Towing a trailer can be stressful enough, especially if you’re a newbie. But when you’re out on the road among other drivers and with your friends aboard, trailer sway can be nerve-wracking. You may wonder if you’re hitched up correctly. Or if you’re on the verge of an accident. The bottom line is that you want to reduce trailer sway while towing your RV. (You’ve got other things to consider while driving after all.)
So, how do you reduce trailer sway when towing? Let’s talk about causes, what to troubleshoot, and the best ways to keep the trailer from controlling the tow vehicle.
I’ll break it all down into seven simple tips.
Tip No. 1: Understand why it happens.
Trailer sway can occur for a lot of reasons. A common experience is the trailer swaying back and forth even as you drive down a straight road. It can be everything from an annoyance to a very dangerous situation. Fortunately, it’s not overly difficult to mitigate.
The source of trailer sway can come from a number of places. Large vehicles passing the opposite direction on two-lane roads can absolutely cause sway. Sometimes crosswinds can also be a source of sway. But sometimes, it’s your own towing situation. So, if it’s not those other causes that I mentioned, you could be the source. The good news? If it’s you, then you can do something about it.
Tip No. 2: Take a closer look at your hitch.
If you’re towing a travel trailer, sometimes called a bumper pull, the hitch can make a huge difference. Many of the hitches sold today have sway control as part of the design of the hitch.
I have tried a number of hitches and some of them are absolutely better than others in this area. There are also some that can be adjusted each time you tow depending on how much sway control you’d like dialed in. This can be useful if the trailer’s weight changes significantly, such as if you have a toy hauler and you bring a toy sometimes but not others. It can also change whether or not your holding tanks are full, or even partially full.
I have had hitches installed by RV dealers that were installed incorrectly and really made the towing experience lousy, even though they were great hitches. Following the hitch manufacturer’s directions, I then reinstalled the hitch and it made a huge difference.
So, the advice here is: 1) to buy (or identify that you own) a high-quality hitch and 2) make sure your RV’s hitch is installed properly.
Tip No. 3: Sync with those darned computers.
Most modern vehicles have a good amount of antisway technology built into them. Did you know that there are now trailers coming out with anti-sway technology as well? And you can even buy anti-sway technology to add to your existing trailer.
In some cases, the sway technology on your tow vehicle is intended to be disabled when you’re towing. Check the owner’s manual and see if there is mention of how these systems work when towing.
Another possibility is that the hitch you’ve installed is not intended to be used with the sway technology of your tow vehicle. Again, the owner’s manual for the hitch and the tow vehicle should answer this question.
Tip No. 4: Check the scale.
One of the easiest ways to diagnose issues with any towing situation is to have your tow vehicle and trailer weighed. Many places that work with commercial trucks have what is called a CAT scale. For under $15, you can usually weigh the your tow vehicle and trailer. Many will also allow you to weigh the combination, and then detach the trailer and go back.
Depending on the size of your combined rig, you might also be able to determine the weight of the tow vehicle and the trailer individually.
I would suggest doing this when you’ve got the typical load you carry for camping. (And don’t forget to have all the people you bring with you in the tow vehicle as well. Realistically people count as cargo in this case.)
Another place where you can get the rig weighed is at an RV rally. In many cases there will be a service where you can have your RV weighed wheel-by-wheel. This can be eye-opening. It can also be expensive. While the weighing process itself didn’t cost much, learning the weight of my RV reinforced my decision to buy a more tow-capable truck.
Tip No. 5: Assess and adjust the way you load.
How the trailer is loaded can absolutely affect sway. The ideal situation for a travel trailer is to have about 12-15 percent of the trailer’s weight on the tongue of the trailer.
If your trailer has more weight toward the back of the trailer, it will cause sway and other handling issues. If possible, shift cargo more to the front of the trailer or even into the tow vehicle depending on space and cargo carrying capacity.
Tip No. 6: Check your tires.
Somewhere, I came across a study that stated that a lot of people drive around with underinflated tires. This can cause significant tire wear, reduce your fuel mileage, and even set you up for tire failure.
If possible, I strongly recommend an in-tire tire pressure monitor. There are also some good choices where the sending units mount right to the valve stems of the tire.
Of course, the cheapest thing to do is to measure the inflation pressure of the tires on your tow vehicle and trailer in the morning before you head out, and again during the day to watch for uneven warming.Properly inflated tires can truly make a big difference in helping you reduce trailer sway.
While you’re checking the air pressure, also look at the tread of the tires. Make sure the tires are wearing evenly. If you see that they aren’t, the cause can range from improper inflation pressure to an alignment problem with the trailer to a wheel bearing on the trailer that needs maintenance.
Tip No. 7: Slow down, Speed Racer!
Okay, let’s be honest here. If you’re experiencing trailer sway, one of the factors that can cause sway is speed. You can actually travel too quickly for the situation at hand and cause trailer sway.
If you are experiencing trailer sway, the first thing to do is slow down. While a lot of people will share on social media that “they have to keep up with traffic,” the truth is that the lane furthest to the right is the place to be when you’re towing anyway.
Another thing to consider is that some trailer tires aren’t rated to go over 65 miles per hour. That could be you, so check the sidewall of the tire. Depending on your speed, try slowing down and see if this solves the problem. I have found that my own truck and trailer behave the best, and get the least lousy fuel mileage, at around 63 miles per hour. But, of course, each situation and vehicle are different.
So, I’ve done all this. Now what?
If you’ve gone through this whole article and you’re still experiencing trailer sway, there are a few steps you can take.
One, there are electronic sway mitigation systems that you can install on your trailer. On example is the CURT True Course sway-control system. This is one of the electronic gadgets that can mitigate sway.
Something else to consider to help reduce trailer sway. If you have weighed your tow vehicle and trailer, how close to capacity is the tow vehicle? Remember that the tow vehicle actually carries about 15 percent of the trailer’s weight. (And even more in a fifth wheel.) Be honest about the cargo carrying capacity of your tow vehicle. Perhaps, it’s simply not the right choice for the job.
Leave a Reply