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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> Tow Vehicles -> TT and a 3/4 ton Van option... Sway bars really work?
Post Info TOPIC: TT and a 3/4 ton Van option... Sway bars really work?
davidh


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TT and a 3/4 ton Van option... Sway bars really work?
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Having been reading all I can on this and other websites (with this being the best) I really see the logic behind a 5th wheel or trailor in the case of maintenance and repairs on the power train of one's RV set up.
I am still researching my solo RV options and the Brunswick Georgia project is getting more solidified each day so 1st of January I may be starting my full-time RV'ing experience in extreme southern Georgia...
I won't be "solo" though. Not really. Maggie, Buddy, Cosmo and Lefty will be going with me. The first two being my small dogs and the last two being my cats (my boys) that I raised from infancy. The goats milk I raised them on 11 1/2 years ago turned them into 19 pound tall, big boned boys whereas their feral mother was lucky to be 7 pounds!
So I am really thinking a 3/4 ton van with big V8 (used) would fit well in my budget coupled with one of the plethora of nice used TT's out there for sale at such low prices right now. I'm thinking larger van as it would allow more comfort for my cats (they have both traveled with me before) as well as give the dogs a little more room to roam while we are on the long stretches. Also all 4 get along very well... Also, once parked at a site, I need transportation for almost daily meetings as I am a long time member of AA. Also, while parked at a site, I need something big enough to transport me and a couple of bikes as I participate in mountain bike racing (notice I did not say I "race" in mountain bike racing? :) and often times do a weekender at bike races to enjoy a short stay and enjoy the venue.
Let's say; A 96 GMC Savannah 3/4 ton with a 350 V8 and a Thor lite 22 foot TT.
Will any of those new-fangled non-friction based anti sway hitch setups really remove or make manageable the wind and semi-truck buffetting swaying that TT's can find themselves experiencing in any of your opinions please?
Thanks in advance for your input on any of the above.
David.

-- Edited by davidh at 09:15, 2008-10-19

-- Edited by davidh at 09:17, 2008-10-19

-- Edited by davidh at 09:19, 2008-10-19

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David and dogs (Buddy and Carol Lee)
Terry 27 TT w/one slide. E350 Ford 6.8 V10
FD5


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We had one on our 29' TT and it worked great. Welcome aboard!!

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John & Bridget
Madison, MS
2012 Ford F550
2011 DRV Mobile Suite 36TKSB3
2002 Suzuki Vitara JLX
http://www.travelsofjohnandbridget.blogspot.com/

Mississippi Independent Amsoil Dealer
davidh


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FD5 wrote:

We had one on our 29' TT and it worked great. Welcome aboard!!


Thanks John and Bridget. What did you use please?



-- Edited by davidh at 09:49, 2008-10-19

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David and dogs (Buddy and Carol Lee)
Terry 27 TT w/one slide. E350 Ford 6.8 V10
FD5


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Weight distribution hitch with friction bar. We towed a 29' Prowler TT with a F350. I don't remember the brand of hitch. I would imagine if it is adjusted correctly any of them will work. I would buy a "heard" of brand.

Stay Safe

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John & Bridget
Madison, MS
2012 Ford F550
2011 DRV Mobile Suite 36TKSB3
2002 Suzuki Vitara JLX
http://www.travelsofjohnandbridget.blogspot.com/

Mississippi Independent Amsoil Dealer
davidh


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FD5 wrote:

Weight distribution hitch with friction bar. We towed a 29' Prowler TT with a F350. I don't remember the brand of hitch. I would imagine if it is adjusted correctly any of them will work. I would buy a "heard" of brand.

Stay Safe



Thanks again.
David



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David and dogs (Buddy and Carol Lee)
Terry 27 TT w/one slide. E350 Ford 6.8 V10
macattack


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 We currently have a 29 ft. TT that we pull with a Chevy Tahoe. This is the third TT we have owned and we pulled all of them with a weight distribution hitch with an anti sway bar. With any TT set up I really believe these two products are a must have. With some experimenting you will find that the the tighter you hook up the weight distribution hitch the easier it will be tow the trailer. There are several different brands out there that you can buy. Ours is a Reeses hitch with a camco sway control. The only down side is the cost, to buy the hitch and sway bar will probably run somewhere between $500 and $600. I hope this helps and good luck on your journey.            




 
                                                                                                                                                            



-- Edited by macattack at 19:14, 2008-10-19

-- Edited by macattack at 19:19, 2008-10-19

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  Mac 


Gregg and Lynette
2010 Landmark Augusta
2008 F450 Ford Crew Cab
SKP# 102227
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flyone


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David, I having been towing a TT for 10 years, I won't leave home without my sway bar on.  I did it once and could tell quite a difference and decided not to do it again.  I have a weight distribution hitch and a single sway (friction) bar. I have seen people with bigger TT and dual sway bars.  I can still feel 18 wheelers as they blow by but very slightly.  WD hitch actually shifts some of the tt weight to the front tires of the tow truck so it dosen't feel so light and loose in the front end. If the WD hitch and sway bar help once and keep you out of trouble it is well worth the cost. 
 
Flyone



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RangerPaul


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David,

Here's a couple of things to think about regarding your hitch arrangement. If you use a standard weight distributing hitch, you should really use two of the aftermarket friction anti-sway bars. Under 24 feet is fine with one but at 29 feet you should use two. The drag about the friction devices is that you can't back up very well, if at all with them installed. So, any time you want to back up, you have to remove them. While that might not be too big a hassle if you're backing into a campsite (except when it's raining ;> ) it gets old when you have to make a three point turn on a two lane road, or maneuver around in a gas station or parking lot. I'm not sure but I wonder if you might experience more buffeting because of the van's large side profile.

IMHO, your hitch is not the place you want to try to save money. All five of your lives are depending it to perform well. Try looking into one of the cam base units mentioned above, and there is also another kind out there that uses a different design.

Congrats on sobriety.

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thebearII


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Only comment about using a van to tow with is the noise. For some reason the rattle of the hitch is amplified by the van body and it drove my Dad crazy with both vans he had over the years. Never heard him complain when he used pickups to tow with. Both of his vans were GM safari passenger vans 1970s and 1980s 3/4 ton models. He had a weight distributing hitch with anti-swaybars.

Recently, I talked to a guy that used a Hensley Hitch on a H2 Hummer and he was very pleased with it. He indicated he wasn't bothered by truck gusts. Here's the link http://www.hensleymfg.com/

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Larry
"Small House, Big Yard "
7 years to go to FT
Alfa See-Ya 5'er and 2007 Kodiak C4500 Monroe Pickup
sprintcar


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WE PULL A 35FT. MOUNTAINEER TT. WE HAVE A EQUALIZER HITCH. IT WORKS LIKE A DREAM. WHEN I AM PASSED BY ABIG TRUCK I DO NOT EVEN FILLIT. THERE IS NO SWAY BARS SO YOU DONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TAKING ANY SWAY BARS OFF TO BACK UP. IT IS VERY EASY TO USE . TAKE ALOOK AT THIS HITCH AND I THINK YOU WIL BE VERY HAPPY
SPRINCAR

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