Sway Control

[4Hammers]

We have an Antigua 215SB and were towing with a Chevy Silverado Extended Cab 1500 4WD with off-road package. Towing was great but our beloved truck had lots of miles on it and the back seat wasn't great for our growing boy.

We switched to a 2008 Chevy Avalanche. We really wanted a Sierra 1500 Crew Cab. But a great deal that made the Avalanche about $8,000 less than the well equiped Sierra made us choose the Avlanche.

We've towed the trailer (w/the Avalanche) about 50 miles from home on two lane highways and everything feels fine. We took it out on a highway test drive this weekend, and it is just not as stable as it was when we were towing with the Silverado. Husband towed and I watched in a separate vehicle. It wasn't awful but we both agreed that getting a new hitch/sway bar setup is a far safer way to go.

We purchased the trailer last year and are just learning the ropes. We know next to nothing about sway control equipment. Can anyone provide some insite or advice on the subject. We'll be contacting the dealer but a little information might prevent us from waisting a whole lot of money or choosing something that is simply not adequate.

Thanks.

 

[SCCamper]

I would definitely research a good weight distribution system with sway control. Personally, I use the Equal-i-zer WDH and it works wonderful. A good place to get some input on different hitches would be to maybe go to rv.net's msg board. Hopefully this will put you on the right track. Good luck.

 

[LONE-STAR]

I second the Equal-i-zer hitch. We have it and it works great.

 

[Disney Campers]

http://www.disneycampers.com/RV/Hitch_Page.htm

 

[njcamper95]

What do you use for a hitch now the right hitch can make a big difference you would really want to research so you understand what to look for but as above a good weight dist hitch such as the above mentioned eqiulizer would be good something else your wheel base maybe shorter on the 2 tow vechicles depending if your truck was the 4 door long bed or what you had compared to what you have the new one should be shorter then a 4 door short bed but sounds like you may have the smaller cab not the full 4 door so it could be close well good luck with your research

 

[disney4dan]

Another vote for the Equalizer, but also wanted to point out that an improperly loaded trailer can cause more headache than any hitch can correct.

Not sure if you were instructed to keep the tongue weight of the trailer at around 12 to 15% of the total trailer weight, and be sure to not put too much weight behind the axle(s).

I use an inexpensive scale to check the weight on the trailer ball before connecting. The website for this company has a nice tutorial on balancing the load in trailers to avoid sway or problems during panic stops/turns.

http://www.sherlinedirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=13&CFID=6778401&CFTOKEN=31d6409c5f982ab-54AD5252-FA03-D5F5-9AB927DDCB3CF9CD

 

[4Hammers]

Thank you all for you pointers and reviews.

We spoke to the dealer late yesterday afternoon and he immediately sugguested the Equal-i-zer. Having heard favorable reviewes from folks who actually use them makes me feel more comfortable that it may in fact be a wise investment.

We touched base with a few other places and they offered up some less costly alternatives. Neither of us felt great about the other options. Our first real chance to test out the new setup will be a long road trip form NJ to FL.

njcamper95 - We think the wheel base is the difference. The Avalanche is shorter. The trailer was just about empty when we tested it and it was moving around more than I would have liked.

The Sileverado was a perfect match, and we would have loved a new one with the bigger cab. The price difference on the Avalance was huge. Other than the sway issue on the highway, it tows our Hybrid nicely. We are still a little jealous of you folks with the 2500 HD's.

Thank you again for pointing us in the right direction. We checked out some websites and will still do a little more research before making a decision. At least now we will go into it with a bit more information.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

The Avalanche and the 1500 ext cab have roughly the same wheelbase, the big difference is the fact that the Av has a coil spring rear suspension and the pickup has a leaf spring. The Av has a much smoother ride and the spring rate is not the same as the pickup. the Av is essentially a Suburban without a rear roof and 3rd row seat.

 

[4Hammers]

We think of the Av as a Suburban that lets you bring lawn tractor with you (ours fits in the back).

Didn't know about the different type of springs. It's good to know. We know the current setup doesn't work. Now I'm getting a better uderstanding of what some of the issuess may be. And with a little luck we can things shaped up an running nicely and more importantly safely.

Thanks for sharing your expertise with the automotively and mechanically challenged.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

What is the length and weight of your trailer ?
Our first trailer was a 27 ft that weighed around 6400#, it towed OK but I wanted a more stable setup so I stepped up to the 2500HD diesel.

 

[LONE-STAR]

Here is a link to a place with good prices on the Equal-i-zer

http://www.adventurervcenter.com/

 

[disney4dan]

The Avalanche and the 1500 ext cab have roughly the same wheelbase, the big difference is the fact that the Av has a coil spring rear suspension and the pickup has a leaf spring. The Av has a much smoother ride and the spring rate is not the same as the pickup. the Av is essentially a Suburban without a rear roof and 3rd row seat.

Another factor may be in the tires on the Avalanche. I suspect it might have passenger or "P" rated tires. When I first started towing my trailer with a 2002 Tundra, I had passenger tires on it. Big difference in the way it handled when I switched to a higher load rating (only needed to go up to load range "C").

 

[4Hammers]

Our trailer is about 22 ft and weighs in around 3500 pounds. Not all that big and not all that heavy. We towed it up some decent size hills over Memorial Day and had no issues. In non-highway conditions eveything feels perfect. Once we hit the highway you start to notice the trailer is there. It's not awful, but it's not as steady as it used to be.

Thanks for bringing up the tires. We got the Av in November so we have the originals that came with it. With the amount of driving we do, there is a decent chance they'll be replaced before winter sets in.

Thanks again for the feedback. Our friend/family aren't into camping, so we really don't have anyone to bounce ideas off of.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Another factor may be in the tires on the Avalanche. I suspect it might have passenger or "P" rated tires. When I first started towing my trailer with a 2002 Tundra, I had passenger tires on it. Big difference in the way it handled when I switched to a higher load rating (only needed to go up to load range "C").

The Av will definitely have a "P" series tire as stock. Those tires should be more than adequate for that size trailer. If you go to a higher load rating tire it will increase the tire weight and have an adverse effect on mileage at all times. Having towed with an AV for a while, IMHO the hitch should be where you put your attention at this point. A good basic weight distributing hitch with 800# bars and a friction sway control should be adequate for this setup.