Tail Wagging the Dog Issue
On a recent trip, I had one fairly serious tail Wagging the Dog incident. After exiting one Interstate onto another and after going around a large curve to the merging area, I encountered a lot of tra...
Forum Discussion
RobWNY wrote:
.....snip... So is it speed up and apply trailer brakes or slow down and apply trailer brakes? it seems there are two answers in this thread???? I was taught to reduce speed by letting off on the gas and to apply the trailer brakes manually. That's what I did and I was able to get things under control.
You got it exactly right, as you sorta proved to yourself by stopping the sway! Same language to be found at many sources, here quoting from one:
E-trailer wrote:
If for some reason (a gust of wind, a downgrade, a pass by a larger vehicle, etc.) the trailer does begin to sway, the driver needs to assess the situation to determine the proper course of action. Here is a list of Do's and Don'ts to think about.
Do's - Good Towing Practice
-Gradually reduce speed
-Steady the steering wheel - sudden turns can cause more sway
-Apply only the trailer brakes to help reduce trailer sway
Don'ts - NOT Good Towing Practice
Do Not slam on the brakes - jackknifing could occur
Do Not attempt to steer out of a sway situation
Do Not increase speed - Trailer sway increases in faster speeds
Do Not tow a trailer that continues to sway
Look at reloading the trailer or perhaps adding a sway control or a weight distribution system with sway control
Sounds like everything else is set up about right, presuming you have accurate current weights. You might try increasing tongue weight some if payload on truck is available. But this could just have been a random event, as sometimes happens with just about any setup. Glad you were prepared and reacted correctly!
