Blue Ox SwayPro

[Camper_bob]

So, I took the hitch my dealer sold me with my trailer without much thought. Turns out, the hitch was not optimal for a number of reasons. Not the least of which was that it was under-sized for my application. It was a Fastway E2 1000/10000; generally a fine hitch, but with a potential max tongue weight of around 1400 lbs, I felt it wasn't quite up to the task I was asking of it. Also, it is a "round-bar" setup, meaning that the spring bars come out the bottom of the hitch head and curve back toward the trailer. A "trunion" bar setup is more appropriate for my "underslung" coupler.

I was never able to get my front fender back to unloaded height with that hitch, and the trailer was always a bit "twitchy" with it. I never had actual sway, but it just wasn't quite right.

After much deliberation and shopping and wringing of my hands, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a Blue Ox SwayPro, model BXW1503. This model is specifically designed for trailers with "underslung" couplers (that's a coupler that's mounted to the bottom of the frame) as opposed to the BXW1500 for top-mounted couplers.

I ordered the hitch from Etrailer.com and it shipped quickly (and for free). The box was quite beat up, but the parts inside were fine, and they were all there. Price was pretty even wherever I shopped, and I like Etrailer, so that's how I ended up there. They are available elsewhere.

Manufacturer website:
SwayPro® | Blue Ox

Listing on Etrailer.com:
https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...x/BXW1503.html

Setup was SUPER easy. I did the initial setup (based on measurements) in my garage. This included mounting the hitch head to the shank, and mounting the 2-5/16" ball into the hitch head. The ball mount in the hitch head is open, so this task was easy, and I didn't need a special "thin walled" socket.

I followed the instructions for the rest of the setup, which I was able to accomplish in the storage lot when I went to pick up my trailer last week. The initial setup as recommended in the manual was perfect. I have about 3/4" front end drop when the trailer is hitched up, and my front fenders are EXACTLY where they were unloaded, and I'm using the 9th link from the non-bar end of the chain (this is the only adjustment in the entire setup). I still need to go weigh everything, but after driving it 300 miles last weekend, I can tell you it'll scale out just fine.

The BXW1503 ships with a standard 7-hole shank which offers no drop. I have a tall Ram 2500, so I knew I was going to need some drop in my shank. This is where Blue Ox service comes into play. I knew this before I ordered the hitch as I had talked to a Blue Ox rep before (she also clarified that there IS a difference in the hitches for underslung couplers; it's the angle of the spring bar sockets). She informed me that I could ship back the (unused) 7-hole shank, and they would ship me out whichever one I needed. So I called them back after my hitch arrived, and much to my surprise, they sent me a FedEx label (paid for) and shipped my new shank out immediately! Talk about GREAT service!! (That reminds me, I better ship them my original shank! I haven't done that yet!) I ordered the BXW4003, which is a 9-hole shank (offering .78" drop) and 12" long. So now I can drop my tailgate while hitched up!

Bottom line so far: I've only towed with it once, but I would say I'm happy, and I would recommend it. The difference is clear if not dramatic. I used to get a little wiggle from the trailer when big rigs or large trucks would pass. I could feel the wave from the tail of the trailer all the way up to the truck. Now I don't feel it near as much if at all, but when I DO feel it, it's the truck and trailer moving as ONE unit. It feels a lot more stable now. I don't know exactly how the sway control part works, but I can say that it does in fact work. And it's quiet too.

Setup is SUPER easy, as are adjustments. Adjustments simply involve a different chain link. There's no head tilting, or spring bar hanger adjusting. And the best part? No tools needed for regular adjustments.

The rotating latches take some getting used to, but after three times hitching/unhitching, I think I've got it. One piece of advice here, keep a good hold on that tool when you are unhitching; the first time, I lost hold of it and it swung around pretty hard and fast, it could have caused some damage if there was flesh and bone in its path. Also, jack the trailer and the truck up high when you're hitching/unhitching to make it easier.

[Rustic Eagle]

Great product overview......, and being able to drop the tailgate with the WDH engaged is a bonus.

If you get a chance, post a couple of close-up pics of the new WDH with your TV/TT combination.

Bob

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

Great product overview......, and being able to drop the tailgate with the WDH engaged is a bonus.

If you get a chance, post a couple of close-up pics of the new WDH with your TV/TT combination.

Bob

I'll try to grab some pics when I hook it up to take it back to storage later this week.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

Great product overview......, and being able to drop the tailgate with the WDH engaged is a bonus.

If you get a chance, post a couple of close-up pics of the new WDH with your TV/TT combination.

Bob

Finally got a chance to get some pics.

This is in my driveway on slightly unlevel ground; my driveway dips right under the hitch, so the rear of the truck and the nose of the trailer are lower than if they were on completely level ground.

My previous hitch would not allow the tailgate to drop. I needed about an inch or two to make that happen. As you can see, with the new, longer shank I have plenty of clearance there.

I need to move the curb-side rotating latch forward about 1/2" (street-side is pictured, and looking at it looks like I need to bump it forward a bit too), but other than that, everything is great! The chains are supposed to be exactly vertical going into the rotating latches.

I haven't had a chance to lengthen the safety chains yet. I would prefer they ride under the hitch head instead of over the spring bar sockets.

[JohnWedell]

Camper Bob,
I have the same setup. I went to harbor freight and bought a 1/2 inch breaker bar 24 inches long for $12.99 and a 1 inch socket at Lowes. Makes hooking up the chains much easier and safer.

[Rustic Eagle]

Camper_bob,

Thanks for posting the pics...., I was curious about the hardware clearances of the Blue Ox SwayPro integrated with a bottom mount TT coupler and your 3/4 ton TV receiver height......, looks good!

I also had to replace my safety chains with a longer set....., the OEM receiver on my new 2500HD has the safety chain mounting holes located further back on the receiver then my prior 2500HD receiver.

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

snip...... I haven't had a chance to lengthen the safety chains yet. I would prefer they ride under the hitch head instead of over the spring bar sockets.

I agree.

Bob

[blujay40]

Appreciate the post. It goes a long way to easing any concerns I had in regards to installing mine at a campground when ours is delivered to us 1500 miles from home.

I want to setup the head/shank/ball before we leave so all I need to do when they deliver the trailer to us at our campsite is install the brackets on the A frame and adjust it as necessary, but in order to do so, I need to find out the tongue measurements from a leveled 2017 330RSTS with the Maxxis tire upgrade so I have figures to go by when figuring out the proper holes in the shank.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by blujay40

Appreciate the post. It goes a long way to easing any concerns I had in regards to installing mine at a campground when ours is delivered to us 1500 miles from home.

I want to setup the head/shank/ball before we leave so all I need to do when they deliver the trailer to us at our campsite is install the brackets on the A frame and adjust it as necessary, but in order to do so, I need to find out the tongue measurements from a leveled 2017 330RSTS with the Maxxis tire upgrade so I have figures to go by when figuring out the proper holes in the shank.

Yes indeed. To mount the rotating latches, you only need a couple wrenches. The recommended torque on the mounting hardware for the rotating latches is only like 75 lbs, so no long or large tools required for that. As long as you have good measurements for your hitch receiver, and your leveled coupler height, you should be good to go!

ETA: It's just that simple if you have already set up the head/shank/ball. That part is a bit harder because of the size of the tools required. Most people I know don't travel with the tools necessary to replace/install a hitch ball.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by JohnWedell

Camper Bob,
I have the same setup. I went to harbor freight and bought a 1/2 inch breaker bar 24 inches long for $12.99 and a 1 inch socket at Lowes. Makes hooking up the chains much easier and safer.

I carry a long-handled 1/2" ratchet instead of a breaker bar, and all the sockets I need with me when I'm towing anyway, so if I ever decide I need them, I have them. But so far, I'm doing pretty well with the supplied wrench. As long as I have both hands, and a firm grip on it when I go to release the rotating latch, I don't have a problem. The first couple times was a different story though; I thought for sure there was a better way, it was pretty awkward. But once I got used to it, it's fine.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

Camper_bob,

Thanks for posting the pics...., I was curious about the hardware clearances of the Blue Ox SwayPro integrated with a bottom mount TT coupler and your 3/4 ton TV receiver height......, looks good!

I also had to replace my safety chains with a longer set....., the OEM receiver on my new 2500HD has the safety chain mounting holes located further back on the receiver then my prior 2500HD receiver.



I agree.

Bob

Thanks!

So how did you "lengthen" them?

I haven't decided exactly how I'll do it yet. I'm thinking of a short length of chain attached to the existing chain with a threaded link. The hook end uses a simple pin held in place with a bent cotter pin, so that part is easy.

ETA: One of the reasons I wanted to go with this type of hitch was because with my previous round-bar hitch, the bars rode really low. I was worried about ground clearance issues, and would have preferred the bars to ride closer to the trailer frame. Interestingly, it doesn't look like these ride that much higher. I didn't measure them before and after because that wasn't a huge deal to me, but looking at my pictures above, I don't see a lot of difference there?

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

snip..... So how did you "lengthen" them?......snip

I decided against adding additional chain links and hardware to make up the added chain required, so I purchased a total new length of safety chain & attached two new slip hooks (expensive route). I did initially look into adding to the existing chain(s) but couldn't find similar rated connecting hardware (off the shelf), which of course would have been the less expense approach.

I measured how much total added length of chain I needed and went to a local commercial trailer builder/retailer who also sold RV accessories Home - Richfield Trailer Supply. I purchased the "total length of chain" I needed (packaged length) and two new slip hooks...., similar chain/hooks represented in the following pic except long enough to attach two slip hooks at each end:



The chain/hooks I purchased have a much higher weight rating then the standard Jayco safety chain(s). Jayco's two existing chains were attached to the A-frame with two separate bolts..., I attached the new "single length of chain" using the same two bolts bolted through two individual links within the single length chain.

Note: If you should change the style of safety "hooks" make sure they are compatible with your style/size of TV receiver hook openings.

Bob

[Camper_bob]

Update:

I've had the Blue Ox for a while now and have had a chance to use it some, and I still think I made the right choice.

Some things I've learned: A breaker bar (15" or 18") with a 1" socket works better than the supplied tool. I lost the original tool on the first trip out to Lost Maples SNA in TX. I bought a cheap ratchet and impact socket thinking that would do the job. Hitching up was great, but unhitching, not so much. Because by design, the ratchet only offers tension in one direction, once I got the rotating latches past their natural "cam", they would let loose, and the ratchet was in the wrong direction to control them, so they would pop over HARD as the tension was released. So I bought a 18" swivel head breaker bar (would've gotten the 15" if Harbor Freight had one, the 24" I already had was too long to maneuver around the tongue) and it works WAY better than the original tool. The grip is better, the leverage is better, and the swivel head adds a great deal of control to the process.

The chains tend to get stuck in the rotating latches if you put them straight in. So when you're rotating them off, the latches hang on to the next chain link under tension (not the one that fits in the "slot") and you have to rotate the latch all the way over before it will let go, and it does so with quite a bit of sudden force. I simply give the chain a half twist so that the next link rides a little "crooked" in the channel and will easily drop free when the latch is rotated.

So far, I've towed in all the conditions I'm likely to face, and the Blue Ox has performed admirably. Strong cross-winds will move the trailer, but as long as you're doing your job driving, the hitch will do its job keeping the trailer where it belongs. Big trucks passing will still move you, but truck and trailer tend to move together instead of the "wave" effect you might otherwise get. Makes it easier to control. It's as quiet as advertised (I think I've heard it "creak" once or twice on tight turns), and setup is dead simple.

Blue Ox customer service is second to none. I needed a different shank than what was purchased with the hitch set because my truck is so tall, and they sent me the right shank with a RMA and label to send back the (unused) original, no charge. The tech on the phone said something to the effect of "that's how we do" when I offered my immense gratitude for making it so easy.

Anyway, I would recommend the hitch to anyone considering a new/different WDH.

[blujay40]

We finally were able to take delivery of our new 2017 Eagle 330RSTS and so I went ahead and let the dealership service department setup my BXW2003 Blue Ox WDH for underslung couplers that I had ordered from etrailer. Boy was THAT a mistake. Long story short, they setup the ball 6" too low and no matter what they tried, they couldn't get my setup level. I only had to go about 60 miles with it to get it home, so just left as quickly as possible and figured I would fix it when I got home. Taking it easy, the trip home was luckily uneventful but I immediately set out to figure out what was going on.

I started by double checking everything they had done. I towed the trailer a couple of blocks up to a local parking lot and found a side to side level area. I then used the tongue jack to level front to back (had to do that anyway to install my Level Mate Pro). I then measured the coupler height and was shocked! My coupler height ended up being 27" and according to the instructions, the ball should be 1 to 2 inches higher. The dealership installed the shank and ball at 23"!!!!!!!! No wonder it towed like crap!!!

So I took the trailer back home, unhitched, and drove to a friends house where we reset the ball height to 29 1/4". Had to flip the shank upside down to get it that high, but I can still open the tailgate with the hitch on. After getting everything where it SHOULD be, I drove back home.

Before hitching up, I decided I should also measure the brackets as well. They are supposed to be approx. 29" back from the coupler, and the chains once hitched, were supposed to be straight up and down. When I measured the brackets, to my surprise, one side was at 27" and the other was at 30". So I moved them as well so both sides were at 29". Obviously, instructions were too much to bother with!

So finally, thinking I had everything as good as I could get it, I measured all my wheel well heights and then hitched the trailer back up. I was only able to get the chains as high as the 8th link (4 links showing below the brackets once locked) no matter what I did, but went ahead and finished hooking them up and lowering the trailer back down.

Stepping back to take a look, I couldn't believe how level it looked. I was getting geeked! So I pulled out the tape measure and level once again and ecstatically discovered that my front wheel wells were still what they were before hitching up, the rears were only about 2" lower, and the trailer/truck was all but perfectly level. According to my Level Mate Pro, I was .25" nose down! Bubble level and 4' stick level also verified that I was as level as I could possibly hope for!!!

So a few days later, we embarked on our maiden voyage with the new setup. 1500 miles to Florida over 4 days! 20 mph cross winds the first day, numerous trucks passing during the trip, towing speeds between 55 and at times when necessary, 65 and the Blue Ox performed admirably!

Sure there was an occasional wiggle here and there during a wind gust or a semi blowing by, but at no time did I "white knuckle" it and most times, one hand was more than enough to keep her straight. The Blue Ox also seemed to dampen the bouncing I used to feel with the Equalizer I had with our old trailer which made the trip even more comfortable. It was about as good of a feeling as I could expect with a 10000+ lb bumper pull trailer following me.

So mark me down as yet another Blue Ox owner that is satisfied with their choice, but make sure YOU are the one supervising the install!!!!!

[Camper_bob]

Hey blujay40, that's a great success story!

I will +1 the advice to at the very least supervise the installation of any WDH. Better yet, do it yourself. When I bought my trailer, they really buggered the WDH setup. They even had one of the spring bar brackets opposite of the other (upside down)! I called the tech out on it and he said "it's like that because the slide side is heavier, so the bar on that side has to be tighter". Seriously?! How stupid do you think I am?

So, whatever, I knew I was going to completely reconfigure when I got home, so I let it go. When I got home, I did my homework and took the entire WDH down and started from scratch. Even with the marginal hitch I had (I was pushing the limits of its capacity, it wasn't the hitch's fault), the results were nothing short of spectacular.

So, when I upgraded to the Sway Pro, I did the entire setup myself, in my driveway. I will never let another technician set up my hitch again.

[glsimms]

Just thought I'd throw in my 2 pennies......

We just purchased a new TT and the dealership had both the Equalizer as well as the Blue Ox. They sold me on the Blue Ox even though the 2 brands of hitches were about the same in price. I did let the service dept. set my hitch up for me, the guy has 10 years experience so I felt confident he knew what he was doing.

My TV is a 2014 Ford Expy with factory installed brake and sway control. The dealership told me to turn off the anti-sway feature on the TV so the 2 didn't fight against one another. Towing our new rig home was a pleasure even with the big rigs flying by. I've only towed it once, so I'm sure I'll get more familiar with it after I've used it more.

[bankr63]

Originally Posted by glsimms

My TV is a 2014 Ford Expy with factory installed brake and sway control. The dealership told me to turn off the anti-sway feature on the TV so the 2 didn't fight against one another.

This actually strikes me as bad advice, what do others think?

The anti-sway integrated into the hitch is always (afaik) a passive, mechanical, preventive system. It uses friction of some sort to prevent a sway event from happening by damping the pivot motion at the hitch. The anti-sway on the TV is an active, reactive, electrical system. It monitors TV motion to detect sway behind, and applies trailer brakes to bring things back into line.

I would look at the two together like belt and suspenders. The hitch system is the primary and should stop sway long before the TV detects any. However, in a situation where the mechanical resistance is overcome, (like an emergency swerve maneuver), the TV system will supplement by also applying the trailer brakes independently to bring the trailer into line. Yes the TV system is non-operative 99.99% of the time, but what is the harm in leaving it active for that 0.01% of the time when some turkey pulls out in front of you from a service station onto the highway.

Actually around here that seems to be more than 0.01% - "hey, better pull out in front of this trailer quick since he's probably going real slow." I'm not going slow, but I'm not stopping quick either!

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by bankr63

This actually strikes me as bad advice, what do others think?

The anti-sway integrated into the hitch is always (afaik) a passive, mechanical, preventive system. It uses friction of some sort to prevent a sway event from happening by damping the pivot motion at the hitch. The anti-sway on the TV is an active, reactive, electrical system. It monitors TV motion to detect sway behind, and applies trailer brakes to bring things back into line.

I would look at the two together like belt and suspenders. The hitch system is the primary and should stop sway long before the TV detects any. However, in a situation where the mechanical resistance is overcome, (like an emergency swerve maneuver), the TV system will supplement by also applying the trailer brakes independently to bring the trailer into line. Yes the TV system is non-operative 99.99% of the time, but what is the harm in leaving it active for that 0.01% of the time when some turkey pulls out in front of you from a service station onto the highway.

Actually around here that seems to be more than 0.01% - "hey, better pull out in front of this trailer quick since he's probably going real slow." I'm not going slow, but I'm not stopping quick either!

I agree with your analysis 100%. IMO, recommending that a customer disable electronic sway prevention (on either the truck or the trailer) is ill advised at best, and borders on negligent. The hitch is absolutely a physical sway prevention device and has no bearing on any additional electronic components. Further, to my knowledge, these electronic sway prevention measures on trucks and trailers only come into play during what I would consider a "severe" sway event. If your electronic sway control or traction controls on your vehicles are activated, you're way beyond what a hitch can "save" you from, and I would be getting a new pair of drawers if I made it out of the event intact.

There is absolutely no reason to disable sway or traction control just because you have a WDH with integrated sway prevention. They will certainly not interfere with eachother, and actually will be better able to save your bacon in a severe sway event by working with multiple aspects of sway prevention including automatic braking on the trailer and truck without driver input. Something that is vitally important when the SHTF and you're freaking out because you suddenly find yourself on top of a 15,000 lb bucking bronco.

As an aside, despite a technician's length of tenure, I would not trust him/her to properly install a WDH. You can bet I would be grabbing a tape measure and measuring that setup right in front of the tech. My "very experienced" technician did an absolutely horrible job setting up my first WDH, and I ended up tearing the whole thing down and starting from scratch (something I had planned to do from the beginning). One nice thing about the Blue Ox SwayPro is that setup and adjustment is SUPER easy. Hardest part is getting the ball height set, and that's not even hard.

[bankr63]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

As an aside, despite a technician's length of tenure, I would not trust him/her to properly install a WDH. You can bet I would be grabbing a tape measure and measuring that setup right in front of the tech. My "very experienced" technician did an absolutely horrible job setting up my first WDH, and I ended up tearing the whole thing down and starting from scratch (something I had planned to do from the beginning). One nice thing about the Blue Ox SwayPro is that setup and adjustment is SUPER easy. Hardest part is getting the ball height set, and that's not even hard.

Amen to that! My very experienced technician completely botched my WDH setup too, and even managed to mount the frame ball bracket for the anti-sway backwards. The first sharp left turn was a bit of a surprise!

But as an engineering professional, I'm never satisfied until I've taken it apart and rebuilt it properly anyway...

[glsimms]

While you guys may have the experience/knowledge of how to set-up a WDH, I do not. And I would surmise, many RV owners do not as well. Hence why I had a more experienced person install my WDH.

On a side note, I actually spoke to a tech at Blue Ox and they were hedging on whether or not to disable the internal SC and traction control on my TV. I must admit I was scratching my head when I was given this advise. suffice it to say I will leave them enabled.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by glsimms

While you guys may have the experience/knowledge of how to set-up a WDH, I do not. And I would surmise, many RV owners do not as well. Hence why I had a more experienced person install my WDH.

On a side note, I actually spoke to a tech at Blue Ox and they were hedging on whether or not to disable the internal SC and traction control on my TV. I must admit I was scratching my head when I was given this advise. suffice it to say I will leave them enabled.

That's exactly why I shared that advice. I had NO experience with sway control or WDH when I bought my trailer. I trusted the tech to do it right. Afterwards, I began researching, and reading the instructions and that's when I discovered (for sure) how bad my tech had botched the install. So, my advice going forward is to trust, but verify. And read the instructions for the hitch that will be installed before you go for your PDI and pick up your trailer. I have not found a hitch manufacturer yet that does not post their instructions on the internet. And in most cases, there are at least a dozen you-tube videos of their installation. Many by the manufacturer themselves.

Not only that, but my dealer sold me a hitch underrated for my trailer (my mistake really, I didn't know better). He sold me the hitch based on brochure empty weight instead of on GVWR or actual loaded tongue weight. My trailer can have tongue weight of up to almost 1400 lbs, and my hitch was a 1000/10000 model.

I would seriously question a Blue Ox tech who would consider recommending a customer disable any SC or TC systems on their vehicle. The only systems you should disable during setup are ride height adjustment systems like airbags or load-leveling equipment. Did you mention to the Blue Ox tech that the installation tech had recommended this? If that's the case, the Blue Ox tech could have been trying delicately not to step on the toes of the installation tech.

Either way, based on how each system works, they would never be "fighting" with each other, they will only help each other by working in concert to bring the truck and trailer back in line. The hitch is a passive system; it's always pushing the trailer into line behind the truck. The SC and TC systems are active and are initialized during a severe sway event and are designed to get the trailer and truck back in line. Everything is working together to straighten things out.