How to Control Sway While Towing a Travel Trailer

Every time you hit the road with your travel trailer, you are at risk of experiencing trailer sway. It can be a terrifying experience as your camper sways back and forth against your will. It can leave you feeling out of control and anxious for the journey ahead. Travel trailer sway isn’t safe, so it’s essential to know what you can do to minimize the risk.

Prevention Strategies

Doing what you can to prevent trailer sway is an important step in feeling safe on the road as you tow your rig. A little proactivity can go a long way! A pre-ride inspection can be an easy way to catch any potential problems that could contribute to trailer sway. Check your tire tread and air pressure to make sure both are up to the mark. While packing, remember to stay within the limits of your tongue weights, and avoid overloading your rig.

Tongue Weight

The most common cause of travel trailer sway is misplaced tongue weight. You should shoot for resting around 10 to 12 percent of your camper’s weight on the tongue. Next, remove or adjust the weight as needed. Load heavier cargo towards the front of the RV and center it from left to right. Tie down any cargo to prevent them from moving around and undoing your careful weight placement!

Upgrades

Some travel trailer owners will find it valuable to upgrade their camper with a friction sway control device. This device puts resistance on the trailer and tow vehicle which reduces the influence of wind gusts and sharp turns. These work best for travel trailers with a low tongue weight percentage. For RVs with a higher tongue weight, you should use the device on both sides of the hitch. You can adjust the devices to ensure optimal performance.

Dealing with Windy Conditions

Another major cause of travel trailer sway is wind. The first solution to this problem is to avoid wind as much as possible. Check the weather forecast in advance and if there’s a high chance of wind, stay home. But sometimes you can’t avoid the wind. Sometimes you have to travel on a windy day. In these scenarios, you’ll need to take some extra steps to minimize the sway.

Limit slamming on the brakes. It’s much safer to gradually decrease your speed while applying your trailer brakes first. Keep your camper wheel steady and try to drive in a straight line. Avoid making sudden turns or jerking motions. If the wind is particularly bad, you may want to pull over and wait it out.

We hope this guide helps you control sway while you are towing your travel trailer. Unfortunately, this is something you can’t always avoid. But you can take some steps to minimize it. If you have any questions, reach out to Rte. 125 RV & Marine. We want you to stay safe on all of your road trips. If you are interested in buying a new rig, contact us at our dealership in Rochester, NH. We serve all those coming from Massachusetts and Maine.