Friction anti-sway device use in rain or wet roads

And then I found this, which confirms what Bedlam stated, "Cam style devices have the same issue as friction." And it answers my question.

However, if during a panic stop, the trailer 'pushes' the tow vehicle too hard, it actually IS possible, for a jackknife to occur with a Hensley. During a panic stop, if the brake controller is not set aggressive enough, and the trailer 'pushes' the tow vehicle hard enough, the Hensley will let the trailer shift off to one side, resulting in a push slightly off to one side. This 'push' affect of the Hensley has been discussed, and is well known among Hensley owners. It just means that with a Hensley (like any other combination/hitch), you must have your brake controller adjusted right, to prevent too much trailer 'push' from occuring during a panic stop.

I will tell you, I once did not have our brake controller set right, and felt this 'push'. I was braking REALLY hard when it happened, and the push was not anything to worry about. Only way I can see it would cause a problem, is if it was a case of a VERY light/small tow vehicle towing a huge trailer, that it should not be towing in the first place, Hensley or not (like some of the combinations CanAm RV puts together..LOL).

Kind of goes back to what you said, Claude - even though the Hensley is such a perfect design, it should not be used as a 'cure-all' for a bad setup. You still need to set everything else up correctly, especially your brake controller. And, you still need to match the tow vehicle to the trailer appropriately.

Source: http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/15531727/gotomsg/15537732.cfm#15537732


So I'll go with friction pads and see how it runs, then if I don't like it I can sell those and upgrade. For rain/slippery conditions will follow manufacturer recommendations for disabling/loosening it, go 55mph, take it real easy, make sure my tires are right, distribute the load, etc. etc. In other words, I'll not depend upon sway control to be a 'cure-all' for a bad setup :-)

Thanks everyone! Good forum.