Sway Bars - Need One or Two?

[hotpep1]

We have a 28' TT (Coachmen Captiva) that we pull with our F150. We recently purchased a sway bar (installed one passenger side) and it has reduced the swaying a great deal.

If we install a second one will it reduce sway even more?

Thanks!

[phoenixtoohot]

Truck weight is not the correct parameter to determine safety of a TV/TT setup. Half ton trucks with tow packages are rated as high as 11,000 lbs GTW and 1700 lbs payload. A 3/4 ton, dualey, diesel, is a huge overkill for towing a 5000 pound trailer, but if that makes you feel better, then I guess that's what you need.

[boostedone]

If you feel like you need it, just get the extra sway. Theres apparently plenty of heroes here that say you don't need any on their half ton trucks, and call me a wimp but whatever.

Back when I had my 30' TT being towed by my dually diesel, it wasn't too bad as long as I was going down a 2 lane country road on a calm day. Get on the interstate with trucks passing you, or get some crosswinds it made for a white knuckle ride at times.. No amount of mirror checking does any good when crossing a long bridge and you get a nice 25-30mph cross gust and the thing starts flopping around. I was constantly hitting the lever on the brake controller to get the trailer to settle down...

Thats in a 8000lb truck with the added track width of a dually, pulling a 5500lb 30' TT... If some of you want to pull a 5-6000lb camper with a 6500lb truck and no sway control have at it, I just hope when it goes out of control you don't take any innocent people in other vehicles with you.

[Nvr2loud]

mtofell1 wrote:
I've towed with and w/o sway and it's mainly just a peace of mind thing having it. By far the most common time to get sway is with something pushing at your back. This is most often the gust of window sucking behind a big rig if he is passing you. When I towed w/o the sway control I'd have to constantly be watching in my mirror. Now that I have it I don't have to watch as closely.

As for the OP's question, I don't think adding a second sway control will be life changing. There's only so much that hardware can do for you. A good exercise is to mentally plan for how you'd react in a bad sway situation. Most people's first instinct is to hammer the brakes which, unfortunately is the absolute worst thing you can do in most cases. The sway is happening due to too much slack at the TV to TT connection. So, to stiffen it up you can either accelerate (tough to do in a crisis) or lay off the TV brake but hit the trailer brake. This stiffens the connection and gives you the best chance at regaining control.

Think it through in your mind and be ready if/when the time comes.

Very good advice.

Most people just slam the brakes on in an emergency, it is a self-preservation reflex to slow down when poop hits the fan. That is usually the exact opposite response you want!!!

I fish-tailed last weekend in the snow with my 12x6 utility trailer behind my truck. The trailer whipped-out to the side so quickly that I had only a split second to decide... my foot immediately went over the brake pedal but my brain finally kick-in and I slammed down the gas (no trailer brakes on that small trailer, and brakes wouldn't have helped it due to sideways slide anyway) and prayed I had enough ponies to save my rig.

[Nvr2loud]

jaycocreek wrote:

donn0128 wrote:
Yes. But a proper setup hitch might help you more.

I have a 30ft Keystone(Bumper to ball) and a Ford F-150 and I have not installed my sway bar..Don't need it but then again I don't do freeways often either.

I'm just not getting any un-normal sway so know need to instal my sway bar.

I agree.

My rig is a 30 foot TrailCruiser and I tow with a 1500 Sierra with just a Husky WDH and ran without Sway control for years. I had no sway at all. Last season I purchased a used Husky Hitch assembly (I wanted the higher rated bars and the entire used hitch was less then new bars) and it came with one sided sway friction bar. I installed the sway control because I had it, and have found I don't even notice it. I'm confident that my set-up is fine without the sway control, but it seems like free-insurance since I already have it.

[campigloo]

You can fight adding the hardware if that's what you like but I prefer watching the countryside go by more than I like looking for trucks in my rear view. Do yourself a favor and just add the extra bar.

[mtofell1]

I've towed with and w/o sway and it's mainly just a peace of mind thing having it. By far the most common time to get sway is with something pushing at your back. This is most often the gust of window sucking behind a big rig if he is passing you. When I towed w/o the sway control I'd have to constantly be watching in my mirror. Now that I have it I don't have to watch as closely.

As for the OP's question, I don't think adding a second sway control will be life changing. There's only so much that hardware can do for you. A good exercise is to mentally plan for how you'd react in a bad sway situation. Most people's first instinct is to hammer the brakes which, unfortunately is the absolute worst thing you can do in most cases. The sway is happening due to too much slack at the TV to TT connection. So, to stiffen it up you can either accelerate (tough to do in a crisis) or lay off the TV brake but hit the trailer brake. This stiffens the connection and gives you the best chance at regaining control.

Think it through in your mind and be ready if/when the time comes.

[jaycocreek]

donn0128 wrote:
Yes. But a proper setup hitch might help you more.

I have a 30ft Keystone(Bumper to ball) and a Ford F-150 and I have not installed my sway bar..Don't need it but then again I don't do freeways often either.

I'm just not getting any un-normal sway so know need to instal my sway bar.

[camperforlife]

BarneyS wrote:
Most manufacturers recommend using two friction sway bars on trailers over 26 feet in length.

Take a look here for information and help on setting up your hitch correctly.
Barney

^^^^^^^^
What Barney said.

My trailer is similar size as yours and I pulled with only one sway bar for years and was happy with the setup. I was on a trip and encountered sustained high wind that was predicted for several more days. I bought the second sway bar and installed it at the campground. It really helped with high wind. I use both all the time now just out of habit. I would say if you have the hitch dialed in properly the sway control is just there for the extreme conditions.

[BarneyS]

Most manufacturers recommend using two friction sway bars on trailers over 26 feet in length.

Take a look here for information and help on setting up your hitch correctly.
Barney

[dclark1946]

Under what conditions are you experiencing sway? Making steering corrections, being passed by a tractor trailer or just going straight down the highway. The term trailer sway is sometimes used rather loosely on this forum?

Knowing the conditions you are encountering sway can help provide a better answer.

Dick

[Tvov]

I have a "standard" Reese weight distributing hitch (WDH) with one anti-sway bar for our 21 foot trailer. If your trailer seems to be swaying back and forth while simply driving down the road (no wind pushing it, few bumps, etc) you should look at a few things. You shouldn't NEED a anti-sway bar just for normal driving down the road - the bars simply help reduce sway if it occurs.

Short answer - Yes, adding a second sway bar will help reduce sway. But...

Is your WDH actually setup correctly? I towed my rig for a few years setup with how the dealer put it on. Towed okay, but not great. I found that by changing the angle slightly on the hitch coming off the truck and changing how much tension the weight distributing bars had, towing improved greatly. Check the website for your hitch manufacturer for info on setting up the hitch, also read all the how-to articles scattered about these forums.

Also, how is the weight distributed in your camper / TT ? Many times sway can be reduced by moving some weight to the front of the TT, but don't over do it! Preferably, you can go to a commercial truck scale to weigh your rig all hooked up and see how much weight is on the hitch. I found that by just moving bed sheets / sleeping bags to the front of the TT while towing, the towing seemed to be better.

Hopefully some of this helps!

[fla-gypsy]

donn0128 was referring to an integrated WD/sway control hitch that would eliminate the sway bars and perform better like the Equalizer 4 pt, Reese Dual Cam, and others. All of which would perform both functions and do it better than friction sway bars.

[jerem0621]

Every set of sway bar instructions I have ever read said that you need two for a trailer your length. Some say 24ft some 26ft as the line you need two bars. They are cheap and easy to take on and off.

Adding the second bar will not be the quantumn leap from a feel standpoint that the first one was. It mostly takes the remaining wiggle out of the rig.

Make sure your WD hitch is dialed in then add the second sway bar. chances are your rig will be rock solid after you add the second bar.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[pira114]

You should only need one, but if you feel you need more, two won't hurt.

Don't know what Don was referring to, but you didn't mention the WDH at first. Maybe that was it. But also, I thought I might need two sway bars until I messed around with mine and found I didn't have it set right. Made all the difference.

Otherwise, with a WDH and sway control, if you feel like you're still experiencing a lot of sway, check your load distribution. When I started, I didn't know anything, and loaded everything in the back of the trailer thinking less weight on the hitch the better. I had way too much in the back and experienced a lot of porpoising and a bit of sway. Got educated, and all was well soon after.