EAZ LIFT Sway Control Bar Sufficient on T@B 320 S?

DigPolo · October 2020

We recently purchased a 2018 320S T@B Boondock and it came with an EAZ Lift Sway Control Bar. We attached it on our recent trip. Is this Sufficient enough to use while towing, or should I add the Weight Distribution Hitch with Sway Bar instead? I still have these from our previously owned 16 foot Keystone Trailer.

Denny16 · October 2020

Doubt you even need the EAZ sway bar, with a properly loaded TaB. But nüCamp does not recommend using a weight distribution hitch, this would app,y weight from the TV to the trailer axle, the TaB 320 is too small for a WDH.
cheers

VictoriaP · October 2020

WDH is not recommended for use with the 320. Sway bar is fine, if your vehicle is built to handle one (yours is), but may not be necessary if the trailer is loaded correctly with sufficient weight on the tongue. Most people don’t use them.

JPRoland · October 2020

I recently tested our 320S with and without the anti-sway bar and It performed beautifully both ways, but it feels slightly more stable with the bar on. It's fine with or without, if loaded properly.

DigPolo · October 2020

@JPRoland Thank you. It’s so easy to put on so I am sure we will be using all the time.

VictoriaP · October 2020

@DigPolo Just remember you’ll have to remove the sway bar before trying to back up.

Dalehelman · October 2020

VictoriaP said:

@DigPolo Just remember you’ll have to remove the sway bar before trying to back up.

X2

JPRoland · October 2020

That's right, Dalehelman, I forgot to add that you ought to remove it when backing up. Unless it is just a straight back up with no curves, you stand a chance of bending the anti-sway bar.

Dalehelman · October 2020

It’s one of those things that is easy to forget. From past experience with a must larger trailer. In a very tight gas station. IMHO if you don’t need one don’t use one. Proper loading is more important and much safer than a bandaid.

DigPolo · October 2020

Thank you @JPRoland, @Dalehelman and @VictoriaP for great insight and suggestions. Much appreciated.

Have a T@Bulous day my friends!

DougH · October 2020

I keep my tongue weight at 8-10% of the T@B weight and never have sway, even with semi-trucks passing closely. But I keep at 60mph or less. Our T@Bs are light enough to use a bathroom scale to measure whether you're at 8, 10, or 12% of the total weight when loaded up with propane, water, gear, heavier or additional batteries, extra propane tanks, generators, or if you choose to move where the spare tire is stowed. Folks who travel faster often shoot for 15% or even a smidge more.

PNWtabber · October 2020

@DigPolo, I am in a similar situation, just purchased a 2018 320S Boondock from a private party and they included sway bars and, what I assume is, a weight distribution hitch. In fact, they were pretty adamant that we needed those and insisted we get the hitch adjusted at their local service facility to fit the vehicle we were bringing the trailer home with. I had no prior experience with sway bars and didn't know about the "remove before backing" thing. We had a heck of a time getting them off after parking the trailer at the bottom of our steep driveway -- I couldn't have done it by myself, fortunately my son was undaunted and got them off. I was very relieved to discuss this situation here on the forum and learn I didn't need them. They will be relegated to an obscure corner of my garage to be forgotten until some future date.

Denny16 · October 2020

Many TaB400 owners do not even use them, and I have found it not necessary to use a sway control bar either on our YaB 400. A 320 should be even easier to tow.
cheers

Dalehelman · October 2020

PNWtabber said:

@DigPolo, I am in a similar situation, just purchased a 2018 320S Boondock from a private party and they included sway bars and, what I assume is, a weight distribution hitch. In fact, they were pretty adamant that we needed those and insisted we get the hitch adjusted at their local service facility to fit the vehicle we were bringing the trailer home with. I had no prior experience with sway bars and didn't know about the "remove before backing" thing. We had a heck of a time getting them off after parking the trailer at the bottom of our steep driveway -- I couldn't have done it by myself, fortunately my son was undaunted and got them off. I was very relieved to discuss this situation here on the forum and learn I didn't need them. They will be relegated to an obscure corner of my garage to be forgotten until some future date.

I think you may be confusing Load equalizing bars with a sway control bar. Load equalizing hitches should not me used on 320s. The C Chanel on the tongue is not designed to handle the spring loads produced by that type of hitch.

PNWtabber · October 2020

@Dalehelman -- I will have to look into it. Either way, they are off the trailer, off the tow rig, and in the garage. Would the use of them by the previous owner have caused any damage to the tongue?

After googling, looks like what they gave me was an "E2" hitch, which the manufacturer says provides weight distribution and sway control. They also claim it can be used when backing, so I guess that is why the seller didn't mention it. What I know is, if your TV is on an angle that is different from the trailer (like on my steep driveway), the bars are a pain to get off. We also nearly bottomed out the pins that hold the bars in place.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/ut/ukred076e1qd.jpg

Dalehelman · October 2020

@PNWtabber
This is the common sway control bar that must be disconnected before backing up. If not you can actually bend the trailers “A” frame creating a major problem.

Denny16 · October 2020

PNWtabber’s load leveling hitch example above, is bad idea on several counts.
First is it stressing the frame...
Second, it is taking some of the weight of the truck and redistributed it to the TaB320 axle, which is not rated for the extra weight.
Third, not really necessary with a small trailer a d a large TV setup like this.
cheers

PNWtabber · October 2020

@Denny16 -- I hope the previous owner did not damage the trailer by using it. As I said, I have removed all components of that hitch and it is chilling in my garage.

DigPolo · October 2020

This is all great info, especially for a new T@bber. @Dalehelman, the picture you posted is the exact style sway bar I am using on our 320. I am so appreciative for the comments and warnings addressed above; We were about to put the stabilizers on the trailer.

DigPolo · October 2020

DougH said:

I keep my tongue weight at 8-10% of the T@B weight and never have sway, even with semi-trucks passing closely. But I keep at 60mph or less. Our T@Bs are light enough to use a bathroom scale to measure whether you're at 8, 10, or 12% of the total weight when loaded up with propane, water, gear, heavier or additional batteries, extra propane tanks, generators, or if you choose to move where the spare tire is stowed. Folks who travel faster often shoot for 15% or even a smidge more.

@DougH Could you (or anyone else) explain to me specifically how you use the bathroom scale to measure the tongue weight. Being a T@B Rookie, this is all foreign to me.

DougH · October 2020

@DigPolo ; If you have a flat foot for the jack instead of a wheel, you can get an approximation. The front tongue coupler is almost a foot forward from the jack so it will be easier to lift there, versus at the jack stand point (something about Archimedes and lifting the world with a long enough lever). But it should be within 5-10%, and somebody on the forum once measured the distances from the coupler to the axle versus the jack stand to the axle, and the relative weight of a coupler and front of the tongue relative to the rest of the camper to show that any jack stand measurement will actually be 4.1835534% too high (or something like that).

But all I do is

leave the T@B hooked up to the tow vehicle,

unhook the coupler as if separating the two critters,

put a scale on the ground where the jack stand will come down on it,

cover the stand on portion of the scale with a piece of lightweight wood to protect the scale and distribute the weight on it,

then slowly lower the jack on to the scale.

Once the tongue coupler starts to rise from the tow vehicle hitch you'll have a consistent weight on the bathroom scale, as you continue to jack the tongue higher, of 200#, 250#, or whatever it is for your camper.

And by bringing a small bathroom scale with you, you can also avoid eating too many s'mores on a camping trip.

Do it on a level pavement area, so the camper doesn't try to roll away as you lift it off the trailer hitch ball of course.

And it can be any cheap throwaway scale good to 400lbs like this one that doesn't take much space...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L2XBK5V

To measure at the coupler instead, just put the scale under the tow hitch ball, get a wide 10-15" long wood dowel, and jack up the tongue until you can slip the dowel between the scale protector wood and the bottom of the tongue right behind the coupler. Then lower the jack stand and the camper tongue onto the dowel. A lot less safe, a lot less stable, but a bit more accurate... and not worth doing. Better to use a 4x4 as VictoriaP suggests below.

But if you search through the forum you'll see folks who have actual trailer coupler scales, and they also make scales built right into hitch receiver stems now too... but those usually are for 1200lb tongue weights, not our typical 175-230lb T@B 320 tongue weights But those methods cost more than $15.

VictoriaP · October 2020

@DigPolo As DougH notes, you can use the jack, but it will be less accurate. In your case—a 320 + Toyota Tacoma—that inaccuracy won’t be an issue. For anyone else reading this with a less capable vehicle, especially with a tongue weight limit of 350 or less, please do not use the jack.

To weigh a 320 tongue with a bathroom scale (the process for the 400 differs a little due to the heavier tongue): You MUST weigh the trailer with a level tongue regardless of what method you use, otherwise the weight will not be accurate. You’ll need a piece of wood (a 4”x4” works nicely, even a neatly cut firewood log of adequate diameter can work) cut to the correct length so that when you place it on the scale and support the coupler with it, your trailer tongue is level. For your Boondock, assuming level ground, that’s 16” minus the height of the scale.

So, raise the tongue a little above level. Place your scale beneath the coupler, and the piece of wood on top of the scale. Lower the trailer tongue onto the wood, raising the jack until all weight is on the wood. If you have a removable jack wheel, take it off now (those things are heavy!) Check to confirm the trailer is level, then read the scale. Subtract the weight of the wood for most accuracy.

Alternatively, you can make a platform of strong material of the same height as the wood, and put the scale on top of the platform with the coupler directly on the scale. I’ve seen that done with cinder block or a wooden box.

Trailer tongue scales are commercially available. They are the easiest option for the 400, but less accurate for the 320. US-made scales of this sort just aren’t designed for lighter tongue weights. I imported one from the UK sized for my 320, but frankly that’s overkill for most people. Happy to help 320 owners weigh with it though if I meet you on the road!

Tongue weight, like trailer weight, is not fixed in stone...literally anything you load or unload from anywhere on the trailer may affect it. As such, we have 320 owners with 200 lb tongue weights, and others pushing 350. Anything you add closer to the front will add more tongue weight, anything behind the trailer axel reduces tongue weight. Mine went up just adding groceries to the fridge. If you are towing with a vehicle with plenty of tongue weight to spare, that change is likely a non issue unless you make the tongue too light. But we have many people pushing their weight limits around here. Knowing how to weigh the tongue and how packing your trailer affects that weight is important.

DougH · October 2020

@DigPolo @VictoriaP

Was bored today.

So I measured the weight of the block of wood I carry and use for load spreading on a bathroom scale. And I measured the 4x4 block I use for measuring a level trailer for weighing and for using under stabilizers occasionally. Then I took three measurements at the jack (subtracting the block of wood). And three more at the coupler subtracting the block of wood and section of 4x4 used. Wiggled everything a little between measurements to get a spread of values of 3-4lbs across readings.

Results:
184lbs at the jack.
170lbs at the coupler, or only 8.5% tongue weight.

So measuring at the jack was 7.5% high versus an accurate measurement at the coupler VictoriaP indicated above. Higher than I expected.

That was with a SLR125 battery in front, and two in the back, a half tank of fresh water, empty black and grey, and two full propane tanks in the front... and various mods to the camper. When I travel I normally carry up to 100lbs forward of the axle and a full tank of water... which gets me pretty close to the 10% goal.

VictoriaP · October 2020

@DougH Good to know! And thanks for confirming that the jack weight is higher rather than lower, saves me having to do it myself out in the cold today. 😁

I have not weighed at the jack. Coupler weight of my BD Lite (with the 2019 platform up front) using two different scales is 187 lbs with it pretty lightly loaded, empty holding tanks, 66 lb AGM & full propane. This is actually a little under spec dry weight which was 198, possibly due to the 100 lbs of Purpleline trailer mover right behind the axle? Spare tire (non Boondock) is also underneath the rear.

The problem is, it’s too light at that point to tow without sway, and I was originally limited to 200 lbs tongue weight. Hence the need to change cars this year to one that can handle up to 350 lbs tongue weight. I’m looking forward to reweighing with things rearranged and getting up above that 10% point! But 350 still isn’t a lot when you consider things like moving the spare forward...decisions will likely have to be made in order to stay safely below that 350 limit.

MadCityJack · December 2020

I wasn’t going to use a stabilizer bar but the manual of my 2018 Toyota Highlander (XLE) requires one for gross cargo weight of trailer at 2000 lbs and above. I thought for insurance/liability reasons it would be worth the hassle of taking it off when backing up. I think I will have it installed professionally, because I have never drilled metal and it seems you need to be precise to line up the holes.

I also put a full size spare on my TV because one can’t tow with a donut (per manual) AND even if not towing with my Highlander a donut can’t be used on the front tire, so some swapping of tires is required. Trailer camping eventually will get easier, I know, but it takes prep work...

Denny16 · December 2020

The trailer tongue is a lever, the longer the lever, the less effort is takes to lift it. In Europe, they tow at slower speeds, and use a longer tongue/coupler length to reduce the tongue weight. On a EU 320, you can lift the 320 tongue but he handle on it. That said, do not try this on a US TaB, we need the extra tongue weight to stabilize the trailer towing at our higher towing speeds.
cheere

dsfdogs · December 2020

@jesherman I have a 4Runner with the same requirements. I use a EAZ Lift sway control . The dealership got me set up with hitch and sway. I was told to hand tighten it (see the lever in dalehelman's picture above, so it will still slide while driving and turning). I try to remember to remove it when checking in at the park.

JPRoland · December 2020

That's what I do, dsfdogs. Just hand-tighten or less. If I tighten too much it creaks and moans at me as I head down the road, so I have an indicator. I have now found that I prefer the anti-sway bar on the interstate at 65mph but I prefer to leave it off when winding and turning through hills.

trimtab · December 2020

We took a lot of trips here in Oregon this last summer...with our 2020 320-s.
Never had any sway problems, so I am at a loss, why would anyone need one on such a light trailer?

dsfdogs · December 2020

@trimtab I want and use a sway control for peace of mind. In particular, on highways such as I-5, 26, 97, and 84 when semi's fly past, or in heavy wind.

GatorEgg · December 2020

Check in your tow vehicles owners manual. After thousands of miles my Boondock 320 didn’t need any sway, it towed fine. But one boarded day I was reading my Tacoma’s owners manual. It specified sway when towing over 2k lbs. So for insurance problem avoidance in case of accident I installed 0 ne. I figured $35 was cheap insurance.

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EAZ LIFT Sway Control Bar Sufficient on T@B 320 S?

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