Black Series HQ Tips, Tricks, and Learning.....
- Thread starter kevin_j
- Start date
Namrek
New member
Hello! I am new to the forum and I am happy to try and help as you all have helped me already. I have a 19' HQ12 with McHitch 4.5 Tonne (greatest hitch ever by the way, IMO of course) and a EAZ Lift sway control (not a weight distribution hitch) that works very well. Night and day difference well. I "had" no issues (get to that in a sec) while straight line driving or turning but I do have to be mindful of not turning too sharply but on surface streets and what-not it is not an issue. I just remove the device when I leave the pavement. Note: I mounted the McHitch underneath the mounting plate and used a 4" rise solid forged 17Klbs draw bar. My tow vehicle is a 07' 5.7L Tundra Crew Max Limited with Old Man Emu 2.5" Dakar Leaf Springs with 2.5" lift and the matching shackles and bushings from OME as well. With this set up, I have a completely level rig when all hooked up and camping weight loaded. To make the sway bar work, I had to do a few things. I moved the jockey wheel to the drivers side. This is as easy as unbolting the jockey wheel and clamping to the other side. See below. Next, I had a custom tab welded on the draw bar to mount the small ball on the receiver (truck end). See below. So the sway control is on the right side (pass) and I mounted the ball upside down because the yellow latch on the McHitch interfered with the sway device. I figured this last part out when I got back from the welder. ?♂️ So, with this configuration, the other ball plate was bolted to the frame as per instructions. The issue with this set up is the sway device bar was not level as it was meant to be. It angled up (starting from the truck side) to the frame side at least 30 degrees or more. This could not be good, right? Well, I went on three trips and the tab just broke off on my most recent trip. I believe three factors caused the failure. 1. The angle of the bar is no good. It has to be level otherwise you get some crazy twisting forces not intended for the device. 2. I had the bar adjusted too tightly. 3. The welding needed a bit more support. So, my new plan involves three steps. 1. have the weld repaired with an extra gusset for support. 2. Move the trailer side ball down using a custom fabricated mount. 3. Loosen the adjustment screw on the sway device. For part 2., I mocked up a box section mount out of cardboard that effectively lowers the trailer side ball so the two balls are level as intended by the mfr. I am going to see the welder today and I'll send pictures of the finished reworked mounting. It still remains to be seen if this is all going to work out but I am pretty confident the angle and the tightness were my main issues. Thanks for reading.
BuckinghamBuilt
Active member
2019 HQ12's are notorious for their swaying issues due to the position of the tanks and axle placement.
WOODY2
Adventurer
That's another way of sharing like opinion. ?
kevin_j
Member
You might recognize me as the person that started this thread. I lived fulltime in an HQ15 for two years. During that time I pulled that trailer in a loop, twice a year from the Seattle area to Arizona only staying in campgrounds about 30 to 50 days a year. Thats a lot of both highway and backcountry travel.
If you buy any Black Series products, you MUST add sway control, regardless of which hitch your using. My trailer dragged a F-350 into a median one time and across lanes multiple times. I believe its a combination of the weight and the suspension being so geared towards offroad. Having said that, it was amazing how capable it was over difficult terrain.
Before I sold it, I wondered how adding stiff airbags to the suspension might reduce a lot of the highway misbehavior. Even with sway bars the trailer is still back there rolling at any side force like wind.
Please take this as a PSA, not a condemnation of the brand.
If you buy any Black Series products, you MUST add sway control, regardless of which hitch your using. My trailer dragged a F-350 into a median one time and across lanes multiple times. I believe its a combination of the weight and the suspension being so geared towards offroad. Having said that, it was amazing how capable it was over difficult terrain.
Before I sold it, I wondered how adding stiff airbags to the suspension might reduce a lot of the highway misbehavior. Even with sway bars the trailer is still back there rolling at any side force like wind.
Please take this as a PSA, not a condemnation of the brand.
Last edited:
Namrek
New member
Hi all! Just a quick update. Got the hitch draw bar fixed and the new ball drop built and attached to the frame and everything is good with the world again. Remember, I had the drop box built so I could use my McHitch without interference. Since the install, we've made two trips and towing at highway speeds fully loaded is no problem. I might even let my wife drive...not! Hahaha
Food for thought here if you are having questions or doubts about towing one of these trailers. Anti sway and weight distribution devices were around long before these trailers hit the road and for good reason. Trailers can be a bear to tow and sometimes you need a little help and in this case a little help goes a long way.
Also, I know these trailers get a bad rap for how they tow but everything is a compromise in life. A trailer that is this short (mine is HQ12) and weighs this much and stands this tall is just not going to tow like your average RV and that is OK. The magic happens when you turn off the pavement and you do not have to stop or turn around because you do not have clearance or the suspension to handle what is coming your way.
Anyway, I hope those of you looking for sway control solutions for your HQ Caravan find this post and information useful. Hit me up if you'd like to discuss what I did and how and what I'd do differently if I had to do it again. Thanks, N
Food for thought here if you are having questions or doubts about towing one of these trailers. Anti sway and weight distribution devices were around long before these trailers hit the road and for good reason. Trailers can be a bear to tow and sometimes you need a little help and in this case a little help goes a long way.
Also, I know these trailers get a bad rap for how they tow but everything is a compromise in life. A trailer that is this short (mine is HQ12) and weighs this much and stands this tall is just not going to tow like your average RV and that is OK. The magic happens when you turn off the pavement and you do not have to stop or turn around because you do not have clearance or the suspension to handle what is coming your way.
Anyway, I hope those of you looking for sway control solutions for your HQ Caravan find this post and information useful. Hit me up if you'd like to discuss what I did and how and what I'd do differently if I had to do it again. Thanks, N
ExpedTravelall
New member
Where did you purchase your McHitch? Thanks.
Robbrown27
New member
https://caravanspecialties.com/ check with him? I’ve heard quite a few folks have ordered from him. I personally got mine from ROA over a year ago.
BuckinghamBuilt
Active member
I second this. Joe Roamer is not only a great seller but is knowledgeable in the Black Series and McHitch. He'll ask some questions geared towards which Mchitch you'll need and will offer assistance on install (for me it was literally removing four bolts).
Louisd75
Adventurer
Anyone have any issues with their sliders? I've been looking at the pictures on the BS website and they just don't seem to be mounted all that stoutly. Are they through bolted or is there a rivnut on the angle iron that they bolt to?
I'm a bit curious as one of the pictures posted for the HQ12 on the BS website shows that at least one of the bolts between the slider and mount is broken, but it looks like the bolt has a signficant bend to it. Take a look at the left mount in the below picture.
The picture can be found here: https://www.blackseriescamper.com/src/images/media/hq12/HQ12-16.JPG
There doesn't appear to be any other damage visible on the slider in other pictures.
I'm a bit curious as one of the pictures posted for the HQ12 on the BS website shows that at least one of the bolts between the slider and mount is broken, but it looks like the bolt has a signficant bend to it. Take a look at the left mount in the below picture.
The picture can be found here: https://www.blackseriescamper.com/src/images/media/hq12/HQ12-16.JPG
There doesn't appear to be any other damage visible on the slider in other pictures.
BuckinghamBuilt
Active member
I have a HQ15 and in my opinion those sliders are for looks only. In the pic you're showing looks like someone forgot to actually bolt it up correctly on the left side. Also, I reached out to Black Series Campers in the past because they are not doing the current models in justice by having those old photos on the site. There have been quite a few upgrades over the years.
mvbeggs
Adventurer
Agree. I would never use the Black Series sliders to pivot my HQ-19 around a rock. They are more like a limb riser than a rock slider.
eightbitreaper
New member
Have a 2020 HQ15 , any ideas on covers for it please?