All you need to know about your RV Sway Bar and Stabilizers. Jeep Cherokee Service Shifter Light | What Does It Mean? They work well in combination to distribute weight evenly and reduce sway. The answer goes back to that guess above, that a sway (or actually anti-sway) bar tends to keep the car from swaying (or more precisely, from leaning to one side or the other). Overall, when towing an RV, it is advised to keep everything moving at 55 to 60 mph for the smoothest ride. A sway bar is not essential, but many people feel more comfortable towing a trailer with a sway controller installed. Trailer Towing Basics: Weight Distribution and Sway Bars When to Use: Recommended as an entry-level, economical sway control option, especially for those who tow infrequently. When Do I Need A Sway Bar? Then be smart about how you load your trailer, with heavier cargo being stowed down low, and evenly distributed from side to side. Heres How Fast Can You Drive In 44 High? One of the worst things youll encounter on highways is a passing vehicle that travels at a high speed or large vehicle. Why Is My Jeep Wrangler Beeping (And How Do I Make It Stop)? What Causes Sway? Together, these work to do the following: Read More >> How Does A Weight Distribution Hitch Work? Definition of an RV Sway Bar. Its essentially a safety device for RVs that stiffens side-to-side motion to help reduce body roll on hitches, which also helps reduce the risk of trailer sway. Its important to take note of this because its always present, especially on highways. All Rights Reserved. Growing up in Nairobi Kenya and now calling Glasgow, United Kingdom home. Not ever. If you dont already have a sway bar already installed, you can add one to your trailer hitch to help reduce sway when pulling a camper. For example, we used a Hellwig sway bar on our truck camper setup to go to Alaska. The sway bar is an adjustable bar with a friction plate that attaches to points on the hitch and trailer and works to reduce the trailer's ability to swing or sway behind your vehicle as you drive. (https://youtu.be/_hoodVrtklM). When you install a sway bar it helps to prevent the vehicle's sway and body roll of the tow vehicle. Its design is already connected to a weight distribution system so you wouldnt need to worry about additional equipment to stabilize your trailer. It also prevents any factor from adding too much force to the back wheels and helps stabilize your RV. Losing Ease of comfort Conclusion Are Sway Bars Necessary? Weight Distribution Hitch Vs Sway Bar | Junkyard Mob A lot of people favor solid sway bars, however tubular can be used as well. This system ensures more accurate weight distribution between the tow vehicle and the travel trailer, preventing needless rolling. Snow and rain can make the road slippery, causing the wheels to lose traction and shift the vehicles weight. Attach the tow bar arms to the base plate receiver on the underside of the vehicle you'll be towing. For taller vehicles like motorhomes or trucks with truck campers, a vehicle sway bar upgrade is highly recommended, however. Do I need braking control if I have a sway bar for my travel trailer? 5 Effective Ways, How to Make RV Dinette Bed More Comfortable in 10 Steps, Where Can I Park My RV to Live? Trailer sway can become dangerous and uncontrollable if not managed. Your subscription could not be saved. Do weight distribution hitches come with sway control? Sway bars are meant to reduce the risk of trailer sway, but they cannot 100% prevent it from ever happening. Powered by Mai Theme, Basic Dress Pattern for American Girl Dolls, Trailer Towing Basics: Weight Distribution and Sway Bars. This is where a sway bar is essential since it will prevent any unwanted movement and stabilize the trailer. Difference Between Weight Distribution & Sway Control The same is true with the right wheel and suspension when you turn your travel trailer to the left. (Pros/Cons and Top Pick), 7 Best RV Wood Stoves? With that, it can tow your travel trailer better. Once a strong wind blows, it will be hard to resist moving the RVs body. Copyright 2023 - RV Zone. It looks like it might be difficult to do since you need to get a square bar into a square hole but since the couple can swing side to side hitching up is actually easier with the Hensley ProPride P3 than with a regular ball hitch. But what are trailer sway bars and are they even necessary? From sway bars to driving techniques, heres what we recommend. If the travel trailers rear section is heavier than the front, it can lift the tow vehicles rear wheels and lose traction. RV Sway Bar and Stabilizer: The Basics - CamperRules This is because sway bars do a great job of dampening and even eliminating unintended sway in the trailer by creating a more rigid hitch point between the tow vehicle and travel trailer. What Ford Vehicles Can Be Flat Towed Behind a Motorhome. Its a scary experience and for good reason trailer sway can cause accidents. Its such a popular pairing that a lot of manufacturers sell weight distribution hitches and sway bars together as a combo pack. Subscribe 280K views 5 years ago I strongly encourage you to buy a sway control kit or swaybar for your camper. When you turn your vehicle, it shifts its weight to one side, producing a phenomenon we call sway or body roll. If you are having these problems, you may simply need to update the system that you have so it works for you or you may need to upgrade to a nicer product. I find it rewarding to help others make the best of their space and resources. Sway bars work by controlling wheel suspension action, keeping the travel trailers wheels in constant contact with the road surface. Always give yourself sufficient time to arrive at your target location before the weather turns ugly. Published: December 19, 2022 RV Gear, Towing RVers everywhere dread sway. It keeps the left wheel in contact with the road. Loosen the sway bar friction control adjustment and attach the sway bar to the hitch balls on the hitch head and trailer tongue. Installing a sway bar is best done by your mechanic or travel trailer dealer. Safe Towing Tips How Many Chains Do I Need? These sway bars have the ability to go up in size in case you make changes to your Jeep in the future. This includes things like: The faster you travel the greater the relative mass of the trailer will be. (Ram 2500 and 3500 Trucks). Thank you! Feeling your travel trailer sway from a gust of wind is scary, but there are products and strategies that can help reduce sway and keep your RV aligned. Sway bar hitches are optional pieces of equipment that can be added to your travel trailer or camper hitch to reduce the risk of swaying on the highway when pulling a camper. However, for trailers or campers, a sway bar (or sway controller) is part of a trailer or campers hitch setup, not part of the suspension system. They can be installed on vehicles to minimize body roll or on hitches to minimize camper sway. The sway bar attaches to the chassis and really connects the whole car from the left to right which adds stability as a whole. This in turn increases the risk of trailer sway at highway speeds. Legality aside, a braking controller will make your overall towing experience safer and more enjoyable, so its always a good idea to add one to your travel trailer. Carpe diem! Their problem would be that they understeer at the end of the curve. What To Know About Friction Sway Control: Pros: Economically priced Great option for towing small trailers Cons: popular one on Amazon by Curt that also has a sway bar built-in, Weight Distribution Hitches Explained How They Work, Why You Need One (https://youtu.be/AkK9uktf32E), How the 80 Rule for Towing Affects Max Tow Capacity. Sway bars, when installed properly, not only reduce swaying when driving on the highway but also help to prevent any potentially dangerous collisions or accidents when towing your RV behind your car. It helped minimize the additional sway from the extra weight in the pickup bed from the large truck camper. Travel trailers, on the other hand, can and will benefit considerably from a sway control bar. Get in-depth FREE RV travel tips, along with inspiring stories, educational resources, and exclusive discounts on our partner products. Sway bars are not required for fifth wheels. A weight distribution hitch is engineered to help distribute the weight of a trailer evenly in its relationship to the tow vehicle. These aftermarket sway bars tend to be more durable and be a better product overall than the stock sway bars that you generally find. Welcome to Trail and Summit! What to Know About Sway Bars - AutoZone When towing a trailer, you should always load 60% of the cargo weight in the front of the camper, closest to the hitch. These vehicles will make any person feel unsteady while driving in their lane, and it may cause you to want to move away from it. In this LearningRV.com guide, youll learn: Have you ever experienced the feeling of your travel trailer swinging from side to side behind your vehicle? This makes for a more stable towing experience. While RV trailer sway bars arent required, adding a sway bar is almost always beneficial as they provide a more stable and comfortable towing experience. Installing a sway bar helps keep your travel trailer wheels in contact with the road surface at all times. Too much sway causes you to lose control of your rig resulting in an accident. In some states, it is illegal to tow certain sized trailers without a braking controller. Driving on curvy and bumpy roads can also produce sway. Then also make it a habit always to check the weather on travel days. Enjoy stories, how-to articles and reviews from our team of expert guides, certified coaches, and career outdoor professionals. Once you understand what a sway bar is and how it helps your vehicle stay stabilized, youll understand the application of sway bars on a Jeep. We were traveling full-time in our travel trailer with our 7 kids. the answer is have because even if you observe preventive measures, there is always the risk of unknown forces causing your travel trailer to roll. (Do You REALLY Need Them?). This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. We didn't know the original owner had the day bar in the front compartment. You know you do. Left unchecked a minor case of trailer sway can quickly escalate to the point where it becomes dangerous and uncontrollable. If your trailer doesnt have a sway bar, you should consider having one installed. One great solution for Jeep owners who are looking for a flexible solution is adjustable sway bars. I am getting mixed messages, mostly leaning towards not needing one. A few safety tips when pulling your travel trailer, Evens out the weight distribution between your trailer and vehicle, Ensures that your vehicle remains low on the ground and sits level with your trailer, Allows more control of the trailer as you drive. Sway control or sway bar hitches are optional pieces of equipment that you can add to your camper or hitch to prevent sway. Aaron is the co-founder ofRVing Know How, 602 Poplar Chase Lane, New Meadows, Idaho, 83654, Things That Increase the Risk of Trailer Sway, Tips For Reducing The Risk Of Trailer Sway. Sipping on homemade spiced swahili tea and enjoying a good book is his idea of bliss. Trailer camper sway is a bit different. Trailer sway bars are bars that attach to and provide an additional connection point between the tow hitch and the tongue of the trailer that reduces and dampens trailer sway through friction. What Is the Best Year for the Dodge Cummins? Should you choose to install your sway bar yourself, follow these steps: When you purchase a sway bar, it will come with at least two hitch balls. Posted on February 8, 2021 by Weigh Safe Your truck's basic receiver hitch may have the capacity required to tow around 8,000 lbs, but that doesn't mean it will be able to deliver the kind of sway control and driving safety you'll need when towing more than 5,000 lbs. Sometimes sway bars don't come in their typical "u shape". This problem can be avoided with the use of sway bars. However, this is not to say that we do not encourage DIY installation. In such situations, you need a reliable sway bar. Explorer Towing Capacity: How Big Camper Can A Ford Explorer Pull. Here Are The Toyota 4Runner Years To Avoid! This is a very risky scenario that can potentially be fatal. For example, before you go, check the weather along your planned route and develop a list of potential stops. Four Wheel TrendsC/O RockTide Media, LLC4441 Six Forks Road Ste 106-205Raleigh, NC 27609. Let us know in the comments below. Glad you found the sway bar and were able to install it. How Much Solar Power Can You Put on a Van? What Does a Sway Bar Do? | Newmar Place the socket of the slide bar over the ball and keep it steady with a spring clip. If youre going down a highway in a straight line, your sway bar isnt affecting your car at all. Especially when the sway bar is combined with other thoughtful habits. Written by Jason Kidd in Recommended Gear, RV Accessories, RV Basics, RV Info for Beginners Last Updated April 20, 2022 If you've recently purchased a new travel trailer then you more than likely have heard about trailer sway bars and all the benefits they provide. As we have upgraded our trailers, we have upgraded our tow vehicles. When turning your vehicle, there will be times when your outside wheels dont match up with your inside wheels. Should I Disconnect My RV Battery When Plugged in? They aid in preventing swaying when driving on the highway and may potentially prevent a dangerous collision or accident when towing your trailer with yourcar. For example, if there is an accident, the tendency is that it will hurt a lot since the car wont bounce out as soon as it happens because of the sway bar. Use a torque wrench to tighten these connection points if a torque spec is provided by the manufacturer. Disconnecting sway bars seem to be a confusing idea. Confidently Choose Your Weight Distribution Hitch - etrailer.com Unfortunately, because there are so many options in the RV industry, it can be difficult to evaluate what is genuinely important when it comes to safety. Was this article helpful in answering the question Do I need a sway bar for my trailer?? Keep reading to learn more. For that, you need a sway control weight distribution hitch. To help you, here are some of the main reasons why travel trailers sway. So what causes sway? Horse trailer sway is when your trailer begins to move uncontrollably from side to side while driving down the highway. Though not all have them, and even if they do, you shouldnt consider a sway bar to be a foolproof way to prevent trailer sway. The short answer is yes. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Do I Need a Sway Bar for My Travel Trailer? Some will sell weight distribution hitches and sway bars together. Once the car swerves, it will get caught in a slipstream of other vehicles, which will then cause the RV to sway because of the momentum and wind pressure. Can You Tow A Travel Trailer Without Sway Bars? Sway bars can make turning more difficult for some drivers, but the added safety is often . They help to reduce highway swaying and can even rescue your car from an accident or rollover. That should give you a big hint to what they do for your vehicle, theyre used to stabilize it and keep it from tipping over. Install one of them on the hitch head of your vehicle. For vehicles like Jeeps or other models that go off-roading a lot, you probably want a fairly flexible sway bar. Pull the sway control assembly and place the socket over the mounted ball on the trailer. Tightening the bar then increases tension across the connection point, reducing sway. One quick turn can trigger a chain of events that lead to swaying. These sway control hitches are mounted at the back alongside the hitch ball. Some rig owners have said before that having a sway bar lessens the comfort they feel whenever something trivial happens. The sway bar counters your travel trailers suspension action. How Do You Know If You Need A WDH? Additionally, it would be best to minimize sudden steering wheel movements. For most vehicles, a sway bar is an addition to the suspension system that reduces the chances of rollover accidents by adding stability and redistributing weight as the vehicle drives. (Explanation & Examples), The Best RV LED Lights for Your Travel Trailer & Motorhome. They work to reduce trailer sway when a vehicle passes you on the road or you change speeds suddenly. If your browser is out of date, try updating it. A vehicle-based sway bar is usually not required to pull a trailer, or the factory sway bars are typically adequate. What sway bars aim to do (They may be known as stabilizer bars, or even anti-roll or anti-sway bars) is to try to compensate against that weight distribution going awry. Sway bars are also known by the name stabilizer bars or could be called anti-roll bars as well. If you want to know more about the difference between these two types, read their description below. In most situations, you do not need sway bars when towing a travel trailer. Uneven Weight Distribution 4. One of the major benefits of a fifth wheel is the way it pulls from over the axle it is much more stable. By Aaron Richardson Trailer sway is one of the most feared and potentially dangerous things RV travelers experience on the open road. How to Install RV Slide Out Awning in 3 Easy Steps, The Best RV Bike Racks (Hitch, Ladder, Tire & Bumper Racks). Having a sway bar will help keep an RV steady throughout any trip. Then the sway bar kicks in to function to start fighting against that imbalance. Rig owners with RVs made in the past few years will not experience this problem because their trailers already have a built-in sway bar in the weight distribution system that creates a more secure feel while traveling. As you travel at greater speeds the relative mass of both objects increases. Many times, it seems to strike from out of nowhere, having a knack for happening at the worst possible time. Copyright 2015-2023 Mortons on the Move. All vehicles have a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) that describes their overall safe weight, including everything inside the travel trailer, its occupants, fuel, and accessories. Sway bars are important pieces of safety equipment for RVs. Sway bars are crucial components of an RVs safety system. # 1 garmanmd Member Thread Starter Join Date: Mar 2021 Posts: 67 Likes: 8 Received 19 Likes on 16 Posts Ford Built in Sway Control I'm trying to get my new to me 2019 F150 set up for towing. How Reliable Is A Toyota RAV4 Hybrid? 1. Not only is this fishtail movement unnerving, but it can also be incredibly dangerous. Some factors contributing to sway are out of your control, but adding a sway bar isnt. How Does A Weight Distribution Hitch Work? A sway bar is installed on the two opposite sides of the hitch that connects your RV to the tow vehicle. link to 8 Best RV Generators With Remote Start (30 & 50 Amp), link to Average Weight of a 26-Foot Travel Trailer (15 Examples), Sway when towing an RV? You can have a 20,000 lb hitch attached to your 2,000 lb trailer but it's not going to do you much good if you can't get to your destination safely. This stability still allows each sides suspension to act independently though. Bad weather is always a contraindication to any travel, whether driving a car, towing a travel trailer, piloting a plane, or skippering a boat. Unfortunately, sudden gusts are unpredictable. It will be uncontrollable and make swaying more likely to occur. If you are towing a long travel trailer we highly recommend using a sway control hitch. The sway bar connects the opposite wheels together in order to reduce body roll and improve ride quality. Once the tow bar arms are secured, set the proper gear on the towed vehicle, and unlock the steering wheel. On the other hand, the lighter left side will extend its suspension and possibly lift the wheel off the road. Most travel trailer manufacturers recommend a weight distribution hitch as a . NEW ROCKJOCK ANTIROCK FRONT SWAY BAR KIT,COMPATIBLE WITH 2007-2018 JEEP WRANGLER JK,STEEL ARMS & JKS 2034 Front Swaybar Quicker Disconnect System for Jeep JK, 21 Best & Worst Years Of Lexus GX | 2023 Data Updated, 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander: The Ultimate SUV with Unmatched Interior Space, 615 Badass Jeep Gladiator Names: Find Unique Jeep Names and Find Nicknames with These Creative Jeep Name Ideas. Creating a much safer and more manageable towing experience no matter the outside forces you might encounter while towing such as high winds or crosswinds from passing vehicles. If youre concerned about your safety, a sway bar should be installed on your vehicle to prevent it from swaying or swinging while youre driving. Many newer style weight distribution systems have built-in sway control. Our goal is to help save you time, frustration, and money! This passenger-side mounted bar is compatible with EAZ LIFT weight distribution hitches. In this article, we will go over the fundamentals of sway bars for travel trailers. They help prevent swaying on the highway and they can even save your vehicle from a dangerous crash or rollover. If you buy adjustable Jeep sway bars; your end links on your sway bars will still fit to attach the suspensions correctly. 8 Best RV Dishwashers: Make Our RV Life Easier, Best RV Mattresses for a Good Nights Sleep. RVing Know How is reader-supported. Regardless of where you put it, this is not something that is going to greatly affect your handling in normal situations. Your email address will not be published. I'm Shawn. Hey there! If you have a towing vehicle that is smaller than your rig, you should consider adding a sway bar. Which is where the Average Weight of a 26-Foot Travel Trailer (15 Examples). This helps stiffen the side-to-side rocking and keeps the vehicle more upright. Im a guy with a lifelong passion for four-wheel drive vehicles. This is a perfect pairing, especially if you are going to pull a long travel trailer with a short wheelbase tow vehicle. You can also observe the following measures to avoid road accidents due to excessive vehicle body roll or sway. Make your next vacation less stressful and more enjoyable by adding a sway bar to your travel trailer. It diminishes the sway for a small camper, providing a better ride and towing experience. Let's take a deeper look at sway: what it is, what causes it, and how you can prevent it. (and buy). 2023 Four Wheel Trends. It would be best to distribute the load so that 60% of it is on the trailers forward section. Many newer style weight distribution systems have built-in sway control. For now, let us focus on answering this question. But while they can be sold together as a set, a trailer sway bar and a weight-distribution hitch are two separate pieces of equipment that are designed to do very different things. Trailandsummit.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This causes any imbalances in mass to become more pronounced. This helps to prevent the front wheels of the tow vehicle from lifting up which can lead to poor steering and stopping power. Sway bars are important pieces of safety equipment for RVs. However, they can help with towing performance and comfort. Yes, they are expensive, but they are truly a product that delivers exactly what they claim and makes for the safest towing experience possible. These sway-control hitches are mounted at the back alongside the hitch ball. There are certain models of vehicles which are known for the ease in which they flip over. A weight distribution hitch helps distribute the weight of your camper more evenly on your tow vehicle. Rvweb.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. It is also essential to balance the weight between the travel trailers front and rear sections. . Do I Need Sway Bars to Pull My Camper Trailer? A sway bar limits sway as a car corners. We respect your privacy. (Answered). Which can lead to a challenging tow or even an accident if the trailer sway becomes out of control. If you are using a VPN, try disabling it. Another thing to consider is the type of towing vehicle that you have. To be specific, 15% of the travel trailers weight must rest on the hitch. While your Jeep rolling is going to be a bad situation, getting stuck in a tight spot on a trail is going to be potentially just as bad depending on where youre at. There are different kinds, but they all work to reduce sway when towing. When your vehicle slows down, the trailer may not slow at the same rate and will end up swaying behind your vehicle as a result. In the case of crosswinds, the trailer is being pushed to one side and it reacts by swaying back and forth. Another reason why an RV sways when traveling is a strong gust of wind. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to determine what is truly necessary when it comes to safety because there are so many things available in the RV industry. Even when talking about sway bars, there are differences in the way that they go about their job. Read through the owners manual thoroughly before starting, Borrow the tools that you dont have from a friend, Begin installation once your trailer and car are loaded for a trip, If you car has an automatic leveling system, allow it to run and do its thing except for when you are connecting the sway bars (otherwise it will be working against you), Make sure the tire pressure on your vehicle and trailer are correct before installing (dont ask me how I know, Place wheel chocks behind wheels before hitching or unhitching, If using a cinder block under your tongue, position it with the holes facing up and use a pressure treated piece of wood on top, Always crisscross chains between your trailer and vehicle while towing, Test break lights and turn signals before travel, Always insert a pin through the coupler hole before travel, Make sure a breakaway wire is in good condition and secured to your tow vehicle. Understanding trailer sway starts with going back in time to your high school physics class, where Newtons second law of motion told us that an increase in an objects velocity also increases its mass. It helps tremendously if you are pulling a camper or trailer in heavy winds.. Its not uncommon for beginning RVers to be confused about the differences between a trailer sway bar and a weight-distribution hitch and sometimes even think they are the same thing.