Do all TTs sway?

4X4Dodger wrote:
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I think a better definition of Sway is otherwise known as "Fishtailing"....

BINGO! You hit the nail right on the head! Your tow vehicle will feel the movement of the trailer, which is normal. The videos of someone swerving a trailer through a set of cones is ridiculous. That is not trailer sway, it's normal movement. Sway is the gyrations of rapid movement when the tail of the trailer starts shifting back and forth (side to side) violently.

Well said Dodger!

Terryallan wrote:

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Sway control is for those time when sway is induced by dodging a child, deer, or other vehicle. I use sway control just for those time. I have O sway with my TT.
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Pretty much agree with this. All my trailers have had >15% tongue weight and so have never "swayed" uncontrollably under normal conditions.

My add-on sway bar does reduce the wobble (not "sway") somewhat when being passed by big trucks though.

And I'm sure the sway bar helped when I had to jerk over one lane because of an idiot cutting in front of me. Could feel the trailer oscillate behind me afterwards, but it quickly damped out helped by the friction bar.

dalenoel wrote:

SteveAE wrote:
Hi,

I have to respectfully disagree with many of the previous posters here.

First off, to me, "sway" is any movement of the trailer that is independent of the tow vehicle.

Any trailer that is on a ball hitch will naturally have some amount of sway given the right conditions (quick turns, wind, road conditions, loading, etc.). Friction hitches (i.e.,; the Reese and others) are for "Sway Reduction" (per manufactures description). They do not eliminate sway but just reduce the likelihood and severity of it.

A "Sway Eliminating" hitch (i.e.; Hensley and others) does just that, it stops all movement of the trailer that is independent of the tow vehicle ("sway"). All forces acting on the trailer, that don't come from the tow vehicle, are transferred to the tow vehicle so the two units can only move as one. In essence, the trailer is connected to the tow vehicle with a solid beam for all conditions except when the truck initiates a turn. For the non-believers, all I can say is to try it.

Safe towing,
Steve

X2

I think, with all due respect, that your definition of Sway is overly broad and inaccurate.

I think a better definition of Sway is otherwise known as "Fishtailing". No trailer should sway if driven, loaded and maintained properly. Most sway is driver input/error.

Your trailer will naturally "Walk" up and down the ruts made in the asphalt road by other tires as you drive. The different width of your trailer axles vs. your TV axles means that the trailer wheels may not be following in the same ruts, but may be trying to climb out of a rut. These ruts do not have to be especially deep or noticeable.

As I have given a lot of thought to this issue I think the normal trailer movement on the road so freaks out some drivers that they immediately go out and throw down hundreds of dollars on unnecessary equipment to control "Sway".

Sway can also be caused by bad trailer suspension components, tires that are too flexible or have delaminated plys and broken springs.

I think the OP's experiment is a good idea and applaud him for thinking outside the norm and going against the generally accepted "wisdom" here.

scbwr wrote:

True...but you can hitch up a trailer to a 3/4 ton truck and if you have the trailer tongue too high and no sway control, I think you could have a trailer that would sway like a dog's tail!!

Yes, and you could let air out of the tires, put a couple thousand pounds in the bed of the pickup, or remove leafs from the springs if you really want to mess up the handling. Regardless, when you tow with a tow vehicle that is at 60% of capacity, it will tow better than one at 110% of its capabilities.

As you can see your answers here will really depend on how you define sway. My trailer occasionally moves to the side a little bit as the roads are not perfectly smooth. I think this is a normal condition as the trailer is on a ball and can therefore move a bit as the road surface changes.

In my first year of towing I worried about the movement and wondered if it was sway. Basically the people on here told me it sounded normal and I would absolutely know if the trailer started swaying. Now ten years later and I don't even notice the small movements of the trailer any more than I notice that I have to make small corrections in my steering to keep my vehicle on the road.

All TT's have some sway in some conditions. However, with proper setup sway can be reduced to negligible barely noticeable status.

TomG2 wrote:

scbwr wrote:
Pulled a 29' Sunline for 10 years with Dodge 3500 and Hensley hitch and never had even a hint of sway. ...snip.......

Funny how those with more than adequate tow vehicles have good towing experiences. Regardless of the hitch involved.

True...but you can hitch up a trailer to a 3/4 ton truck and if you have the trailer tongue too high and no sway control, I think you could have a trailer that would sway like a dog's tail!!

scbwr wrote:
Pulled a 29' Sunline for 10 years with Dodge 3500 and Hensley hitch and never had even a hint of sway. ...snip.......

Funny how those with more than adequate tow vehicles have good towing experiences. Regardless of the hitch involved.

No

Pulled a 29' Sunline for 10 years with Dodge 3500 and Hensley hitch and never had even a hint of sway. I've pulled the Minnie with the Tundra and Equalizer hitch and haven't had a hint of sway and I've towed it over 5,000 miles.

At the same time, I believe that you have to watch your weight distribution and make sure the hitch is properly set up. I've seen rigs going down the highway with the trailer higher at the hitch which is a recipe for disaster. Also, the design of a trailer may have an impact. It's worth the time and effort to take a rig and get it weighed and know whether you're overloaded or the hitch weight is below the recommended percentage.