When is a weight Distribution or Sway Control not helpful?

[dsrace]

Originally Posted by George Miklas

I find that there are many dealerships that operate unethically, selling RVs to people who have no idea how to handle them on public roads when adverse weather and traffic conditions persist. Before the state would issue my conceal carry permit, I had to take and pass a safety skills test. Why don’t we have this for the RV industry? Before I bought my Glock 43X, I went to the shooting range and rented 10 different handguns. I shot all before I bought one. Why don’t RV dealers offer travel trailer test drives with the owner’s tow vehicle? Then, the new RVer will make a decision based upon knowledge and better understanding of the skills required, not just a dream of RV ownership. There is more truth in Robin Williams’ RV movie than most want to admit.

very true. there has been a few times that rv salesman have asked what tow vehicle i would be using. i simply smile and tell them i drive a ford escape, just to see the look on there face and eagerly await there carefully structured answer. it's amazing how few have instantly stated " you can't do that"


again, i agree, but then one would need training courses for chain saws and air nailers and i have seen a few that would benefit from such courses





i dont live far from a popular lake with 6 different camping area's. there is a corner filling stating a couple miles from the entrance. i don't routinely see this but over the last 20 years i have seen combo's that have left me muttering wtf! my 2 personal favorites were the 19' tt on the back of the ford escape and the 21' on the back of a chevy traverse....neither had wdh systems and had to be sitting on the rear bump stops. both times were brand new campers or close to new. the lady with the traverse did not like friendly advice from men or atleast myself. i simply said that a wdh would really help the rear suspension and make her towing experience better. the ford escape couldn't get over 45 mph w/o swerving ( got behind him as i left the station) even though he had told me that the escape towed that camper good, while we were standing in line. that station is 6 miles north of the hwy and part of my drive home daily. amazing how many i get behind that cannot go over 55 mph w/o swerving or simply cannot accelerate up any of the hills in those 6 miles. there is a storage area 1 miles south of the hwy and i hope that most are traveling from that storage yard to the lake and back.

[George Miklas]

Originally Posted by dsrace

again, i agree, but then one would need training courses for chain saws and air nailers and i have seen a few that would benefit from such courses

Exactly right! We need more data yielding a Pearson Correlation Coefficient that predicts the future safety for the human operators of this power equipment.

[dsrace]

Originally Posted by Ivins

Well I'm going to tell you anyway. When I travel shot distances I never hookup anything extra. Many years ago I had a ski boat that broke off the hitch at the ball, fortunate for me the chains kept it from going far adrift.

When using a WDH I have three connection points between trailer and truck. Having three points gives me security and WD to my truck. Sway control is something I really appreciate as we almost always travel where eighteen wheel vehicles buzz past me, I still get a little jerk but it's much less than without.

I think sway control and WDH are added benefits to towing security.

i understand what you are saying there. i drive an f350 drw diesel ( older but low mileage and paid for) because i used to pull a 34' fiver. now i have a 30' , oal , bumper hitch that was effected by semi's or bus's pretty much any large vehicle passing at 75 to 85 mph especially if they blocked any side wind at all. i decided to install a set of ouo traction bars because after turning my truck up i was experiencing what fetlt like axle wrap.turns out they were worth every penny! 95 % of that suction felt by semi's or large vehicles was gone! first trip i made after installing them.... 9 hr one way tow to mt rushmore SD. the first 2 rigs that past me, i braced for it and nothing. thought the wind must have been in my favor then payed attention the rest of the trip ..... nothing but a twitch in the steering wheel. i did purchase an anderson wdh for the trailer before this one and kept it. i like the sway reduction part of it but it really isn't usable with only 1200 lbs of tongue weight on my truck. it only squats my truck 2" maybe 3 ". the chains are not tight in this pic.

[wvollans]

Originally Posted by Nwcid

If your weight is distributed correctly then you do not need an additional device for that......



I have never used one either. I have also never towed a huge trailer with a small vehicle.



My bother needs a WDH when puling his trailer with his truck. When I pull his trailer with my truck, I do not.

All you need is a blowout with any trailer tire and you will understand why you need one

[Nwcid]

Originally Posted by wvollans

All you need is a blowout with any trailer tire and you will understand why you need one

Good try, but not true.

WDH and sway control are there to manage loads that are able to be put out of balance. They are not an absolute for ALL situations.

Mighty bold of you to assume I have never had a blow out. I have, and I have never had a WDH or Sway hitch set up ever. When I had my blow out, I have no idea when it happened. I had been driving over an hour from my previous stop and when I got out all that was left of one of my tires was the sidewalls. This was on a 10k GVWR trailer that was currently about 5k loaded being pulled with a 8000lb DRW truck.

They do not even make a WDH or sway hitch for goosenecks and 5th wheels, how do they handle it?

If I pull my fully loaded tandem axle 14k GVWR trailer with my current tow vehicle that weighs 24k with dual tandem axles, are you saying that somehow without a sway hitch that if I have a blow out some how that will effect my heavy, long WB truck?

The only time I have experienced sway was improperly loading my 14k GVWR trailer with too much weight behind the axles. I thought something felt funny and I looked back to see my trailer hopping from side to side behind me. The trailer was about 6k at the time, again being pulled by an 8500lb DRW (new that my other DRW). My truck was tracking straight but I slowed down and took side roads at lower speeds home.

If you feel like you need WDH or Sway to make you feel better then by all means do it. That does not change physics.

I have been puling trailers of one kind or another for over 30 years now. That is less than some and way more than others.

[Dave Pelletier]

Originally Posted by Ivins

Well I'm going to tell you anyway. When I travel shot distances I never hookup anything extra. Many years ago I had a ski boat that broke off the hitch at the ball, fortunate for me the chains kept it from going far adrift.

When using a WDH I have three connection points between trailer and truck. Having three points gives me security and WD to my truck. Sway control is something I really appreciate as we almost always travel where eighteen wheel vehicles buzz past me, I still get a little jerk but it's much less than without.

I think sway control and WDH are added benefits to towing security.

If I was towing your trailer with your half ton, I'd definitely use a WD hitch too.

Dave