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Old 07-01-2016, 09:06 PM   #1
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Are K2 hitches really worth $599. Installed?

I bought a used 2008 Jay Feather 30' TT this year and love it.
It came with an old style hitch that requires a sway bar to be removed when I back up the trailer. The dealer told me that I would need to consider getting a "K2" hitch as soon as possible, and quoted $599. Installed.
Is it worth it, in your opinion, to get rid of the sway bar? Does performance improve at all on the highway?
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Old 07-01-2016, 09:48 PM   #2
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Not sure what a K2 hitch is. Are you sure that is correct? A quick Google search only turned up a hitch mounted bicycle rack. You sure it wasn't E2?
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Old 07-01-2016, 10:29 PM   #3
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With a 30' TT you would probably notice an improvement in sway with a modern hitch with integrated sway control.

It's probably not mandatory if you have a properly sized and setup wdh now but I agree that you should consider it.

With that said, if your not having sway issues and your comfortable with how your rig tows, there is no reason to change it, other than maybe convenience.

I'm not familiar with the hitch you listed, I prefer the Equalizer system myself, but there are many good products on the market these days.
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Old 07-02-2016, 06:45 AM   #4
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After doing some additional research, I have to re-state my question:
I see that the E2 weight distribution=bars, not the hitch, is my real question.
I have the old sway bar, and want to know if the newer style distribution system is better? Is it worth the money when it comes to performance?
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Old 07-02-2016, 06:46 AM   #5
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I really meant the E2.
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Old 07-02-2016, 06:48 AM   #6
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My trailer moves around when a semi passes me. They tell me it is properly sized but I am wondering.
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Old 07-02-2016, 07:12 AM   #7
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I can't really speak for the E2, which is the economy version of the Equal-i-zer hitch (made by the same company, Fastway), but the Equal-i-zer, which uses friction on the bars for sway control, works great (definitely much better than a standard hitch with the friction bar). It is tried and tested for several years, with mostly great reviews (myself included).

Just a word of advice, if you get a new hitch, install it yourself. If you read and follow instructions well, you will do a much better job than the RV shop will. Adventure RV has it for under $470 shipped. Adventure RV Equal-i-zer 1200
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Old 07-02-2016, 07:18 AM   #8
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Your trailer is probably going to move around when passed by semis......
With the right setup you can minimize it though....
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Old 07-02-2016, 07:22 AM   #9
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Thank you!
I follow directions well but am a 60 year old retired female ex-high school teacher. It would probably be too much for me to install it.

So, the Equalizer has different models and I assume different prices.

Can anyone speak to the economy model vs. the higher priced model for my 2008 Jay Feather 30' TT?
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Old 07-02-2016, 07:36 AM   #10
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"Worth it" is a very subjective term.

If your unable to install the hitch yourself and feel that you need it, the price is a dealer price for an installed hitch from a dealer. Your paying them to work, it takes time to install and setup. It's not hard. It just takes time. If you feel it is too much contact a hitch shop and see what they would charge.

Equalizer hitches are nice products. Just remember that they REDUCE sway, they do not ELIMINATE it.

If this is your first rig, your going to feel trucks pass you regardless of what hitch you have. Your driving a large trailer with a lot of surface area for the wind to push on.
If it's not your first you have to compare the handling to whatever your past experience is and make sure your comfortable, if your not you will need to spend money on a new hitch and take the time to adjust it.

No matter what hitch you purchase, the only way to properly set it up is for the rig to be weighed and the hitch adjusted to get your front axle weight as close as you can back to what it was unloaded on your TV. That is a variable that can change based on how you load your coach, how you load your truck and whatever other things you have changed each time you go camping. Your dealer is probably not going to fine tune the hitch, rather they are going to go to some basic settings that will work for most setups.
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Old 07-02-2016, 07:45 AM   #11
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$599 sounds a bit high... You can get ti for $300 online which leaves 3 hours of install at $100/hr... Very high...

I got my e2 installed for free when I bought my trailer... It has gone through a few different setups and works great... However, $599 I would try to get an Andersen hitch installed...
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Old 07-02-2016, 08:07 AM   #12
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If the OP wants the hitch to be installed properly she might look for a family owned horse trailer sales dealer. The ones around here sell hitches and their mechanics often are long time employees, even family members. Horse owners aren't as tolerant of screw-ups as many RVers are.
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Old 07-02-2016, 08:35 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cekkk View Post
If the OP wants the hitch to be installed properly she might look for a family owned horse trailer sales dealer. The ones around here sell hitches and their mechanics often are long time employees, even family members. Horse owners aren't as tolerant of screw-ups as many RVers are.
Good point!
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Old 07-02-2016, 08:56 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by cekkk View Post
If the OP wants the hitch to be installed properly she might look for a family owned horse trailer sales dealer. The ones around here sell hitches and their mechanics often are long time employees, even family members. Horse owners aren't as tolerant of screw-ups as many RVers are.
This is very true and probably the best advice in the thread barring being able to do the install themselves.

Horse people also accept that their lifestyle is more than a hobby and that the real life consequences of being frugal over the wrong things can have significant repercussions.
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Old 07-02-2016, 09:26 AM   #15
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I have the E2 and it's not a bad hitch. I had some sway issues when meeting semis but that seemed to be more of a TV issue that a hitch issue as the problem seem to have lessened when I moved the hitch from a 1500 Silverado to a 2500HD.

I did have a bar locking pawl break off but the hitch was under warranty and Fastway sent me a new head free of charge and paid to return the old head. The friction bars also have a tendency to move around on the trailer a bit and it is a bit of a pain to set up so I'd leave that to someone with experience.

As far as price, I think they are a bit high...assuming they are pricing a 10k square bar hitch (about $355 on Amazon) and a 1-2" riser ball ($25) they are making a good profit on labor.
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