Trailer sway

Sway is not per se bad. It's a normal reaction when two heavy equipment is sitting on that single round ball and buffeted by wind or jet stream from semis or other heavy vehicles on the road.

What's bad is when sway is uncontrolled and whipping the tow vehicle or going out of its lane endangering vehicles on the other.


Weight distribution and sway bar normally prevent the more violent and dangerous ones.

Agree on the Hensley Arrow. Our previous trailer was 32' in length and no amount of balancing eliminated the sway for us. We invested in a Hensley and the sway was gone and we towed with confidence. Fast forward to our current trailer, a FW. We traded in our Hensley Arrow for a Hensley TrailerSaver BD3 for our FW. Best FW hitch in our opinion.

As explained above, the main reason a 5th wheel trailer is less prone to sway than a travel trailer is because of the location of the hitch. A TT hitch is about 4 or 5 feet behind the rear axle. The farther behind the axle the pivot point of a trailer is the more effect movement of the trailer will affect the tow vehicle.

A 5th wheel places its' pivot point directly above or slightly ahead of the tow vehicles rear axle. This means that there is less "leverage" for the trailer to affect the truck. Therefor, most 5th wheels tend to tow better than a travel trailer.

There are ways to alleviate this problem however. A Hensley hitch on the trailer projects the pivot point near the trucks rear axle so it makes the travel trailer tow as well as, and sometimes better, than a 5th wheel. As mentioned, tongue weight is also a big factor and should be between 10 and 15 % of the trailers weight. This can often be adjusted by moving things around in the trailer.

The position of the trailers axles also is important. The farther towards the rear of the trailer they are the better the trailer will tow, mainly because of increased tongue weight. Most travel trailer have their axles nears the middle so the tongue weight is reasonable enough to be towed by the average truck.

A Hensley hitch is quite expensive to purchase new (around $3000) but can often be found used for a lot less. I have purchased three of them. One new, and two used at less than $1000. A 5th wheel hitch that eliminates chucking will cost just about the same as a standard 5th wheel hitch plus installation and will be near the amount of a Hensley.

I would not make a purchase based on the towing characteristics of the trailer. Since a TT can tow as well as a 5th wheel at considerably less cash outlay than a 5th wheel, the decision should be based on other factors in my opinion. Until this year I have towed a travel trailer all over the country for about 17 years with a Hensley hitch with NO sway and no handling problems whatsoever. See this post I made some time ago.

Hope this helps you a bit. :)
Barney

True sway is, generally, an indication of a poor set-up. Could be a tongue that's too light, WD not set up correctly, too much weight for the tow vehicle, etc...

That said, drifting and our 'wiggling' might be perfectly normal. In 7 years of our current set-up, I've never once experienced sway. I might, however, drift a bit when passed by a semi or, as TurnThePage noted, wiggle my tail a bit to get a look behind me.

I tow a 25 ft Dutchmen with an F-150 using a Blue Ox hitch. I have over towed 40,000 mile in five years.

Across the CAT scales, my TT weights 6200 lbs. that is 1200 lbs. over the dry weight. That puts 700 lbs. on the tongue, which combined with my family, tools and camp gear reaches the TV max cargo capacity.

Cross winds, trucks, busses and driving habits all contribute to sway. But a properly balanced WD hitch will pull straight.

I think you will also find most folks do not drive straight as an arrow, they tend to drift within the lane. This is exaggerated by the TT. I does not seem to be much of an issue and I suspect it goes unknown to most drivers.

I would think a fifth wheel would pull smoother but it does present a taller wind profile. Most importantly, in spite of the half ton towable hype, few half tons have the cargo capacities to carry load of a fifty wheel.

There are a few half ton models that can be ordered with a super duty cargo package but if you really want a fifth wheel I think you will have to choose a 3/4 ton tow vehicle.

IMHO, the main reason a 5th wheel is more stable is the pivot point between the vehicles is close to the rear axle. Say a side wind, push rear of TV to the side. With the hitch half the wheelbase behind the axle, more leverage to put TV axles out of line with expected direction of travel.
Also with the hitch close to axle, a higher percentage of the weight can be carried by TV without reducing the weight on steering axle. And many can't stand under the idea, lifting the front of the TV can change the alignment enough to make the TV wonder in lane, and corrections can feel like the trailer is in control.

A trailer needs around 10% - 15% of its weight to rest on the hitch. Too little results in sway. That's almost always the case with a shorter trailer. Sway can be induced by side wind too.

Many people intentionally wiggle the trailer to get a peek behind it. Before I got a rear view camera, I did that.

Add a sway bar for under $100.
I used a one ton Ford as a DD for 15 years with no problems.