RV_Hokie
Member
I know that Friction Sway Control is a limited amount of sway control, but my question is with the adjustment arm on these devices, how do you know how tight to tighten to have it work properly?
Why did you add the second one? Most authorities recommend adding a second if the RV is more than 26' long. I suspect that may be part of your problem. I would try using it with only 1 sway bar.I think this is user error and I am not doing something correctly with the tightness of the sway control arms. Can someone please help me understand how these sway control arms should be tightened? I think I may be leaving them too loose to prevent this. I am worried that if I tighten the arms down then it will make the problem worse (because the arms will not fully adjust).
When I was researching the weight distribution hitches, I saw that the one I was interested in came with 1 sway control arm. I did some more research (mainly google and youtube videos from RVers) and some said that they could feel some sway with 1 arm, but they added the 2nd and it was solid. So when I ordered my hitch kit, I also ordered a 2nd sway control arm. Didn't know if I needed it or not, but I thought it better to be safe than sorry. Again I am new to RVing and pulling something bigger than a small flat utility trailer, so trying to learn and see what works for me.Why did you add the second one? Most authorities recommend adding a second if the RV is more than 26' long. I suspect that may be part of your problem. I would try using it with only 1 sway bar.
Great information, thank you. So far I haven't expereinced sway, but I thought it was due to the control arms. I think I will have to do some driving without them to see how it feels for me. Thanks for the video link, I will check that out.The whole notion that a little friction pad can & will "control sway" on a several thousand pound trailer is nonsense. If the trailer actually begins to sway, that friction pad would have to clamp tightly at that time, applying like a brake. But if it were applied that much all the time, you wouldn't be able to turn. If the sway control is adjusted so that you can drive & steer normally, it is going to have little effect when and if it is ever needed to "control sway". Besides, if you experience sway, the thing to do is to fix the problem, not cover it up with a band-air device. Trailer sway is NOT a normal condition.
Sway occurs when the trailer is improperly balanced fore & aft. For an RV travel trailer, the safe and effective balance is 10-12% of the gross trailer weight resting on the hitch ball. It won't sway with that balance. Too little weight on the hitch ball and the trailer will tend to sway even in normal normal driving. This video illustrates it nicely.
I have the same experience. Loaded down, I don't feel I need it. Return trip, all tanks etc empty, a windy day, I feel the sway friction helps. I hand tighten mine fairly tight by hand, but the small lever bar does not really allow for too much torque.I use a sway control when I pull my car trailer. It does help control the sway if I can not get the load as it should. Also in windy conditions, especially with no load on the trailer, the wind will move the trailer. With the sway control it takes out that sway. To those who are saying they don't work or help I have a different view on that. I can tell the difference when I use the sway control and when I don't.
I make no claim to be a wizard but i have a lot of experience and very much disagree with that opinion, as is true of many others. Like anything else, it does need to be used right and you do need to know how. Gary has admitted that he has never used one. I have.The whole notion that a little friction pad can & will "control sway" on a several thousand pound trailer is nonsense.