will a 2" class III Ball Mount w/sway control tab work?

[gbaglo]

In the ten years I've been on this forum there has been little to no discussion of sway exhibited by any Escape model. Many members use a weight distribution hitch and ensure the trailer is loaded properly and has adequate tongue weight.

I have a single axle 17 and use a WDH without the sway option. I'm content with that.

[SFmiguel]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

In the ten years I've been on this forum there has been little to no discussion of sway exhibited by any Escape model. Many members use a weight distribution hitch and ensure the trailer is loaded properly and has adequate tongue weight.

I have a single axle 17 and use a WDH without the sway option. I'm content with that.

That's good to here. I take it that its your opinion that # of axles has nothing to do with sway?

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by SFmiguel

While I have you guys here, I have one more question. Am I wrong in assuming that the dual axles of the Escape21 would make it less prone to "sway" than the single axle Casita 17'? Assuming proper tongue weight on each trailer. I realize that the larger profile of the Escape will catch more wind.
And, tdf texas is the Escape21 a whole lot more comfortable than the 17' Casita? I'm thinking it will be, but I was only in a 21 for 5 or 10 minutes.

I really liked my Casita and my wife and I had a number of enjoyable "adventures" traveling in it.

That said, The Escape 21' is a whole new level from the Casita. It's amazing how much more room there is. We no longer have to set down to allow the other to pass by each other in the kitchen. The scars from bumping my head on the bathroom vent are healing - the 21 bathroom is great. We have storage spaces that we haven't filled - transfering the stuff from the Casita didn't even come close to filling all the storage. The bed is fantastic - I'm 5'10" and had to sleep slightly curled to fit the Casita bed sleeping next to the wall - the 21' bed is 80" long. And no more crawl over!

My wife still wonders how we got along with the little kitchen space we had with the Casita. She says that you can never have too much kitchen counter top space but the 21' kitchen is ok.

I had to install the shock mod on my Casita as everytime we went somewhere, the trailer re arraigned itself due to the bouncing - the 21 doesn't even open the cabinet doors. I've even left stuff on the dinette table and it's still there when we stop.

Oh, no more carpeted walls!

Traveling in the Casita still holds a lot of good memories but there is no way I could go back to one. The 21' has pretty much spoiled both of us.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by SFmiguel

That's good to here. I take it that its your opinion that # of axles has nothing to do with sway?

I think number of axles is the least important criteria. Proper loading of the the trailer and adequate tongue weight is what matters.
Use a WDH for a comfortable, secure tow.

[SFmiguel]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

I really liked my Casita and my wife and I had a number of enjoyable "adventures" traveling in it.

That said, The Escape 21' is a whole new level from the Casita. It's amazing how much more room there is. We no longer have to set down to allow the other to pass by each other in the kitchen. The scars from bumping my head on the bathroom vent are healing - the 21 bathroom is great. We have storage spaces that we haven't filled - transfering the stuff from the Casita didn't even come close to filling all the storage. The bed is fantastic - I'm 5'10" and had to sleep slightly curled to fit the Casita bed sleeping next to the wall - the 21' bed is 80" long. And no more crawl over!

Sounds like we definitely are making the right move. We too, throughly enjoyed our Casita vacations and really have very few complaints. My biggest complaint is actually on me, not Casita. Just about every time I walked in the door while wearing a baseball cap, I would bang my head. You'd think I would have learned after 2 years, but no.
In 2 years we never cooked in it. Didn't want the odors in the carpeted walls and would rather be outside cooking on a camp stove. We've never taken a shower in it either.
Thanks. Your response just gets even more pumped up. We pick it up July 9, Lord willin', and the crik don't rise.

[cpaharley2008]

Yes, a dual axle trailer will tow better vs the single axle, but it is heavier and with two of everything, more expensive. Towing is easier and movement is minimized.

[ktjensen]

As comparison I have a 4500 pound Lance trailer. Am using a 8 cylinder Toyota Tundra with 7500 towing capacity. When you add in supplies and gear and sometimes water you could add 1000 pounds. Am at the limits of towing capacity for safety. —- sure many can tow for years exceeding capacity. But will they stop in an emergency. Will they overheat engine or transmission.

[Starbrightsteve]

SFMiguel, the hitch weight of your new 21 will be around 450 pounds. When you attach the trailer to your Honda, the tow vehicle will sink in the rear and the front ent will rise. This rise will lighten the weight on the front end resulting in less braking and steering efficiency. Honda Ridgelines are “cushy”, comfortable when unloaded which is how they are usually used. You need a weight distribution hitch.

[Brian B-P]

Adding the trailer's tongue weight to the hitch pushes down on the tow vehicle's rear axle and up on the front axle, because the tow vehicle is acting like a lever.

Originally Posted by Starbrightsteve

SFMiguel, the hitch weight of your new 21 will be around 450 pounds. When you attach the trailer to your Honda, the tow vehicle will sink in the rear and the front ent will rise. This rise will lighten the weight on the front end...

The sinking at the rear and rising at the front are the results of the change in load due hitch weight, not the cause of it. If you have something like air suspension which adjusts so there is no change in height at either end, you still have exactly the same change in the load carried by each axle and tire.

Originally Posted by Starbrightsteve

... resulting in less braking and steering efficiency. Honda Ridgelines are “cushy”, comfortable when unloaded which is how they are usually used. You need a weight distribution hitch.

A weight-distributing hitch system exists to shift load from the tow vehicle's rear axle to the tow vehicle's front axle and to the trailer's axles. This is done primarily because the tow vehicle's rear suspension has trouble handling the load, but the adjustment is usually set to return the front axle to the load it has without the trailer, so it addresses those concerns too. So, do you need a WD because of the load shift, or because the rear suspension is inadequate?

• The reduction in front tire load reduces traction; with AWD, this won't matter to drive traction.
• When braking, load transfers to the front anyway; the load shift due to the trailer is not important to braking.
• The amount of load shifted is roughly (depending on vehicle dimensions) 40% of the hitch weight; if the hitch weight is 450 pounds, that's 180 pounds, or perhaps 7% of the load that the front axle carries without the trailer or any passengers or cargo. Does a 7% change really cause problems?

[TAfraser]

I own an 06 Ridgeline and have been towing a 21' since they first came out. The mighty Honda has done a great job, but Honda's caution about using a WDH has always concerned me. If I hadn't already purchased an Anderson I probably wouldn't be running the distribution hitch. I contacted Honda multiple times about my concern but always got the same answer - the one in the book. I contacted a hitch installer but they also couldn't answer my questions. I thought it was possibly due to the unibody construction or the power distribution that takes place when adding weight to the rear. When asked, Honda wouldn't bite. Brian gave the best answer I've heard to date. Thank you Brian. By the way, Anderson states that it only takes 60 lbs on the ball to get sway control. So if you don't want to shift too much weight, you don't have to.

[MyronL]

RE: "The sinking at the rear and rising at the front are the results of the change in load due hitch weight..."

This discussion has me wondering and has created concern ...should I be worrying about creating weight instability with my trailer because I am thinking about adding significant weight to the rear hitch.

No problem currently. No sway, trailer tows like a dream.

I own a substantial (70 pounds) motorcycle carrier rack, and I may be about to buy an E-bike that's about the same weight. All that would be attached to the rear of the trailer. I don't use any weight distribution attachments to my tow. If I add 140 pounds to the rear trailer hitch, do I now need to consider a change to that?

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by MyronL

RE: "The sinking at the rear and rising at the front are the results of the change in load due hitch weight..."

This discussion has me wondering and has created concern ...should I be worrying about creating weight instability with my trailer because I am thinking about adding significant weight to the rear hitch.

No problem currently. No sway, trailer tows like a dream.

I own a substantial (70 pounds) motorcycle carrier rack, and I may be about to buy an E-bike that's about the same weight. All that would be attached to the rear of the trailer. I don't use any weight distribution attachments to my tow. If I add 140 pounds to the rear trailer hitch, do I now need to consider a change to that?

I would not use a WDH to solve adding weight to the rear of the trailer. I'd measure the tongue weight & make sure it is within the 10% - 12% of the trailer weight by redistributing "stuff" in the trailer. While a WDH may help prevent sway, it is far safer to properly distribute the trailer weight to obtain the correct tongue weight.

[cpaharley2008]

Myron, if too light, empty you fresh tank in the rear that should help shift weight to the front.

[steve dunham]

My buddy put a cargo carrier on the back of his trailer
then puts coolers full of beer and firewod on the carrier to take weight off the tongue
On the way home when the wood and beer are gone , he fills the coolers with water

[MyronL]

I assume that would not be light beer from Miller.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

I would not use a WDH to solve adding weight to the rear of the trailer.

This is important: the fundamental function of a WD system is to shift load between axles, which does nothing to improve stability. Some of the other effects of various WD designs (mostly friction) may reduce sway, but that does not fix issues with the distribution of mass (weight) in the trailer.

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Myron, if too light, empty you fresh tank in the rear that should help shift weight to the front.

Yes, but the net effect of adding mass to the bumper and removing mass from also behind the axle but much closer to it will still be somewhat reduced stability.