# Sway Control - Pros And Cons



## PDX_Doug

Hi all,

I would like to open a discussion, that probably has been discussed to death in the past. It certainly has used some bandwidth in my current thread regarding our new Outback.

The question is the value of sway control. Before everybody jumps in, I would like to lay out what I have learned to date. Bear in mind that I have no personal experience in the matter, and am not taking sides. I am only trying to make an informed decision on an important matter.

PRO:
1. On the surface, sway control (We are not discussing weight distribution here) would seem to be a no brainer. It is a safety device and any conscientious Outbacker would buy it in a minute.

2. All of the arguments regarding the need for sway control make perfect sense.

3. The people that use sway control hitches, seem to be very loyal to their choosen brands.

4. Todays quality hitches are not a hassle to connect/disconnect.

CONS:
1. A lot of people I have talked to - people that have towed trailers as big and in most cases heavier for years without sway control - have had no problems, and see no reason to go with sway control (For those of you not familiar with the Northwest, a prime towing zone is I-84 through the Columbia River Gorge, know for viscious winds and lots of Big Rig traffic).

2. Inconvience of operation. By this I mean the reality of towing with sway control. The way my dealer put it to me is this: Sway control hitches, by their design are ideal for towing in a straight line (freeway travel), but the same operation that makes them able to resist sway, also makes them hard to turn. His suggestion is that to properly use a sway control hitch, you should disconnect the sway control every time you pull off a freeway exit ramp. That the loads imparted on the rig even during maneuvering around town (not to mention reversing into a campsite) can be enough to snap connections and anchor points. He mentioned one extreme case they had where the sway control actually bent the trailer a-frame.

So here is where I am at. Paying the cost of a sway control hitch is not the issue (I gladly would), but the cons (in particular #2) make it not such a no brainer... for me at least.

My dealer may be full of...um..well, you know. But he also carries both Equal-I-Zer and Reese hitches. When I came in ready to spend the money on one, why would he advise against it?

So two questions:
1. For the people using - and sold on - sway control hitches., have you ever pulled your trailer without? I'm not trying to be argumentative here, but to use myself as an example, I would have blindly gone ahead and bought an Equal-I-Zer and then spent the years professing its utility and value to anyone who would listen, without ever really knowing if it was actually doing that much for me. Just assuming it must be. Again...not trying to be difficult, just asking.

2. And this is probably the deciding factor for me. Con #2 regarding using the hitch in real life. Is the maneuvrability of the TV/TT so restricted with these that you need to be jumping out everytime you get on or off the freeway to set or release the sway control? Are there some hitches where this is more of an issue than others? In particular, is this an issue with the Equal-I-Zer or Reese Dual-Cam HP hitches (No, I am not buying a $3,000 Hensley)?

Anyway, That is where I am at. Obviuosly a conflicted soul. One thing I know for sure is that there is probably not a more informed, or civil place on the web to have this discussion.

That all being said, thank you for your opinions, and have at it!!!...

Doug


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## Thor

PDX

I have a simple brake style sway control. I have towed with it and without it to see if there is a difference. I do notice the difference. The highway passing or being passed by a 18 wheeler is the extreme. From my experience; I will always tow with sway control.









Set-up is simple. 2 pins and a lever for sway adjustment. Time - less than a minute.

I only remove the sway control when backing up the TT. Again, it takes less than a minute to remove. I do this when checking out the camp site before I back up. I always walk the camp site prior to backing up.

Thor


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## CamperAndy

Okay I am one of those that have not installed sway control (yet).

My history is with a 3500 pound fully loaded pop up being pulled by a mini van (about 7 K miles). Found that if the unit was loaded a certain way I had no real sway under 99.9 % of driving. Miss load and it was all over the road. I purchased a basic WDH and then no matter how I loaded the trailer it seemed to pull really well.

Now I am in my Outback and heard all the reasons for getting sway control but wanting to be sure I got the right thing, I wanted to have real world pulling to know what I was getting into.

So I have now pulled my Outback maybe 800 miles with no noticeable sway. I have driven in many driving conditions but have not had the fun of a really good cross wind. I still want to get a bit more experience before I make the plunge.

Now a side note off topic but it says something about how the trailer tows. I had a blow out at about 60 MPH. I heard a pop but felt no change in the trailer. I though I must have hit something but did not feel the need to pull over and inspect as there was no change in handling. I must have pulled for 7-8 miles before someone passed me and flagged me down.

So the Jury is still out. The Outback tows like a dream behind my Ram as compared the the tail dance that the mini van and pop up did from time to time.

Will I get sway control most likely but will I be afraid to pull in most conditions without it, that I am still thinking about.


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## hatcityhosehauler

Good thread to start. I don't think I have ever seen this questions asked here. So, to answer your questions:



> 1. For the people using - and sold on - sway control hitches., have you ever pulled your trailer without?


I have never pulled my 26RS without a sway control. Of course, as I have essentially a Reese straight line, if my WD bars are connected, the sway control is connected. Previously, I towed a 17' hybrid, and ended up using a friction type sway bar. With that, I could definately tell a difference when the bar needed adjustment.



> 2. Inconvience of operation.


None. In all honesty, the dealership that installed the unit did a great job of setup, and I haven't had to change a thing. The only time I disconnect the sway control is when I disconnect the hitch after parking the trailer.

The research that I had done prior to purchasing the Outback sold me. It appears to me that when an unstable sway condition begins, there is little or no warning, and the results can be quite devastating. I decided that the safety of my family was paramount, and that I would have a sway control. I looked at everything on the market, from the simple frictin bar that I had, right on up to the Hensley Arrow. In the end, I chose the Reese, but the Equal-i-zer was the next runner up, and the Hensley is still on the wish list, when funds are a little more liquid.

Your going about things the right way, getting the research before you need to tow. If it's any consolation, my dealer tried to talk be out of the Dual Cam because it was overkill. Told me that the friction would be sufficient. The instructions that came with that very same friction bar, state not to use it with a trailer over 24'.

Gather all the information you can, and make an informed decision. Good luck, and be safe.

Tim


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## shake1969

I use a Reese friction now, and have ever since my first camper. Mainly because on the trip home from the dealer I hated the fishtail sensation from being passed by an 18 wheeler.

I'm sure the cam type controller is great, but what I have meets my needs perfectly.


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## CamperDC

1. I have never towed my Outback without sway control.
2. I rarely disconnect my sway control.

A very good friend of mine lost both his TT and TV in a sway accident and endanged both his family and the other drivers around him. He will not tow any TT without sway control and he has convienced me like wise. Like I said in the other post. When it comes to towing a TT I will always error on the side of saftey. Just my thoughts..


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## summergames84

We have never towed without the Reese Dual Cam. Our dealer also said the friction would be fine, but with the 28' trailer, I don't see how it would have been enough. We were hit by a wicked crosswind that was some kind of desert downdraft last May and never had a bit of sway, even though we were blown straight across the road. We never disconnect it while travelling, no matter what kind of road we are on.


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## mswalt

I have a 26RS and have towed it only a couple of times, both on the Interstate and on 2-lane state roads. I have been passed by many semis both coming and going at speeds of 70mph+. I have the friction sway control installed by the dealer on my Husky W/D hitch. No sway, ever.

The only time I've not hooked up the friction bar was when I first got it home. I was practicing my maneuvering in the KMart parking lot (after unhitching the sway bar) and then drove it to the storage lot through town without it.

I was told to remove it when maneuvering (backing up or in tight spaces) and have done so at the campgrounds where we parked.

So far, no problems. I don't think I'd ever travel without it.

I'm not the most experienced camper, but just wanted to add my 2 cents.

Happy camping! action

Mark


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## PDX_Doug

Thank you all for participating in this topic. It is a great help to me, and hopefully others!

Another question occured to me last night. At what point (speed wise) does sway control become useful? Obviously on the freeway at speed, potential sway will be an issue.

But what about when traveling secondary roads, at say 35 to 45 MPH through the hills. Is sway a potential issue at these times? If not, are you better off to disengage the sway control during these times, and re-engage before getting back on the freeway?

Thanks again for the help, and Happy Trails!
Doug


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## hatcityhosehauler

Everything that I have been able to find on the subject relates that sway tendencies increase with speed, and or eratic or evasive maneuvering. I would imagine that if the trailer was not loaded optimally, and a good gust of wind came up, or something caused you to brake or swerve suddenly, that a sway condition could develope.

Tim


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## camping479

I remember somewhere reading that sway can become an issue around 50mph and above, but can't be sure. Definitely becomes more of a possbibility the faster you go.

If the sway control is set up properly, there is no reason to be engaging and disengaging it. The only system I know of which you can turn it off on is a friction sway control. I drive with our friction control on all the time. The only time I remove it is when I enter a campground and will be backing it into a campsite. Having towed over 6000 miles with it, we've never been in a situation where we've needed to/wanted to remove it.

With the equal-i-zer and dual cam systems, the sway control is part of the weight distribution system and cannot be disengaged unless you disconnect the weight distrubution. These setups are designed to be in use all of the time, even when backing up.

One note on sway, if you do get in a situation where you start to sway, the best thing you can do is to take your foot off of the gas and apply the trailer brakes ONLY with the brake controller. Easier said than done when in a panic situation, but it does work. I had it happen to us with our last trailer. Applying the trailer brakes will help slow the trailer down and bring it back into a straight line and under control.

Mike


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## DANJOGAVINMO

Here is my 2cents:

1) Essentially yes, I was first set up with a friction bar and was still experiencing noticeable sway when towing on hwy. Some might say I was not set up right, but I am convinced I had everything dialed in right. After a 2000 mile trip to Disneyland and back, I was so white knuckled it was crazy. Bought the dual cam when I got back and the stability after that was much improved.

2) I have heard a lot of things, but this is the first time I have heard it suggested that sway control needs turned off when you get off freeway







Most sway control devices do not have "on" and "offs" (dual cam, equalizer, hensley, etc). The only one I know of that turns off ever is the aforementioned friction bar. I have only heard to loosen it during backing up as that is most likely to produce the "tightest" angles between tow vehicle and trailer, might possibly bind the friction bar and bend it or break hardware. With dual cams and the others you just back up with no worries. No differences between hwy vs in-town.

My only input on secondary roads is that some I travel on are beat up, have many sunken grades, lots of turns, ups / downs/etc. That is why the speed is 35-45!








These sort of conditions will also contribute to sway even though speed is lower.

Think of it this way, have you ever heard folks saying that adding sway control made things worse? Generally you hear people say that it helps or in some cases they say they are OK without. There are varied opinions about what is better, usually friction bar is viewed as the basic type, dualcam/equalizer the next step up, and the best being hensley/pullrite. Kind of 3 grades of sway control.

Danny


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## NDJollyMon

Never towed OUTBACK without my Equal-i-zer brand hitch.

Never had a sway issue with either of 2 different tow vehicles using the EQ & OUTBACK.

Never had to get out and adjust/disconnect anything while turning or backing. Works flawlessly.

Had some sway towing pop-up without sway control. It only weighed 2000 lbs, however, and was much smaller.


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## Snowman

I have a 3/4ton crewcab shortbox ,28rss
With the water tank empty 95km no sway,until a semi blows by @120 [email protected]#$
I use reese dual cam,takes 5 minutes to connect and we are ready to roll.
Now I am the the guy doin' 120, drivin' with one hand and a coffee in the other! Ha! Ha!
But seriously, I can now drive comfortably with one hand - while eating dinner!

Paul


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## kjp1969

We had a '98 explorer pulling a 21rs with a Reese dual cam, and never experienced sway until a crosswind gust caught us and totalled the TV and trailer. It was very quick and very severe. Luckly no one was hurt. (search for the "We Crashed" thread for the whole sordid story)

The second time around we got a Sequoia, 23rs and Hensley. I've pulled through big crosswinds, been passed by semi's doing 80mph, and there's never even been a wiggle from the hind end. It does everything they say it does.

IMO, sway control is not needed with the *right* tow vehicle, like a 1 ton crew cab dually. But the reality is that we want a daily driver SUV with acceptable driveability around town- that means a reasonably soft suspension, P rated tires, etc. The Hensley essentially turns your TT into a fifth wheel, negating all of the bad characteristics of a "compromise" TV.

In short, with this bad experience behind me, I wouldn't tow a trailer with any "compromise" TV without some effective form of sway control.

Kevin P.


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## hurricaneplumber

My Reese dual cam was not initially setup properly-Had sway and uneasiness.

Now is setup properly-No sway, solid feel, awesome confident tow.

No problems backing into sites, turning etc. Never disconnect to back.

Wouldn't leave home without a WD hitch with sway control, no matter manufacturer or model.

Period.


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## Castle Rock Outbackers

OK, I'll take the other side of this issue.

Reese w/d hitch connecting a Yukon XL to a 26 RS. No sway control installed. None needed so far. Dealer said the XL would tow great without it. So far, they are right. If sway is encountered, like Mike (Camping479) says, hit the trailer brakes.

Randy


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## PDX_Doug

WOW! This has really been a great discussion.

I have learned so much, I think my head may explode!







It is interesting to hear the different takes on the subject. It has actually been more divided than I would have expected. In any case, between this and some other research on the side, I now feel confident to really make an intelligent decision







.

My initial concerns centered on two, loosely related points: 1) Is sway control really neccesary?, and 2) how much of a pain is it to live with? As someone with a strong engineering background, I tend to analyze things to death, and this subject has been no exception. For those interested, bear with me and I will try to explain my (humble) thought process...

Regarding the question of the actual need for sway control, I don't think a concensous will ever be reached. My gut feeling is that it is probably over rated. On the other hand however, I don't think anyone would disagree with the notion that ultimately you are better off with it than without.

The second issue regarding livibility stems from opinions my dealer shared about the limited maneuverabilty of sway control systems, and the need to be disconnecting and reconnecting the sway control in response to different driving situations. It seems that this may well have been the case with some of the earlier systems, and with some of the currently available 'add-ons' to existing weight-distribution hitches.

I was able to get my hands on a set of installation / set-up instructions for the Equal-i-zer system. The instructions are quite detailed and include a great exploded view of the system that makes it very clear that maneuverabilty (even in extreme backing situations) just is not going to be an issue. The Equal-i-zer is really quite a brilliant design, I am impressed! I was not able to find this kind of detailed information on the Reese Dual-Cam (the other system I was consideing), so I cannot comment on it.

In conclusion then, it seems that going with the Equal-i-zer setup is the best answer. It provides the safety of sway control (whether it is really needed or not), and looks to be quite easy to live with (maybe eaiser than your basic weight distribution hitch without sway control).

Finally, it seems to be a no-brainer to me. I will be calling my dealer in the morning to change my purchase order to include an Equal-i-zer!









A final note: A couple of people pointed me towards the "We crashed" post here on Outbackers, as a demonstration of how dangerous sway can be. It was a very sobering read for sure. What stood out to me however, was that the rig in question - by my understanding - had sway control. When it came down to it - in a severe condition - the sway control was of absolutley no value. Control was lost, and a serious crash resulted in spite of the sway control. A similar rig without sway control may have suffered the same fate in a less extreme situation, but having sway control is no guarantee either. Hmmm.

Anyway, thanks again to all of you that have helped me make this important decision.

Happy Trails (And let's be careful out there!) sunny 
Doug


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## camping479

Interesting point about the we crashed thread. I think you kind of answered your own question though.



> Control was lost, and a serious crash resulted in spite of the sway control. A similar rig without sway control may have suffered the same fate in a less extreme situation, but having sway control is no guarantee either.


I don't think there are ever any guarantees in anything. Sometimes in extreme circumstances, sway cannot be avoided. But having a sway control system in place could mean the difference between having an accident or being able to maintain control.

Good choice with the equal-i-zer.

Good luck,be safe and enjoy









Mike


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## j1mfrog

For those of you that didn't know it, today is national compliment day. I would like to compliment every one of you who responded to this thread in such a constructive manner. When I saw the first thread I thought it would be one of those rare times on this site when things got out of hand. I was pleasantly surprised.





































Thank you all.

And lest I forget, thanks to those of you that refrained from replying even though you may have wanted to flame the thread. Your restraint is admirable.





































Best camper website around, that's for sure.


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## hurricaneplumber

One last item..

Any sway system that is not setup properly is worthless and can add problems. The same is true for a weight distributing hitch, they must be properly setup no matter what.

Just installing a sway system means nothing unless it is tuned to the vehicle and camper. There are many variables in "We Crashed" that could have ultimately helped the disaster along. Just because there is a sway system does not mean it is working properly unless it is correctly setup to begin with.

Similarily, a plain WD hitch that is not properly setup can damage the vehicle or camper and cause accidents itself. How many times have you seen a Ford Explorer with its rearend dragging, even though they have a WD hitch. This overloads the vehicles axle and tires terrible.

With my situation, I had some sway and wiggles with my sway and WD setup, I studied the system and spent hours trying for the best setup. The result is the best towing I have ever had, no problems at all. Simply by the proper setup. A simple tune up took me from uneasy towing to super confident with that big box back there.

I strongly believe in taking the time for setup reagrdless if you use no sway control or the best sway control. You only gain from a proper setup.

Good luck with your decision.

I add a compliment to all of those who have given advice, I appreciate it.









Kevin


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## BigBadBrain

I'd ad only a couple of observations:

Consider what is at risk by NOT using sway control (in my case their names are Caroline, Colette, and Ben)
Consider how much it costs to buy insurance against sway (a good hitch plus the time to tune it - Kevin is spot on)
Is it worth it?

My answer: you bet!

But that's just me.








BBB


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## California Jim

Good answer Kevin. My thoughts exactly.


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## kjp1969

PDX_Doug said:


> A final note: A couple of people pointed me towards the "We crashed" post here on Outbackers, as a demonstration of how dangerous sway can be. It was a very sobering read for sure. What stood out to me however, was that the rig in question - by my understanding - had sway control. When it came down to it - in a severe condition - the sway control was of absolutley no value. Control was lost, and a serious crash resulted in spite of the sway control. A similar rig without sway control may have suffered the same fate in a less extreme situation, but having sway control is no guarantee either. Hmmm.
> [snapback]22255[/snapback]​


A couple of points- our sway control was either not appropriate for that TV/TT setup (perhaps not enough tongue weight), or not set up properly, or both. I was new to towing, and left it to the shop to choose the hitch and set it up properly. In hindsight, I probably did not react properly or quickly enough once sway began. Of course, I accept ultimate responsibility for any problems with the hitch- I'm the one who hitched up that morning, after all. Plenty of folks use the Reese setup with great results, so it would be illogical to assume that its a "bad" device.

The main learning points for me after that incident are: Do your own setup, learn for yourself what is right and wrong so that you can troubleshoot the hitch and fine tune it. Do not rely on someone else to do that for you- in my case, two different pro's said "you're good to go" before that trip. Perhaps I was too trusting of that advise. When I asked if there were any adjustments I would have to make, they said "Not unless you get a new truck." Obviously, adjusting your setup properly is much more important than the particular brand or style of hitch- otherwise how could so many people have satisfactory results with so many different products?

In the end, we went for the Hensley Arrow because, given our experience, sheer overkill sounded like a very good idea. To be blunt, it got us back on the road when we considered abandoning trailering altogether. I've tuned the Hensely several different ways since I've gotten it, and have no regrets.

Kevin P.


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## PDX_Doug

Kevin,

Glad to hear that the Hensley is working out for you. Given what you went through, I probably would have done the same (assuming I could ever get my wife back in the rig!).

I hope that you (or anyone else reading my last post) do not think I was picking on you, or arguing against sway control. The gist of my observation was just that we can't rely on technology to always save us.

We can equip ourselves with the best of everything our technology has to offer, but when it comes down to it, the best safety item out there is mounted just above our shoulders. All we have to do is use it!

Again, thanks to everyone for the great and constructive response to this thread. It has helped me enormously, and I am greatful.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## California Jim

Good point and post Kevin P. Between you two Kevins I have nothing to say as you guys already covered it well. Once again I agree


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## Katrina

I guess the only thing I could add would be to point out that people crash every day while not even towing a trailer. My point being that nothing is going to guarantee absolute safety.
The best thing to do as stated above, regardless of which system you go with, is To know how your system works and know what you and it are capable of.

For what it's worth, I use no sway control. Just a reese WD hitch.
Then again I'm pulling a 21RS with a 3/4 ton crewcab. No sway so far.


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## Ymryl

Here's my 2 cents...

Equal-i-zer hitch - $400.00
Time to "hook up" when leaving on a trip - 2 minutes
.
.
.

Life of my wife and three boys - Priceless

Need I say more?


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## iowaboy

I have a 23FBS and just returned from Tucson; a 4000 mile round trip. I don't have sway control and had zero sway problems. I towed between 65-70 all the time. This was my first trip with the truck and TT. 
I have an EAZ-LIFT WD hitch which I spent many hours setting up according to all the member suggestions on this site and rv.net.
I'm sure that a big part of my lack of sway is due to pulling a small TT with a heavy truck (2500HD Duramax).


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