Single or Double sway bar

I added a 2nd friction a couple years age & it made a big difference pulling a then 33 ft trailer & now a 36 footer. I'm presuming also the original poster has more than a half ton truck.

ANY trailer will sway given the right circumstances! To say that a trailer that is set up correctly WILL NOT sway is incorrect. Also, most serious "sway" events start out with a "wiggle"! I agree that the wiggle from a passing semi or gust of wind is usually not serious enough to start a sway event but, under the right circumstances, it could be.
See my post made a couple of years ago here.

If a person were going downhill, braking for a curve, and being passed by a fast moving semi or bus, or get hit with a wind gust, then that wiggle could very easily turn into a serious event. I think all travel trailers should use some kind of sway control regardless of whether they have the hitch setup correctly, the trailer loaded correctly, the tires aired up correctly, the axles aligned correctly etc. etc. etc.
Barney

Hi Russ, unfortunately it is natural for a TT because it is pulled on a ball. There are multiple axis of movement available to the ball coupler. When you first tow without sway control it can be very uncomfortable.

If you were pulling a Tt when you had your wiggle event it probably would have been more dramatic.

Sway controls work to increase the tightness of the connection, resist, and dampen Oscillation between the trailer and tv.

Thanks,

Jeremiah

jerem0621 wrote:
I pull a 31 ft TT with two friction bars and a more than adequate TV.

I think it must be discussed... what are you talking about when you say sway?

Most people say the word "sway" but its not sway, its the natural "wiggle" that comes from the TV and the TT as vehicles pass (pressure wake, hits the trailer first, then the TV) This is NATURAL and SAFE.. However, it is uncomfortable.

SWAY is the "tail wagging the dog" nearly uncontrollably,

A properly set up WD hitch (Standard hitches are effective, they are lower cost because the design is OLD. It does not mean that they are JUNK.) properly set up trailer, properly set up TV will NOT sway.

so, before you mess with the sway control.. make sure that you have the WD hitch DIALED IN 100% correctly. After this add your sway control. What you will be rewarded with is a rig that does not sway and does not WIGGLE when vehicles pass or when the wind blows.

My experience went like this.

1) WD set up incorrectly with no sway control. Lots of wiggle, nearly swayed, on the verge of losing control
2) WD set up correctly with no sway control.. No sway, stable steering, etc... but there was significant "wiggle"
3) WD set up correctly with single friction bar... A lot less wiggle, much more comfortable.
4) WD set up correctly with dual friction bars... no more wiggle. very stable, very comfortable.


YMMV.. other sway controls work fine. For me the friction bars are cost effective and practically effective.

And yes, if you are over 26 ft long, it is highly recommended to use two bars... by the manufacturers.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

Wow, Sway or Wiggle, if it is enough to make you uncomfortable, then it isn't natural!
Only time I have ever experienced wiggle or sway, was the tow home with our current 5er, truck needed new ball joints, a little more than I thought. Changing lanes I would get a little redirected by the road ruts.
Since I have replaced the ball joints, truck and 5er drive like they are on rails! I get zero sway or wiggle, passing, being passed, and on coming. If a passing truck can do that what happens in a cross wind.

I pull a 31 ft TT with two friction bars and a more than adequate TV.

I think it must be discussed... what are you talking about when you say sway?

Most people say the word "sway" but its not sway, its the natural "wiggle" that comes from the TV and the TT as vehicles pass (pressure wake, hits the trailer first, then the TV) This is NATURAL and SAFE.. However, it is uncomfortable.

SWAY is the "tail wagging the dog" nearly uncontrollably,

A properly set up WD hitch (Standard hitches are effective, they are lower cost because the design is OLD. It does not mean that they are JUNK.) properly set up trailer, properly set up TV will NOT sway.

so, before you mess with the sway control.. make sure that you have the WD hitch DIALED IN 100% correctly. After this add your sway control. What you will be rewarded with is a rig that does not sway and does not WIGGLE when vehicles pass or when the wind blows.

My experience went like this.

1) WD set up incorrectly with no sway control. Lots of wiggle, nearly swayed, on the verge of losing control
2) WD set up correctly with no sway control.. No sway, stable steering, etc... but there was significant "wiggle"
3) WD set up correctly with single friction bar... A lot less wiggle, much more comfortable.
4) WD set up correctly with dual friction bars... no more wiggle. very stable, very comfortable.


YMMV.. other sway controls work fine. For me the friction bars are cost effective and practically effective.

And yes, if you are over 26 ft long, it is highly recommended to use two bars... by the manufacturers.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

I've been using 2 since shortly after I tried it with only one about 4 years ago on my 27 footer. Recently ordered a Propride 3p cause I'm going to 31 feet later this year or early next. Can't imagine a 35 footer with tension bars only. My DW would be climbing the walls.

downtheroad wrote:
My opinion: 35 footer, I'd be looking at a Reese Dual Cam Strait-Line set up or an Equal-i-zer. Hensley if you want to spend the $$$.

Yep.

Another friction sway bar is like $50. Try it.

But you probably should focus on WDH adjustment. Not enough or too much can cause handling issues. You are in the right forum. Read this. Get the front axle weight/height the same with WDH as no trailer at all, and TT level to slightly nose down. A trip to a CAT scale may also help you understand where your current setup stands with respect to all your TV ratings.

Two friction bars ARE better than one. Using two bars gives you almost 1/2 as much force maintaining a trailer in a straight line as a low cost integrated system like Reece Duel Cam or Equalizer. My advice is go for a better system rather than more of a weaker system. I have towed many thousands of miles with a friction bar (and a small trailer). For anything over about 25 feet, go with something better.

Concerning the use of air bags, they really have no useful function in towing a conventional trailer. All they CAN do is prop up the rear end and they have ZERO ability to replace lost front end weight caused by pushing down on the rear of the tow vehicle. It's this loss of frong end weight that causes MANY of the towing problems people have. You CEFINATELY need a WD system and loose the air bags. They're GREAT for towing a 5th wheel or hauling a slide in camper. Conventional trailer....not so much.
Good luck / Skip

Airstreamer67 wrote:
Two bars are recommended by the manufacturer for trailers over about 26 feet.

I have two bars, and the second bar eliminates the little "shake" when being passed by large vehicles. It's well worth another $50 or so.

What he said!

I have two, one much older than the other. The older one the handle stripped out this past trip and I towed home with only one and could really feel the difference when trucks passed and the heavy wind.

rhagfo wrote:
Wow, this far in and no one has asked what he is pulling that 35 footer with!

That is a lot of TT, and you should have a stable base for towing it with.

Good point..