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Trailer Sway
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88 Posts
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1
February 15, 2011 - 12:22 pm
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We have times when traveling on highways that the trailer wanted to sway... HARD.  It scares the hell out of DW and then I'm stressed out because I have a trailer swaying and her yelling at me.  How do I stop it?

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175 Posts
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February 15, 2011 - 12:33 pm
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Let me ask ... what are you towing and what are you towing with(?)

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255 Posts
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February 15, 2011 - 2:04 pm
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you appear to be talking about a Popup.

still need to know what you're towing with and do you have any anti-sway device or WDH device.

or are you just hooking up to a trailer ball in the hitch?

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88 Posts
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February 15, 2011 - 2:11 pm
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I'm towing a 8' Coleman Columbia with a Jeep Liberty.  I do not surrently have a anti-sway device since the camper is so small.

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175 Posts
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February 15, 2011 - 2:49 pm
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A trailer (in this case a popup camper), should tow on down the road without sway. There are some major causes for sway and rather masking these causes with an anti-sway device, better to get to the cause and correct that first. Some of those major causes of sway is not having the tires inflated to their required psi level ... this is for the trailer AND the tow vehicle. And are the tires on the trailer the correct ones(?). How about the trailer tongue weight ... the tongue weight should  range between 10 to 15% of the total trailer weight. Sometimes too much weight can be placed to the rear of the camper rather then forward. Side to side weight can have an effect, too, so balancing the load helps. To continue, the tow vehicle and the trailer should be about level with one another. If they cannot be exactly level, with the trailer tongue being up or down a tad, my experience has been being down just a tad to be better. Shorter wheel base tow vehicles, combined with a smaller pup, will cause a quicker steering reaction, too.

Anti-sway devices cause the tow vehicle and the trailer to travel in a straight line, which helps with a gust of wind caused either by nature or a passing 18 wheeler. 

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45 Posts
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February 15, 2011 - 3:20 pm
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I have the exact same setup with no issues. Make sure you are level. Do you have a receiver hitch that allows the ball to extend past your spare? What kind of load do you have in the trailer. Lastly, at what speed does the sway start? You can't be driving 70+ mph with a small trailer in tow.

Sent from my Eris using Tapatalk

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2545 Posts
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February 15, 2011 - 4:00 pm
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I have towed a variety of trailers and honestly, I have never had anything sway other than if I move the steering wheel suddenly at a high speed.

From what I understand, sway comes from an improperly loaded trailer, low tire pressure, and incorrect hitch height. 

Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer.  Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.

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45 Posts
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February 16, 2011 - 12:05 pm
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anything else from the OP?

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88 Posts
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February 16, 2011 - 12:52 pm
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my camper runs pretty much level when towing and I'm not sure if the tongue weight is 10-15% but we don't haul much dehind the axle.  So my question is this... What are the different reasons a camper/trailer will sway?

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666 Posts
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February 16, 2011 - 1:27 pm
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What speed are you traveling when the sway starts to occur?

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88 Posts
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February 16, 2011 - 2:01 pm
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It's usually around 45 or 50 and when I let off the gas and coast.  It gets worse when I brake and stops when I give it gas.  You should hear her yelling when it happens.  :tickedoff:

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666 Posts
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February 16, 2011 - 2:31 pm
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1) make sure your tire pressure is at the maximum in the pup and the correct pressure in your tv.
2) that pup is probably light enough to use your home scale on. make sure it's at least 15%. you will have to try and adjust storage in your pup to make it so and make it even weight side to side. If you can, run the TV and pup through the cat scales. There's usually one at every major truck stop. Check you actual weight against the gvwr of the pup to make sure you are not overweight.
3) When you have trailer sway start, the first thing you should do is apply the trailer brakes, but I don't think you have any on that pup.
4) Your setup has a very short wheel base TV and a short pup all of which are not conducive to smooth towing and maneuvering. Any moves you make with the steering will will be immediately transferred to the pup.

After you have reviewed the above and made adjustments, you may still have a problem with sway on the pup.
Then get an anti-sway bar, they run from $40 to $100 and are all basically the same. Not very hard to install yourself.

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2545 Posts
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February 16, 2011 - 6:01 pm
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I just remember my BIL has a utility trailer that sways all the time he says.  It is a crappy homemade trailer from a ford axle with car tires.  In order to counter the sway, he loads the trailer heavy in the front.

Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer.  Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.

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11 Posts
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14
February 16, 2011 - 6:33 pm
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Trailer sway is caused primarily by inproper loading. You must have the correct amount of weight forward of the axle. Severe trailer sway can put it and the tow vehicle into a roll. A quick check. Can you lift the front of the PUP off the ground? If so add some weight to the front of the PUP. I bet the problem goes away.

Other causes can be under inflated tires or a mis match of radial on one side and a bias ply on the other.

Good luck and be very careful.

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