Equalizer w/bikes on back

Another newbie question here:
We have ordered a new 3124KB with the rear bike rack receptacle. While we'd rather use the Swagman bike rack that goes between the TV and TM, this may not work with our setup and needs. Given the possibility of sway induced by two bikes and weight of the rack/receptacle on back, we're planning on getting the Equalizer hitch, even though this is not normally considered necessary for TMs. TV is a 2003 Tundra 2WD with tow package. Given the hitch weight of the 3124 getting close to the 600 pound mark when loaded, we will opt for the 1,000 pound bars. The extra 100 bucks for the Equalizer seems to make sense. Does this seems reasonable or even necessary? Anything I'm forgetting here?
Jon and Rita

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by jellis

Another newbie question here:
We have ordered a new 3124KB with the rear bike rack receptacle. While we'd rather use the Swagman bike rack that goes between the TV and TM, this may not work with our setup and needs. Given the possibility of sway induced by two bikes and weight of the rack/receptacle on back, we're planning on getting the Equalizer hitch, even though this is not normally considered necessary for TMs. TV is a 2003 Tundra 2WD with tow package. Given the hitch weight of the 3124 getting close to the 600 pound mark when loaded, we will opt for the 1,000 pound bars. The extra 100 bucks for the Equalizer seems to make sense. Does this seems reasonable or even necessary? Anything I'm forgetting here?
Jon and Rita

I think you've very thoroughly analyzed the issues and an Equal-i-zer WDH wouldn't be a bad idea at all if you do indeed wind up hanging the bikes off the back of the trailer. Your Tundra's WB is 128 inches, which, according to the standard length to WB rule, suggests a trailer length of 24.5 feet or less (with use of a WDH with sway control). Although a TM normally has enough intrinsic stability that the standard rule really doesn't apply, hanging several heavy bikes behind the rear bumper may reduce the intrinsic stability enough that the typical travel trailer rules apply.

Bottom line is I think that all of your thinking is quite reasonable and an Equal-i-zer WDH would be a prudent choice. Also, the 1000 lb bars are a good choice...I'm close to maxing out the 750 lb bars in my WDH with a shorter/lighter 2720SL hooked to my '03 Tundra 4WD.

Originally Posted by jellis

Another newbie question here:
We have ordered a new 3124KB with the rear bike rack receptacle. While we'd rather use the Swagman bike rack that goes between the TV and TM, this may not work with our setup and needs. Given the possibility of sway induced by two bikes and weight of the rack/receptacle on back, we're planning on getting the Equalizer hitch, even though this is not normally considered necessary for TMs. TV is a 2003 Tundra 2WD with tow package. Given the hitch weight of the 3124 getting close to the 600 pound mark when loaded, we will opt for the 1,000 pound bars. The extra 100 bucks for the Equalizer seems to make sense. Does this seems reasonable or even necessary? Anything I'm forgetting here?
Jon and Rita

Jellis,

Yes, we would also agree that your spending extra bucks for an Equal-i-zer hitch makes good sense.

Our first TM was a 3124KB, which we started towing without a sway control weight distribution hitch. In spite of careful loading, we did on a few occasions experience sway. But a few hair raising, heart pounding sway occasions was all we needed for us to want to avoid trailer sway/a potential accident, at any cost. So we switched to an Equal-i-zer WDH which incorporated sway control into its design and function. We got ours with the 1,000 lb. bars.

While TM's are considered to be relatively sway free, we would never again tow ours without a sway control WDH. When towing there are too many situations that can suddenly come up which can induce sway. The truth is that any trailer can unexpectedly go into a dangerous sway, given the numerous unforseen situations out there, and especially when towing the longer units, and certainly with extra weight/bicycles on the rear.
Better to be safe than sorry.

Enjoy your new 3124KB, and many happy and safe miles on the road.

We appreciate all the good info from this forum. Received the Equalizer yesterday. Got a much better price from RVWholesalers.com than local dealer, who didn't even have one in stock, plus free shipping. We're picking up the TM next week and plan to camp through fall. It'll be interesting to see how well the new 20K BTU heater works in cold wx.

We're camping close to the dealer for a couple of nights. (They are three hours away from home, so we want to get everything right before we leave.) As we go through the equipment use/test checklist, is there anything we should be especially watchful for, such as high infant mortality items?

Thanks,
Jon and Rita

Jon & Rita
There is an excellent checklist that you might want to print out and take along when you get your TM. It is so lengthy that you may not get thru it in one visit, but you certainly can sort thru and look at the most critical items. Find it at:

The owners forum front page,
trailmanor information you won't find anywhere else
Checklists by efelker

[fcatwo]

With the older model TMs you can't drive off with the water and elec still connected because you have to remove them to close down. I understand the newer ones will close with at least the elec still connected. Nope, thanks to my left side rear-view mirror I haven't done that myself but I often watch people leaving a park and have chased down a couple of people who did.

I've had very good luck with my rear bumper mounted bike rack that Camping WOrld sells. I see the newer TMs don't have the 4" square bumper anymore though.

[fcatwo]

Leon

I didn't mean to imply that I've never left anything behind or forgotten to do something before leaving a campsite -- just haven't done any of those things I've mentioned here. I remember driving off with a really nice flashlight sitting on our trailers rear bumper and I've probably left enough leveling blocks behind to build a small house.

My biggest mistakes have been associated with accepting friends and relatives invitations to park in their yards/driveways while visiting them. One friend backed me into his roof overhang in our 5th wheel while guiding me into his driveway and I destroyed a wheel/tire and bent an axle spindle trying to negotiate a turn through a nephew's cattle guard. I ran my costs after that trip and found we averaged about $18.00 per night in commercial campgrounds and $300.00 per night in friends driveways. We now get set up in a campground before even calling to tell people we have arrived.

fcatwo,

Was interested to read that you once owned a 5th wheel and wondered why you now own a TM. Quite a few TM owner's once owned other types of RVs. Would be interested in learning about the 5th wheel you once owned and what led you to a TM. Thanks.

[fcatwo]

Lou

I think there are many TM owners who have moved down from larger trailers. My impression is that TMO is probably made up of 1/3 who moved down, 1/3 who moved up and 1/3 first time owners.

Our 5th wheel was a 1992 27ft Alpenlite and we pulled it for 10 yrs and probably 80,000 mi with a 92 Chevy pickup --- circled the US three times among other things and averaged 3-5 months per year in it after retiring. We had a lot of wonderful times and wouldn't take anything for those years but the time came when we needed to trade for something a little newer or move on. After a lot of soul searching I told my wife that I didn't really want to deal with something that large again (and certainly nothing larger) and gave her the option of going significantly smaller or doing the motel thing. To my surprise she said smaller and after a couple of hrs on the internet the TM popped up.

I've read that most retirees tire of the RV lifestyle after 3-5 yrs and get a second home somewhere or just stop traveling. We are not to that point yet. We still like to wander but not necessarily in an RV. In fact we will take a few days and ride our tandem bicycle down to San Diego with two other couples starting about a week from now. Our 2619 should feel like the Queen Mary after several nights in a tent.