towing

[tbear711]

I have a jayco 23 rb and am towing it with 2015 CHEVY Z71 i SEEM TO GET A LOT OF TRAILER SWay when a semi passes me what is the best anti sway device I can get,

[Iraqvet05]

What hitch are you using now? What are the specifics of the Chevy? The Z71 is just a suspension package available on every truck including the 2wd Colorado.

[jasum]

Originally Posted by tbear711

I have a jayco 23 rb and am towing it with 2015 CHEVY Z71 i SEEM TO GET A LOT OF TRAILER SWay when a semi passes me what is the best anti sway device I can get,

Sounds like your hitch is NOT set up properly.

[Swampy]

Originally Posted by tbear711

I have a jayco 23 rb and am towing it with 2015 CHEVY Z71 i SEEM TO GET A LOT OF TRAILER SWay when a semi passes me what is the best anti sway device I can get,

TBear,
I assume you do not have a LDH with anti-sway, so your best bet are the friction type anti-sway mechanisms attached to the hitch and to the tongue of the trailer. The cheapest I've found are at Harbor Freight. I have one on my 287BHBE and it does a good job stabilizing the sway. Just remember to unhook it before backing up. If you jackknife while backing it will bend the bar and ruin the unit.

You may also want to make sure you aren't removing too much tongue weight by placing heavy cargo to the rear of the trailer wheels ... that tends to make the unit sway even easier. I used to carry a couple of loaded ice chests and water coolers in the shower and I was having a white knuckle event every time a semi passed. I moved the ice chests and water coolers to be over the wheels during transit and it stopped most of the sway, then I added the friction bar and it is now gone ... even in high cross winds.

Good luck on the fix ............ Swampy

[tcoilburner]

That size of trailer should be fine using friction sway control. Make sure the hitch is set up correctly and the trailer is loaded so it has the correct amount of tongue weight. If you want better sway control you can use a active sway control hitch. I use a Reese Dual Cam hitch pulling our 28BHBE.

[tbear711]

Originally Posted by Iraqvet05

What hitch are you using now? What are the specifics of the Chevy? The Z71 is just a suspension package available on every truck including the 2wd Colorado.

2015 full size pickup with 5.3 liter v-8

[Campingteacher79]

Common weight-distribution with integrated sway control hitches include Equalizer, Blue Ox and Reese Dual Cam. I've heard good things about all of them. When I pick up my Jayco in a few weeks, it'll come with a Husky Center Line, which is also supposed to be good. Maybe try one of these?

[Vasquez Kid]

Welcome tbear711.

You can certainly get your truck working very well with your trailer. The trailer is not going to be too much for that truck.

As others mention it's a matter of getting a decent weight distribution and anti-sway system that is spec'd out for your setup and having it installed correctly. If your not completely comfortable setting this up for yourself then I highly recommend paying a professional to do it. Once this is done properly you will not have to deal with it again and your towing experiences can be drama free and safe.

I happened to go with the Husky Center Line system, I do like it, but the others mentioned above should work well for you too.

Here's a good video that explains what is going on while towing.

Enjoy your camper!

https://youtu.be/GWJ4Iy6ek24

[DonaandDon]

If possible try to back load the trailer. To much weight in the front will cause sway.

[B5 GTX]

Do your truck tires have enough air?

[tcoilburner]

Originally Posted by DonaandDon

If possible try to back load the trailer. To much weight in the front will cause sway.

You need between 10-15% of the trailer weight on the hitch. To much weight on either end will cause sway.

[nighthawk87]

Originally Posted by tcoilburner

You need between 10-15% of the trailer weight on the hitch. To much weight on either end will cause sway.

Too much tongue weight will never cause sway.

Sway is the result of too much weight in the back.

[wags999]

Originally Posted by nighthawk87

Too much tongue weight will never cause sway.

Sway is the result of too much weight in the back.

X2

[wags999]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2fkOVHAC8Q

Distribution of weight sway

[Swampy]

Originally Posted by nighthawk87

Too much tongue weight will never cause sway.

Sway is the result of too much weight in the back.

I agree, too much weight to the rear of the trailer wheels will cause instability and sway due to the tongue weight being too light.

However, I disagree that too much tongue weight will never cause sway. If you cannot transfer that tongue weight (at least a part) to the front wheels of the tow vehicle, the sway is increased as the steering wheels make less contact with the roadway. If the rear of the TV is squatting, you are losing the ability to steer the vehicle as the front raises and the tail wags the dog.

Swampy

[CampNow]

Many folks try to reduce sway with an anti-sway device before they ever take the time to verify their tongue weight at a scale. If your tongue weight is less than 10% (of the trailer's total gross, scaled weight), using anti-sway will not address the core problem---too little tongue weight. Installing anti-sway to compensate for insufficient tongue weight is akin to installing airbags on an overloaded truck.

We've never used any anti-sway device; however, we're always careful to keep our tongue weight above 10% ---preferably closer to 15%. Current trailer is 36 ft. long with 14% tongue weight. Just drove through wind gusts of 40 mph yesterday without any hint of sway---perfectly stable.

[Pauls72]

I'm pulling our 23RB with a 2016 Dodge Durango using a Equal-i-zer 4-Point Sway Control hitch. It tows nice even when being passed by a truck or bus.

[clutch]

I have a similar truck and tow a 27ft trailer with 2 slides with no problems. A hitch set up properly with spring bars will make a huge difference.

Today I towed a friends smaller trailer (24ft with 1 small slide) and he didn't have weight distribution bars and it didn't tow as nice as mine.

[Colorado]

Before even talking about hitches etc...
What is the (GVW)ACTUAL weight of your TT, Not what the sticker says but the real scaled weight? Next what is the ACTUAL tongue weight you’re working with? And what is your CGVW-truck, TT, ie everything that is taken with you when driving down the road.
These #’s should be taken when you’re loaded ready to leave for a trip. Once you have these numbers you can quit GUESSING and start making informed decisions to solve your sway problems. It scary how many people that decide they want a camper or trailer and never pull across a scale so they know what weights they’re working with...

[nynethead]

My first trailer was a 2006 outback 29bh and I had a 2006 chevy 1/2 ton. though the truck with it's 5.3L had issues with hills pulling a trailer that large. I used a Reece dual cam WD and never had an issue with sway. The trailer was loaded properly because i sold 1/2 ton and went to a 2500HD and never needed the WD after that. We then converted to 5th wheels