"The trailer started whipping..."

Nvr2loud wrote:

DiskDoctr wrote:

Larry C wrote:
I can't argue with you on theory that the brake control technique will work, but problem is, when a strong gust hits you, and a serious sway event occurs, you probably won't be able to react in time to resolve the problem.

^^This^^

And...in the moments it takes you to "sense" the serious sway, it may already be out of or nearly out of control, making a more dangerous situation.

Have you ever had serious sway?

It takes very little time to realize that problem, and the reaction should be almost instant.

Knock-on-wood, but I have not had serious sway with the TT. I have however had some scary loads for work behind me, and the brake controller has saved my butt more then once.

When I have transported machinery to job sites, sometimes it is impossible to get the right tongue weight due to trailer design or load characteristics... and add a 40 foot trailer to the mix and you can get some serious sway going. I have even had a fifth wheel trailer (not a camper) loaded with about 18,000 lbs nearly pull my truck over on top of me. It didn't have brakes, and luckily I was driving a one ton with a big diesel engine... I slammed my foot down on the gas and held on. For those of you who believe a 5th wheel can not sway, you're wrong. It takes a lot of force, and a lot of towed weight, but you can make a 5th wheel trailer sway (not likely a camper, too light)

At work, I never had a choice of load size, equipment, tow vehicle, ect. I was just expected to do as instructed. In hind-sight, I should have refused most of the loads. We had equipment that was grossly inadequate for the loads, and my drivers license was not valid for the length or weight of some of those loads, but hey... I was young and dumb. I did however, learn how to tow properly. Now that I'm older and have a choice of what to tow and how to tow, I am very conservative with my towing, but I still don't like friction anti-sway bars. I don't trust them above their safe threshold, when it is too late to manually correct the trailer. I have stated over-and-over again that friction sway bars work, but only to a certain threshold, then they are junk....

I you are talking about friction type sway controls, I totally agree.

But from the start of this pissing match, I'm talking about WD and integral sway control, such as Reese Dual Cam. If this type of hitch is properly setup, you'll have no sway problem. With the Pullrite hitch, sway is controlled very much the same way as a 5th wheel hitch.

If you are trying to pull a heavy trailer, (or any trailer) with too little tongue weight, you will have sway problems, regardless of what kind of hitch you have.

From the description you gave about some of the loads and trailers that you have pulled, my guess is that you've have a lot of experience with sway.

For whatever it's worth, I guess you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.