What Anti-Sway Upgrade Is Best For my 2021 Mercedes Sprinter 2500 Towing a Trailer?

Question

Question:

I’ve got a 2021 4x4 Mercedes Sprinter Campervan. We just purchased a 6x12 cargo trailer we’ll be using to tow four dirt bikes, fuel and gear totalling about 3400 lbs including the trailer weight. I’m wanting to know what is the best antisway weight distribution hitch or setup for this application? With my van being lifted 2” from the factory because of 4x4, plus and additional 2” lift I’m concerned about crosswinds etc driving across the country. Thanks for any assistance

asked by: Ryan H

0

Expert Reply:

Hey Ryan,

I totally understand why you're concerned about sway with the extra weight and the lift on your camper van. While you could use a weight distribution hitch for your application, in my experience, an anti-sway bar and air bag system would be more beneficial. Because camper vans are typically tall and top heavy, they experience a lot of sway from the wind, rough terrain, and passing trucks that can make handling difficult and exhausting. Since you're planning on towing dirt bikes, I'm guessing you may be in some rougher terrain which can be hard on weight distribution systems as well.

To help deal with the sway, I recommend adding a rear-anti sway bar to your 2021 Mercedes Sprinter 2500. The Hellwig Rear Anti-Sway Bar part # HE54FR is designed to fit your year and model of Mercedes so it won't require any drilling to install. It's 1 5/16" solid chromoly bar will replace your factory sway bar (if you have one) and will tie the rear axle to the frame to balance weight transfer and cut down on side-to-side sway. So, if the roads are rough or weight is shifting it'll help keep you under control. It'll also reduce constant steering correction coming from windy days or large trucks passing you on the highway.

Because camper vans are heavy from the interior build and with the additional weight from towing, you're probably going to experience squat even with the 2" lift. Because of that, an air bag system would help reduce the squat, but it also absorbs shock and reduce body roll and sway as well. If you've got a 2WD Sprinter, I recommend using the Air Lift LoadLifter 5000, it will mount directly to your frame, is rated for 5,000lbs of load support, and will keep you from bottoming out on rough roads. There are two kits depending on your wheelbase size, part # AL29FF for a 170" wheelbase, and part # AL36FF for a 144" wheelbase. If you have a 4WD, you can use the part # AL96FF for the 144" wheelbase or the part # AL56FF for the 170" wheelbase. You can adjust the pressure in each air bag separately to help accommodate how much support you need for uneven loads as well. If you need an air compressor to inflate them, the AirLift WirelessAIR Compressor system part # AL74000EZ will mount to the Sprinter's frame using an EZ-mount bracket and can be adjusted using a remote or app from your phone to change the pressure in the air bags on command. I've included a link for how this system installs for reference.

Where are you planning on taking your camper van and dirt bikes too next?

expert reply by: Claire H

0

Ryan H.

6/19/2026

Thanks for your reply. That said, I’ve already got a Hellwig sway bar installed on the van and I’ve also upgraded all of the shocks to Falcon fully adjustable front and rear along with a beefier leaf pack to go along with the Stryker lift which all came in a package. I’m wondering if what I’ve got already installed will be enough to handle it. I can set the rear and front shocks to o be stiff which will limit squat. I was just thinking some antisway device might additionally help. The van itself is equipped with crosswind control which kicks in automatically during stiff crosswinds. With all of this in mind would adding an additional antisway device for the trailer help more than what I’ve already got?

Greg D.

6/20/2026

@RyanH Ryan, I would recommend taking a test tow with the vehicle set up the way you have it. My guess is you’ll get a good ride with the anti-sway bar and adjustable shocks. You’re only towing 3,400 lbs, which isn’t a lot for a 2500. To set up your shocks… Measure the height of the front and rear fender wells without the trailer. Then attach the trailer fully loaded and re-measure the height of the two fenders. If the rear sag’s add pressure to your shocks to them within an inch of the height of the fender without the trailer. Also make sure you adjust the ball hitch so that the trailer rides level. Level is important. If the tongue is too high or low that alone will cause the trailer to fishtail when a big box truck drives by. Take a good test drive. If the trailer travels well then you don’t need a weight distribution system. If you want additional stabilization look into the Blue Ox or the B&W. I have had both. I currently, traded out my Blue Ox with the B&W. The B&W is very compact, took about 45 minutes to install and the safety of using the hydrolic pump over the tension chains using a breaker Bar is much safer and a lot easier to load and unload. But the Blue Ox worked very well.

Peter S.

6/20/2026

@RyanH I've used this hitch (the B&W Continuum) on 2 different towing rigs with two different trailers (one of them a 38' travel trailer and another a 16' enclosed aluminum trailer). My Ram 5500 weighs 12k pounds and outweighed the trailers by quite a bit so not really relevant to your use case. However I've towed behind an E450 box van and can tell you this hitch helps quite a bit with both sway so long as you load your trailer a little biased towards the front (more tongue weight). I'll also tell you that the B&W is so easy to use that you'll tend to actually use it (compared to a Blue Ox or similar setup).

Huge H.

6/20/2026

@PeterSthanks for the replies. Huge help. I’d been looking at the B&W already. I’ll get the trailer loaded up and give it a test run and see what it feels like first.

See All (9) Replies to Ryan H. ∨

Answer 1

The difference between the Class II and Class III hitches has to do with their Gross Trailer Weight (GTW), their Tongue Weight (TW), and their Hitch Receiver Size. Class II trailer hitch receivers have a 1-1/4 inch receiver and can be rated up to…

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Answer 2

Hey Doug! The Firestone Ride-Rite Air Helper Springs #F35FV are the right kit for your 2026 Ford F-350 FX4 dually. However, you will need to measure to be sure it fits. The distance from the top of your rear axle to the top of the jounce bump stop…

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Answer 3

Since the pin weight of your camper is 2.1k, I recommend going with the LoadLifter 5000 opposed to the 7500. While technically there is not reason you couldn't use the 7500 kit, it really is not necessary for a camper like yours. Generally the…

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Answer 4

Yes, it will work. You'll just need to cut the Lance 6-pin connector out and rewire it into the etrailer Trailer Wiring 7-Way Upgrade Kit w/ Junction Box and RV Style Connector item #e99011. Here are the individual functions of that Lance 6-pin:…

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Answer 5

The OEM prep package consists of 4 "pucks" in the bed of the truck that will allow you to drop in puck style hitches for easy installation and removal, that gives you a completely clear bed when not in use. The B&W Companion OEM 5th…

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Answer 6

You will have to go with a sliding hitch to allow the trailer to make tight turns. For a trailer 8 feet wide the only bed length that's going to allow 90 degree turns without a slider is a stationary hitch. That being said you have two options.…

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Answer 7

Hello Matt, I was seeing some mixed information on this as well, so I reached out directly to my contact at Firestone to confirm. The Firestone Ride-Rite Air Bags w/ Easy Mount Compressor - Wireless Control - Single Path - 5,000 lbs #F44XV will fit…

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Answer 8

Hey Kent! Your Alliance Avenue already has some great suspension components with the MORryde CRE3000 equalizers, wet bolt kit, and Rota-Flex pin box. I wouldn't replace any of those unless you're experiencing a specific problem. The next…

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Answer 9

Hey Brandon - great question, and yes, the FX4 trucks have one extra check. Firestone wants you to measure the distance from the top of your rear axle to the bottom of the bump-stop bracket. If that measurement is 40 mm, 70 mm, or 80 mm, the wireless…

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Answer 10

Hey John! The air bags I recommend for your 2022 Ford F-350 are the Firestone Ride-Rite Air Helper Springs #F35FV. Firestone air bags have the best construction making them the most reliable. These are designed with four layers of reinforced rubber…

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Answer 11

Hi Bill! Thanks for your pictures, they were extremely helpful! ^___^ The LCI Part #194170 on that tag you found means you have a 1621 pin box. The Gen-Y #GY45SR you were looking at is specifically for the Lippert 1116 and 1716 pin boxes, so you will…

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Answer 12

Hey Bob, I can definitely help! I would recommend the Firestone Ride Rite Air Bag Kit #F44XV as it's an all in one kit for an air bag kit and compressor system for your 2023 Ford F-250 that would give you the best air bags as well as a really…

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What Anti-Sway Upgrade Is Best For my 2021 Mercedes Sprinter 2500 Towing a Trailer?

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