Sway Controls

[Pasqualejb]

We've just become owners of a Heartland North Trail 32BUDS.(2012) How important is it to add a sway control mechanism to this trailer?

 

[priorguy]

Depends on you tow vehicle and hitch setup. Many weight distribution hitches have built on sway controls. Even standard setups eliminate sway as the balance the weight between TV and TT. I just have a round bar setup (no sway control added) on my 28BRS which is shorter and lighter and do fine with it. Also only a half ton truck. A heavier truck may not require it as much as a smaller one but it wouldn't hurt to have it. I did need a friction sway controller on my big single axel tent trailer but not weight distribution.


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[Silverado23]

I tow a 31DBSS North trail using an equalizer hitch. I have been in strong cross winds and find very little if any sway with this setup. If I did it again, I would use the same setup.

 

[Kbvols]

You can certainly get by without it as others have stated but for no more of an expense than what they are I would recommend just my opinion. Tow vehicle does impact. I used primarily for longer trips short local trips didn't use. Was pulling 28ft TT with 2500 truck.

 

[TravelTiger]

Having witnessed a long trailer and a short tow vehicle rollover accident, for peace of mind, I would have it, just in case. A tire failure, a passing semi, an unexpected gusty crosswind, you never know what can start a sudden sway.


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[JohnDar]

We had a light weight 27ft. TT that I pulled with an Avalanche. The one time I got lazy and didn't connect the anti-sway was the last. You could feel the tail wagging the dog. And I had a WD hitch.

 

[ILH]

We've just become owners of a Heartland North Trail 32BUDS.(2012) How important is it to add a sway control mechanism to this trailer?

I drove a 34' TT (not by Heartland) for a few years - with a Suburban and a Pick-up truck. Without anti-sway bars the trailer was an absolute nightmare - pure white knuckle ride. The anti-sway bars helped, but I eventually moved to a Hensley Arrow hitch and it totally resolved the issue. The Hensley was so smooth, I would forget that I had a 34' trailer behind me - even on winding roads, windy days, with or without trucks passing me. Can't recommend them enough.

I've since moved on to a 5th wheel. Can't say I really miss those days....

 

[JohnD]

Sway Controls . . . DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT!

When we got our first TT about 15 years ago, a 1978 24-foot Coachman Cadet, I pulled it once without a sway bar and WD hitch setup for it's first weekend outing with us.

The following Monday (ie.- the next day after getting home) . . . I called our local hitch dealership and made an appointment to get that stuff installed!

And I'm using the same Reese sway bar and WD stuff on my new trailer now!

Also . . . make sure the installer instructs you on the proper way to put them on before a trip!

I know two different people who smashed a foot by not knowing how to do this correctly.

 

[pegmikef]

I used an EAZ-LIFT WD hitch to pull our North Trail for 2 years and 20k plus miles. Would not even consider pulling a TT without one. No sway and excellent ride. Make sure any hitch you get is adjusted to the proper ball height (1/8th inch per 100 pounds of tongue weight above the tongue's ball cup) and follow the manufacturer's instructions for lubrication.

 

[JWalker]

We pulled our last NorthTrail travel trailer for four years with two different F250s. Both set up with a round bar weight distribution and NO sway control. Never once did I have any issues with sway. Always felt in control. No white knuckle driving. It was a very good towing experience. In the mountains or on the flat, slow speeds or highway speeds, it always felt in control. We always had the hitch set up properly and were always conscious of where we loaded the weight in the trailer. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[priorguy]

I forgot to mention that many of today's trucks have built in sway control. Once again it wouldn't hurt to have the sway control and as many gave stated that if you really need it you'll know right away. If whatever system you get us not properly setup and adjusted as well as your load equally arranged you will have issues.


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[Manzan]

This is the third trailer we have used our Reese Dual Cam Sway control WD hitch. Bought it 25 years ago and would not be without it. There are several sway control devises out there and well worth the price. The integrated type like the Reese and Hensly Arrow do not have to be unhooked when backing into a tight campsite.

 

[DonnyB007]

I put on the Husky Centerline WD hitch. It says you can back up with the hitch on. I backed up my trailer and unknowingly wrecked the hydraulic piston on one side of the hitch. We discovered the damaged hitch after traveling 600 miles with it. There was no problem at all with sway not having the hydraulics functional. Because of the location of the Husky dealer, we traveled another 700 miles to a registered dealer and they replaced the whole hitch free of charge. After that, I always remove the sway bars before I back up. The TT handles like a charm on the hi way with no sway problems.

 

[SeattleLion]

Prior to getting to a fiver, we had a 27' TT. We had an EqualIzer hitch with friction sway control. It is effective up to a point. When we travel, we cross the Cascade mountains or often stay within the range. There are a lot of crosswinds and heavy vehicle traffic. The friction anti sway works by having two steel plates pressed together that tend to reduce any side to side motion. They only work up to a point. There are better solutions like the Hensley hitch. These hitches are very expensive. They do effectively control sway. Our EqualIzer was good enough for us. There were times we slowed way down due to sway. If you are getting a WD hitch (which you almost certainly have to with a TT), try the sway control that either comes with it or is available as an add on. You can always upgrade later.

 

[SeattleLion]

I forgot to mention that many of today's trucks have built in sway control. Once again it wouldn't hurt to have the sway control and as many gave stated that if you really need it you'll know right away. If whatever system you get us not properly setup and adjusted as well as your load equally arranged you will have issues.

Our F150, now F350 has the so-called sway control. It uses the stability control's yaw sensors. It can NOT stop the trailer from swaying. It does try to stabilize the truck by selective brake application on individual wheels. It really can't get the trailer under control on its own. Only once did it cut in while we were towing. It put up a "Slow down" warning on the information display. We could feel it try to help. The problem is that the truck's antisway control can't do anything with the trailer brakes. It's really up to you with some help from your hitch to control sway.

 

[JohnDar]

Sounds like traction control is being confused with sway control. A lot of passenger cars have had traction control for years. But if the tail is wagging the dog, it isn't going to help.

 

[jnbhobe]

John, the newer Fords have a trailer sway control built into them. never seen it work but they have something there to help with sway.

 

[JohnDar]

Be interesting to know what it is. Not that I'd be caught dead driving a Ford, though.

 

[priorguy]

I believe if you have the factory electronic brake controller it works better, at least that what I read in my 2011 brochure to make me buy it.


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[brianharrison]

Anti Sway uses the Yaw sensor on the truck and when sway detected adjusts individual brakes and/or engine power to reduce/eliminate yaw.

Link to Ford Website video.

Hope this helps,
Brian