When we bought our first TT about 5 years ago, we were warned during our walk-through that we should always remove the sway bar prior to backing with the trailer. Even if we were backing just a little bit. The salesman told us that backing with the sway bar connected would destroy it. He claimed that he had seen them come back in bent in half. He stressed the importance of removing it very strongly.We have always tried to remember to remove the sway bar before backing the trailer. But there have been a few occasions where I just started backing without thinking about it. The only problem I have encountered was once when one of the cotter pins got in a bind and it was destroyed. Never had a problem with the bar.Does anyone know the reason for the strong warning? Is it because you can get the bar in a bind if the turn is tight? I can't think of any other reason, but not sure if there is something I am not thinking of.Thanks for any thoughts.

You do state what type of sway controller you have, but on our Equal-I-Zer hitches, backing was never a problem. We have had one on each of 3 TTs we owned in the past and there was never any question of problems with backing with them.

There is no reason to take a friction sway off assuming there is enough travel in it so it does not bottom out, come apart, or hit in the middle if you jackknife the trailer which you cannot do going forward. With someone looking jackknife in both directions until you hit the trailer with the tow vehicle. If none of the above happen, do not worry about it.

humblerb wrote:When we bought our first TT about 5 years ago, we were warned during our walk-through that we should always remove the sway bar prior to backing with the trailer. Even if we were backing just a little bit. The salesman told us that backing with the sway bar connected would destroy it. He claimed that he had seen them come back in bent in half. He stressed the importance of removing it very strongly.We have always tried to remember to remove the sway bar before backing the trailer. But there have been a few occasions where I just started backing without thinking about it. The only problem I have encountered was once when one of the cotter pins got in a bind and it was destroyed. Never had a problem with the bar.Does anyone know the reason for the strong warning? Is it because you can get the bar in a bind if the turn is tight? I can't think of any other reason, but not sure if there is something I am not thinking of.Thanks for any thoughts.I'll assume you're talking about friction sway bars.They can get bent during an extremely tight turn where they are either completely compressed and forced further, or on the off side, bound up against the hitch, and then forced past that point. I have checked in my driveway, and on my setup, I can't turn tight enough to bind them before the corner of my truck box hits the trailer. You could check that out on your own rig. Obviously, best practice will be to take them off.I always loosen mine as soon as I get into the CG so they'll quit moaning on every turn. Once I get to my site, I remove them ... most of the time .... but if I forget, they will still slide loosely because I have backed them off.

BossCamper wrote: I always loosen mine as soon as I get into the CG so they'll quit moaning on every turn. Once I get to my site, I remove them ... most of the time .... but if I forget, they will still slide loosely because I have backed them off.x2, it's easy to flip the lever to release it.bumpy

Some of the sway bar manufacturers, actually have a statement in their installation manual, that says to remove the bar prior to backing up. Don't recall the specific manufacturer, but, I saw that statement while installing a sway bar on one of my trailers.I was watching a fellow backing into a campsite and heard a loud bang. It turned out to be his sway bar. The mount bracket on the trailer frame was ripped off, the sway bar was bent, and the hitch head was bent where the little ball was installed.

Sway Controller ? for longtime towers | Good Sam Community

33 Replies

BossCamper
Explorer
Mar 02, 2015
humblerb wrote:
When we bought our first TT about 5 years ago, we were warned during our walk-through that we should always remove the sway bar prior to backing with the trailer. Even if we were backing just a little bit. The salesman told us that backing with the sway bar connected would destroy it. He claimed that he had seen them come back in bent in half. He stressed the importance of removing it very strongly.

We have always tried to remember to remove the sway bar before backing the trailer. But there have been a few occasions where I just started backing without thinking about it.
The only problem I have encountered was once when one of the cotter pins got in a bind and it was destroyed. Never had a problem with the bar.

Does anyone know the reason for the strong warning? Is it because you can get the bar in a bind if the turn is tight? I can't think of any other reason, but not sure if there is something I am not thinking of.

Thanks for any thoughts.

I'll assume you're talking about friction sway bars.

They can get bent during an extremely tight turn where they are either completely compressed and forced further, or on the off side, bound up against the hitch, and then forced past that point.
I have checked in my driveway, and on my setup, I can't turn tight enough to bind them before the corner of my truck box hits the trailer. You could check that out on your own rig. Obviously, best practice will be to take them off.

I always loosen mine as soon as I get into the CG so they'll quit moaning on every turn. Once I get to my site, I remove them ... most of the time .... but if I forget, they will still slide loosely because I have backed them off.
Ivylog
Explorer III
Mar 02, 2015
There is no reason to take a friction sway off assuming there is enough travel in it so it does not bottom out, come apart, or hit in the middle if you jackknife the trailer which you cannot do going forward. With someone looking jackknife in both directions until you hit the trailer with the tow vehicle. If none of the above happen, do not worry about it.
Grandpere
Explorer
Mar 02, 2015
You do state what type of sway controller you have, but on our Equal-I-Zer hitches, backing was never a problem. We have had one on each of 3 TTs we owned in the past and there was never any question of problems with backing with them.

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Sway Controller ? for longtime towers

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