Controlling Travel Trailer Sway
There’s no better way to connect to the great outdoors than a good camping trip, and there’s no better way to camp than with your travel trailer! The convenience and comfort your trailer provides turns any trip into an experience, but there are some unique challenges in getting to your destination. One of those is trailer sway. This is an unsafe situation where your camper begins swaying on the road out of your control.
To help you avoid this and stay safe, we here at The Outpost RV have put together some tips for controlling trailer sway. If you need more advice, or you’re hoping to see the travel trailers we have for sale, contact our store in Middlebury, Indiana. Our friendly and experienced staff will work with you to find what you need at the prices you want!
Steps For Lowering Sway Chances
The best way to control trailer sway is to prevent it entirely. There are a few steps you can take to limit the possibility that it will happen at all. These aren’t guaranteed to always prevent sway, but they can help reduce the chances of it occurring, which is always a good first step.
Inspect Your RV Before Leaving
Your RV needs to be in the best condition possible for a number of reasons, and one of those is preventing sway. There are a number of maintenance issues that you can find visually that might increase the risk, so before your vacation, take a minute to inspect your travel trailer. Make sure the tires are properly inflated and have a good amount of tread, and that the tread is even on all tires. Verify that your brakes are working and that your hitch is in good condition. If you see these or any other problems, contact our service department to see if they’re a danger and to get them fixed asap.
Know Weight Limits
Travel trailer safety requires that you know three different weight limits. The first is the tow capacity for your tow vehicle. The second is the weight limit on your hitch, and the third is the weight limit for the trailer itself. Always know these limits, and never exceed them! They exist for your safety and the safety of those around you. Exceeding these limits can increase the risk of trailer sway, among other safety hazards. If you can’t recall a weight limit, look in your owner’s manual for a refresher.
Load Cargo Deliberately
It can be tempting to rush the loading job on your travel trailer, but it’s important to be mindful of where you’re placing supplies. Distributing the weight evenly across your RV, both from side to side and front to back, can seriously decrease the chances that you’ll sway on the road. It’s also better for your tires and your fuel economy!
Remember to secure everything you pack, as well. Loose items tumbling around on the road can break and redistribute the weight in harmful ways.
Upgrade Your Camper
If you’ve got a little wiggle room in your budget, invest in an accessory or two that can help reduce the chance of swaying. A popular one is a friction sway control device. This puts resistance on the camper and tow vehicle, reducing the impact of turns and wind.
Be Flexible With Departure Times
If your vacation is a more relaxed one, don’t worry too much about leaving in a hurry. For instance, if your campground has a wide check-in window, do some reconnaissance before your trip and see how strong the wind is on the road. If it’s too high, consider leaving an hour or so later. This might help you avoid the windy conditions entirely without altering your schedule too much.
Handling Trailer Sway
If trailer sway occurs despite your precautions, you’ll need to know how to navigate the situation. The first step is to never slam on the brakes. It might feel like a natural response, but slowly decreasing your speed is safer and will help you stay in control. Next, focus on driving in a straight line. Keep your tow vehicle in as straight a line as possible, and your travel trailer will sway less.
Finally, know when it’s time to just pull over. High winds can be brutal on large vehicles towing an RV, causing serious sway that might end up flipping you over. If your safety seems at risk, do your best to get to a safe shoulder or rest stop to wait it out.
We hope you found this useful, and that it helps you stay safe! If you want more tips, or you’d like to browse our selection of travel trailers, contact us at The Outpost RV. We proudly serve the people of Middlebury, Indiana, and Kalamazoo, Michigan—let us serve you today!