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Old 11-12-2014, 04:19 PM   #1
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Equal-i-zer hitch wear and tear

I post this to share an experience with my WDH. I have posted in the past about how the non-tapered spring bars have a much reduced range of motion for a given applied force. When I back into my inclined driveway, I always remove the bars first to avoid problems. On two occasions in the past few months I found myself pulling into and out of gas stations which had a significant incline. I knew the implications, but went in anyway. The photo shows how the L-bracket is now bent downward a visible amount. The carpenter’s square in the photo is straight I assure you. The other L-bracket is bent also, but not quite as much. I am hopeful the TT tongue and TV receiver are still in good shape. Over the winter I will be contemplating whether I will just replace the L-brackets, or replace the entire hitch with a design that has tapered spring bars. Not too sure which way to go. The highway performance of the Equal-i-zer has been very good otherwise.
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Old 11-12-2014, 04:26 PM   #2
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Thanks for sharing. Is quite eye-opening.

Whenever we go to a site we stop and remove the bars at check-in. I have never given a thought to it when fueling, however.

I am going to check my brackets in the spring.
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Old 11-12-2014, 04:48 PM   #3
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That's the exact reason that I switched from Equalizer to Reese Dual Cam about 7 years ago. It was a pain to have to unhook the bars on the street instead of in my 10% driveway. The top where I park the trailer is flat, but the rest is 10% for about 80 ft. I also did that before backing into a couple of campsites. It has been no problem with the Reese. Other than this, the Equalizer is a great hitch and does an excellent job of preventing/limiting sway. It might be a bit better at that than the Reese, but I towed different trailers with each so difficult to tell for sure. I'm very happy with my Reese Dual Cam, although you have to drill holes in the trailer frame and it takes more time to set up properly. Once done, it's all set.
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Old 11-12-2014, 05:11 PM   #4
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This is the reason I don't have the 1400 bars even though the weights tell me I should have them. Have used the same Equalizer hitch on 2 trailers so far without any problems and I never remove the bars.
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Old 11-12-2014, 05:18 PM   #5
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This is the reason I don't have the 1400 bars even though the weights tell me I should have them. Have used the same Equalizer hitch on 2 trailers so far without any problems and I never remove the bars.
Is this to allow for some flexing of the spring bars?
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Old 11-12-2014, 05:32 PM   #6
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Is this to allow for some flexing of the spring bars?
Yes, I took one look at the 1400 bars and decided to stay with my 1200. There is another issue with heavy tongue weight trailers and that is using the bars to raise the truck instead of simple weight transfer. I put timbrens on my truck to stop the downward movement and this allowed me to adjust the hitch height lower and use much less pressure on the bars. They still stop the sway and they transfer the weight but when static they are under much less stress. Before I added the booster springs my setup was extreem with lots of pressure on the bars when setup level.
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Old 11-12-2014, 05:40 PM   #7
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David472 a welding shop can straighten and re-enforce the brackets if you still have enough clearance. That's if you are happy with the WDH you are using.

Everyone has preferences what they want to use as WDH. I had Reese round bars since the 70's and worked great. Now I have the China version of the round bars sold by different distributers under their own brand between $250 and $500, they also work fine. Never have to undo them except when disconnecting the TT from TV.
When everything is properly setup to the specifications and recommendations each choice of WDH should work. If you have to remove bars by backing up it means an engineering design flaw. Every company advertises they have the best system.........yeah right
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Old 11-16-2014, 08:18 AM   #8
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I am leaning toward keeping the Equal-i-zer hitch, but in the future give myself a smack in the head if I ever think about pulling into a steep incline without first releasing the bars. IMHO every hitch design has trade-offs of some type. The trick is knowing what they are and how to cope with them.
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Old 11-16-2014, 08:49 AM   #9
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I am leaning toward keeping the Equal-i-zer hitch, but in the future give myself a smack in the head if I ever think about pulling into a steep incline without first releasing the bars. IMHO every hitch design has trade-offs of some type. The trick is knowing what they are and how to cope with them.
I have the same hitch. In addition to checking mine, I'm going to adopt your plan.
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Old 11-16-2014, 10:02 AM   #10
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I have to wonder if Equal-I-Zer will stand behind their product and replace the L brackets for you. It makes me wonder, because I am sure those L brackets are the same for 600 lbs bars and 1400 lbs bars.
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Old 11-16-2014, 11:59 AM   #11
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We had the same thing happen on one of our cross country trips with our previous TT a 26 RLS. Luckily my nephew who we were visiting had access to a welding shop and straightened it out for us. it has been flawless ever since.

You can purchase new brackets either through your dealer or from this site.

http://www.equalizerhitch.com/store/...&cPath=4_21_22

Hope this helps.
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Old 11-16-2014, 12:30 PM   #12
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I have to wonder if Equal-I-Zer will stand behind their product and replace the L brackets for you. It makes me wonder, because I am sure those L brackets are the same for 600 lbs bars and 1400 lbs bars.
That is an interesting point. If I remember correctly, the company has a lifetime warranty. I will check into that.

On edit - having just re-read the warranty statement in the manual, it is a limited lifetime warranty where they exclude certain wear and tear items. It is up to their interpretation as to coverage for this type of thing. They give an 800 number to call for a claim, which I will do. If they cover it, great, but I would not be upset about having to purchase the parts. I think they would be less than $100.
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Old 11-17-2014, 11:12 AM   #13
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I spoke to the maker, Progress Mfg, in Utah and explained my situation. They are going to send me a pair of replacement L-brackets for free. Can't ask for more than that.
Yes, the L-brackets are the same part number across all weight ranges -- 600 to 1400 lb tongue weights.
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Old 11-17-2014, 11:21 AM   #14
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That's good that they are replacing them. Still makes me wonder why they bent. You don't have nearly as much weight on yours as someone using a 1400 torsion bar...
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Old 11-17-2014, 11:25 AM   #15
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If it happened where I think it happened, I was turning at the same time as the gas station entrance slope. So, there was pivoting going on at the same time as the vertical forces. It's interesting that the spring bars are still straight and true, and as far as I can tell, the TT tongue and TV receiver are okay.
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Old 11-17-2014, 01:41 PM   #16
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Looking at the design of this hitch there is to much rigidness. A chain link round bar type has more flex. Built up the old brackets with a hardened welding rod to strengthen the bracket and see what happen? Before using the new brackets.
So have all systems their own trade off's
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Old 11-17-2014, 03:36 PM   #17
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Snip..... A chain link round bar type has more flex......Snip
Just a comment on this point.....there have been documented cases where the snap-up brackets in the chain type have become bent. They get replaced just the same. No question though about the Equal-i-zer being quite rigid in general.
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Old 11-17-2014, 04:29 PM   #18
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The snap-up brackets from Reese round bar can become bent when:
1. Not parallel with trailer (incorrect tightening)
2. Loose bracket (center bracket bolt up-side from set bolt not installed)
3. Incline angle to steep (like steep drive ways)
Otherwise they are more flexible


In the 50 years of using Reese round bars I never lost a bracket.
But what I also said; all systems have their own trade off's - means there is no perfections yet!
And who ever is happy with their hook-up system I'm happy for them.
So David472 I'm happy you like your Equal-i-zer.


When I look from an engineering point when they use 600 lb. brackets on 1200 lb. EQ system, then I start asking questions.


Every combination handles differently and everyone has different comfort levels.
And everybody has their likes and dislikes.
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Old 11-17-2014, 06:39 PM   #19
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Just cool it EH?
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Old 12-11-2014, 11:42 AM   #20
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I hesitate to add this post.....but here goes.
After much soul searching and consideration for how many tens of thousands of highway miles we intend to travel as part of retirement years ahead, I decided to bite the bullet and have aquired a Hensley Arrow hitch. We didn't want a fiver but they say this hitch will allow the TT to tow just as well as a fiver. Deep down, I really wanted a different hitch, so this is it.
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