Trailer Sway

[robert9999]

I would look at the Blue OX sway pro. I have the Reese dual cam WD hitch & hate it. PIA to set up, readjusting it more than once, noisy as hell, & the bolts that hold the cam arms in came loose & I had to drill straight through the frame & add backing plates to get it right. I'm sorry I bought it.

[bill777x]

I have a 2500 series truck and I use a Hensley, so do two friends of mine. I had a dual cam back when I had a 1500 series truck with a shorter camper and never liked it. It was dialed in properly, I was well within my ratings, and I never had a sway event, but it never felt comfortable. I was patient and watched Craigslist for a long time and finally found one within 250 miles of me for $600. I'm not saying they grow on trees but good deals are out there. Hensley offered me a lifetime warranty on it for about $650 as I recall, sight unseen. I decided not to do that and take my chances and haven't had any troubles with it.

Once you learn their quirks they aren't any more difficult to use than any others I've seen for hitching and unhitching. If you get one with the screw jacks you can change the tension on the spring bars to better match your loaded weight if it changes. IE: water tank full / empty, packing light for a weekend / loaded for a whole week, etc. You can dial it in by how the truck rides once you get used to it.

Even with the Hensley you will still get pushed around by the wind and passing trucks. I was behind a car hauler recently going up a slight grade on the interstate at 60 mph. Since that is my usual speed I didn't feel like passing so I just rode along minding my own business at a safe following distance. I don't know what it is about them but they seem to make the wind buffet quite a bit more than regular trucks and before I knew it my trailer was slightly swaying. I let off the gas and dropped to 55 and it all settled back down but I am convinced it would've been much worse with my old hitch.

There are as many opinions out there as there are hitches and they all have merit. Do like others have suggested or hold out for a Hensley / Propride. I know you won't be disappointed with a Hensley from my experiences with one, good luck with whatever you decide.

[Donedroolin]

Thanks Bill777x, I wondered about the Hensley. You should contact Hensley. The rep, guy that would come to set it up. Told me Hensley guarantees no sway. I would like to hear from others that have the Hensley about there towing experiences. Good and bad. It would make for a better comparison to hear from real life owners. You can get factory reconditioned for $1000 less then new. Still over $2000 however. So if you own a Hensley lets hear from you. Thanks

[lspajm]

Originally Posted by Crabman

I have been using the old style Reese Dual cam since 2008 on 3 trailers and have never encountered what I consider a sway event (when the tail wags the dog). They don`t make that one anymore but I`m sure the next gen dual cam is good too.

Agreed. I tow a 37 ft jayco eagle with an f250. No sway issues with Reese dual cam


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[Donedroolin]

Well I got the blu Ox sway control setup and tried it out. Only for a short run at 60 mph for about 5 miles seemed to do good will find out on our longer towing trips. The only issue I am having is trying to unhook the chain. Looks easy on line shows just pull the pin and rotate. I am having difficulties with this. Anyone who has the blu ox or similar please explain how you take the tension off the chains. I do take the tounge weight off the back of the truck. Thanks

[John1928]

Originally Posted by Donedroolin

Anyone who has the blu ox or similar please explain how you take the tension off the chains. I do take the tounge weight off the back of the truck. Thanks

They're all pretty similar. You unload the weight distribution linkage by raising the tongue with the jack. Then it's easy to disconnect the chains, bars, etc. Then just lower until it's resting on the ball, unlatch and raise again until it clears the ball.

[sennister]

First real trip for us will be tomorrow.

As John mentioned, I just lowered the jack lifting up on the truck which takes the tension off the bars. I used the included bar to the rotate the locking mechanism a bit to pull the pin then turn it to free the chains. Maybe you need to lift up more on the truck. There wasn't a ton of tension on it for me when I unhooked.

I have seen some people mention that they don't care for the included bar. So they have a breaker bar with a socket the right size that they keep in their tool kit.

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[bono]

Sway with Hensley? I am not sure about it... As far I understand, PP and Hensley eliminate sway. I am towing my 33 ft trailer with a short wheel base vehicle. I towed it from Indiana to California through strong cross winds. I have never experienced sway with ProPride.

Originally Posted by bill777x

I have a 2500 series truck and I use a Hensley, so do two friends of mine. I had a dual cam back when I had a 1500 series truck with a shorter camper and never liked it. It was dialed in properly, I was well within my ratings, and I never had a sway event, but it never felt comfortable. I was patient and watched Craigslist for a long time and finally found one within 250 miles of me for $600. I'm not saying they grow on trees but good deals are out there. Hensley offered me a lifetime warranty on it for about $650 as I recall, sight unseen. I decided not to do that and take my chances and haven't had any troubles with it.

Once you learn their quirks they aren't any more difficult to use than any others I've seen for hitching and unhitching. If you get one with the screw jacks you can change the tension on the spring bars to better match your loaded weight if it changes. IE: water tank full / empty, packing light for a weekend / loaded for a whole week, etc. You can dial it in by how the truck rides once you get used to it.

Even with the Hensley you will still get pushed around by the wind and passing trucks. I was behind a car hauler recently going up a slight grade on the interstate at 60 mph. Since that is my usual speed I didn't feel like passing so I just rode along minding my own business at a safe following distance. I don't know what it is about them but they seem to make the wind buffet quite a bit more than regular trucks and before I knew it my trailer was slightly swaying. I let off the gas and dropped to 55 and it all settled back down but I am convinced it would've been much worse with my old hitch.

There are as many opinions out there as there are hitches and they all have merit. Do like others have suggested or hold out for a Hensley / Propride. I know you won't be disappointed with a Hensley from my experiences with one, good luck with whatever you decide.

[us71na]

Even the best sway control doesn't help a lot in gusty cross wind situations. The sway control will help with swaying caused by passing trucks, buses and large RV's.

[bill777x]

bono,
It was more of small wiggle back and forth that went away with the reduction of speed than what would be considered a "sway event". There is still play in the receiver connection and thats probably what let it move some but it never felt out of control.
The point I was trying to make was you will still get pushed around regardless of what hitch you have. I am not in the "I don't even know its back there" camp, that sucker is back there and it will move your truck around if the wind blows hard enough. Some people are more sensitive to it than others I'm sure. There is also a difference in what is a true sway event and normal buffeting by wind and passing trucks, I've never had a sway event and don't care to, thats why I have a Hensley.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Donedroolin

Well I got the blu Ox sway control setup and tried it out. Only for a short run at 60 mph for about 5 miles seemed to do good will find out on our longer towing trips. The only issue I am having is trying to unhook the chain. Looks easy on line shows just pull the pin and rotate. I am having difficulties with this. Anyone who has the blu ox or similar please explain how you take the tension off the chains. I do take the tounge weight off the back of the truck. Thanks

Originally Posted by sennister

First real trip for us will be tomorrow.

As John mentioned, I just lowered the jack lifting up on the truck which takes the tension off the bars. I used the included bar to the rotate the locking mechanism a bit to pull the pin then turn it to free the chains. Maybe you need to lift up more on the truck. There wasn't a ton of tension on it for me when I unhooked.

I have seen some people mention that they don't care for the included bar. So they have a breaker bar with a socket the right size that they keep in their tool kit.

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I lost the original tool, so I use a 18" 1/2" drive swivel-head breaker bar with 1" socket (IIRC, I think that's the right size). I like the breaker bar better than the included tool. It just allows SO MUCH more control over the latches. They can get pretty violent if you let them do their own thing, so you must control them until they are done with their rotation, not under tension, and the chain falls out, and the breaker bar with it's swiveling head allows for much better control.

Generally, I will lift the whole works up with the tongue jack to unload the bars as much as I can. This makes rotating the latch easier, and eliminates any threat of the chain swinging violently out of the latch. Then I'll put my breaker bar on the latch, wiggle it back and forth just a hair to make releasing the pin easier. Then, with full control over the breaker bar, I will begin rotating the latch down (clockwise). As it gets close to "breaking over" it's cam, I'll put BOTH HANDS on the breaker bar and ease it around until the chain just falls to the ground. Repeat on the other side, and I'm good to go for the rest of the unhooking process.

Whatever you do, just maintain constant, positive control over whatever tool you're using to rotate the latch. Get a good grip on it, and use both hands if possible. The first couple times I used my Sway Pro, I lost control for various reasons, and it could have done some serious damage. It was partially my fault, and partially the included tool's. My 2-1/2 YO son tries to help with the hitching/unhitching duties, and I try to make sure he's well clear of any hitch tackle before I rotate the latches either direction. I also try to keep any of my parts out of the potential path of destruction. The long breaker bar and its swiveling head help a lot here.

I've gotten the hang of it now, and it's super easy. But I can tell you, when I'm unhitching, I'm focused on that breaker bar and my grip; no distractions.

As for the hitch itself, I just got back from a trip driving in some pretty hefty winds both ways (around 350 miles total), and while I could feel the rig "wiggling" some, I never needed to make a panic grab at the steering wheel. Wind was up to 25 mph sustained at times, and I was head-in, and cross-wise to the wind for the entire drive both ways, so I'm happy with its performance. I've driven in wind like this with my truck empty and been blown from one side of the lane to the other in a gust. The worst that happened on this trip was a gust and a passing truck at the same time, and I did get a good "wiggle" that time, but it was not a significant event by any means. The only other time it's been "tested" like that was driving East through Northern New Mexico when a cold front was blowing in and we had significant crosswinds for about 2 hours. DW was driving that day, and she had both hands on the wheel, but we were never in danger of losing control, though you could definitely feel the trailer wiggling. I would expect nothing less with a giant sail in that kind of wind; no matter what you do, you can't cheat physics.

[wags999]

A trailer loaded incorrectly can cause major issues.

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

[TxTwoSome]

If you use the tongue jack and lift the trailer high enough it is very easy.

If you lift it high enough you can rotate the latches by hand.

[rockaw]

Just remember which ever one you get, make sure you know all the operational procedures.
There are some that use a "cam/piston/dampening rod" which needs to be removed before backing/tight turns. while this doesn't seem to be alot, until you have to get out in the rain, have to back in traffic or forget to remove/release it and you damage it. I run an Equilzer on my JayFlight, my brother-in-law runs one with a cam. he started backing into a site, stopped, got out and said he forgot to release his antisway bar. Just a thought

[herewego]

WE have the blue Ox also and removing the Bars and Chain can be very hard ....

[Donedroolin]

Yes removing the bars and chain on the sway pro is and can be difficult. So yesterday I hooked up my camper and took it all to the dealer I purchased my sway pro from and showed him the difficulties I am having removing it. Problem not taking enough tounge weight off. Solution he raised the back of my truck with the trailer jack. He still had a problem raised it some more until we could almost wiggle the spring bars and they unloaded, released 100 time easier, what a difference. If your having problems used the trailer jack raise it up until the spring bars move alittle. Then try to release you will be amazed how easy it comes off almost no tension on the chains

[Seann45]

Originally Posted by Donedroolin

So I wanna get a good sway control for my camper. Just towing it this past weekend to the body shop 1 1/2hour from my house in the worst wind I have ever towed in, OMG. . Tell me what you use and how you like it. Thank You.

Don't tow in high winds. if the wind can blow a semi off the road you don't stand a chance. Sway control is not really meant for high wind conditions.

[sennister]

Originally Posted by Seann45

Don't tow in high winds. if the wind can blow a semi off the road you don't stand a chance. Sway control is not really meant for high wind conditions.

I agree. Better to adjust the travel schedule than to be sorry later.

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[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Donedroolin

Yes removing the bars and chain on the sway pro is and can be difficult. So yesterday I hooked up my camper and took it all to the dealer I purchased my sway pro from and showed him the difficulties I am having removing it. Problem not taking enough tounge weight off. Solution he raised the back of my truck with the trailer jack. He still had a problem raised it some more until we could almost wiggle the spring bars and they unloaded, released 100 time easier, what a difference. If your having problems used the trailer jack raise it up until the spring bars move alittle. Then try to release you will be amazed how easy it comes off almost no tension on the chains

Another tip I forgot to mention is to give the chain a 1/2 rotation before you snap it up in the latch. The chain link is just wide enough to get jammed in the latch, so when you rotate the latch over, the chain link BELOW the one in the "slot" gets wedged in. If you have ANY tension on the bars/chain, this will create a problem. I forgot to twist my chain yesterday, and it got stuck in the latch. Removing much of the tension by lifting the rig with the tongue jack, and my breaker bar allowing me to have complete control over the latch made the problem easier to solve.

And I will +1 to the wind discussion. If it's that bad, get off the road if at all possible. Last winter we were going to head to the coast for a quick weekend getaway when a cold front came through with winds sustained at 25+ and frequent gusts up to like 70. We cancelled the trip. Just not worth the risk. Like I said before, no matter what hitch you're using, you can't cheat physics.

[billfitz61]

I was a first timer last year. Standard hitch, sway control from dealer installed. 1800 miles to Oregon, then back. Horrible winds, white knuckled the entire time. Was ready to give it all back to the dealer. Saw the Hensley ad, financed it through them. BEST decision I've made! Absolutely love it! Now nearly 10000 miles towing experience and no worries. Well worth the cost and peace of mind imho.
Best regards,
Bill