Anti sway

sluggo68 wrote:
I am looking for any suggestions on a Anti sway hitch. I have a weight distribution already but on our most recent outing, it was pretty windy. I had a lot of sway and it made me very nervous. Thanks in advance for any inputs, and suggestions. I.e brands, ease of install/set up etc.

Tony

No need to buy a whole new hitch if you're satisfied with the weight distributing function of the one you have. Why throw the baby out with the bath water? Many such systems don't come with/provide sway control, but fortunately it can easily be added. Friction-type bars are the most common; I think that one is recommended for trailers up to twenty feet long, and two for those over that size.

Here's a link to E-trailer's page for friction bars. That site has a very good question-and-answer feature, and if you write in and give them your hitch make/model they can readily advise you as to compatibility with any of their products. Doesn't mean you have to buy from them, of course- the information is free!

That said, and as already mentioned:
Do make sure to address any loading problems that might be causing sway- you might be running too light ahead of the trailer axles, a primary cause of trailer sway. I'd suspect this as a cause in your situation, especially since you mention that it seems to have appeared on your most recent trip. Such things as full tanks, for example, can drastically affect the balance.

At that length of trailer, a wdh with integrated sway control is recommended. This would be along the lines of reese dual cam, Reese strait line or equal-i-zer. Higher quality and a lot more expensive is the propride or the Hensley. You already have a wdh so you could try a cheaper solution of putting 2 friction sway bars on but again, the above solutions are more recommended.

Also lets address the sway issue. Was it true sway (increasing oscillations from side to side), a bow wave affect or trailer wagging the truck or porpoising? If it was truly sway, you should not have sway to begin with, these systems don't prevent sway, they help control it if it starts. The key is to load properly to prevent it in the first place. Loading too light on the tongue and heavy in the rear is likely the cause here. Try moving more weight forward of the axles. Also double check your wdh set up. If it was one of the other issues I mentioned we need to dial your hitch in.

Barney,
Thanks for the input. I have a WD hitch already and I am not trying to brake the bank to add anti sway. which one is the least expensive?

Thanks for the info ChooChooMan. I will look into these. It was gusting to about 30MPH, just was the first time towing in windy conditions, made me nervous.

If you are not already doing so, I would add one or two friction sway controls to your present hitch.


If you are looking for a hitch with combined WD and sway control then the two mentioned earlier are good choices plus there are others like the new Blue Ox Sway Pro.

Barney

2 of the top ones are the Equal-i-zer and the Reese Dual Cam. You can also get the elite hitches: ProPride, Hensley, and the PullRite.

How windy was it? Sometimes, it may be better to pull off and wait out the weather.

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