Draw Tite Sway Control Question

[DKO]

The Featherlite trailer that I am pulling came with a Draw Tite sway control bar for each side of the tongue.



I have not been using them because my 20K insert did not have the corresponding attachment. I had this hitch put back which is also rated for 20K.



I needed a little extra height so I put it on before I left Oklahoma Monday. (I know it does not look good but I will take care of that later.)  It only has a ball for one sway control bar and I hooked it up as well.



After about 590 miles over two days everything seemed to be working well. I really did not think I needed it but the trailer handled real well in some stiff crosswinds.

I put it back on for travel today. We went through 3 or 4 storm cells so I was glad for any help I could get with all the wind that was blowing. When we stopped for the day I heard a terrible noise. It sounded like a thump, thump, thump and a grinding all together. It was bad and sounded like it was in a front wheel. My daughter who rides about half way back in the bus was sure it was coming from the back.

After I checked in the park I had my wife pull up and it was obviously coming from the hitch. It was a horrible sound. To eliminate one thing at a time I loosened the sway control and the sound was gone completely..

Any ideas? Did I have it too tight? Is there any possibility that I damaged the trailer or the bus?

Thanks,

DKO

[robertglines1]

Question: is that sway control or load equalizer?  Did you load trailer differant?  just throwing things out there.  check inside of slides and see if friction came loose.  best of luck! Bob

[DKO]

Bob,

That is a sway control. The hitch in the picture is capable of attaching load equalizer bars but the trailer is not.

The trailer load has not shifted or been moved between the first 590 miles and the trip today. After the first 590 miles I walked all the way through the RV park guiding my wife in so I know there was no noise.

I stopped several times today and there was no noise. The last stop was the only time I hear the noise and that was after nearly 200 miles of rain.

DKO

[Sam 4106]

Hi DKO,

You may have had it a little too tight or more likely the noise was from the friction material getting wet. Or, a combination of getting wet and road grime.

Good luck, Sam

[bevans6]

What you have is normal for that type of sway control - a friction type unit.  If it is tight enough to work, it makes a very loud groaning noise when you are turning or maneuvering in tight quarters.  If it is loose enough to be quiet, it is too loose to actually prevent sway.  Just the nature of the beast.  Never put lube on the friction surfaces, and if it bothers you, try towing without it.  I can never actually tell if those things are on or off, even towing with my pickup truck.

Brian

[robertglines1]

my lesson for the day.  Bob

[junkman42]

The instructions for these units say to loosen for icy roads, wet roads etc!  From My experience loosen them in those conditions!  If they are not groaning in tilght turns it is not working right.  It is supposed to be tightened fully to operate properly.  Regards Jiohn L

[DKO]

Groaning I understand but this was not groaning. This was knocking, thumping and grinding loud enough to draw attention from everybody around. This sound is not normal.

I did read the instructions online after I posted this and saw the caution about wet conditions. I was in terrible storms yesterday and I can not see stopping along side the interstate to get drenched to loosen the sway control. Not for me at all. I would rather not use it.

I am learning too, Bob.

DKO

[luvrbus]

DKO,I found those a waste of time and money for trailers with tandem and triple axles they work fair on a single axle do the loading even and don't worry about that model was design for after the sway has started.

At a FMCA rally I tried to get the rep to tell me the advantages of one he was going to get back to me 6 years ago with answers to questions I asked him 

A waste of money to me for both models the old equalizer hitch will do the same as both models of sway control they sell at big $


good luck

[Uglydog56]

My travel trailer came with a sway control, so I put it on.  Any time you met a semi on a two lane road, the trailer would sway out, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way, the sway control would overcorrect so it would sway the other way,...

...until I stopped and took the cussed thing off and never had another problem.

[DKO]

DKO,I found those a waste of time and money for trailers with tandem and triple axles they work fair on a single axle do the loading even and don't worry about that model was design for after the sway has started.

At a FMCA rally I tried to get the rep to tell me the advantages of one he was going to get back to me 6 years ago with answers to questions I asked him 

A waste of money to me for both models the old equalizer hitch will do the same as both models of sway control they sell at big $


good luck

Thank you for the information.

Uglydog, that is hilarious!

DKO

[bevans6]

Reese makes an anti-sway system called the Dual-Cam system, which actively seeks center to keep the trailer lined up behind you.  I used that for 25 years and always found it useful, but it had to be set up correctly.  Other than that, there is a hitch called the Hensley that physically does not allow sway.  But setting up the trailer correctly with tongue weight and axles aligned works really well and leave the sway systems at home.

Brian

[belfert]

When I had my travel trailer I used a Hensley hitch.  It was probably overkill since I had an F-350 for towing.  Most issues with towing seem to be too small a vehicle towing too large a trailer.  I remember passing a small SUV towing a popup or travel trailer and the trailer was all over the road.

I don't use either sway control or weight distribution with my 20 foot enclosed trailer on the bus.  If I towed it with another vehicle I would probably do both.

[PP]

Many years ago when we had a steel hulled Avion, I used the anti-sway that you have pictured. It worked great and groaned loudly, but never a thumping or banging sound. We had a single tire 1 ton truck and without it the trailer moved around with the slightest breeze or big rig going by. The difference was very noticeable with it and I swore by it. But that's just me and sometimes I just swear a lot for no reason, Will

[Hi yo silver]

When I towed a trailer, I experienced the same noise when the "brake pads" would grab on the bar. I would suggest cleaning or resurfacing the bar and pads with emery cloth or something similiar, and hit them with brake cleaning spray. I'm betting that will help it operate smoothly. Please keep us posted.
Dennis