Good Sam Club Open Roads Forum: Travel Trailers: Sway bar problems
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 > Sway bar problems

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raychris1

Kennewick, Wa

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Posted: 03/17/22 12:01am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

I have a problem putting the sway bars on the TT. My RV is parked alongside my house. It is level ground. The driveway (gravel) leading to the TT is sloped upwards. I have to use an 8-10 inch block just to get the tongue under the ball to hook up. The angle is to high to put on/take off the sway bars. This is a new Open Roads 26BH trailer. It is 6 feet longer than my old trailer. The old TT was shorter and I could put on/remove the sway bars after using some muscle and a bar. I cannot move my TT back any further. I am planning on using some stacking blocks to make a sort of ramp to raise the front of the truck. If that doesn't work I will try to hookup and then move the trailer to level ground to put on/off the bars. Anybody have this problem or have any suggestions on how to hookup easier?


Ray and Chris
2022 Open Roads 26BH
2013 F-150


mleekamp

Washington, IL

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Posted: 03/17/22 05:55am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

I had this happen on occasion with our TT we had for many years. My suggestion is to avoid blocks to raise the front of your truck...dangerous.

As long as you can get the ball hooked up, and of course cable for brakes/emergency brake, can you pull into your street, off to the side, and in 5/10mins have the sway bars hooked up? Point is, tow it onto your street, finish hooking up sway bars. You could also, when returning home, remove the bars in the street and then back it in.

The issue with blocks for front of truck, is safety.

Sjm9911

New Jersey

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Posted: 03/17/22 07:17am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

What they said, put them on afterwards when you are on the street. Shouldn't take long. You will not be swaying in the driveway! Lol.


2012 kz spree 220 ks
2020 Silverado 2500
Equalizer ( because i have it)
Formerly a pup owner.

BarneyS

S.E. Lower Michigan

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Posted: 03/17/22 07:57am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

I agree with the others, put them on in the street. By the way, they are not sway bars, they are weight distribution bars. The only way they contribute to sway control is by putting weight back on the front axle for steering control. [emoticon] The sway bar is that flat bar that is attached to the side of the trailers A frame and the hitch head via two small balls.
Barney


2004 Sunnybrook Titan 30FKS TT
Hensley "Arrow" 1400# hitch (Sold)
Not towing now.
Former tow vehicles were 2016 Ram 2500 CTD, 2002 Ford F250, 7.3 PSD


Lwiddis

Southern California :(

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Posted: 03/17/22 09:35am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Be very careful. Several safety issues could bite you like ramping up the front of the truck. It shouldn’t take muscle to hitch up. Block those wheels!


Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad


Gdetrailer

PA

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Posted: 03/17/22 09:41am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Connect the WD bars AFTER you have pulled the TV and trailer on to the road assuming you have a spot near you that allows you to safely pull off and add the WD bars.

Contrary to popular belief on this forum, neither your vehicle or trailer is going to be damaged, break or fall apart if the WD bars do not get hooked up right away. Depending on your TV capability/capacity if you must, even driving a couple of miles at low speed should be fine.

raychris1

Kennewick, Wa

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Posted: 03/17/22 11:04am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Thanks for all the feedback. The block ramp was my second option. We have ample room to add/remove the bars. My concern is getting the TT down the driveway without dragging the tongue or rear of the TT before I get onto the street.

canoe on top

Denver, CO, US

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Posted: 03/17/22 12:23pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Barney, if he has an Equal-i-zer or a Reece Dual Cam,as well as some others, the WD bars are also the sway bars.

Boomerweps

Hills of PA

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Posted: 03/17/22 12:39pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

For standardization, those bars on the WDH are called Spring Bars in the manuals and when ordering replacements.
My drive had a heckava dip at the road, so I did as another poster suggested to you and drove to a flat parking spot and installed the spring bars after leaving my driveway. Going in wasn’t a problem so I removed them in my driveway when returning.
I solved my problem when I moved my single trailer axle from on top the springs to under (commonly miscalled “flipping the axle”). However, unlike your’s, my trailer spot was level.


2019 Wolf Pup 16 BHS Limited, axle flipped
2019 F150 4x4 SCrew SB STX 5.0 3.55 factory tow package, 7000#GVWR, 1990 CC Tow mirrors, ITBC, SumoSprings,


MitchF150

Puyallup, WA

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Posted: 03/17/22 12:39pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

I too have to park my trailer where I can't put on or take the bars where it's parked. I just hitch it up then pull it in front of the house and put them on there. That way it's straight inline and level. A whole lot easier!

Good luck! Mitch
[image]


2013 F150 XLT 4x4 SuperCab Max Tow Egoboost 3.73 gears #7700 GVWR #1920 payload. 2019 Rockwood Mini Lite 2511S.

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