Related article from our local paper, the Johnson City Press:
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Sway-control devices may be able to keep RVs from overturning
By Ben Ingram
Press Staff Writer
bingram@johnsoncitypress.com
Two men who work in the field of recreational vehicle sales say a wreck that occurred Monday on an Interstate 81 overpass above Tenn. Highway 394 in Blountville could have been prevented.
It was reported that the trailer hitch on their vehicle might have saved the lives of Thomas and Peggy Tatton, King, N.C., who found themselves dangling off an interstate bridge that morning.
Tatton told Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Tim Wolfenbarger that he thought a large motor home went by him at a higher speed and believed that the draft from that caused the camper's movement. The camper's sway reportedly got bigger and bigger until it overturned, sending their Explorer across the bridge.
Carl Story, who worked in the trailer-hitch business before moving on to an industrial maintenance career, responded to the article in a letter saying he believed future accidents like this could be easily avoided altogether.
"RV sway only gets worse unless one of two methods are applied," Story said.
"Most RV dealerships and truck accessory retailers carry a line of sway-control devices to greatly reduce the amount of sway a driver may experience. However, with or without a sway-control device, if the vehicle begins to sway, applying the trailer brake alone will usually straighten it out."
Jeff Crowder, president of Crowder RV in Johnson City, agreed with Story's assessment.
"Sway-control devices are very inexpensive and are usually very effective at reducing the effect of sway or just plain eliminating it," said Crowder, who added that he could not tell if the Tatton's Explorer had a sway-control device on its hitch or not.
"I can say with about 70 percent certainty their vehicle did not have one. Although, there is no evidence they didn't have one either."
Crowder said many other factors can contribute to sway besides draft from another vehicle.
"The size of the vehicle towing the RV can greatly affect sway," he said. "If it's too small, it is definitely a safety concern, or if the weight is unevenly distributed in the RV."
Applying the trailer brake would have been another option that could prevented the wreck from occurring.
"Unfortunately, I would dare say that the individual involved in the wreck did not have complete knowledge about prevention of sway and what to do in a situation like that," Crowder said.
"Most people only learn from word of mouth or from their RV dealer. There is no training and manuals don't list how to handle sway.
"I have turned some pretty angry people away throughout the years who wanted to purchase a larger camper than what their towing vehicle could handle. Ethically, it's the right thing to do."
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Ron & Ellen 
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