Of all the hitches we tested, this is our favorite. It fixes sway, creates superb handling, and levels your ride - silently. Rotating chain-style, clamp-on brackets make setup easy. Max 5" drop - best for underslung couplers. Made in the USA.
Features:
Specs:
| Included w/ BXW2003 | Required - Sold Separately | Optional Add-Ons |
|---|---|---|
| n/a | n/a |
If you're looking for an American-made hitch that rides quietly, offers a quick and easy setup, and provides you with supreme handling, the Blue Ox SwayPro might be just what you're after. When we tested this system, the truck and trailer felt like one unit, and noise wasn't an issue at all. Overall, the SwayPro came out on top and proved to be one of our favorite weight distribution systems.
Pro Tip: Before you invest in a weight distribution hitch, make sure your cargo is evenly loaded in your trailer to keep the weight balanced. If you still have a hard time even after balancing your tongue weight, a weight distribution hitch should help.
The SwayPro is designed to keep your trailer centered behind your vehicle as you tow, no matter what crosswinds or obstacles try to get in your way. To do this, the head on the system is built with a positive caster angle. You might've heard of caster in reference to your car; it's the same technology that vehicles use to stay centered on the road. When you turn a corner in your car and let go of the steering wheel, the wheel automatically returns to center. This is caster taking over. Well, the SwayPro functions much the same way. The positive caster angle that's built into this hitch works in tandem with the tapered spring bars to create a self-centering force that keeps your trailer consistently centered behind your tow vehicle.
The trunnions inside the head assembly hold the spring bars securely in position, placing just enough tension on them to cause them to constantly hold your trailer in line.
At the other end of this weight distribution system, you'll find 2 more points of built-in sway control. Blue Ox's rotating brackets ensure that the lift chains are pulled as taut as possible, with the majority of the chains wrapped up inside of the brackets. Typically, only a couple of links hang down from each bracket. This means that each chain is held more stable than they are in traditional weight distribution systems, where more than twice as many links are exposed.
This tight, stable design limits the movement of the spring bars so that they can exert more force on your trailer to effectively keep it from swaying - all without the creaking, grinding, and popping noises you get with friction-style sway control setups. Moreover, unlike many friction-style sway controls, the SwayPro allows you to back up your trailer without having to remove or disengage anything.
When it's time to install the system for the first time, you might be surprised at how easy it is to do. All in all, you can probably have it done within an hour - 2 at the most.
First, the head. With just the right amount of adjustment angle already preset, it's ready to go right out of the box! No need to fine-tune it with hard-to-access washers or a difficult-to-use thumbscrew! The only thing you'll need to adjust is the height of the head on the shank. After that, to get the trunnion bars installed, just insert them into the sockets, and lock them in place with the included pins and clips.
Quick Tip: If you upgrade to a new trailer in the future, and you end up needing a system for a different tongue weight, you can just swap out the SwayPro's spring bars without having to buy a whole new hitch.
Other weight distribution systems have lift brackets that require you to apply a good amount of leverage to get them to snap up, which can be difficult and frustrating. To get the SwayPro ready to go, all you have to do is insert the lift chain into the bracket slot and rotate the bracket with the included wrench until the lock pin engages.
Your tongue weight is the first thing you need to know when figuring out which weight distribution system you need. Most people think that if they get the highest-rated system possible, it'll be smooth sailing. But actually, this will create a rigid ride and a bouncing trailer. On the other hand, if the system isn't strong enough, it won't be able to distribute the weight properly, making it virtually useless.
Once you know your trailer's tongue weight, add it to the weight of the cargo behind the rear axle of your tow vehicle. Then just choose a weight distribution system rated for that combined tongue weight.
California residents: click here
I just received it and have not had a chance to use it yet!
Great product, high quality!
We are impressed with the fact that we received our shipments on time. On top of that we have received clear communications and customer service like a small town company. We will definitely be buying product from you again.
Thank you again!
Works great. shipped right on time and Candra G helped out tremendously
Have not used it yet but it arrived very quick and at a Great price. It installed easily and I am looking forward to using it soon. Thank you Tara G. for making this transaction so simple.
Simple to order, received on-time, in good condition, simple to setup, and works well. Can't expect more from an online transaction. Well done.
Works great and can back up without issues like other devices. Others I know have switch to this system from others..
Haven’t used the product yet, but the service from etrailer has been terrific .
Rock solid construction and really makes a difference in the ride while pulling. Easy installation.
Had a Pro Pride but hitching up at an up/down angle frustrated me so when I bought my new Airstream, I went with the Blue Ox. No problems now and took it on a two month trip to Canada with no issues.
This item was shipped direct from the manufacturer. It was received in a timely manner. It was eligible for free shipping but I opted to pay for expedited shipping, and it came as promised, well packaged.
This hitch is amazing, I just hooked it up to my camper for a trial run and It worked much better than I expected.. wished I would have known about blue ox hitches sooner...
1 year later, nothing but good things to say about the Blue Ox hitch. etrailer got me set up with the right equipment from the start.
Way too heavy for me to install. My son installed it. Once he figured out how to avoid being hurt when releasing chain, he was much happier with it. Drove all day in high winds and trailer swayed a little but it would have been MUCH worse without this WDH! I would not have driven that day without this product.
Everything went great with the installation. Looked at etrailer's video on line and that really helped. etrailer kept me informed on the shipping. Very happy with everything.
The product is great but the customer service needs to be dealt with. I ordered what I thought was the right sway controll bar and they sent me the wrong one to start with, then I ordered the right one and they sent it to me, but I have yet to recieve my credit on my card. They told me a week ago that it was already back to you and I don't understand why we have not recieved our credit on our card yet.
Scott Gard
Works well. Upgraded from Equal-i-zer 1k/10k due to hitch weight. Sway control seems to be about equal and hitching & unhitching is much easier due to lower jacking height required. Hitch adjustment is MUCH easier.
The SwayPro bars are aptly named. My first trip with these bars was through the windy Columbia River Gorge. There was a marked improvement over the load distribution hitch I used previously.
The SwayPro was easy to install (but a good torque wrench is needed). Once installed, hookup was also big improvement over a standard load distribution hitch.
I have been very happy with the performance of this hitch. Our first time out I was on a cross wind that was very harsh and was worried with my 36'.
Unlike other trailers on the road, I was not fishtailing. I was still fighting the wind, but was not all over the road had I used a different setup.
My only issue is the difficulty of getting the chains on and off without them popping.
Other than that, I highly recommend for stability!!!
I love the Blue OX. Much easier to use and maintain than the Equalizer, which is what I had previously. I think the BO is equal in effectiveness at sway control to the EQ but not sure because I'm now pulling a bigger trailer. The cam latch system with the BO is easy to use but you must raise the trailer tongue "to the sky" in order to release the tension from the load bars before releasing the chains. The load bars will slam down if you're not careful creating a hazard if you're not careful.
etrailer is excellent as far as providing vast amounts of info before the sale and providing communication after placing your order through order delivery, and even after delivery. What other company shows you when and who processed your order, who packed your order, who shipped your order - providing names and pictures of the people involved along the way, along with all the other tracking info.
As far as the equalizer hitch, I haven't towed with it yet but seems extremely heavy duty and well made and should do the job. Most reviews I researched on it were good. I will follow-up once I tow with it.
I do have a few issues with it though before even using it.
First issue is that the spring for the spring loaded button that holds each equalizer bar into each side of the head is so strong that it can't be lifted up with fingers in order to release the equalizer bar when removing them. Need to remember to have a screwdriver handy to pry the button up in order to release the bars. I did see 2 versions of equalizer bars in videos. One version had a slot, one version had a blind hole that these buttons went into. The bars having the slot allowed the bars to be rotated during disassembly for easy removal. Can't do that with the blind hole version. I don't know which version is the latest or best - I will call etrailer or Blue-Ox to find out. I had 3 people try to lift up on the buttons with the hitch assembled but not installed, and no one could lift them enough to release them. That might be a good thing though - prevents them from inadvertently releasing.
Also, based on the 2 sets of exploded views that came with the instructions (one dated 2013, one dated 2020), it appears I might have received an older model that comes with a flat rotating latch wrench because the newer dated exploded view shows a rounded wrench (like a lug nut wrench) with a different p/n. I'll have to call etrailer or Blue Ox on this issue too.
Lastly, the box the hitch came in was heavy duty, but it still should have been a little stronger knowing how very heavy packages get handled by delivery services. The box had a small opening ripped open in it in the corner and the hand hold slots were ripped open twice as big as normal, along with the hardware bag inside was ripped open. Some hardware was scattered inside the box when I opened it and 2 of the 4 hex headed "set screws" were missing. Although you only need 2 set screws, these were different lengths, so I contacted etrailer and they have been working on getting me replacements.
Lastly, I can now see after watching some of the review videos on You Tube and playing with the hitch - about what some people were talking about - how the chains could get wedged during use unless you twist them somewhat, and I can also see how when you try to do a controlled release of the tension on the equalizer bars with the rotating latch wrench - if you don't have a lot of the pressure off of them by jacking the hitch up high enough before releasing them that this may cause the wrench to uncontrollably rotate into the released position unless you really have a good hold on it - which may be hard to do since you're other hand would be busy removing the release pin on the rotating latch. I'll know more when I actually use it, but it has me a little concerned.
I have no experience with other WDH's but this unit does what I expect it to do. I pull a 33' 7,500# Jayco trailer and it allows me to move the weight as needed to the front axle and it seems to control sway very well. I originally used this with an F-150 that was exceeding my rear axle rating so it was crucial that I get the weight shifted forward which this unit did well. I have since moved up to an F-250 so it is not nearly as critical but it still makes the trips pleasant. This unit is specific to underslung couplers like Jayco uses. Also being able to back the trailer without disengaging the WDH is an advantage over some of the other brands. The action of the chains during disconnect can be intimidating and dangerous until you get accustomed to the process. The one complaint I have is not with the unit itself but the wrench that is provided to load and unload the chains. It is flat (hurts your hand) and too short to get adequate leverage. I suggest you use an 18-24" cheater bar with a 1" socket to load/unload the chains. Otherwise very happy with the purchase
I have had the Blue Ox BXW1003 for a year now and overall we are pretty happy with it. With our previous camper (Dutchmen) we were using a Draw-Tite WD hitch with a separate friction sway control bar. When we bought our new Jayco camper, we had a different A Frame design (underslug coupler) and it is a much bigger camper so we needed to upgrade the hitch. We liked chain style connection of the Draw-Tite but didn't like having to get out and remove the friction sway control bar when backing into a site. With the Blue Ox we just pull up to the site, someone hops out to guide clear the site as we back right in. It is nice to have a chain setup because there are times where I need more spring assist than others. For instance, we dry camp from time to time and have an A Frame Shelf above the propane tanks for our generator. The dealer recommended the Blue Ox over the equalizer because of this changing load requirement and it has worked.
The only reasons I am not giving it 5 stars is because there are times where I have to fight with the release pin a bit. You have to turn the cam a bit to get it to release. It isn't a big deal and doesn't happen all the time but enough to stick in the back of my mind. The tool for turning the cam is a bit short and because of the A Frame shelf I have to be careful about where I put it on or as I turn the cam, it could pinch my hand up against the shelf mount. Like many people, I just got a big socket and breaker bar to replace the included tool. In my case I already had the breaker bar for torquing the wheels so I just needed a socket. Because the socket pivots it can't pinch your hand and is longer so more leverage. Also a drawback is because of the design, if we were get a new trailer that maybe doesn't use an underslung coupler, but the same weight as our current camper, we would have to buy a new hitch as well. This is because there are different models based on hitch type, where an Equalizer can be adjusted to accommodate either coupler style, the Blue Ox can't. Sure you could probably replace the parts needed to convert it or just buy a new one. This is a minor thing in my book and the nice part about this is that it makes it much easier to set up at home since there are not as many points of adjustment. If we didn't change our load frequently depending on where we are going and traded in campers every other year, then we would have been better off going with the Equalizer. For us the Blue Ox was the better fit.
I will say that before buying I contacted Blue Ox's Customer Support as I had a question. I wanted to make sure I had the right model to work with the coupler on our camper. I was 80% sure I was right but didn't want to get there to pick it up and find out it wasn't the right one. Not only did they clear that up but the rep reached out to engineering and asked about my tow vehicle so they could verify that the included drop hitch was the right one. Which wasn't even a question that I had.
I bought a weight distribution hitch w|sway control, and a trailer brake controller for my Four Winds RV. I received my order today, within a few days of placing the order. I have not installed it yet but it appears to be user friendly. Both pieces are made by Curt so the quality & performance should be good.
My thanks to etrailer & Stacy??
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