angler_2

Bill, You're probably right… for 98% of the TM owners an Equil-izer could be overkill. First let’s summarize the info we have learned: As for whether they interfere with the propane tanks….? This is not a given. I read in one old thread where one person might have but from all the 2720sl owners who posted here and in older threads I read I could not find where there was a propane tank interference problems with the equalizer . I think we know that probably, if you have a swing tongue, you’ll need to shave some off the pin on the trailer tongue. And finally, whether you have a swing or not, you'll have to cut 1 " off the sway bars if you have to use the 5th hole when you adjust hitch (might be different holes if you own different hitch shanks). If you don’t have to use the 5th hole you'll have no problems as the bar will clear the pins. This is because the Equil-i-zer hitches have 34" bars and other hitches like the Reese etc. have shorter sway bars. Both of these issues don’t seem to be biggees as reported.

For the average TM owner, an Equil-i-zer might be over kill but I decided to go with the sway control because of two things that most others probably aren't going to be concerned with: 1) Very short wheel base TV and 2) Very strong winds. I have a borderline TV that I'd like to use to tow my TM (a Jeep Liberty diesel) so I can get excellent mileage. After reading problems some short wheel base TVs pulling trailers in other forums (although it's hard to tell the real reason for their sway with such others contributing factors such as uneven air pressure in TM tires, improper loading of trailer with too much weight in the back, etc.) I decided to go with sway control just to be safe. ($200 is cheap insurance policy) In subsequent research and correspondence with others, most people don't have problems with sway with TVs with such short wheel bases as 113" when not using sway control. I found some that pulled with shorter wheel bases here in the forum but couldn't find out from them if they had tried towing with and without sway control and in what kind of conditions. One thing that was clear in all my research is those who used equil-i-zer hitches have no problems what so ever and love towing with them.

Since my jeep liberty has a 104" wheel base and I have to battle 60-80 MPH wind gusts (only in two wind corridor areas which our main highways just happen to go through) that often put 18 wheelers on their sides here in Wyoming, I decided to go one the safe side and buy the Equil-i-zer. Many times just in passing 18 wheelers on the road when the wind is really up I have often almost been blown off the road just driving my Ford F150 without a trailer hooked up. If I find myself in a similar situation with my Liberty pulling a TM, I want to have best setup possible to keep me on the road. I looked and looked for other jeep liberty diesel owners who had pulled a TM and couldn't find any. I did find jeep liberty owners who towed many different trailers (boats, TTs, pop-ups, etc) and several (not all) did run into the "tail wagging the dog" sway problem that short wheel base TVs can have with some types of trailers. Although TMs are known to have less sway problems than most, I couldn’t be sure.

In all my calculations and reading RockyMntnRay's posts about TV limitations and the many factors that enter into the picture (he used to use a Jeep Cheerokee that has close to the same wheel base), the Jeep Liberty Diesel is a border line TV from the short wheel base standpoint. From a weight and power standpoint it is not (generates 295 ft-lbs torque at 1800 rpms) I also own a Ford F150 Supercab that I will be towing my TM with from time to time. If I was going to use this as my full time TV I would not have even considered sway bars and would have bought a Reese WDH. Also as you pointed out, there are other sway control hitches out there that are less expensive. I bought the Equil-i-zer because of feed back from other owners on how well they liked it, ease of use, etc. Also I read not to pick up some of those off name brands that dealers try to say work like the Equil-izer. Another thing that sold me was the number of TM owners who seemed to use Equil-i-zer hitches. Was I a victim of hype and advertising? Probably to some degree but my piece of mind is worth it.

I think since there is so many factors that come into play when you match TVs to the TM and owners tow in different type of environments, each person has too look at their individual circumstances and weigh the pros and cons of what to buy.

At any rate…. I'll be taking my Equili-izer into my local shop here and they'll chop saw 1" off the sway bar for nothing as a favor. I'll then tow my TM back with my jeep tomorrow. Although I won't be going over any major passes, there will be some short 2000 foot climbs and it'll be windy, raining, snowing and plenty of 18 wheelers to pass. I'll report how it went. Later I'll experiment with towing with and without sway control with my liberty in different road conditions and post it in this forum.

One thing for sure, as a new TM owner I sure do feel no apprehensive in going to pick up a used TM for the first time (without the benefit of a dealer who is used to selling and servicing TMs to show me the ropes) with my jeep .....all because of this excellent forum and the great contributors who go out of your way to help newbies such as myself. I know that the maiden trip with my TM will be safe and enjoyable (even with the rain and snow). I'm armed with the a wealth of info such as comprehensive user manuals, checklists, and extra hints ... all obtained from this excellent forum. In addition, many of you "experienced" members have taken extra time out of your day just to answer my many questions both on and off this forum. Even though many of you probably were thinking "oh no, here's another pain in the a__ newbie", I never did get this feeling with this forum. You all have been very cordial and polite and the moderators are excellent.
Thanks and hope to meet some of you on the road with our TM!!!!
Clarke