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Remove anti-sway bars before backing? |
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totallystirring 
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Joined: 27 May 2012 Location: Illinois Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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 Topic: Remove anti-sway bars before backing?Posted: 19 May 2013 at 1:34pm |
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Good morning, all! This is our third year of r-pod ownership, and we are still coming up with questions!! :) I read somewhere that you should remove the anti-sway bars before backing your trailer into a camping space (or, presumably, anywhere else). Really?
We are discovering that the dealership where we bought the Peapod didn't give us several bits of vital information, such as "make sure that your break-away brakes thingy is plugged in before driving around" (which resulted in us needing new brakes), but I digress... Anyway, we were never told to remove the anti-sway bars before backing, but it sorta makes sense to do so. Getting ready to start out on our second major camping trip soon, and any helpful information is always appreciated! My husband leaves all of the r-pod stuff to me, because he's a backpacker at heart and is humoring me with the whole "sleeping inside with a bathroom" thing!  Gotta love the guy!Thanks a lot for any and all information!
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Connie, David, and the Peapod
Rpod 177 owners since 2011 |
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Ratdog
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Joined: 11 Mar 2010 Location: Central Florida Status: Offline Points: 1175 |
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Posted: 19 May 2013 at 1:52pm |
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Are you talking about the antisway "spring bars" that an integral part of the weight distributing hitch system or the "blade" type anti sway devices that you tighten by hand?
If you're talking about the former, there's no reason to remove them before backing up. We've used that system on our travel trailers for over 20 years and have never removed them before backing up. If you're talking about the blade type friction bars, I can't help you since I've never used one of those. -- Steve
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Steve, Anne, and Paige the Rat Terrier 2013 Lexus RX 450h Hybrid AWD 2011 RP-177 (aka: The Circus Wagon) |
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Butterfly_Lee
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Joined: 02 Jun 2009 Location: Corpus Christi Status: Offline Points: 1131 |
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Posted: 19 May 2013 at 4:02pm |
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Here are my two cents (this will be my fourth year), I have the EZ-2 anit-way wdh. When it's a nice easy back up (more than 45 degree corner) with plenty of room, no pot holes then no I don't remove.
If the space is tight, pot holed, and you have to jack knife to get into the spot YES. I didn't learn this until my second year (of frustration), thinking I just was a bad backer upper. One day someone was watching me back up and mentioned that my hitch was making A LOT of Noise. I got to thinking well of course it is, it's trying to keep me straight. The next time I had to get into the same spot I took the bars off, and guess what backed right into the spot first time with not a lot of correction. So now if the Site is iffy, I'll take of the bars, (takes couple of minutes) and then back up with ease (and no noise). Again my two cents. Lee  |
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Still a work in progress, lots of pictures.
http://podterfly.blogspot.com/ |
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ron_whitt
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Joined: 19 Nov 2011 Location: Chesterville On Status: Offline Points: 277 |
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Posted: 19 May 2013 at 4:14pm |
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We only have the blade type friction sway bar. We always take it off when backing up. Only takes a second or two, and if its always the habit you don't run into any trouble if you don't take it off and you should have. My two cents worth.. oh forgot we don't have the penny anymore up here.. so I guess its my 5 cents worth...
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Ron & Shirley W
2007 FJ Cruiser 2012 177.. "EHHH" R Pod" its a canadian thing.. |
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kymooses
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Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Location: Louisville, Ky Status: Offline Points: 1048 |
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Posted: 20 May 2013 at 10:39am |
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I have an E2 and have never taken mine off.
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Ratdog
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Joined: 11 Mar 2010 Location: Central Florida Status: Offline Points: 1175 |
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Posted: 20 May 2013 at 11:16am |
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I should have mentioned that I'm also using an E2.
With an E2, you do not have to remove them when backing up: -- Steve
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Steve, Anne, and Paige the Rat Terrier 2013 Lexus RX 450h Hybrid AWD 2011 RP-177 (aka: The Circus Wagon) |
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Tomcamper
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Joined: 18 Dec 2011 Location: Saskatchewan Status: Offline Points: 140 |
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Posted: 12 Jul 2013 at 6:34pm |
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I also have the E2. Like someone else said if it is a tight turn it will put stresses on bars and you can hear them. Once in two years I took them off in backing. I also have to admit I'm not very good at backing up. Tomcamper
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Tomcamper
2016 4runner Dreampod 177 06 GMC Envoy |
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rollinstone
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Joined: 07 Jul 2013 Location: Seattle Status: Offline Points: 135 |
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Posted: 28 Jul 2013 at 12:08am |
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Yep...got the E2 also and during my walk around my shop guy made a special point of telling me to remove the bar before backing. That said, he proceeded to back the trailer into the shop bay without removing it. When I asked him about it he simply said it was a straight backup on a smooth surface with no turning...and a short distance besides.
But, he says, lots of times you might be on unimproved pavement, backing on a slight slope, or potholes or sharp turns...you just really never know unless you've done a very through recon of your backup path...easiest thing to do is remove the device...YMMV |
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Rollinstone
2014 Draggin'Pod 178 '97 Explorer 5.0L AWD |
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kymooses
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Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Location: Louisville, Ky Status: Offline Points: 1048 |
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Posted: 28 Jul 2013 at 10:41am |
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I've backed mine up a hill to a campsite, had my camper at a full 90 degree from my TV and never removed my E2 bars.
Never had any issues or damage. Love it, Pod is much easier to back with them on also!
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rollinstone
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Joined: 07 Jul 2013 Location: Seattle Status: Offline Points: 135 |
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Posted: 28 Jul 2013 at 12:44pm |
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Like I say...YMMV...with my luck that thing would snap and destroy my whole hitch setup...and I'm good at following orders...
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Rollinstone
2014 Draggin'Pod 178 '97 Explorer 5.0L AWD |
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