Will I need sway control ?

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Jubal

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Oct 3, 2012
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Howdy All
I think we have finall decided on a TT (Escape) that meets our needs. The aprox. dry weight is 2510 lbs and the GVWR is 4000 lbs. The TT is 19.5' long, 8'11" in height and with dual axles. Our tow vehicle http://www.toyota.com/tundra/specs.html?srchid=google|Truck_Tundra|%2Btoyota_%2Btundra_%2Bspecifications has a maximum payload of 1885 lbs and a towing capacity of 10,400 lbs. I do not believe we will need a weight distribution hitch but will I have to be concerned with sway control.
Thank you , Jubal
 
Not sure about sway control in your case.  So much depends on the tow vehicle and the TT. 

Example, we had a coleman plantation (wt about 2400 lbs) and without sway control, it would almost take my full size Bronco off the road when we hit some dips. 

My current 28 ft TT weighs 6300 lbs and I don't have sway control but do have a weight distribution hitch.  Never had a sway problem in 5+ years in high winds or on the same roads.
 
Jubal said:
Howdy All
I think we have finall decided on a TT (Escape) that meets our needs. The aprox. dry weight is 2510 lbs and the GVWR is 4000 lbs. The TT is 19.5' long, 8'11" in height and with dual axles. Our tow vehicle http://www.toyota.com/tundra/specs.html?srchid=google|Truck_Tundra|%2Btoyota_%2Btundra_%2Bspecifications has a maximum payload of 1885 lbs and a towing capacity of 10,400 lbs. I do not believe we will need a weight distribution hitch but will I have to be concerned with sway control.
Thank you , Jubal
Click to expand...

Yes.  A WD hitch with sway control will contribute materially to your rig's handling.  Sway control in particular improves emergency handling during crosswinds and hard stops.  I recommend a unit with integral sway control like the Reese Dual Cam or the Equal-i-zer.
 
I have two TTs one of which is almost exactly like the one you are looking at. I have pulled it with 2011 Tundra. I did use a WD hitch. I don't know if I really needed it because I never pulled the trailer without it but I?m sure it helped. On this trailer I didn't use any sway control and I can say it did not need it. I pulled this trailer all over Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. I must have pulled this trailer at least 6k miles in all kind of conditions and I can guarantee you that any sway control was not needed.

The other trailer, I own, is a 30' TT that weighs about 7900 lb going down the road. I use a WD hitch with sway control on this trailer and with this trailer sway control makes a big difference especially if there is a lot of wind or if the road is not in very good shape.

For a trailer this light I would try it without a sway bar and if you feel you need one then add it later.
 
My rig, see below, was hitched up with a Reese Dual Cam.  I was made a believer in sway control just outside of Morro Bay, CA.  Towing the Prowler. I was doing about 40-50 mph.  The pavement was not exactly wet but a was a bit damp.  I approached a signal controlled T intersection.    The light turned green ahead of me.  Suddenly an idiot on the intersecting road  decided to cut a rolling right-on-red turn. 

I hit my brakes hard, the Bronco's big BFG AT tires gripped the road, the ABS brakes engaged and I came to a stop a few feet short of the idiot.  I could feel the trailer start to move into a yaw to the left.  The Dual Cams immediately damped the movement and the trailer tracked straight on to a stop following the track of the Bronco as if on rails. 

That is when I got the sway control religion. ::)
 
That is not sway. A sway controller will not stop a jackknife or even help in stopping a trailer from coming around in a out of control slide (your trailer brakes might). I think you are giving your sway control too much credit.
 
The need for WD will depend on the trailer tongue weight and your hitch. I estimate the tongue weight to be in the 350-450 lb range (10-12% of the actual trailer weight). If your Tundra's receiver and ball hitch are rated above that when weight carrying (as opposed to weight distributing), then you are probably right.  However, if the numbers are close, I would still recommend WD, cause it always helps.  And if you get WD, you can get integrated sway control (Reese Dual Cam or Equal-i-zer) as well, for best all-around safety and ride.

The vulnerability to sway also depends on tongue weight. More tongue weight reduces the potential for sway, so don't alter trailer balance to reduce tongue weight. Do the opposite - try to increase it. a trailer with 12% tongue weight is unlikely to sway behind a tow vehicle with a stiff suspension.
 
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