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06-08-2005, 07:00 AM
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#1
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Established Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Sharpsville
Posts: 17
M.O.C. #1781
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Equal-i-zer hitch
Have any of you out there used the brand name Equal-i-zer hitch? We have major sway problems with our friction sway control, Mountaineer 315 and Ford Excursion last year. We almost lost the trailer and our lives. We have debated about the Hensley Arrow but $3000.00 is a sticking point. Our RV dealer has the Equal-i-zer for $600.00 and claims it does an excellent job eliminating sway. What do you experts have to say?
Thanks,
Smalldawg
2004 Mountaineer 315
2001 Ford Excursion V10
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06-08-2005, 07:05 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Kalispell
Posts: 937
M.O.C. #3113
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HOW MUCH IS YOUR LIFE WORTH?
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06-08-2005, 09:22 AM
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#3
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Carpentersville
Posts: 468
M.O.C. #2785
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by smalldawg
[...] We have debated about the Hensley Arrow but $3000.00 is a sticking point. [...]
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Smalldawg,
I have a Hensley Arrow that I've been meaning to put up for sale. I used it for a number of years with our old TT. Just took it off last fall when we got the Monty. I have two sets of springs for it (900 and 1000lbs) and two draw bars (4" drop and 6" drop) so it would likely be able to set up however you need. I was thinking about asking $1500 for it.
I don't think that I would ever tow a regular TT without the HA again. It is an amazing difference.
If you are interested, let me know. It would be a bear to box up and ship but we will be at PlaMor for the fall rally this Sep. Would be a reasonable half-way meeting place... If you meet us there with your TT, I'd even install for you 
Eric
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06-08-2005, 09:34 AM
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#4
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Riverside
Posts: 223
M.O.C. #3237
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by smalldawg
Have any of you out there used the brand name Equal-i-zer hitch? We have major sway problems with our friction sway control, Mountaineer 315 and Ford Excursion last year. We almost lost the trailer and our lives. We have debated about the Hensley Arrow but $3000.00 is a sticking point. Our RV dealer has the Equal-i-zer for $600.00 and claims it does an excellent job eliminating sway. What do you experts have to say?
Thanks,
Smalldawg
2004 Mountaineer 315
2001 Ford Excursion V10
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Smalldawg,
I had the Equalizer hitch on my 24' Forest River TT. It worked very well in combination with my Dodge Quadcab truck. I'd guess your sway problem is due more to the short wheelbase of the Excursion than anything. The Equalizer will probably help cosiderably, but a Hensly or new TV (longer wheelbase, lower C/G) would be a safer fix IMHO.
Ken
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06-08-2005, 01:29 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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We have a Terry 29R TT which is actually 32 feet long.We pulled it for years with a short bed Silverado.We used the Reese Heavy duty round bar adjustable weight distributing hitch/with spring bars.I am sure you have the proper set up, proper weight on the bumper, etc. We used TWO anti sway bars.We did have some sway using one so we had another ball welded on to the hitch bar and the TWO anti sway bars really stopped the sway. You might try that.
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06-08-2005, 02:38 PM
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#6
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Established Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Sharpsville
Posts: 17
M.O.C. #1781
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Eric Roellig - sounds like a real deal for the Hensley but unfortunately we need to take care of this hitch situation now since we are heading out to camp in a few weeks. We will keep you in mind in the fall if we decide otherwise.
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06-08-2005, 02:43 PM
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#7
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Carpentersville
Posts: 468
M.O.C. #2785
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by richfaa
[...] We used TWO anti sway bars.We did have some sway using one so we had another ball welded on to the hitch bar and the TWO anti sway bars really stopped the sway. You might try that.
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Rich, I originally had this configuration as well. However, after you get TWO friction bars tightened down, it was objectionable to me to feel the bars resist a normal turn in the road.
There is in my Not-So-Humble-Opinion nothing as stable and natural feeling as the Hensly Arrow, with perhaps the exception of the PulRite hitch. But the PulRite often requires modifications to the TV to install...
Eric
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06-08-2005, 02:54 PM
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#8
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Carpentersville
Posts: 468
M.O.C. #2785
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by smalldawg
Eric Roellig - sounds like a real deal for the Hensley but unfortunately we need to take care of this hitch situation now since we are heading out to camp in a few weeks. We will keep you in mind in the fall if we decide otherwise.
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OK. Hope you can find a good solution before your big trip.
Eric
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06-08-2005, 03:23 PM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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Eric..Know what you mean about that groaning noise the sway bars make.I found that happened mostly when they got wet.I would always release them when we got into a campground and had to make tight turns or when backing into the driveway.never noticed a problem under normal conditions.One time I got passed by a triple doing about 80MPg on the TPk and they groaned but I figured that was good and they were doing the job.Several in our camping group have the hensley set up and swear by them.
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06-08-2005, 06:02 PM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Prescott
Posts: 505
M.O.C. #1344
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After we rolled our first TT, Shari wouldn't go out again unless we got a hitch that would handle the fish-tailing. We had a Hensley Arrow on our 30' TT and it worked GREAT! Only thing that tows better is a Montana! As someone else said,HOW MUCH IS YOUR LIFE WORTH? I know they have a payment plan that is reasonable, that's how we bought ours. Good Luck.
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06-09-2005, 10:48 AM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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Well actually the sway issue is one of the main reasons we are going to a fifth wheel. After a lot of trial and error we got our TT set up to where it towed really good and we never had a problem. We see so many TT on the road that are improperly set up and are a disaster waiting to happen. The fifth wheel just tows so much better.
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06-09-2005, 04:32 PM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Livermore
Posts: 5,141
M.O.C. #1920
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We had the Reese Dual Cam and it worked very well also, with the exception of having bikes on the back bumper. We almost flipped our rig with that combination.
__________________
Ron and Terrie Ames - MOC #1920/KF0NTA
2021Montana 3230CK Super Solar Legacy Package
2021 Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn, BIM Charging
4x4, SRW, LB, Crew Cab, Pullrite 3900 Hitch
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06-10-2005, 07:12 AM
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#13
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Established Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Sharpsville
Posts: 17
M.O.C. #1781
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Richfaa,
We are also planning on a fifth wheel in our future. But that will have to be a while since we just bought the 305 Mountaineer last year.
Safe camping to all!
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06-10-2005, 07:16 AM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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Understand smalldawg..It has taken us 10 years to get to where we can get the fifth wheel.Take your time..plan ahead and it will come.
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