Sway Control Install, Part I ........

As I told you in the last post, I decided to add some sway control to the hitch set-up on the pod.  I have been reading quite a bit about it on the "Nation", and decided it was time to add this to our set-up.  I've never actually had a sway event,  but I have noticed when towing on wet roads I can sense a little "looseness" in the pod's tracking behind the truck.  So as I showed you before, this is what we got at Camping World.  

New sway controls and accessories.

The first step was to take the old hitch ball off of the draw-bar. I figured I could do it with just my big adjustable wrench.

Big adjustable wrench, and old hitch-ball.

Well of course I was wrong, and the whole process needed a little lubrication and some "gentle" persuasion. 

The gentle persuasion I needed!

I wound-up using the above tools and a pair of vice-grips, the old hitch ball came right off.  Next was to install the adapter plate and new hitch ball and coupler for the sway bar.  This is when I ran into a little problem.  My old draw-bar wasn't made by Reese.  I don't know who it was made by, I just know this is the third truck I've used it on.

New adapter plate doesn't fit old draw-bar.

So a quick trip to my down-the-street, Advance Store, and I got just what I need, stickers and all.

New draw bar with stickers.

Here's the new draw-bar, all destickered, with the adapter plate and new hitch-balls attached.  

Completed Part I.

Finally, here are the tools I used in Part I of this install.

Tools used for Part I.

This wraps up Part I of the sway control installation.  Check back in a few days for Part II.  Until then, stay safe out there...-R,T,&J.

Trip to Camping World.......

Well we survived the storms that came through early in the morning, and our prayers go out to all those who didn't fare so well!!  So today, Trisha and I went to Home Depot, Lowes, and Camping World!  The first stop was to get bird seed with a Christmas Gift Card from way back in December 2010 from the Seattle Ritchies!  Second stop was to buy fertilizer, grass seed, a neat little spreader I can tow behind the John Deere, more bird seed, dog food for Jackson, and two orchids for Grandma Von.  


We went back home, put everything away, loaded up Jackson, and then headed out for Camping World.  We are lucky (or unlucky) to be about 25 minutes from a nice Camping World in Statesville, NC.  Plus, it is a beautiful back roads drive to get there, so no traffic! 


I went mainly to get a new anode rod for the pod's water heater, and I also had decided to get a sway bar for the pod.  I've towed the pod for two seasons, on most kinds of roads, and in all sorts of weather.  Sway has never been a major problem, but there are times, especially when the roads are wet, that I felt sway was a problem waiting to happen.  Here are a few pictures of what we needed and of course the things we saw we just couldn't live without!!!

The Sway Bar and assorted accessories.

Two propane bottles for the new grill and the anode rod.

Two new Turvis Tumblers and lids just for the pod.
Plus a special food holder for Jackson.

A garden flag holder.

Finally, two "dog is good" stickers.
One for the truck and one for the CR-V.

So you can see we made quite a haul.  Now we are really ready to go camping!!  The neatest thing we got was the two "dog is good" stickers.  I came home and surfed their website.  If your are a dog lover, liker, tolerater, owner, keeper, kept by a dog or dogs,  or any combination thereof, or friends, family, etc. of anyone who is, you've got to check out their website.  Check back in a few days, I will be posting the install for the Sway Controls and telling you all about that.  


Until then, stay safe out there...-R,T,&J.