aftermath wrote:
I am a firm believer that every trailer combination needs some kind of sway control. WD continues to be a debatable issue in my HO. The trailer follows behind the TV and is connected by a single pivot point, the ball. A large trailer in windy conditions can sway on its own. Yeah, yeah, I know all the arguments. A well constructed trailer that is well balanced and loaded correctly won't sway, some will say. Even if this is true, how many out there have such trailers?
I would suggest the OP should get one of those add on friction bars as a minimum. I also believe that all half and 3/4 tons would benefit from a hitch that combines both WD and sway control.
I have one of those trailers.
has 15% hitch weight.
Have demonstrated twice over the yrs I have owned it that is rock steady. Two times with two different 3/4 ton trucks I have had to make emergency maneuvers to avoid colliding head on with deer running across the road in front of me. Both times stomped on the brakes and both times the trailer never wavered and stayed 100% inline with my truck. Both times was on a busy Interstate at 70 MPH, now where to go and hitting a deer at that speed with trailer in tow would have been bad.
Not saying it will work for everyone, but I am a believer in having a firmer suspension on a heavier built truck platform along with maximizing the hitch weight cures a lot of ills that WD and anti sway devices bandaids over..
WD was originally designed to allow folks to tow much heavier trailers by attempting to push some weight forward onto the vehicles front axles. In doing so, it lifts the rear of the sagging vehicle with weak suspension. Lifting the rear, now removes some of your traction from the rear axle which can lead to other bigger problems.
Combo anti sawy/WD were devised to help marginal setups to be more stable.. The reality is you need to start with a stable setup first before ever applying these bandaids.
What do you think will happen when the WD/anti sway device fails or is overwhelmed in a bad situation?
I shudder to think what would have happened if I was in the same two events with a vehicle that didn't have a stout suspension but had WD and anti sway, those devices would have been easily overwhelmed.. Not sure I would have lived to see the second event as I don't believe a friction device or WD with anti sway could have saved my bacon on a poorly loaded trailer.
Something else to consider, very few "professional" contractors ever use WD or anti sway with their flatbed trailers or their cargo trailers.. But yet all of the trailer towing accidents I have seen over the yrs in my travels have been RV'rs..
Professional contractors tend to use TVs that are more substantial for the job at hand.