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Old 09-18-2019, 10:47 PM   #1
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Which type of hitch do I need?

ETI offers 3 hitch options for the E17B: (1) an Equalizer hitch; (2) Equalizer hitch with sway control bar: and (3) E2 integrated sway control and weight distribution hitch. How do these differ?
I’m thinking of purchasing an E17B, and tow it with my Toyota Highlander. I’m a newbie for trailer towing. What’s the appropriate hitch for me?
Thanks.
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Old 09-18-2019, 10:54 PM   #2
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Have you read the current thread "WDH cons" ?

It'd be a good place to start.

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Old 09-18-2019, 11:04 PM   #3
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If what they continue to call "Equalizer" hitch is still the Pro Series weight distribution hitch that I have used for ten years on my 17B, then I'd say spending $350 on all the hitch you really need, makes sense.
I've never felt the need for sway control and I've never felt the need to spend $625 on a weight distribution hitch.
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Old 09-18-2019, 11:37 PM   #4
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It's a function of the tow vehicle more than the trailer. If you have air suspension then you shouldn't use a WDH. If your vehicle has sway control then you shouldn't need it in the hitch...although it's not clear to me whether it would interfere or assist. For standard spring suspension with no sway control, the WD and sway control should help but may not be absolutely required depending on how close you are to the tow capacity limits and weight/wheelbase of your truck. It's something you can add later if you don't like how it tows without.
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Old 09-18-2019, 11:51 PM   #5
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My buddy tows his 19' with a Highlander and Pro Series WDH.
I tow my 17B with a RAV4 and a Pro Series WDH.
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Old 09-19-2019, 12:12 AM   #6
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Exactly this question has been asked before, and there's no reason to expect that the answers will change this time around. It's worth doing some searching in the forum.
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Old 09-19-2019, 01:25 AM   #7
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Yes, you will need a WDH, but its worth the 3 minutes to hook it up. It makes the ride so much nicer. You won't need sway control because of the aerodynamic shape of the trailer.

The biggest concern is transmission temps, read your owners manual. It wil say to tow only in 4th gear. Using the ScanGauge I towed in OD and dropped into 4th if it the torque converter unlocked.

I pulled my 17B with a 4Runner, here are my thoughts.

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f1...nce-13422.html


Also a newbie needs to understand about loading a trailer, don't over load the front (tongue weight), and don't over load the rear of the trailer.


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Old 09-19-2019, 08:23 AM   #8
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As previously stated in my posts, I used a Pro Tow WDH on my 2012 Highlander to tow our 2010 19 foot Escape tens of thousands of trouble free miles from Tucson to British Columbia and from South Carolina to California. No need to use anything else in my experienced opinion.
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Old 09-19-2019, 02:11 PM   #9
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As previously stated in my posts, I used a Pro Tow WDH on my 2012 Highlander to tow our 2010 19 foot Escape tens of thousands of trouble free miles from Tucson to British Columbia and from South Carolina to California. No need to use anything else in my experienced opinion.
Iowa Dave
Pro Series? That's the brand of what Escape still insists on calling an "Equalizer hitch".

Since this is a classic basic 2-bar-and-chain WDH, this experience suggests that any random WDH of any brand will work fine.
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Old 09-19-2019, 03:00 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
Pro Series? That's the brand of what Escape still insists on calling an "Equalizer hitch".

Since this is a classic basic 2-bar-and-chain WDH, this experience suggests that any random WDH of any brand will work fine.
I thought Equal-I-Zer when I put that Equailzer Pro Series on my build sheet. Didn't stop and think about it, just did it. My mistake. Equal-I-Zer does not build the Pro Series.

I have since replaced it with a real Equal-I-Zer. I use the 1000/10000. TW about 550-600. Hitch maybe 80lb, Box behind the truck rear axle, about 200lb.

I don't know how Reese does it but the equal-I-Zer lists the max tongue weight. When you see 1000/10000 it means 1000 is the max TW, range is 600-1000.

Ideally, one should be about mid range.
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Old 09-19-2019, 04:15 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger3146 View Post
ETI offers 3 hitch options for the E17B: (1) an Equalizer hitch; (2) Equalizer hitch with sway control bar: and (3) E2 integrated sway control and weight distribution hitch. How do these differ?
I’m thinking of purchasing an E17B, and tow it with my Toyota Highlander. I’m a newbie for trailer towing. What’s the appropriate hitch for me?
Thanks.
I went with a WDH with incorporated sway (Fastway E2) for our 17B. After completing our first trip of over 1000 miles towing with a Rav4 I don't think sway control is really necessary. It made a lot of loud “groaning” type noises when maneuvering in parking lots or campgrounds. This could be a little annoying to fellow campers if you arrive at the campground late at night or want to leave early in the morning. I could temporarily silence it by squirting a little water on the L bracket if I needed to. If I had to do it again I would skip the sway control. The 17B was very stable at the 60mph speeds I towed it at.
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Old 09-19-2019, 04:26 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by daniel108 View Post
It's a function of the tow vehicle more than the trailer. If you have air suspension then you shouldn't use a WDH. If your vehicle has sway control then you shouldn't need it in the hitch...although it's not clear to me whether it would interfere or assist. For standard spring suspension with no sway control, the WD and sway control should help but may not be absolutely required depending on how close you are to the tow capacity limits and weight/wheelbase of your truck. It's something you can add later if you don't like how it tows without.
No problem with having air bags and using WDH. Just don't use them together. When towing I set my bags to 5 lb and whatever it needs to be set at when just moving a load and not towing.

Even used together will not damage your TV or trailer, just remove the tension from your spring bars and defeat the WDH.
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Old 09-19-2019, 04:48 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by 75thRanger View Post
No problem with having air bags and using WDH. Just don't use them together. When towing I set my bags to 5 lb and whatever it needs to be set at when just moving a load and not towing.

Even used together will not damage your TV or trailer, just remove the tension from your spring bars and defeat the WDH.
You can even use them together; no need to defeat either. For instance, the Ram pickup owners manual clearly explains how to adjust the WDH, and what automatic mode to use for the factory optional air suspension.
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Old 09-19-2019, 05:05 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
You can even use them together; no need to defeat either. For instance, the Ram pickup owners manual clearly explains how to adjust the WDH, and what automatic mode to use for the factory optional air suspension.
I have aftermarket bags with remote control and compressor attached to frame under truck bed. I have hitched up with my 1000/10000 Equal-I-Zer and then stood back and used the remote to move it up and down a bit while I observed the truck/trailer position.

Decided I was better off with only 5 lb in the bags while using the WDH.
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Old 09-19-2019, 05:11 PM   #15
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Pro series

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
Pro Series? That's the brand of what Escape still insists on calling an "Equalizer hitch".

Since this is a classic basic 2-bar-and-chain WDH, this experience suggests that any random WDH of any brand will work fine.
You are correct Brian, this was the WDH which is sold by Escape and was the most economical one at the time. The original owner bought it with the trailer in 2010. It towed behind a Jeep Grand Cherokee and our Highlander and when we sold the trailer in 2017
I set it up for the new owner’s vehicle. He told me a year later it was working well. I’m currently using an Anderson that came with the 21 and it works well also. I am not at all concerned about effects of WDH hitches on the SUV or opinions about the suitability because I have been “the man in the arena”
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Old 09-19-2019, 05:17 PM   #16
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You should try to stick with the owners manuals recommendations for you vehicle to avoid any insurance issues in the future. The following is for a 2019 Highlander:
  • If the gross trailer weight is over 2000 lb. (900 kg), a sway control device with sufficient capacity is required.
  • If the gross trailer weight is over 5000 lb. (2200 kg), a weight distributing hitch with sufficient capacity is required.
Based on the above you should get a sway control device. This is pretty mush the same verbiage as my Tacoma so I ended up getting the E2 as weight distribution couldn't hurt. I was also under the impression a sway control device on its own (friction plate) had to be removed prior to backing up the trailer, which is just ridiculous! ETI sells the E2 installed for cheaper than I could find it in Canada or the US, so its a great deal!
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Old 09-19-2019, 05:22 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
You can even use them together; no need to defeat either. For instance, the Ram pickup owners manual clearly explains how to adjust the WDH, and what automatic mode to use for the factory optional air suspension.
I have an 2002 F250. Newer vehicles obviously have much more capability than mine when it comes to synchronizing various 'stuff'.
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Old 09-20-2019, 01:11 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by Roger3146 View Post
ETI offers 3 hitch options for the E17B: (1) an Equalizer hitch; (2) Equalizer hitch with sway control bar: and (3) E2 integrated sway control and weight distribution hitch. How do these differ?
I’m thinking of purchasing an E17B, and tow it with my Toyota Highlander. I’m a newbie for trailer towing. What’s the appropriate hitch for me?
Thanks.

Roger,

Although our towing experience spans 55 years, our Escape towing experience is only with a Honda Pilot towing our 2015 Escape 17A. The Pilot and the Highlander are similar, in that their V6 engine HP and torque are almost identical, and both SUV vehicles are FWD or AWD. Our Escape 17A is a couple hundred pounds lighter than the E17B.
That being said, the wheelbase and axle dimension to the hitch are the same. The E17 is 12 feet from hitch (ball) to axle, and tends to be tongue heavy. Because of the 12 ft. distance, sway is not a problem. Even with bicycles on the rear, I have been unable to induce sway while towing. When we first picked up our E17A, I carefully watched, on a 2 lane highway, when semi-trucks passed closely. There was no movement of the trailer: no sway; no side movement. We have towed on I-5 during a wind event: 30-40± MPH with higher gusts: the trailer barely shuttered, and didn't sway or trail to the side.
Regarding the weight distribution hitch (WDH) use: Although we do not use a WDH (because we are careful to maintain tongue weight between 350-375 lbs.), some E17 owners find it advantageous to use a WDH to transfer weight to the tow vehicle front axle for better control (especially with front wheel drive), and to reduce bounce in the tow vehicle rear on bumpy roads. We just drive slower.
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Old 09-20-2019, 01:27 AM   #19
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No problem with having air bags and using WDH. Just don't use them together. When towing I set my bags to 5 lb and whatever it needs to be set at when just moving a load and not towing.

Even used together will not damage your TV or trailer, just remove the tension from your spring bars and defeat the WDH.
when I used them both, on my Tacoma TRD offroad, I would load the truck, inflate the airbags to level the truck back to where it was empty, THEN hitch the trailer, and adjust the WDH so the truck sag was the same front and rear, then it was perfect.

once I'd done this, I didn't have to adjust anything, I knew that 35-40PSI in the airbags handled the full load in the back of the truck, and the WDH was already correctly adjusted.

with my F250 4x4 diesel and the escape 21, I don't need anything. the heaviest load I've put in the truck for an extended road trip with astronomy *and* music festival gear barely dropped the bumper 3/4", and the 500 lbs of tongue weight barely drops it another 1/2" if even that. with that drop, the stock truck is riding level (empty, its tail is a bit high).

The F250 recommends using a WDH with trailers over 1000 lb tongue weight.
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Old 09-20-2019, 06:03 AM   #20
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when I used them both, on my Tacoma TRD offroad, I would load the truck, inflate the airbags to level the truck back to where it was empty, THEN hitch the trailer, and adjust the WDH so the truck sag was the same front and rear, then it was perfect.

once I'd done this, I didn't have to adjust anything, I knew that 35-40PSI in the airbags handled the full load in the back of the truck, and the WDH was already correctly adjusted.

with my F250 4x4 diesel and the escape 21, I don't need anything. the heaviest load I've put in the truck for an extended road trip with astronomy *and* music festival gear barely dropped the bumper 3/4", and the 500 lbs of tongue weight barely drops it another 1/2" if even that. with that drop, the stock truck is riding level (empty, its tail is a bit high).

The F250 recommends using a WDH with trailers over 1000 lb tongue weight.
I have the 02 F250, no 4wd. The tail sits a bit hi even after I load up for travel. 75 gal aux fuel tank and 2 tool boxes in bed so I don't use the air bags. Have tinkered around with the setup but have decided to just use the WDH alone when towing.

I tow utility trailers with just a straight hitch and use the bags then.
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