Swaying with a 13 foot trailer?

[Mouse]

I keep hearing about making sure your trailer doesn't sway and I have seen trailers bigger than mine sway. Mouse is uhaul ct13 which is actually 14 foot long. She has never swayed even in the wind going fast or slow.

My question is: Do other people's small trailers sway?

[rgrugg]

Ours doesn't nor does our 31 ft nor did ANY of the many others that we've had and we never had any sway control. Important or even imperative that you have proper hitch weight which should be somewhere between 10% and 15% of the trailer weight on the hitch. Too heavy in the rear and the tail wags the dog.

[Dennis Clinton]

Only one time in 50 years did I have a trailer sway and that was a utility trailer not loaded correctly(Never leave loading to someone else!). Never had a travel trailer sway. Just remember to slow down when appropriate, especially in winds and around big sidewalled trucks.

[BCDave]

I have had a BIG cargo trailer sway when loaded wrong and a stack of 6 flatdecks that tried to pull out and pass me. Had a car hauler try to do that too. Moved the car ahead about 6 inches in the trailer and lashed it down again - problem solved. The brake control box provides instant relief for the "tight sphincter Syndrome" that happens when sway sets in, but if you need to use it for that purpose, you've done something wrong.

Sway controllers may mask the symptoms, but not fix the actual problem - which is too low a percentage tongue weight

[Raz]

No sway yet with the Trillium.

[Ray N]

Nope, not a sign of sway, ever.

[Carol H]

MIne doesnt sway either - but if I loaded bikes on the back end of it or filled up my rear water tanks without moving anything up to the front to balance it out I bet I could get it to sway :-)

If a trailer is going to sway it is very common for it to happen when towing over x so mph and going down a hill.

[Robin G]

Believe me, YOU DON"T WANT IT TO SWAY! Seriously!


I have witnessed sway on several trailers along our travels most are able to get it under control, some not so lucky. One so bad that it did come out from behind the tow vehicle and wipe out 4 lanes of traffic. With the travel trailer sliding side ways on it's side across the lane I was driving in . Hence why towing properly is such an issue! Because it can happen even when you think you got it all set up right!

[Andrew GPSMapNut]

Never (not even a hint of) any sway pulling the 15ft that weights less than 1/3 of my TV. Not on bumps, not in cross-winds, bot passing ore being passed by any vehicle. Based on my previous experience, when I got the Jubilee, I thought of mounting sway control bar but, after couple trips, I figure; why bother? YMMV
I had couple cases of severe sway at high speed (my shoelaces stood up straight up) when puling double axle 30 footer with gross weight that had to be approaching the weight of the TV. After installing sway control bar, no problems. In one case, sway was induced by bumpy road, in another, it was induced by a rapid manoeuvre to avoid hitting a moose.
All in all, I'm convinced that beside proper tongue weight, ratio of weight between the trailer and TV is a VERY important factor.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Andrew GPSMapNut

All in all, I'm convinced that beside proper tongue weight, ratio of weight between the trailer and TV is a VERY important factor.

Andrew I think your correct!

I actually had a fellow with a big truck pulling a small utility trailer almost take me out on the I5 on the way to the Northern Oregon Gathering. He was traveling way to fast with a very light trailer with little in it and the thing started swaying badly - came within inches of hitting me - not once but three times before he managed to slow it all down and faded off in the horizon behind me. Suspect it scared him as much as it scared me.

[Bill Bette]

loaded to heavy inback....in otherwords ,tongue wt. is too light....axle(s) out of alignmernt...roughpavement...tires low on air...or not inflated properly rletting up on power (gas ) pedal and vacum of large trucks put your unit in sway...to correct press on throttle (... small amount when truuck makes its move to pass you and your unit if in a sway apply trailer brakes intermittonly(SP) SORRY...CAN't type either use hunt and peck..method been pulling for a few years... anyone wants to take exception you won't hurt my feelings...just know whay I have experiencedr many a mile and have learned a few tricks towing to fast can also be a big problem...did I miss anything I always like to learn you can teach this "ole"boy new ideas...I listen
Bill "cub"

[Carol H]

Hunt and peck works for me Bill looks like you covered most of the reasons I know of as well.

Another trick/hint I was taught was if the trailer does start to sway badly and you have a brake controller you should avoid using the tow vehicles brakes and just pull the lever on the controller so the brakes are applied only to the trailer to bring it back in line.

[Bill Bette]

Hi Carol I forgot to say that if the trailer unit is not level...back of trailer is much lower to pavement than the front hitch....this can cause problems usually get a buck-board affect...."rockn rolling"" very sickining to folks in the towing vehicle...also not safe ...unit should be level or lower in he front...level is best in answer to 13 foot unit swaying or other lengths for that matter...

[Alf S.]

Hi: Mouse: I'd never go near a trailer that's swaying...specially early in the mornin'!!! Just keep on walking. LoL
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Raz]

Originally Posted by Alf S.

Hi: Mouse: I'd never go near a trailer that's swaying...specially early in the mornin'!!! Just keep on walking. LoL
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Alf S.

Hi: Mouse: I'd never go near a trailer that's swaying...specially early in the mornin'!!! Just keep on walking. LoL
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

Alf something tells me you have experienced that on some of those wine tours you go on?

[Joy A]

Yes, quite sometime ago I had my bike on the back and a full tank of water which then made the tongue light. Everything was fine until I was going too fast, down a hill and picking up speed when I hit a little bump. That's all it took. Scared me to death so I now watch my speed, never go over 60mph. I added an anti sway bar just 'cause.

Now, I've had the generator on the tongue for several years which fully compensates for the weight of bike and full water tank. The trailer is well balanced and there is no need for the anti sway bar but I still use it.