[A/S] Equalizer Hitch Trunnion Bars

["Harvey Barlow" <harveybarlow@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Merry,

By "sway bar arms" are you referring to the trunnion (spring) bars that
connect between the hitch head and trailer a frame?  Or, are you referring
to actual sway control devices?  If you are talking about Reese dual cam
hitch arms do you mean the ones that are attached to a hinge on each side of
the trailer A frame and extend back to attach to the trunnion bar cams?  Or
possibly sleeve type friction sway bars?  The terms are frequently misused
and it is not clear which you mean.

If it is actually the weight distributing trunnion (spring) bars you are
missing............the first challenge it to determine who made the hitch
assembly.  Common brands are Reese, Eaz-Lift, Valley, Draw Tite, and more
elaborate and complicated, Hensley.  There are other brands but they are
somewhat rare and mostly copies of more common designs.

The Reese has bars that are "T" shaped with the top horizontal portion of
the T being very narrow when the T is standing on its bottom.  Each end of
the horizontal piece has a small male pin, about 1/2" in diameter, extending
from each side, which slips into the hitch head by flipping up a small latch
on the top of the hitch receiver.

An Eaz-Lift (maybe Easy-Lift) hitch has bars that are "L" shaped with a
groove on the end of the short part of the L.  The bars are inserted up into
the bottom of the hitch receiver.  A Valley hitch, more common out west, is
of similar design to the Eaz-Lift.

If my descriptions don't make sense to you, visit an RV supply store and
show them your hitch head.  The parts or service department will be able to
identify the manufacturer from your hitch head.  The same store will be able
to sell you the missing arms.

There are a couple of cheaper sources.  One is to ask for used hitch arms.
Frequently when an RV dealer takes a trailer in trade on a motor home or
possibly on a new, larger trailer, the owner leaves the old hitch assembly
on the trailer.  RV dealers are not in the business or giving away old parts
so they always remove the old hitch, throw it in the shop attic, and sell
the buyer of the traded-in unit a new hitch when the trailer is purchased.
Many older RV, boat, and cargo/utility trailer service shops and dealers
have a bunch of old hitches collecting dust somewhere.  Quality, brand-name
hitches will last for a very long time.  I'm using the Reese hitch I bought
in 1975.  My guess is that it has towed a trailer approximately 80k miles
over the years.

Another source is by asking on the list for a used hitch that is no longer
in use and for sale or by advertising in the classified ads to buy one.  You
can probably buy a complete, usable used hitch for less than the retail
price of new bars.

Hoping this helps.

Harvey Barlow
Lubbock, TX
WBCCI # 1171, WDCU, VAC