# Help With New Tt And Equalizer Hitch



## cope222 (Nov 14, 2010)

Just bought a used 26KBRS and pulled it several hours back home. Trailer came with an equalizer WD setup and I was not familiar with this setup (our current 22' TT has a Reese Dual Cam setup)

On the way home I noticed more sway and wandering that I expected or liked. I was having to make pretty constant minor adjustments even when not getting passed and had to to keep a close eye on overtaking trucks to keep from getting sucked into the passing lane. Was most prevalent between 60-70mph.

The hitch bars made a good deal of squeaking and popping when maneuvering into gas stations, so I know they are in contact, but is it possible they are not adjusted tight enough or??

TV is a 2004 Dodge 2500 QC Diesel. Tires on TT and TV were properly inflated

Appreciate any help or suggestions. At this point I am considering swapping the QD setups on the trailers...

Thanks!


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## SLO250RS (Mar 11, 2010)

Your best bet is to go to Equalizer's website and download the owners manual if do not have one and start from scratch with your set-up.Fine tuning the equalizer takes some time but the results are worth it.Just my $.02.Have a Happy Thanksgiving.


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## Dub (Dec 8, 2008)

Watch that setup video then follow the instructions. BTW, Equalizer has terrible customer service if a part breaks while you are out somewhere.


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## gonewild (Mar 13, 2009)

X2 about going to the equalizer site and downloading the instructions. You should also make sure that your TT is level or slightly nose down. If you don't have enough tongue weight you will get more sway..

good luck...


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## duggy (Mar 17, 2010)

I agree with everything already stated, but want to emphasize hitch weight. In my experience, sway under normal conditions (not being passed by a truck or dealing with high winds) is usually caused by lack of tongue weight. The most accurate way to verify 10 to 15% tongue weight, would be with scales. If that's not available, try moving some heavier belongings forward in the trailer. Trailer balance can also be affected by tank levels. Our fresh tank is at the rear of our trailer, and the holding tanks are at the front. I try to travel with all tanks near empty, but there would be a big difference in balance if fresh was full and holding tanks empty, or vice versa.

Hope this helps,

Doug


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## mommy2boyz (Feb 3, 2010)

How about the mentioned popping sounds? We just picked up our 250RS on Saturday, and we pulled out of the dealership and maneuvered onto the highway just fine. We exited a bit later to go to a gas station, and on one sharp turn we heard a loud metal POP and after that we had loads of creaking and popping sounds every time we turned the wheels of the truck. It was OK on the highway home. When we got home and my hubbie released the sway bar, the popping sounds that felt like they were under the truck went away, but we also have a lot of strong popping noises from the trailer leaf springs (around the tires). My hubbie assumes that's normal, but it seriously sounded to me like the metal would snap.


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## muttbike (Apr 27, 2009)

If it is the Equalizer brand hitch, the loud popping sounds are just letting you know it's doing it's job. The sway control is the friction of the metal bars on the metal brackets.

You can get the bracket jackets, and they do somewhat lower the sound level, but if I'm towing a long distance, especially across the prairie's unpredictable winds, I leave them off.

Find a nice radio station and crank it. The Equalizer sounds fade away.......

JR


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## Dub (Dec 8, 2008)

x2 on the popping sound...that's just telling you that you have it setup right. If you don't have enough friction then you won't hear anything. You only want grease on the hitch head, not the bars or the L brackets by the trailer tongue.


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

gonewild said:


> X2 about going to the equalizer site and downloading the instructions. You should also make sure that your TT is level or slightly nose down. If you don't have enough tongue weight you will get more sway..
> 
> good luck...


X3. I installed my Equal-i-zer hitch in about 4 hours (including removing the inferior hitch and friction sway control from the dealer). But it took a couple trips and some tweaking to get everything adjusted properly. It was well worth the money and trouble! I agree with the earlier posts - start from scratch, using the installation instructions from the website. Assume that the dealer knew very little about the installation (which is the truth for about half of them out there, if the feedback here is any indicator!).

And as far as getting parts from Equal-i-zer (Progress Mfg.), I keep spare pins, L-pins, etc. in a hitch accessories kit that I made from an old small plastic tackle box. I have all the sockets, ratchet, extensions, pins, grease, etc. stored in there so in case I lose a pin or need to tighten a bolt, they are handy and in one location. I also carry a torque wrench, for torquing bolts and lug nuts. No matter how good customer service is, they can't get you a pin as soon as you lose it.

As far as the popping and grinding noises - it's part of the plan. I use the Sway Bracket Jackets (from the Equal-i-zer website parts store) and they quiet the hitch quite a bit. I also use a light film of grease on the L-Brackets - not too much, lest I lose the friction, but enough to quiet the noises. Mine works GREAT this way. No sway whatsoever from crosswinds or passing semi-trailers.

(And if you cannot set up the hitch with the trailer sitting level - which is most of the time - choose to be a bit "tongue low," vs "tongue high." Tongue-low will allow for better sway control. My tongue sits about 3/4" lower than the rear of the trailer frame.)

Mike


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

duggy said:


> I agree with everything already stated, but want to emphasize hitch weight. In my experience, sway under normal conditions (not being passed by a truck or dealing with high winds) is usually caused by lack of tongue weight. The most accurate way to verify 10 to 15% tongue weight, would be with scales. If that's not available, try moving some heavier belongings forward in the trailer. Trailer balance can also be affected by tank levels. Our fresh tank is at the rear of our trailer, and the holding tanks are at the front. I try to travel with all tanks near empty, but there would be a big difference in balance if fresh was full and holding tanks empty, or vice versa.
> 
> Hope this helps,
> 
> Doug


Yup! Too much weight in the rear and not enough weight on the tongue (12%-15% of the trailer's loaded weight) will cause the trailer and TV to act squirrely - no matter what WD hitch you use. Also - too much weight forward or rearward can overload one axle or the other, depending where the weight is placed. An even distribution of gear in the trailer is necessary to keep the trailer balanced, giving you evenly distributed weight on both axles, longer tire life, and less sway. There are a lot of things to consider when towing a trailer. It's not just as simple as hooking up and heading down the road! (Although some folks think otherwise.)

Mike


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## cope222 (Nov 14, 2010)

Appreciate all the helpful advice. I think its a combination of not enough tongue weight (propane bottles were both empty, which might have added to the issue), and the fact that the trailer was a bit "tongue up"

I'll try some adjustments this weekend and report back

Thanks!


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## ChrisUK (Nov 29, 2010)

cope222 said:


> Appreciate all the helpful advice. I think its a combination of not enough tongue weight (propane bottles were both empty, which might have added to the issue), and the fact that the trailer was a bit "tongue up"
> 
> I'll try some adjustments this weekend and report back
> 
> Thanks!


I set up my Equalizer WD hitch for my 28KRS (front garage so we have a LOT of tongue weight) and when on level ground the front of the trailer was 1" lower than the rear - it has towed perfect for many miles - But when I replaced the rear suspension on my Expedition for some heavy duty units and Timbrens, the front of the trailer was about 1" higher than the rear and I couldn't believe how bad the trailer felt compared to before. I had been thinking of replacing the 28KRS with a rear garage trailer, but I soon changed my mind when I realised it was the weight on the hitch that helped keep it stable at speed. (also I had ground clearance problems with the rear lower, and it was harder to level at campsites as I couldn't just wind the jack handle to level front to rear)


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## etrailer (Dec 10, 2010)

cope222 said:


> Just bought a used 26KBRS and pulled it several hours back home. Trailer came with an equalizer WD setup and I was not familiar with this setup (our current 22' TT has a Reese Dual Cam setup)
> 
> On the way home I noticed more sway and wandering that I expected or liked. I was having to make pretty constant minor adjustments even when not getting passed and had to to keep a close eye on overtaking trucks to keep from getting sucked into the passing lane. Was most prevalent between 60-70mph.
> 
> ...


I'm not completely familiar with the Equalizer WD systems. But, if they are anything like the Reese WD's, it would be best to grab the instructions as others have said, and set it up from scratch. Different tow vehicle means some adjustments probably don't match well with your vehicle.

Everything else everyone said is spot on, get the trailer level or slightly nose down and tongue weight for a TT should be 10-15% of total trailer weight. Make sure you take weight and tongue weight measurements when the trailer is completely loaded like you were heading out for the weekend.

Patrick


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## Dub (Dec 8, 2008)

The video I posted above was made by Equalizer and is their official setup video. If you watch it you will understand easily how to setup your hitch, especially if you follow the written instructions after watching the video.


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