton) based on each 100 lbs of tongue weight. I'm still playing with mine going from a 1/2 ton Yukon to the 3/4 ton 4x4 Yukon XL. Seems if you're not getting enough tension and the bars are easier to install with the new truck, you may have to adjust something to gain more sway control.

Heavy winds will move your camper and TV as one unit. The camper acts like a big sail. The key is that the trailer isn't really swaying but moving in conjunction with the TV.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

campmg said:


> You bring up a lot of good questions that I cannot answer. But, did you also test the height of the hitch ball when changing TV's? The instrutions do make mention to adjusting the height of the ball based on your suspension (1/2, 3/4 or 1 ton) based on each 100 lbs of tongue weight. I'm still playing with mine going from a 1/2 ton Yukon to the 3/4 ton 4x4 Yukon XL. Seems if you're not getting enough tension and the bars are easier to install with the new truck, you may have to adjust something to gain more sway control.


I did make all associated height adjustments and as far as i know i followed the instructions precisely as they are explained in the manual. Im leaning towrds addin 1 more washer to the hitch head. I dont want to add too much as putting more WD on the front axles was creating a very harsh ride. right now im getting 0" compression in the front and 1" compression in the rear with it setup as explained in the manual. the only thing that is different is the manula stated to start with 5 washers. mine only came with 4 after the dealer installed it initially.


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

Mine came set up with 6 washers but not sure why. It may help since the hitch receiver seems to point upward a little it helps to keep it at the suggested downward angle.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

We obtained a better ride in our 1 ton by allowing more weight on the back of the truck. We have just enough pressure on the "L" brackets for sway control. DH also added about 300 lbs worth of sandbags in the bed...The road to Zion was a great ride because of all the weight we had in the garage, but on our recent trip to the SoCal rally we were quite a bit lighter and therefore, the Outback was bouncing a bit







Yes, these 1 tons are a bit tricky!


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

skippershe said:


> We obtained a better ride in our 1 ton by allowing more weight on the back of the truck. We have just enough pressure on the "L" brackets for sway control. DH also added about 300 lbs worth of sandbags in the bed...The road to Zion was a great ride because of all the weight we had in the garage, but on our recent trip to the SoCal rally we were quite a bit lighter and therefore, the Outback was bouncing a bit
> 
> 
> 
> ...


How much bouncing can you have driving a few miles down Jamboree?


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

DT,

Good questions... and hopefully simple answers...

To question #1: Do not change the up the torque settings on the bolts. As Scoutr2 mentioned, you could damage the hitch head. The main reason for the specified torque is to keep the pieces from falling apart, not to effect the friction level. The friction you will get from torquing down the bolts is nothing compared to what the bars will provide.

To question #2: This is a little more involved. The sway control from the system is derived entirely from the friction on four points (the contact patches between the bars and the 'L' brackets, and the contact patches between the bar sockets and the hitch head. The level of friction is strictly a function of how much tension you put on the bars. It does not matter what the TT or the TV are, 'X' amount of tension on the bars will always yield 'Y' amount of friction and sway control.

That said, where you need to be careful when changing from a 1/2 ton truck to a one ton, is the perception that you will not get, or do not need the same degree of weight distribution. In fact, the stiffer rear end of the one ton should make it easier to transfer weight forward. On my Titan for example, the rear end is so soft that is impossible for me to actually transfer the amount of weight forward that Equal-i-zer specifies. In order to do so, I would have to tension the bars so stiff that there would be no flex between the TV and TT. I actually had it so tight in attempting to achieve this spec at one time, that I had virtually no traction on the rear wheels of the truck (they would come off the ground in a big dip!). If the rear end were stiffer, I could have easily transferred the suggested weight forward. Fortunately for me, the weight that I was reasonably able to transfer forward suits my combination perfectly, and I have zero sway or drive-ability issues, even though it does not meet Equal-i-zers recommendations.

The danger is in thinking that because the rear of that stout one ton truck does not settle much, you do not need any weight distribution. As you add tongue weight, the truck pivots about the rear axle, and you are reducing weight on the front axle which will lead to reduced steering and braking performance. The change may not be visible, but it is there (as a session on the scales will confirm).

Back to the sway issue, if you reduce the tension on the bars because you don't need the transfer, then yes, you will reduce the anti-sway performance as well. My recommendation is to get to a set of scales where you can spend some time, and work on getting that tongue weight distributed equally between the front and rear axles of the truck (even though the truck does not 'need' it). Once you have done that, I think you will find that the anti-sway performance falls right in line as well.









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

My Equal-I-zer is over four years old now and has many thousand miles on it. It has been on three different trucks and three different Outbacks and once setup with the hitch hieght and number of washers it has been flawless. I also toyed with a Hensley Arrow at the beginning of this season but I sold it and went back to the Equal-I-zer ( the Hensley is a superior hitch but I liked the ride of the other hitch and didn't need it with a 3/4 ton truck). This is what its been on.

97 1/2 ton burb & 26rs

02 2500 Avalanche & 26rs

02 2500 Avalanche & 27rsds

02 2500 Avalanche & 32bhds

07 2500 Ram CTD & 32bhds

With a little tweaking with each setup its been great.

John


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## Five Outbackers (Dec 27, 2006)

johnp2000 said:


> 97 1/2 ton burb & 26rs
> 
> 02 2500 Avalanche & 26rs
> 
> ...


Not to highjack this thread But.......

Wow is that not a testament to the bigger the truck / the bigger the Outback... Next stop a fifth wheel


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

Five Outbackers said:


> 97 1/2 ton burb & 26rs
> 
> 02 2500 Avalanche & 26rs
> 
> ...


Not to highjack this thread But.......

Wow is that not a testament to the bigger the truck / the bigger the Outback... Next stop a fifth wheel








[/quote]

















John


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

Ok, Here is what I have to say.. lol

You needed 1200 lb bars on a 1/2 ton to help pick the truck back off the ground.. So a 1/2 ton requires bars that are over spec of the tongue weight to get all the distribution of weight that is possible.

Now you have a 1 ton.. Your actual tongue weight is prolly about 900-1000 lbs on your model trailer.. So to get your eq hitch to work properly you need 1000 lb bars. If you use 1200lb bars and crank em down, you are getting a spring effect that the 1/2 ton needed to pick its butt off the ground.. That is why you have a rough ride when you crank the bars to what USED to be.

With a heavier truck the bars need to closely match the Actual tongue weight of the camper you have. That way when cranked down, you will have a better ride. On your truck, you dont need to go overboard on the bars like a 1/2 needs. You need bars that are the same as the actual hitch weight.

Its actually possible that a 800 lb set of bars would work, as you dont need much wd anymore, but with 800 lbs cranked you would get good sway control.

Good Luck

Carey


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> Ok, Here is what I have to say.. lol
> 
> You needed 1200 lb bars on a 1/2 ton to help pick the truck back off the ground.. So a 1/2 ton requires bars that are over spec of the tongue weight to get all the distribution of weight that is possible.
> 
> ...


Carey,
Very intersting and exactly along the same lines that i was thinking. with the 1-ton im not needing the WD as much and it is sacrificing the sway control. im going to try adding another washer to the hitch and see how that does. without 40mph cross winds it works fine but i think it worked better on my F150. you may have explained it precisely....
Anyone locally have a 1000lb setup they could lend me for a weekend?......


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## NJMikeC (Mar 29, 2006)

I'm along the lines of the weight isn't being distributed but not feeling that you should switch out bars. Couple things to always remember. The tongue weight doesn't change for a give ride height. The spring bars have the same force for a given deflection. What certainly is a variable is the change of ride height from a 150 to a 350. I would bet maybe even 5 inches with the tongue weight on it. Therefore you really have to look at what shank your using and leave the things alone that you can't change anyways.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

I have replaced the shank and lowered the system 3.5" to regain the same ride height. The hitch has been all readjusted and is setup ready to go with exception of adding the additional washer (5 total) for some reason mine only had 4. Ill give that a try. Like I said earlier. The performance is really good. Im just wondering if it is the most optimal with this type of setup in the windier situations. I think the heavy cross-wind, long trailer and less force on the L-Brackets due to the stiffer suspention all combined make for a less effective setup in these situations. Just a thought. Ill keep tweaking for a while and keep everyone posted. Maybe after a few more REALLY windy trips Ill bite the bullet for a Hensley....


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

I mentioned it before but still wondering if your trailer and TV are acting as one and being blown like a sail in the wind? I had many posts about this when I first started towing and wasn't sure the Hensley could eliminate these forces. How do you know when it's sway and when it's these other forces effecting both the trailer / TV together?

ON EDIT -- I just reviewed your "1 ton diesel or not" thread which covered the subject of sway vs. wind forces pretty well.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

NJMikeC said:


> I'm along the lines of the weight isn't being distributed but not feeling that you should switch out bars. Couple things to always remember. The tongue weight doesn't change for a give ride height. The spring bars have the same force for a given deflection. What certainly is a variable is the change of ride height from a 150 to a 350. I would bet maybe even 5 inches with the tongue weight on it. Therefore you really have to look at what shank your using and leave the things alone that you can't change anyways.


I'm with Mike here. If you are transferring 800 lbs, it doesn't matter whether the bars are bent (800 lb bars), or straight (1200 lb bars). The weight transfer and therefore resulting loads should be the same. This should make the friction the same (within reason). Lower rated bars will give you more flex however and therefore perhaps a better ride.

Now, if you look at the posted weights for this setup, the front axle is a lot closer to max than the rear axle. That makes me wonder about going for more weight transfer... I mean tilt the head and load up the water tanks and you don't want to overload your front axle while running 2000 lbs under weight on the rear!









My thoughts with 35' bumper pulls is that there is only so far hitches will get you and eventually physics will win. The next step is probably a 5er hitch in the bed of that truck!


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Nathan said:


> I'm with Mike here. If you are transferring 800 lbs, it doesn't matter whether the bars are bent (800 lb bars), or straight (1200 lb bars). The weight transfer and therefore resulting loads should be the same. This should make the friction the same (within reason). Lower rated bars will give you more flex however and therefore perhaps a better ride.
> 
> Now, if you look at the posted weights for this setup, the front axle is a lot closer to max than the rear axle. That makes me wonder about going for more weight transfer... I mean tilt the head and load up the water tanks and you don't want to overload your front axle while running 2000 lbs under weight on the rear!
> 
> ...


Nathan,
Heres the kicker on the weight transfer issue....i dont know my "before" weights. in our weigh and go stop i neglected to disconnect and weigh the TV and TT seperately so i dont know the pre-weight numbers. my mistake. but your right, i dont want to over do it on the WD to the front axle.

That is one of the reasons for this post. without distributing enough weight the Equalizer type hitches do not work to control Sway. especially with the bigger trailers. in a crude example, my F350 would not necessarily need WD at all. with that scenario, how do I control sway with this type of hitch? I feel that i have it dialed in pretty close. i get 0" compression in the front and 1" compression in the rear. When setting up the equalizer, it tells you to raise the hitch height 1/8" (for 1 ton) for every 100 lb of tongue weight and leave the L brackets where they were. This reduces the WD function due to the stiffer suspention. So just switching from my F150 to the F350 reduced the sway performance of the system. With the hitch being higher there is less force down on the L-brackets. It still might be just fine, but I think it did reduce it.

I need to keep in mind here that this discussion was started because of the experience we had this weekend with 40 mph wind gusts. tweaking or increasing resistance for more sway control may not make any effect in this situation. It just got me thinking about it as we were driving home.

Someone tell me if im losing my mind.....

Campmg,
Im pretty sure your right, i agree that mostly what is happening is that the complete rig is just being pushed by the big 40 mph wind gusts. and during my correction to stay in the lane the TT wiggles back and forth. I can see it in the side mirrors. the TT does not continuousely sway back an forth and in those winds, that is a good testiment to the effectiveness of the Equalizer even as it is currently setup. Id love to try out a Hensley in that scenario. Im sure any wiggle will be greatly reduced but keeping the rig in the lane wont be any easier.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Nathan said:


> The next step is probably a 5er hitch in the bed of that truck!


Stop it Nathan! Can i call you Nate?
You already single-handidly bought me an F350 with my money.....mind you, it was a good purchase and i thank you for it but a 5r? 
DONT GO THERE YET.


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## biga (Apr 17, 2006)

Before I tilted the hitch head any more, I would raise the L bracket's one hole and test. If your brackets are already at the top of thier adjustment, then you do need the washer, but the same effect comes from raising the brackets, and it is a lot quicker/easier.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

biga said:


> Before I tilted the hitch head any more, I would raise the L bracket's one hole and test. If your brackets are already at the top of thier adjustment, then you do need the washer, but the same effect comes from raising the brackets, and it is a lot quicker/easier.


Good point biga. I did try raising the L-brackets 1 notch. that was the highest. it made the ride very very bad. im hoping the washer is a slight increase.

Hey speaking of that....where should the set screw (i guess you would call it) be at. Im referring to the screw at the bottom of the hitch head, inline with the washers. should that be almost all the way screwed in or hardly screwed in or what? i noticed you can really effect the head angle by adjusting this. From reading it sounds like it should be only tightened after the hitch is setup which means it would not be screwed in very far. I think mine is screwed almost all the way in. thats how it was from the dealer and i did not change it.....


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## biga (Apr 17, 2006)

From what I have read, one hole on the brackets is approx. the same as adding a washer. If raising the brackets affected the ride, I suspect adding the washer will too. I have the equivalent of about 7 washers on my hitch, and the bars are basically parallel to the ground when all connected. When I pull the Roo without the bikes in the garage, I drop the brackets one hole because I seem to get too much transfer in that case.

You may actually want to consider removing a washer, and raising the brackets. That should give you the same weight transfer, but put more pressure on the bars which would help with sway control.

Also, the brackets that hold the L brackets should have the bolt towards the top of the frame, not the bottom. Mine was installed incorrectly by the dealer, it gives you about 3 more holes of adjustability.

The set screw at the bottom is basically to take the slack out of the hitch head before you tighten everything down. When you change out the washers, you will remove the two large bolts holding the hitch together and set the head on the ground. Add or remove washers and loosen the set screw. Then put the hitch head back on the shank with the two bolts hand tight. (It is much easier if you have a helper, but you can do it by yourself if you can hold the head in place with one hand. Then use the set screw to tighten the assembly so until it is snug and does not move on the shank. Then tighten the two big bolts to correct torque. (200 ft-lbs I think.) I've had mine apart about 4 times in the last year, I'm just about a pro at it.


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