Understanding Trailer Sway
You're on your way to the lake in the summer. It's been super hot recently, and you can't wait to get out on the water and cool down in the cool water. Assume you have your travel trailer towed behind your pickup and are enjoying the lake from the shore. So, as you look in your side mirror, you see the trailer push a little bit further out onto the road. You take another look outside and see that the trailer is now swaying back and forth behind the vehicle. What are you going to do?
Trailer sway is one of the most dangerous yet avoidable road conditions, whether you're towing a camper, a boat, or something else. When your trailer begins to sway significantly, it might throw you off balance, leading you to crash your vehicle. This is not only risky for you and your passengers, but it also puts other drivers in danger.
The best solution to tow a trailer securely is to understand how sway happens and what you can do about it if you find yourself in a dangerous situation like the one described above.
Why Do I Need to Understand Trailer Sway?
Trailer sway, or "fishtailing," is when a trailer begins to move from side to side when you reach a certain speed while towing a trailer. It is the most common issue many trailer owners face.
If you want to travel safely, you should spend some time learning and understanding what contributes to trailer sway.
When trailer tongue weight is applied to the hitch ball and the weight is not properly distributed, trailer sway takes place. Heavy winds, uneven road surfaces, improper tires or improper user inputs into the tow vehicle are other factors that can contribute to trailer sway. Think about what happens when tongue weight is applied to a hitch ball. This increased weight adds friction to the rear wheels of the tow vehicle, but too much tongue weight can influence steering and handling, and too little tongue weight can lead to traction loss, causing trailer sway.
Trailer speed and tow vehicles are also to consider. As speed increases, tire traction decreases, increasing the potential of trailer sway.
Another factor to consider is vehicle and trailer suspension. Small sways can be avoided if the trailer's suspension is functioning right. Weight distribution bars reduce vertical displacements even further by transferring hitch weight to the vehicle and trailer tires. As a result, the tow vehicle's rear tires grip the road better and assist avoid traction loss caused by vertical forces. As a result, we must complete a checklist of all elements linked with the tow vehicle and trailer stabilization before embarking on a trip. These inspections would include items such as tires, weight distributing bars, proper hitch adjustments, trailer, and tow vehicle suspension systems, and ensuring that all goods in the trailer are distributed equally.
One more thing to consider is the trailer size. The greater the trailer, the greater possibility of sway. This is due to two factors— a gain in weight and an increase in mass. The added weight will increase the forces exerted on the hitch ball and also in the event of any vehicle brake activation.
You have to understand that there are a lot of things to consider when it comes to trailer sway. But what is important is you learn to handle it when it happens.
What Can You Do About Trailer Sway?
First and foremost, don't panic if you notice your trailer starting to waver. Aggressive changes made in haste can simply worsen the situation. Take a deep breath and concentrate on maintaining control.
You may want to slam the brakes quickly to stop it, but this can suddenly cause a dangerous jackknife. Instead, lift your foot off the gas and coast to gradually calm things down, and you may then need to slow down to stay safe. Pull off the road when it is safe and reassess how your trailer is loaded. The majority of the weight should be forward as much as possible.
But there could still be a problem when pumping your brakes quickly:
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- Assuming that you will always be able to react just in time is dangerous. By the time you reach over to the brakes, the trailer could be up on one wheel.
- You will wear out your tires, brakes, and anyone who has the misfortune of being along for the ride.
In any case, make sure that your trailer is loaded properly. Put as much weight as you can in the front. Also, make sure your trailer's weight limitations are not exceeded and that it is not overloaded. Otherwise, you can purchase trailer sway hitches.
Invest in high-quality Anti-Sway Products
Sway occurs in some circumstances, despite adequate understanding and planning. Trailer sway, as mentioned above, occurs when a trailer begins to move from side to side. The trailer, or vehicle in general, can go out of control, posing a risk to you, your passengers, and others on the road. In the worst-case scenario, this could result in a fatal mishap for you or anybody nearby.
So, don't ever hook up and be overconfident—always double-check to ensure that all precautionary measures are followed. Because even if the trailer appears to be the only item swaying and the side force can be controllable, the overall combined weight of the load may work against the entire vehicle. And this can result in a loss of control, tipping, or possibly a fatal accident. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to avoid such hazardous sway. And this is by investing in a trailer sway control. Although there is a lot of trailer sway control you can choose from, there is only one hitch proven to be of high quality and the most advanced hitch design in the market, and that is the ProPride 3P® Jim Hensley Hitch.
Innovations Made for the ProPride 3P®
Many may find ProPride 3P® Jim Hensley expensive (though it's true) and prefer cheaper hitches such as the Blue Ox SwayPro®, Equal-i-zer®, or Husky Center Line® TS. But the price you pay is worth more than what it costs. The innovations made are exceptional.
Eliminate Trailer Sway
The ProPride 3P® Jim Hensley Hitch is the most advanced trailer sway-eliminating hitch design on the market today. Yes, you read that right! It doesn't just reduce or dampen sway but totally eliminates it. Trailer sway can never happen to you.
The ProPride 3P® Jim Hensley Hitch industry-leading design and innovation are second to none. The quality of the workmanship and service behind the product draws rave reviews from customers across North America.
When a force acts on the towed trailer, the trailer's efficient pivot point is no longer at the hitch ball. The ProPride 3P® Jim Hensley hitch operates by projecting a virtual pivot point near the tow vehicle's rear axle. Thanks to Pivot Point Projection or 3P technology built into the primary hitch head. The trailer's forward efficient pivot point reduces the lever arm distance between the trailer's pivot point and the tow vehicle's rear axle.
When the trailer is forced upon by an outside force, reducing that distance has a dramatic influence on the stability of both the trailer and the tow vehicle. Many individuals who tow fifth-wheel or gooseneck trailers know the steadiness a forward pivot point provides.
There are really no alternatives to the ProPride 3P® Jim Hensley hitch because it works like no other.
Towing Definitions You Need To Know About
Here’s a short list of towing definitions you need to know and understand.
Friction Control
Damping of trailer sway by friction between two surfaces. The friction control works by "stiffening" the connection between TV and TT. This causes the combined mass and rotational inertia of the TV and TT to resist the forces which are attempting to make the TT "sway".
Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR)
The maximum total load of a towed combination.
Gross Trailer Weight Rating (GTWR)
The maximum allowable load of a trailer that is loaded. It includes the weight of the trailer itself plus the fluids and cargo. Note: this is sometimes designated as the GVWR of the trailer.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
The maximum allowable total weight of a vehicle or trailer that is loaded. It includes the weight of the vehicle or trailer itself plus the passengers, fuel and cargo.
Oscillating or Oscillation
A movement back and forth between two limits over time.
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- Amplitude - The displacement of the oscillation wave.
Overhang
The horizontal distance from the center of the rear axle to the rear end of the tow vehicle.
Pivot Point
The point at which the towed trailer pivots to create a tow angle.
Pivot Point Projection™
Projection of the trailer's effective pivot point.
Tongue Weight (TW)
The static downward force exerted on the hitch ball by the trailer coupler.
Tow Angle
The angle created between the tow vehicle and trailer when the trailer moves away from the centerline of the tow combination. A trailer in line with a tow vehicle has zero degrees of tow angle. A tow angle of zero to a maximum of ninety degrees allows the trailer to be towed around a corner.
Tow Rating
The allowable weight limit for a tow vehicle. GCWR minus the GVWR of the tow vehicle.
Weight Distribution
The act of distributing the load exerted on the hitch ball, the tongue weight, onto the tow vehicle and trailer axles.
Wheelbase
The horizontal distance between the center of the front axle and the center of the rear axle on the tow vehicle.
Yaw
The side to side movement of the trailer on the hitch ball.
Trailer sway is a prevalent and avoidable cause of many accidents each year. Learning and understanding it and its causes, rather than fearing it, will help you take charge if you ever find yourself with a renegade trailer. Most importantly, choose the right hitch, choose the ProPride 3P® Jim Hensley hitch.
Got questions? Email us at info@propridehitch.com or call us at (800) 960-4767.
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