Friction anti-sway device use in rain or wet roads

I intend on both slowing down and disabling it. I'm a newbie to towing, and the last thing I want is an accident on my conscience -- not to mention possibly a lawsuit -- because I didn't follow the recommendations.

So if I should disable it in the rain, doesn't that make a dangerous situation (sway) even more dangerous? (sway in the rain)

If you are disabling the anti-sway device, conditions are poor and you are driving slower. Sway will be induced easier in to a setup the faster you drive so there should not be concern about having the device disabled. I do not feel you need to disable the device in rain, but you need to slow down. In low traction areas (mud, sand, snow, ice), disable the device and slow down.

I'm not sure if you saw all the weather accidents televised up north due ice and snow - Most of those were due to people driving too fast for present conditions and not because their vehicles were incapable of negotiating those conditions.

But even going more slowly in the rain, say 55mph on the Interstate, avoiding steep grades, 10% tongue weight, balanced load, and properly-inflated tires, I could still potentially experience sway and an out-of-control condition?

If you have your trailer properly set up, you may not even need an anti-sway device. When I towed an 11K lb toy hauler, it sat high and had a lot of surface area that could catch wind or wash from vehicles passing me. In this case I used a friction bar to dampen any oscillations that might be induced into the trailer. I now tow an 8K lb enclosed trailer that is not nearly as tall and sits lower to the ground. I have not found a need to install an anti-sway device on this trailer because it is not as affected by wind or passing vehicles. These devices are not mandatory to tow, but in some cases will help with stability when towing in some conditions.

cdevidal wrote:
But even going more slowly in the rain, say 55mph on the Interstate, avoiding steep grades, 10% tongue weight, balanced load, and properly-inflated tires, I could still potentially experience sway and an out-of-control condition?

Correct, as you can with any other sway control hitch. I saw a 18 wheeler swaying yesterday. There are too many variables out there. Heck you can experience a sway event on a perfect day with no wind on flat ground at 45 MpH given the right variables.

The beauty of the Friction bar hitches is you can adapt your hitch for conditions. What if you are caught in a snow event and forced to drive in snow. You can remove you sway bar and still have all the benefits of WD.

The trailer being properly set up will not sway...the friction bar will not stop a damaged trailer or out of control situation. It's not designed too. (No hitch will stop an out of control situation) The operator loading the trailer correctly and running properly maintained equipment will.

Relying on any type of sway control hitch to keep you in control means you don't have enough truck or your trailer isn't loaded correctly. WD does help prevent an out of control situation by restoring weight to the front axle which allows the operator to maintain control.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

FYI I haven't yet towed a loaded trailer so I don't know if I am relying upon it yet. I towed my new beast unloaded at no more than 55mph and it was great.

So what's the benefit of friction sway control if it's not really necessary?

In a word...no, it shouldn't be required to safely tow. I almost never see professional TT movers with sway control.

What a friction bar does is dampen movement. They do make the ride more comfortable. I run two on my trailer and it makes everything feel rock solid.

As you are passed and as the wind blows against the trailer there is some independent "wiggle" between the truck and trailer. The sway bars take this wiggle out and make the rig feel like one.

On my F150 the benefits of the sway bars were much more pronounced than they were when I upgraded to a dually. I still ran the sway bars but the rig was solid without them.

Run them, they help make the ride more comfy.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

"In a word...no, it shouldn't be required to safely tow."

Is that consensus or is that controversial? I found this in another forum:
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Now a lot of people say the sway control isn't necessary, and they're right. Neither are seat belts, air bags, trailer brakes, etc. "necessary". They only become important when you need them. Having been an RVer for many years, I lost count of the number of RVers I visited with who had a brand new rig and I learned they had a new rig because they wrecked their previous one. Almost without exception they said their dealer didn't tell them about sway controls until after they wrecked their first rig. But you can bet every one of them had a sway control on the new rig.

(..)

Of course, I drove vehicles for years with no seat belts, no air bags, no power steering, no power brakes, no anti-lock brakes, etc. I'm not saying a sway control is an absolute necessity, but it sure does add to the safety factor.

Source: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/trailers-transportation/119803-weight-distributing-hitch-questions-more-2.html
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And I found this:
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Sway control is designed to be used in situations where the trailer sways under adverse conditions such as high winds or when large vehicles are passing causing the trailer to become unstable. Sway control also helps if you have to maneuver suddenly. Also if the trailer has a low tongue weight percentage the sway control can help to a point, but a weight distribution system will help more with this situation.

The best solution for sway that is present without the above mentioned adverse conditions is proper trailer loading. Your trailers tongue weight should be 10 to 15 percent of the gross trailer weight, loaded and ready to travel. Sway control provides a level of safety for situations that can cause the trailer to become unstable.

Source: http://www.etrailer.com/question-6461.html
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As a newbie, I want all the safety buffer I can afford. I look at this in three steps:
* No sway control, no safety buffer beyond proper loading/driving/tires/etc.
* Friction sway control, can't use in rain, therefore no extra safety buffer in rain, just have to slow down if it starts swaying.
* Cam action sway control, which gives you a buffer you can use in all conditions, but is much more pricey.

Is that accurate?

You can get overboard with devices that make something safer. Can you argue that a fire suppression system, fire retardant clothing, full face helmet and 5-point harness would make your vehicle safer for the driver and each occupant? Why are you not installing and wearing these items every time you drive?

I'm just sayin' some people wear a belt and suspenders to keep their pants up while some droop them past their cheeks...

BTW: Cam style devices have the same issue as friction. However, to disable a cam device requires disabling your weight distribution. This may cause more of a safety issue leaving anti-sway engaged.

I don't understand. Are you saying using sway control is going overboard? Even you said you use it.

Did I accurately asses the list of safety buffers above?

And my other question: Is this consensus or is there lots of controversy?


"Cam style devices have the same issue as friction."

So if I understand you, for best safety in rain cam action should be disabled, but because they can't be disabled, it is not recommended?