Weight distribution and anti sway equipment?

[TravlinMan]

Ya can't make this stuff up, Bob!

Believe me after what I've seen out there, it ain't surprisin!

[Stargirl]

I recently posted my electrical plans for the trailer to solicit feedback on them. One of the comments I got was about having my battery bank in the front rather than the rear for appropriate weight distribution. However, the fresh water tank sits in the front of the trailer just on the floor (no frame for it beneath the subfloor). So if batteries went there the fresh water tank would end up being beneath the bed in the rear of the trailer above the grey water tank. I'm not sure that helps my weight distribution at all. Now I could put the batteries in the L portion of my couch and keep the water tanks in their original places. But now I'd be worried about side to side weight distribution. So which is more important - side to side or front to back weight distribution? All input is welcome!!

[Kvsterling]

Originally Posted by Stargirl

I recently posted my electrical plans for the trailer to solicit feedback on them. One of the comments I got was about having my battery bank in the front rather than the rear for appropriate weight distribution. However, the fresh water tank sits in the front of the trailer just on the floor (no frame for it beneath the subfloor). So if batteries went there the fresh water tank would end up being beneath the bed in the rear of the trailer above the grey water tank. I'm not sure that helps my weight distribution at all. Now I could put the batteries in the L portion of my couch and keep the water tanks in their original places. But now I'd be worried about side to side weight distribution. So which is more important - side to side or front to back weight distribution? All input is welcome!!

Hey star girl, I’m airstreamcharlie on instagram.

If lithium batteries are in your budget, you could have 90 lb of batteries instead of 250lb flooded. This is a big weight savings, but money expenditure. The liquid weight is only an issue if you are towing full tanks. Going from one campsite to another could be empty an weight from tanks is inconsequential.

[TheBlackDuck]

How about a 2019 Basecamp behind a 2019 Tahoe with factory tow package. Would I benefit from a weight distributing hitch or additional break controller?



Thanks!

[out of sight]

A weight distribution hitch is only used if the tongue weight of the trailer causes the rear axle of the tow vehicle to become overloaded. In your case you are well within the specs of the manufacturer so there would be no benefit to using a wd hitch.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by TheBlackDuck

How about a 2019 Basecamp behind a 2019 Tahoe with factory tow package. Would I benefit from a weight distributing hitch or additional break controller?



Thanks!

Hi

If the "factory tow package" includes a brake controller and a 7 pin connector, you are good to go. If for some reason it does not .... you need some upgrades.

WD wise, the Basecamp is a pretty small trailer. Unless your Tahoe is loaded right at the limits (which does happen) you probably can do without. Indeed some fun at the local CAT scale is the only real way to answer the question.

Bob

[Dashwa]

There are more things to consider than just weight distribution! Particularly, with a very light trailer, such as a Base Camp, sway will be your enemy. Pulling your Base Camp behind the Tahoe with a tow pack will not be a problem whatsoever. What will be a problem is trailer sway. You need to eliminate the ball hitch as your main fulcrum point. The WD hitch with the leveling bars will help but not eliminate the sway. In severe crosswinds or heavy haulers passing you, sway can become critical. Protect your investment by investing in a Pro Pride Hitch, which is Hensley type of hitch. The ball hitch is eliminated completely. Even a Blue Ox hitch will help. Just my two cents!

[ROBERT CROSS]

First, try friction bar sway control. I used two with good results on our '63 single axle Safari.

Single axle plus light weight is inherently stability challenged .

[out of sight]

The rig in question is a 7000 lb Tahoe pulling a 3500 lb Basecamp. There is no way this setup requires either a weight distribution hitch or any kind of sway control. Let's get real here.

[ROBERT CROSS]

^
"It's good to remember that all things on all the forums in the entire interwebspace are just the opinions of the originators. And that is a fact."

Bob
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[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by out of sight

The rig in question is a 7000 lb Tahoe pulling a 3500 lb Basecamp. There is no way this setup requires either a weight distribution hitch or any kind of sway control. Let's get real here.

Say whaaaat?? Nothing wrong with adding a "friction" anti-sway trailer hitch for sway control; Why wouldn't you? I purchased a used pop-up last summer and used just a standard trailer/ball hitch with my F250 to pull 50 miles back to my place in Montana thru the mountains. I did feel the wind push the little pop up a bit. I purchased the Reese anti-sway bar along with the hitch on Amazon since my son was towing it back to Texas. He said he had a couple instances he was "pushed" a bit by wind or a semi passing, but it straightened right out and no sway. Read the "user" reviews on the value of this set up for pulling light weight trailers, before you go making blanket statements that could get folks in trouble...

This is but one user review from Amazon, but there are many other testimonials out there:

5.0 out of 5 stars
THIS IS A MUST HAVE IF YOU HAVE ANY SWAY PROBLEMS. Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2018
Verified Purchase

Big difference pulling a single axle 3k lb trailer. Before the Sway control, at 55 mph, a passing truck would cause a lot of swaying forcing me to drop my speed to 45. Now with the Sway Control, she sits pretty... no problems even at 70. THIS IS A MUST HAVE IF YOU HAVE ANY SWAY PROBLEMS.

[out of sight]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

Nothing wrong with adding a "friction" anti-sway trailer hitch for sway control; Why wouldn't you?

Aside from being completely unnecessary on a rig whose tow vehicle is twice the size of the trailer, the biggest argument against sway control devices is that they simply cover up the underlying problem and lull the user into a false sense of security. Usually the real problem is that the tow vehicle is not big enough to control the trailer if a wind comes along. The right thing to do in this situation, aside from buying a new tow vehicle, is to slow down. A sway control device can also hide the fact that you have a flat tire or other structural problem. Friction sway control devices have the additional problem that they can cause loss of control on slippery surfaces. This is why their manufacturers tell you to turn them off in the rain. Other sway control hitches, like the Hensley, destabilize the rig by extending the distance from the hitch point to the tow vehicle axle and by adding a large mass directly on the hitch point. They may control sway but the rig is much more prone to jackknifing in a hard turn.

I don't use sway control or weight distribution. My tow vehicle is about 11 or 12% heavier than my trailer. It has never incurred sway even at high speeds.

For those whose rig does sway a little with a passing truck or bus, If the tow vehicle is big enough it will pull the trailer back into line in one or two cycles. Nothing to worry about. And remember most new vehicles are equipped with electronic sway control which can save you during a catastrophic event such as the trailer getting whacked sideways in the rear during a collision.

[rmkrum]

Opinion. All of it. I’ll stick to towing with a ProPride system, properly set up and tuned. And no, before I had this system sway events did NOT settle down in one or two cycles. They settled ONLY when I manually hit the trailer brake controller and the gas to pull the rig straight. That’s why I bought a better hitch system that flat out prevents sway whether I’m going in a straight line or turning, and it works especially well on downgrades.

You are right about the hazards of friction anti-sway systems. They do not work efficiently or reliably when traction is minimal or you are trying to turn. That’s why Jim Hensley invented the pivot point projection system.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by out of sight

Aside from being completely unnecessary on a rig whose tow vehicle is twice the size of the trailer, the biggest argument against sway control devices is that they simply cover up the underlying problem and lull the user into a false sense of security. Usually the real problem is that the tow vehicle is not big enough to control the trailer if a wind comes along. The right thing to do in this situation, aside from buying a new tow vehicle, is to slow down. A sway control device can also hide the fact that you have a flat tire or other structural problem. Friction sway control devices have the additional problem that they can cause loss of control on slippery surfaces. This is why their manufacturers tell you to turn them off in the rain. Other sway control hitches, like the Hensley, destabilize the rig by extending the distance from the hitch point to the tow vehicle axle and by adding a large mass directly on the hitch point. They may control sway but the rig is much more prone to jackknifing in a hard turn.

I don't use sway control or weight distribution. My tow vehicle is about 11 or 12% heavier than my trailer. It has never incurred sway even at high speeds.

For those whose rig does sway a little with a passing truck or bus, If the tow vehicle is big enough it will pull the trailer back into line in one or two cycles. Nothing to worry about. And remember most new vehicles are equipped with electronic sway control which can save you during a catastrophic event such as the trailer getting whacked sideways in the rear during a collision.

I take it is safe to assume that you returned your 3p hitch for a full refund.

Bob
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[Adventure.AS]

Opinion. ... You are right about the hazards of friction anti-sway systems. They do not work efficiently or reliably when traction is minimal or you are trying to turn. ...

Saying that friction anti-sway systems are hazardous in low traction situations is a red-herring often trotted out by PPP proponents.

If the roads are slippery and treacherous, then you should be travelling well below the usual critical speed of 55 mph for a properly loaded Airstream. In this scenario I can safely disengage the anti-sway bars and have no problems with sway or cornering.

Note: I use the Eaz-lift system with the anti-sway separate from the weight distribution torsion bars. I am not sure how you would disengage the anti-sway on an Equal-i-zer system.

[rmkrum]

The nice thing about the Hensley design hitches is that the anti-sway works without using friction, cams, or other stuff. It’s a linkage geometry setup that does not have to be disengaged in low-traction or backing situations, and it works properly no matter how the separate WD system is adjusted.

Sorry, it’s not a ‘red herring’ by any means, it’s engineering.

I absolutely agree that you must slow way down in lo-traction situations as a matter of being a smart driver. My advantage is that I don’t have to get out and adjust anything in that case. Just get off the gas and slow down...

Yeah, I don’t see how a cam-type WD and antisway combined system could be effective in low traction either.

[Profxd]

The first defense against trailer sway should be correction at the root of the problem. Correcting trailer loading and tongue weight is where you start. A well designed and loaded trailer should travel at highway speeds without the need for sway control. Hitch sway control should be used as a added measure of safety and not depended upon as the only means to control sway.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Please enlighten, in your opinion, where will we find a 'well designed' trailer that when loaded 'properly' will not sway.🤓

Bob
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[rmkrum]

Absolutely. All the sway control add ons have to start with proper loading and weight distribution settings. Sway control can’t compensate for excess loading on the rear axle or too light a load on the front axle.

In my case, the rig WD has to be properly set to get the tow vehicle front axle “planted” properly for steering control, then the ProPride sway control mechanism has a stable platform to work against. The lack of sufficient WD leads to porpoising and a lack of directional stability. That means the front tow vehicle axle is too light. I adjust WD to just eliminate the porpoising.

When everything’s loaded and set properly, the ride is stable and wind, passing vehicles, downgrades, etc have absolutely no effect on the stability of the rig. That’s the reason for doing a good anti-sway and WD system.

The important thing is to be sure the trailer is loaded properly, then WD has to be set for the current load. Once you do that, it’s comfortable and safe. This is based on scale measurements, careful experimentation, and thousands of miles of towing in a safe and stable manner.

The other benefit is absolutely predictable handling in emergency maneuvers and hard braking. I’ve had a few stupid incidents on the road, caused by other drivers, and the setup has saved us in all the resulting panic stop and/or hard swerve situations. Of course I drive defensively, but admittedly downtown Phoenix is the place I avoid most because of the crazy driving in that area...

[ROBERT CROSS]

This is so confusing...so now we do need sway control, even on a rig that doesn't require WD and a trailer that is designed not to sway.

Bob
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