Weight Distribution & Sway Control
Fastway e2 vs Equal-i-zer: Is Four-Point Worth It?
These hitches come from the same manufacturer and behave almost identically. The difference is two friction points, and whether you need them depends on your trailer.
By Mike M. ·
How this page is funded: we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we rank first. Prices come from Amazon and are read automatically — each one shows the date it was read. Full disclosure.
Quick picks
The two-point and four-point versions side by side, plus the trunnion option.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fastway e2 2-Point Sway Control Round Bar Hitch, 94-00-1033 Equal-i-zer's own value line: two points of built-in sway control instead of four, at a price that leaves money for the shank and ball you still have to buy. Best value | A first hitch on a 5,000-8,000 lb trailer, on a budget | 7.5/ 10 | |
| 2 |  Equal-i-zer 4-Point Sway Control Hitch, 90-00-1001 Four-point sway control built into the head, so there is no friction bar to unclip before you back into a site — the single biggest quality-of-life difference for a first-timer. More sway resistance | Most half-ton trucks pulling a 5,000-10,000 lb trailer | 7.9/ 10 | |
| 3 |  Fastway e2 2-Point Sway Control Trunnion Hitch, 92-00-1200 The trunnion version sits the bars higher than round bars do, which matters on a steep driveway, and this one includes the shank. If your tongue is heavy | 8,000-12,000 lb trailers where ground clearance matters | 7.7/ 10 |
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. Prices come from Amazon and are read automatically — see each product below for the date.
The short answer
A lot of comparison content treats these as rival brands. They are not: Fastway is the value line from the same manufacturer, built on the same integral-sway principle. That makes this one of the cleaner comparisons in the category, because almost everything except the number of friction points is held constant.
What actually differs
| Fastway e2 | Equal-i-zer 4-point | |
|---|---|---|
| Friction points | 2 (at the head) | 4 (head and brackets) |
| Backing up | No disconnection | No disconnection |
| Bar styles available | Round and trunnion | Trunnion |
| Noise | Creaks in tight turns | Creaks in tight turns |
| Shank included | On the trunnion kit | On the 16,000 lb kit |
| Tongue weight bands | 600-1,200 lb | 600-1,600 lb |
Both creak. Both back up without unclipping anything. Both use the same bracket-height setup method. The e2 is cheaper and gives up half the friction interfaces.
When two points is genuinely enough
Sway resistance needs to be proportional to how much side area the trailer presents and how much disturbance it will meet. Two friction points damp a disturbance more slowly than four, but “more slowly” only matters if disturbances arrive often or arrive hard.
Two points is usually enough when:
- the trailer is under roughly 28 ft, so there is less side area to push on;
- you tow mostly on sheltered roads — trees, hills, towns — rather than open plains;
- your tongue weight percentage is comfortably in the 12–15% range, so the trailer is inherently stable;
- you tow below 65 mph, which is where many ST tires are rated anyway.
Pay for four points when:
- the trailer is 30 ft or longer;
- you cross open country where sustained crosswind is normal;
- you regularly share the road with high-speed trucks;
- your tongue weight is near the 10% floor and you cannot easily change the loading.
The common mistake
Round bar or trunnion
The e2 comes both ways and this is a real choice. Round bars hook under the head and tolerate a slightly wrong bracket angle more gracefully. Trunnion bars slide into the head horizontally, which puts them higher off the ground — worth having on a steep driveway or a campground entrance with a dip. The trunnion kit also tends to ship with the shank.
The verdict
Buy the e2 unless you have a specific reason to want four friction points. It is the same family, the same behavior, and the money saved pays for the shank and the ball that neither kit includes. If your trailer is long or you tow across open country, the Equal-i-zer is the upgrade that actually does something.
What to remember
- Same manufacturer, same integral-sway design, half the friction points.
- Both back up and turn without disconnecting anything, and both creak.
- Two points suits trailers under ~28 ft in sheltered terrain.
- Trunnion bars give more ground clearance than round bars at the same rating.
The picks in full
Fastway e2 2-Point Sway Control Round Bar Hitch, 94-00-1033
Fastway · Best for a first hitch on a 5,000-8,000 lb trailer, on a budget
Equal-i-zer's own value line: two points of built-in sway control instead of four, at a price that leaves money for the shank and ball you still have to buy.
Key specifications
- Trailer weight rating
- 10,000 lb
- Tongue weight rating
- 1,000 lb
- Sway control
- 2-point, integral
- Included
- Weight distribution kit; shank and ball sold separately
Capacity figures read from Fastway e2 product specifications (Equal-i-zer / Progress Mfg), October 2026.
How it scored
- Sway control (25%)7
- Tongue-weight range (20%)8
- Backing up (20%)9
- Setup effort (15%)7
- Quietness (10%)5
- Price for capability (10%)8
Weighted average of the figures above. We did not test this product — see how we pick.
What it does well
- Integral sway control, so nothing to unclip before backing
- Cheaper than the four-point Equal-i-zer with most of the behavior
- Round bars are more forgiving of an imperfect bracket height
What it is bad at
- Two friction points rather than four, so it works less hard in a crosswind
- Still creaks, same as its four-point sibling
- Shank and ball sold separately
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How this is funded
Equal-i-zer 4-Point Sway Control Hitch, 90-00-1001
Equal-i-zer · Best for most half-ton trucks pulling a 5,000-10,000 lb trailer
Four-point sway control built into the head, so there is no friction bar to unclip before you back into a site — the single biggest quality-of-life difference for a first-timer.
Key specifications
- Trailer weight rating
- 10,000 lb
- Tongue weight rating
- 1,000 lb
- Sway control
- 4-point, integral to the head
- Included
- Weight distribution kit; shank and ball sold separately
Capacity figures read from Equal-i-zer product specifications, October 2026.
How it scored
- Sway control (25%)9
- Tongue-weight range (20%)8
- Backing up (20%)9
- Setup effort (15%)7
- Quietness (10%)5
- Price for capability (10%)7
Weighted average of the figures above. We did not test this product — see how we pick.
What it does well
- Sway control is always on — nothing to remember, nothing to remove
- Back up and turn sharply without unhooking anything
- Bracket height is adjustable in the field with a wrench, not a shop visit
What it is bad at
- It creaks and groans in tight turns; owners report this consistently and it is normal, not a fault
- Needs a shank and ball bought separately, which catches people out on price
- Heavier to lift onto the coupler than a friction-bar setup
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How this is funded
Fastway e2 2-Point Sway Control Trunnion Hitch, 92-00-1200
Fastway · Best for 8,000-12,000 lb trailers where ground clearance matters
The trunnion version sits the bars higher than round bars do, which matters on a steep driveway, and this one includes the shank.
Key specifications
- Trailer weight rating
- 12,000 lb
- Tongue weight rating
- 1,200 lb
- Sway control
- 2-point, integral
- Included
- Standard hitch shank included; ball sold separately
Capacity figures read from Fastway e2 product specifications (Equal-i-zer / Progress Mfg), October 2026.
How it scored
- Sway control (25%)7
- Tongue-weight range (20%)9
- Backing up (20%)9
- Setup effort (15%)7
- Quietness (10%)5
- Price for capability (10%)8
Weighted average of the figures above. We did not test this product — see how we pick.
What it does well
- Trunnion bars give more clearance than round bars at the same rating
- Shank included
- Good match for a loaded 30-33 ft trailer behind a half-ton
What it is bad at
- Trunnion heads are slightly fussier to index correctly on first setup
- Two-point sway control only
- Noisy in tight turns
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How this is funded
Common questions
Same manufacturer and the same integral-sway design, but the e2 has two friction points instead of four and is the value line. Backing behavior and setup method are comparable.
No. Sway control is built into the head, not a separate bolt-on bar, so it backs and turns normally.
Sources
- Equal-i-zer published hitch specifications and bar ratings — read October 2026
- Andersen Hitches weight distribution hitch specifications — read October 2026
- CURT published weight distribution specifications — read October 2026
- Blue Ox SwayPro published specifications — read October 2026