Anti-Sway Broken--How Serious? Need Help!

[CJ97]

OK, I am a total newbie who did very a bad thing on the very first day using my new travel trailer. Long story short, I sheared the forward ball on the anti-sway friction arm.

We were 13 miles shy of our day's destination and stopped to refuel before finishing for the day. While stopped, I put another quarter turn on the sway bar handle. After pulling out, I made a left turn at a stop light, heard a pop, then heard something dragging on the ground. When I got out I found the front end of the sway bar dragging and the ball still inside (lower part was sheared off). So if you are ever wondering, yes, you can adjust the friction too tight.

In hindsight I can see my error. There was a sticker on the bar that said to tighten the upper bolt (the one with a handle, and marked ON/OFF) all the way until the metal made contact. There is a lower nut that is for setting the tension. When I put it on, I got the handle part pretty tight and yet the metal had not made contact. I didn't realize that the dealer who installed it was probably using the upper (handle) bolt to set the friction, instead of tightening it all the way (with the lower bolt loose) and then tightening/adjusting the lower bolt for setting the tension. I just figured that more is better and that there wasn't any way I could set that tension too tight. Anyway, what is done is done and I can't unbreak it. The "eye" (or hole) on the side of my WDH is also a little stretched where I sheared the ball, so there was some really massive force being applied there.

Anyway, we are outside of Barstow now (it is Saturday night). We were planning to drive up 395 tomorrow, stay for one night at a lake, and arrive in Reno on Monday. We have a very important appointment in Reno on Tuesday that we can't really miss, then we plan to stay there in Reno until Saturday.

My question is how much risk would I be taking to drive it up to Reno as-as (WDH but no anti-sway), and then get it fixed (probably will have to get the hitch replaced) up in Reno? I had to drive the 12-13 miles on I215 just to get here, and honestly, I didn't notice any difference in sway. (Maybe I had it already set so tight that it was not working properly?) There's a dealer about 40 minutes south that opens at 10 AM tomorrow, but there's not much detail on their website so I don't know if they would be able to do the service anyway.

If it is adequately safe to drive, what steps can I take to mitigate the risk, if any?

BTW, I am driving a 1997 F250 HD (7.3L Powestroke), and the trailer is a '17 APEX 300BHS (Max weight ~7500#). The truck is supposedly rated for a maximum combined gross weight (truck & trailer) of 20K pounds.

Thanks for any advice or experience with this that would be helpful. Should I only go as far as I have to, or am I relatively safe as-is as long as I keep it slow (I don't go over 55 mph anyway). People towed a lot of trailers without anti-sway bars in the past, right?

Blessings!

CJ

[TF1]

I made my first emergency maneuver in 37+ years of travel trailer towing during my last trip. Someone had lost several foot long 6" X 6' timbers in my lane and I instinctively made two quick jerks of the wheel to thread myself through them without thinking about the trailer being there. The trailer reacted with a slight wag to the left and straightened right out. I tow a Nash 23F with a dodge 1500 big horn with a 1000 pound hitch with round bars and a single friction bar sway control. My hitch is adjusted properly as is the sway control. I am meticulous about tire pressures and lug nut torque. I believe the sway bar saved me from having to deal with my trailer reacting more or me losing control after the maneuver. Some posters believe these things have no effect but I beg to differ. Sway control was recommended to me in 1980, six trailers ago, by experienced RVers and I believe that was solid advice.

[CJ97]

Again, thanks for all the info. We pushed on, even drove over the pass north of Mammoth with snow flurries and some wet roads. No problem at all. I'm going to look into getting a sway arm here in Reno and attaching it to the eye hole on the left side. (Right side hole is stretched a bit.) Hopefully I can install myself with the tools I have with me.

[Terryallan]

For the Op. IF your TT tracks correctly with out the sway control. you are good to go. but do get it fixed so that IF some one cuts you off, or you have to swerve for one reason or another. The sway control is there to help. A Tt that is setup correctly should NOT sway in normal towing.

[Terryallan]

Vintage465 wrote:

DownTheAvenue wrote:

TucsonJim wrote:
Friction sway bars don't do all that much to control sway in the first place. If you have a safely set up hitch, tow vehicle and trailer, you'll be fine. As long as you didn't have any indication of sway during the 12-13 miles you towed it without the bar, you shouldn't have any problem towing farther.

Just keep your speed under control, and pull to the side of the road if it gets real windy. You'd be surprised how many of the friction sway bars aren't set correctly anyway.

Jim

X2

I do agree he can drive to a supplier with out incident to get one. I believe a sway control does a lot to keep you going straight down the road. Every rig is different with it's load and weight distribution. So, though some may not notice much difference with or without the friction bar hooked up. In my opinion that doesn't mean it's not helping to keep you straight and the wiggle to a minimum. Sway Controls are a lot like seat belts..........Until you really need them, you could think they're a waste.

Thing is. Sway control is NOT designed or meant to keep the TT straight in normal driving. It is designed to "help" control sway once it starts, after being induced by the driver during a emergency maneuver, like dodging a deer, or accident.

A TT should drive down the road in normal driving with NO sway at all. You are to adjust the WDH, and balance of the TT to the point it will not sway at any speed. Then, and only then are you to add sway control, again for those emergency maneuvers.

If a driver is depending on the sway control to keep their trailer inline going straight in normal driving. Then there are serious problems that need to be addressed. and then again add sway control once the problem has been corrected.

[Hannibal]

myredracer wrote:

Hannibal wrote:
I tow our 32.5' TT with our F250 with a Reese HP DC trunion style hitch without the sway control arms. We've been without sway control for over a year now and haven't had any moments of concern running 60-65mph. We occasionally feel trucks pass or gusts of wind but nothing that has encouraged me to buy the DC arms. If it were me, I'd carry on but everyone is different.

Seems like no two similar TV/TT combos tow the same. We also have an F250, tow a 29' trailer and have a Reese DC WDH (trunnion style). I towed one complete season without the cam arms and didn't like it at all, but then maybe I expect more. After installing the cam arms it was a LOT better to me. I never have sway issues and can fling the TT around corners up to 65 mph and it handles like a sports car (sort of, maybe). It's kinda like those that swear their 1/2T is great until they get a 3/4T and see the difference for themselves. I also installed shocks on the TT and Bilsteins on the truck along with a few other things to get to the point that I was happy with it.

I'd say for the cost of the cam arms go ahead and install them and see the improvement. Nothing to lose except for a few $$ and a bit of time to install.

I may do that on your recommendation. Like you said, it can't hurt. Easy to install and if nothing else, they look cool. Thanks for your post.

[jerem0621]

sch911 wrote:
The friction arm may have been installed incorrectly. When you made the turn it may have reached the end of it's travel and snapped off. Be sure to check this possibility out when replacing it. This is a job you can do yourself.

X2

[myredracer]

Hannibal wrote:
I tow our 32.5' TT with our F250 with a Reese HP DC trunion style hitch without the sway control arms. We've been without sway control for over a year now and haven't had any moments of concern running 60-65mph. We occasionally feel trucks pass or gusts of wind but nothing that has encouraged me to buy the DC arms. If it were me, I'd carry on but everyone is different.

Seems like no two similar TV/TT combos tow the same. We also have an F250, tow a 29' trailer and have a Reese DC WDH (trunnion style). I towed one complete season without the cam arms and didn't like it at all, but then maybe I expect more. After installing the cam arms it was a LOT better to me. I never have sway issues and can fling the TT around corners up to 65 mph and it handles like a sports car (sort of, maybe). It's kinda like those that swear their 1/2T is great until they get a 3/4T and see the difference for themselves. I also installed shocks on the TT and Bilsteins on the truck along with a few other things to get to the point that I was happy with it.

I'd say for the cost of the cam arms go ahead and install them and see the improvement. Nothing to lose except for a few $$ and a bit of time to install.

[Hannibal]

I tow our 32.5' TT with our F250 with a Reese HP DC trunion style hitch without the sway control arms. We've been without sway control for over a year now and haven't had any moments of concern running 60-65mph. We occasionally feel trucks pass or gusts of wind but nothing that has encouraged me to buy the DC arms. If it were me, I'd carry on but everyone is different.

[Huntindog]

Sway controls are like seat belts and airbags.
Totally useless unless you need them.

To the OP. I wouldn't worry too much about a short tow to get it fixed. Slow down, and be careful.
The odds of needing in a short slow careful one time trip are very low.
I do disagree with those that make a habit of not using anything though.

[Vintage465]

DownTheAvenue wrote:

TucsonJim wrote:
Friction sway bars don't do all that much to control sway in the first place. If you have a safely set up hitch, tow vehicle and trailer, you'll be fine. As long as you didn't have any indication of sway during the 12-13 miles you towed it without the bar, you shouldn't have any problem towing farther.

Just keep your speed under control, and pull to the side of the road if it gets real windy. You'd be surprised how many of the friction sway bars aren't set correctly anyway.

Jim

X2

I do agree he can drive to a supplier with out incident to get one. I believe a sway control does a lot to keep you going straight down the road. Every rig is different with it's load and weight distribution. So, though some may not notice much difference with or without the friction bar hooked up. In my opinion that doesn't mean it's not helping to keep you straight and the wiggle to a minimum. Sway Controls are a lot like seat belts..........Until you really need them, you could think they're a waste.

[beemerphile1]

I have never had a separate anti-sway device on any trailer I have ever owned. I wouldn't worry about it.

[myredracer]

With a 34' TT like that, first thing would be to slow down to what seems safe & comfortable. I slowed down to 45-50 mph on an interstate once when there was a high side wind. How did you originally adjust the WDH? If you haven't at all, or lately, measure the before and after front fender heights to ensure adequate weight is transferred back onto the steer axle by putting more tension on the WDH chains. Air up the TT tires to max. sidewall psi and maybe also air the truck tires to, or close to their max. psi rating too. I run 75 front & 80 rear on our F250 for towing and like the tighter handling and control.

As above, should be fine as long as you slow down. Some people don't use sway bars at all even when they should be in some cases. If it gets windy around there during the day from the effect of the sun heating the ground, maybe head out early in the am, take a break in the afternoon and get back on the road in the evening?? Maybe traffic would be lighter in the evening too.

[nadkaw1957]

Where are you planning to go for service when you get to town?

[CJ97]

Thank you for all the reassurance, everyone. I will press on to Reno and hopefully get it fixed/replaced there. Hopefully, this just turns into a funny story in our family history!