Do you know how to recover when towing?

[rvwanderer1]

I had a 20 ft trailer years ago.  Ive towed boats from 12 foot to 28 ft.
I HATE TOWING .....  just never got comfortable with it.
With that said, Ive been watching youtube videos, where the trailer starts fishtailing and eventually crashes.
Sometimes just into a ditch or into another car or flips over including the car/truck.

The trailer is trying to pass the car/truck  which causes the problem ( so im told)
I always had electric brakes and have a brake controller on my MH.

Because this is the newbie page, I just wonder how many of you know how to stop a fishtailing trailer?

Its very easy, BUT instinctively people do the complete opposite...

Go watch some of the videos its quite scary.... and I'm sure some here will have some interesting stories.

OH why didnt I tell you how to recover????  I dont want to be responsible should you happen to do it wrong.

 

 

[Rene T]

I was always told to apply the electric brakes manually to stop it.

 

[Gizmo100]

OH why didnt I tell you how to recover????  I dont want to be responsible should you happen to do it wrong.

IMHO...Every situation calls for different responses.

Many years ago when I was Younger and dumber
I got quite the education pulling a trailer with a small tractor with front end loader/backhoe, Box blade and brush cutter though the Ozark mountains. Needless to say I was just a little overloaded.

In my case I applied trailer brakes while maintaining my truck speed. Once the sway was under control, I reduce my overall speed until I could find a place to park and change my shorts. Very scary stuff

 

[SargeW]

I too would apply the manual trailer brake and hold speed steady on the towing vehicle, and try to steer straight, if possible.  However if the situation presents itself where you need to brake hard with the towing vehicle, things are going to get serious quick.

 

[kdbgoat]

The best way is to load the trailer to have enough tongue weight. Stop it before it starts.

 

[Gizmo100]

The best way is to load the trailer to have enough tongue weight. Stop it before it starts.

AND Where were you 30 years ago ;D...I could've been killed.

Back then I knew nothing about loading a trailer for highway speeds. I had 2 trailers that had brakes and I didn't have a clue what I was doing.
The cargo trailer was a nightmare. The brakes were built into the tongue of the trailer. When the TV slowed down it engaged the brakes.....Not a good setup for a Newbie.

 

[kdbgoat]

30 years ago (well, maybe 35) I was screaming up and down the east coast on an 83" Sportster terrorizing Ninjas and kows. I couldn't have cared less about pulling a trailer back then. But back then I didn't care a whole lot about anything.

 

[Chakara]

  I've never had one of my trailers start the wag the dog syndrome so agree with @kdbgoat.  That said, a few months ago I saw one of those Hi-Low hard sided pop ups flipping around like a fish behind a mid-sized SUV on the Interstate.  I think he did the "wrong" thing as I was behind him and saw it start, lightly swaying back and forth.  Then as it got a bit worse, saw his brake lights and the thing started going nuts.  He got it under control and slowed it all down, but still scary as hell - and I never want to experience it. 

-Kyle

 

[rbrdriver]

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Make sure you have the proper setup, i.e. big enough tow vehicle and proper hitch, etc. goes a long ways......

 

[Rene T]

30 years ago (well, maybe 35) I was screaming up and down the east coast on an 83" Sportster terrorizing Ninjas and kows.

Is that MOO Kows.  COWS  ;D

 

[kdbgoat]

No, Kawasaki ;D

 

[Oldgator73]

Never had it happen with our 5th wheel but it has happened with the TT. I just took my foot off the gas and it stopped after a few seconds.

 

[Rene T]

No, Kawasaki ;D

) ( )

 

[BIG JOE]

I was always told to apply the electric brakes manually to stop it.

) ) )

 

[Gizmo]

It happened to me with our first TT, an Aliner pop-up, on the way from picking it up from the dealer, so I did not have the opportunity to install the Hensley Hitch I had waiting for me at the house.  Anyway it was a short drive to my house, with only 2-miles of freeway driving, where I planned to keep my speed at no more than 45 mph.  Just as I reached 45 mph the trailer started fish tailing, I did two things, engaged the brake controller and refrained from accelerating, then very, very gradually let off the gas, where I found 40 mph was the happy spot.  The rest of the way was all local driving with somewhat heavy traffic, so thankfully no issues the rest of the way.  First order of business after arriving home and changing my shorts, was to install the Hensley Hitch.

 

[Bill N]

Two ways  -  on a trailer with brakes just apply the manual trailer brake as many have said.  On a trailer with no brakes (yes, they do exist) you may need to temporarily speed up a bit and then ease up gradually to get the thing to straighten out.  But if you are having to brake for something  in front of you - good luck.

 

[Senator]

Do trailers sway uncontrollably when they have sufficient tongue weight?  Or does something else cause it?

 

[SargeW]

Other things can cause sway like poor or overloaded suspension on the trailer, or over loaded or under inflated tires can all get the sway started.

 

[blw2]

I never had a problem with any of the many boat and utility trailers I've towed over the years.  Lot of mikes in front of a fairly large goosneck box trailer too with no real sway issues. 
The little popup camper we used to have towed like a dream.  solid and I hardly even knew it was back there in terms of ride...zero sway..... until one day.  I-95 Northbond through Jacksonville FL approaching the Trout River bridge....through a construction area.  Road was a bit bumpy and in a good curve...It was just the wrong combination of speed a bit too high, bumps in the road, and dynamics in the curve.... boy that one really woke me up!
and That thing had no brakes...so 1st instinctive solution wasn't available.
That was the one and only time that little trailer ever really moved at all back there.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure all trailers can sway given the right combination of exciting forces....it's not always about the load.

 

[ZinLuvR]

The biggest cause is not enough tongue weight.  I know.  Without knowing any better I thought it would be a good idea to put more weight behind the axle to take the weight off the trailer hitch.  Bad idea.  Not only did it fishtail, it passed me on the freeway, and rolled off the road and down a hill.  I was towing with an early bronco, short wheel base (another factor) but had a roll bar.  I walked away unscratched.  Make sure you have an anti-sway bar as well.  Nowdays if the truck doesn't squat when I lower the trailer I know something's wrong.  I also never buy a truck without the right capabilities for towing.  Trust me, you never want to watch your trailer pass you on the freeway, that was 40 years ago and I  remember it very clearly.