Forum Discussion

Explorer II

Dec 20, 2015

sway, or no??

OK, real rookie question and I will try to keep it brief - but I doubt that I'll succeed.

2016 35 foot Rockwood Signature Ultra-Light TT being towed with a 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 Quad Cab with the 5.9L Cummins. I'm not going to get real technical with weights, etc. because my question is more about sway and what it is or is not.

I have an Equalizer hitch which is supposed to distribute the weight and also reduce sway. It is often called an anti-sway hitch but here is one of my questions: Is it really anti-sway or more sway control or reduction?

That question leads me to this: When a TT starts to sway is it something that you feel in the TV, or does that depend? I have only pulled a few times and mostly short distances over two lane roads at about 55-60 mph. Never noticed anything out of the ordinary - TV seems to pull with very little effort. Today I had to run it back from the dealer and decided to take some freeways (boy was it windy, by the way) and kept it at 60 mph. A few times while looking in the mirror (driver side mostly) it seemed as if I saw a very slight sway but I felt nothing at all in the TV. Also, it was always momentary and seemed to get straight right away. Now I can't guarantee that I was seeing sway or just moving my head while looking - I never saw it looking down the passenger side but my head orients differently when I look there.

Would I always feel sway in the TV? If not is it normal to get the very slight movement? Is the Equalizer known to address sway if it happens, or is it supposed to eliminate it?

Wow...not short like I intended...sorry. Just trying to get things settled before I take any long trips. I know that there are hitch adjustments and loading of the TT to take into account but I am just trying to figure out if I really did experience sway - never felt anything - or if it was just the normal TT experience. Again, it was very windy but I'm not sure if that had any bearing.

Whew...thanks gang.

14 Replies

jerseyjim
Explorer
Dec 20, 2015
You do not want the tail to wag the dog. In my experience, most "sway" problems can be at at least minimized by adding weight to the front end of the trailer. With me, I added about 50-80 pounds of cement bricks under the front sofa.
(That was a Ford Bronco (really short wheelbase) pulling a 22 foot TT.)
CampingN_C_
Explorer
Dec 20, 2015
I think kknowlton was pretty good in his description of the two. With a 35ft trailer you're going to feel something either way.
Sway will be consistent, another words every time you get to say 60mph it starts.
Effects from wind differences will be here and there like a windy day, truck or bus passing etc etc.
Then there is all of the other thousands of different 'handling' issues that come from the TV like tire psi, oversized tires, worn steering components, short wheel base etc, etc.
A trip to the scales is the only real way to find out if everything is dialed in like it should be.
CarnationSailor
Nomad
Dec 20, 2015
If you were driving in serious wind and felt no sway, then I think you have an excellent hitch setup. As far as anti-sway vs sway reduction vs sway elimination, it is my understanding that there are only two hitches that "eliminate" sway - the Hensley and the Pro Pride. All the other hitches that claim to be "anti-sway" tend to reduce sway rather than eliminate it.

That doesn't mean you need a Hensley or Pro Pride to be safe as your experience indicates that your hitch does very well at sway reduction.

I can say from personal experience (with a previous bumper pull trailer) that the Hensley definitely eliminates sway, but it is not cheap. Even with the Hensley, I could see very slight movement when looking in the driver's side mirror - probably less than an inch.

Also, from personal experience, if you are having significant sway, you will feel it in the tow vehicle.
kknowlton
Explorer II
Dec 20, 2015
A very untechnical answer: there is sway and there is "wind wag," which is a different phenomenon. Sway, I think you would feel in the vehicle, as we have had wind wag and do feel that (in a lighter truck than yours). You did say it was a very windy day, and it would be pretty much impossible to avoid wind wag on that kind of day.