Wdh & sway bar 17c ex-port

Scottyboi85 · 03-29-2020, 09:31 PM

What do you guys recommend for wdh & sway bar for a 2009 jayco jay feather 17c ex-port 2850 pds towing with a 2015 dodge durango.. pulls great but gets alittle squirrely when on the highway and a truck passes.. do I need both or just the sway bar truck sags little but not much trailer empty when hooked up..my question is if the trailer is to light with a wdh and sway bar will it defeat the purpose and not work properly and be an overkill? If I dont need both I could use the money for other things I'd like to add

**JFlightRisk** · 03-29-2020, 10:20 PM

If there's any remote chance your future includes a larger TT, get a WDH that handles the sway, as part of it's design. The Equalizer brand hitch is one of several that functions as both weight and sway. Unlike a separate sway bar, you won't have to disconnect it, before backing up.

Had I listened to myself years ago, I wouldn't have a sway bar assembly hanging in the garage. We upgraded to a TT that needed the WDH before we could bring it home.

DocBrown · 03-30-2020, 06:50 AM

It's not about the rear squat. It's about how much weight it taken off the front wheels. Is the front end being raised enough to cause loss of steering control?

"pulls great but gets alittle squirrely when on the highway and a truck passes.. "

And with this statement you answered your own question. A WDH will put weight back on the front wheels and give you a comfortable towing experience.

Jagiven · 03-30-2020, 08:51 AM

There are a lot of factors. If I recall the Durango has a 7K pound tow rating. Sounds good, but really maters is the payload rating. You will find that on the yellow sticker on the driver's door jam. Then figure out your actual payload. Easiest way way is to stop at a CAT scale. Fully loaded, full tank of fuel, all your stuff on board. In your case take two measurements. 1st measurement; the combo (road ready). 2nd measurement; just your TV. If you had a WDH, you take a 3rd measurement, one with it engaged, and one disengaged.

Your tongue weight should be 10-15 percent of the total TT weight. In your case that will be around 285 to 430 pounds. Ideally you want to be around 13-14 percent (370-400 pounds). If your tongue weight is light the trailer will get squirrelly.

I suspect your well within your TV capacity. I also suspect you really only need a sway bar. Just note, simple swaybars MUST be removed prior to ANY backing up, or they are damaged. A good WDH with integrated sway control, does not require disconnecting prior to backing up.

One more thing from experience; before traveling always check your tire pressures, especially on the TT, keep them at max tire pressure. I did not one spring trip, the pressures were down 5-10 pounds. It was the worse drive I have experienced. The TT was being pushed around by even the smallest sports car passing me.

RogerR · 03-30-2020, 11:50 AM

the Andersen includes sway and WDH features in one easy to use and simple to install. It is also lighter than most (all?) of the others. The factory service guys are great. Take a look at the you-tubes on Andersen on line. Get one of the Andersen levelers too.

Scottyboi85 · 03-30-2020, 01:08 PM

Yeah I dont plan on upgrading anytime soon anyway.. My parents have one also so I got this for me and my son so we arent so packed into one.. Just want to get it set up rite before i take it anywhere far. As far as the front end goes of the TV that felt pretty decent it was more the trailer swaying around.. Also the hitch I used to bring it home was only a 2in drop so the front of the TT was about 3in higher than the back. Another thing I noticed when I got it home is the dirty water tank seemed to be pretty full would that cause it to ride sketchy as well? I just wanted to make sure if I went with a wdh and sway bar set up that it wasnt going to be overkill and unnecessary. I'm assuming with a single axle trailer not being level going down the road and a full tank of water in the back could be why it felt the way it did.. The hitch I have now is a 4in drop and it is sitting pretty level. Havent taken it for a ride yet.. Looking into getting rafial tires as well because the ones on it now are kind of crappy

go wild · 03-31-2020, 09:13 AM

I'd highly recommend the 600/6000 Equalizer WDH. Has worked great for me for many years. Really helps keeps the RV stable when in situations like high cross-winds, semis passing at highway speeds, etc.

tbwill · 03-31-2020, 01:14 PM

Our first trailer was the Starcraft version of the 17C, we used a Fastway E2 trunnion bar hitch. Made by the same company that makes the Equalizer hitch, has the same bar on L bracket friction sway control as the Equalizer, does not have the additional friction sway control at the hitch head the Equalizer does. The four years we had the trailer, never had a problem with it. Towed with a Toyota 4 Runner and F-150 truck.

penguin149 · 04-01-2020, 06:42 AM

x2 on the E2. Pulled my X17C with a Nissan Frontier (and now a Titan). Only takes a couple of minutes to hook/unhook. Worth the extra protection and piece of mind. My HTT has a tongue weight of around 500# (spare is under the tongue). I'd think the Durango would appreciate the WD hitch.

Check on-line for an E2. Found a deal on mine in 2014; less than $300 include shipping.

Zenar · 04-26-2020, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottyboi85

What do you guys recommend for wdh & sway bar for a 2009 jayco jay feather 17c ex-port 2850 pds towing with a 2015 dodge durango.. pulls great but gets alittle squirrely when on the highway and a truck passes.. do I need both or just the sway bar truck sags little but not much trailer empty when hooked up..my question is if the trailer is to light with a wdh and sway bar will it defeat the purpose and not work properly and be an overkill? If I dont need both I could use the money for other things I'd like to add

https://www.amazon.com/Husky-32217-C...7947702&sr=8-2

This is the hitch I had on my Sante Fe. The max tow was maxed out with the trailer and the hitch/sway control were absolutely perfect. I have since upgraded to the Palisade as I didn't like have no excess towing capacity for bikes, gear or even solar panels if I wanted too.
But the hitch is super easy to use.

Zenar · 04-26-2020, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottyboi85

What do you guys recommend for wdh & sway bar for a 2009 jayco jay feather 17c ex-port 2850 pds towing with a 2015 dodge durango.. pulls great but gets alittle squirrely when on the highway and a truck passes.. do I need both or just the sway bar truck sags little but not much trailer empty when hooked up..my question is if the trailer is to light with a wdh and sway bar will it defeat the purpose and not work properly and be an overkill? If I dont need both I could use the money for other things I'd like to add

Also, I noticed your trailer should sit level or else it's going to cause your car to rock back and forth

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