What trailer sway looks like

mowermech wrote:

Any sway control gadget is, IMO, a band-aid approach to the problem.
A properly built, properly loaded trailer, being towed by a proper tow vehicle, on proper tires, with proper inflation, simply should not sway.
IF there is any sway at all, the correct thing to do is find out why, and FIX THE PROBLEM. Trying to cover up a sway problem by using a "sway control" could very likely result in just what the video shows!

That is simply not true. Sway control COULD be a band aid if one is getting a lot of sway and doesn't correct it. So in that respect I'd agree, it should not be considered a "fix" to recurring or chronic sway issues. The correct fix is to set it up properly.

However, the statement "simply should not sway" is incorrect. Sway control is insurance. It's to help during instances of unexpected issues that can and do occasionally occur.

I had it happen once on a wet road. On a return trip where I was only about 15 miles from home, and only doing about 45 mph. The back wheels of my truck hit a slick spot and went sideways. The trailer went bananas. I thought I was going to lose it, as it was moving back and forth the wheels of the trailer were coming off the ground. I panicked, my brain froze and my hand could't find the manual brake control level. I slowly pumped the brakes and got it under control, then pulled over and looked on the floor for my heart. Longest 10 seconds of my life. I'm convinced that if I didn't have the sway control I would have lost the trailer.

Slick roads, potholes, evasive maneuvers and other conditions are not problems you can "fix" with your trailer setup. You can't even guess if or when they are going to happen.