Another Sway Thread
Thread Starter
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More Turbo
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 574
Likes: 39
From: Carthage, Mo
Another Sway Thread
I'm using a Reese Pro Series sway control, no wdh with this setup. 70 psi in the rears, 60 in the front, trailer tires aired up to specs. I have plenty of tongue weight. I really have to fight crosswinds and trucks passing. Pulls nice with no crosswind. Would a wdh make any difference? I have lots of towing experience but never used a wdh. This is a 350 and camper is about 5k loaded. Came from a 2002 350 SRW, I suppose the sway was about the same with that one.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 19,707
Likes: 12,846
From: Wyoming
I've never pulled a trailer that had just sway control. I've either had nothing or I had full WDH w/Sway Control. So I can't speak for how well sway-only works.
Your trailer looks to be nose down. I would bring it up a couple inches.
I have a toy hauler. If anything is going to catch the wind, it's my toy hauler. I've used two different brands of WDH with it and both have worked well. Blue Ox and Andersen. Given the truck you have, the Andersen would be ideal.
Your trailer looks to be nose down. I would bring it up a couple inches.
I have a toy hauler. If anything is going to catch the wind, it's my toy hauler. I've used two different brands of WDH with it and both have worked well. Blue Ox and Andersen. Given the truck you have, the Andersen would be ideal.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 10,170
Likes: 8,027
From: Texas
I've never pulled a trailer that had just sway control. I've either had nothing or I had full WDH w/Sway Control. So I can't speak for how well sway-only works.
Your trailer looks to be nose down. I would bring it up a couple inches.
I have a toy hauler. If anything is going to catch the wind, it's my toy hauler. I've used two different brands of WDH with it and both have worked well. Blue Ox and Andersen. Given the truck you have, the Andersen would be ideal.
Your trailer looks to be nose down. I would bring it up a couple inches.
I have a toy hauler. If anything is going to catch the wind, it's my toy hauler. I've used two different brands of WDH with it and both have worked well. Blue Ox and Andersen. Given the truck you have, the Andersen would be ideal.
Get the front of the trailer up.
Get to the scales and KNOW what you have.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,473
Likes: 727
From: Calgary Canada
With that small of a trailer, are you seeing the trailer sway behind you, or is it transferring to the truck and moving the truck too?
A WDH would help, even if it doesn't have specific "anti-sway" components because it transfers weight to BOTH the trailer axles and the truck steering axle. It should be a pretty forgiving setup with a heavy truck and light trailer.
A WDH would help, even if it doesn't have specific "anti-sway" components because it transfers weight to BOTH the trailer axles and the truck steering axle. It should be a pretty forgiving setup with a heavy truck and light trailer.
Thread Starter
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More Turbo
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 574
Likes: 39
From: Carthage, Mo
Actually it's not trailer sway so much but the whole unit gets pushed around like a solid block. I have no concerns about tongue weight, the tongue is plenty heavy with a full tank of water up front and heavy items stowed to the front.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,473
Likes: 727
From: Calgary Canada
If everything is moving sideways as a solid block, that's about as good as you can do. Simply being heavier will reduce that somewhat, or reducing side-area by having a low profile trailer.
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Tuned
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 400
Likes: 25
From: Queen Creek
The nose of the trailer is low. If you plan to lower it, you will still need to raise the ball height some. Getting pushed around by wind and Semi's passing is par for the course when towing a big lightweight box out back. A good WDH with Sway will help. It's common physics...move some of that weight off the the back axle of the truck and send a little to the front and I am sure you will notice a significant improvement. Your manual will indicate how to properly set it up if you go that route.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 861
Likes: 7
From: AZ
I love my Equal-i-zer brand WDH. No chains, no clamp friction bars, no reversing restrictions. https://www.equalizerhitch.com/store/hitches
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,745
Likes: 72
From: West Virginia
All the Passports I have pulled have towed remarkably well in my opinion. I've certainly experienced no perceptible sway in reaction to wind or passing semi's. It may be that the nose low position of your camper is causing your problem because your two axles are not carrying the weight equally. This can result in unusual behavior. Once you flip the axles and get the unit level, you'll likely see a marked improvement in handling.
A WDH can reduce the sway tendencies of a camper by increasing the weight that is on the axles, resulting in a more "planted" trailer. However, I would want a comprehensive scale session to know what I was dealing with before throwing money at it.
A WDH can reduce the sway tendencies of a camper by increasing the weight that is on the axles, resulting in a more "planted" trailer. However, I would want a comprehensive scale session to know what I was dealing with before throwing money at it.
FTE Community Team
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 10,769
Likes: 1,506
I tend to agree with folks above:
- Raise nose of trailer or lower trailer at axles, an inch seems about right if you add a WDH.
- Go to a WDH to get some more weight on the truck's front axle
Remember: tongue weight (from a bumper-pull) doesn't just add weight to the rear axle, it also subtracts weight from the front axle. This will make the steering react differently than empty, and also differently than same combination with a WDH putting a few hundred pounds back on the front axle. Dropping the rear down through whatever means changes the geometry between the front axle and the pavement. Raising the front does it more.
- Raise nose of trailer or lower trailer at axles, an inch seems about right if you add a WDH.
- Go to a WDH to get some more weight on the truck's front axle
Remember: tongue weight (from a bumper-pull) doesn't just add weight to the rear axle, it also subtracts weight from the front axle. This will make the steering react differently than empty, and also differently than same combination with a WDH putting a few hundred pounds back on the front axle. Dropping the rear down through whatever means changes the geometry between the front axle and the pavement. Raising the front does it more.
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 385
Likes: 19
Reese straightline
Wdh reese straight line. I vote for. Love mine.
Centering sway control. No other does that I think.
my truck and trailer moves as a whole unit.
Truck traffic bow wave will never go away but it can be minimized.
Clamp type froction sway comtrol should should be avoided. It just does not work well enough.
Centering sway control. No other does that I think.
my truck and trailer moves as a whole unit.
Truck traffic bow wave will never go away but it can be minimized.
Clamp type froction sway comtrol should should be avoided. It just does not work well enough.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 208
Likes: 34
My Jayco 28bhs bucks the trend by pulling better with the nose down a little and some water in the fresh tank. Tried for a whole year to make it pull straight while perfectly level and it was horrible no matter what.