Where is the anti sway device located/electric brakes?

[Mrcrowley]

I want to make sure that is working correctly but need to know where it is ..

[GO Bob]

What kind of hitch do you have?

[Mrcrowley]

I just want to know if a electric brake system uses the sway control or will the brake controler control that.

[Mrcrowley]

Originally Posted by GO Bob

What kind of hitch do you have?

2 5/16 ball with anti sway bars and Electric brakes look like brakes are new edition.

[85MH325]

Anti-sway comes in a variety of flavors. Reese and Equalizer have it built into their hitches. Reese uses the Dual-Cam setup with saddles that bolt onto the hitch tongue "A" frame, and the load bars sit on the saddles under tension which provides sway control. Equalizer uses friction to control the movement of the load bars.

There are also anti-sway bars that are a rectangular tube with 6" of brake lining material inside and a clamp system that clamps onto a steel bar that moves inside the brake material. That type attaches to a small ball on the side of the hitch, and another on the side of the tongue "A" frame.

Then there are other sway control hitches like the orange Hensley Arrow, the Pull-Rite and I'm sure I've forgotten some.

While it's good to have new brake shoes, and trailer brakes can and should be used to help control a sway episode, the brakes themselves are not part of the "anti-sway" system.

And last, just because you have a weight distributing hitch with load distribution bars, you may not necessarily have sway control built into the hitch.

Do a search here on "sway" and you'll probably find out more than you ever thought possible on the subject.

Good luck!

Roger

[Darol Ingalls]

Mrcrowley, Visit an RV dealer or hitch shop where hitches are sold and installed for an education on how hitches work. The bars you speak of are not anti-sway bars. They distribute the tongue weight of the trailer between the tow vehicle and the trailer wheels. A sway control is usually an adjustable friction brake device that mounts on a small ball attatched to the side of the hitch head on one end and a similar ball on the side of the trailer A-frame on the other end. Cam-action mounts for the trailer end of the equializer bars also act as sway control. You may have either style. Why do you think the electric brakes are a later addition? The trailer originally came with electric brakes. Darol

[Mrcrowley]

Originally Posted by Darol Ingalls

Mrcrowley, Visit an RV dealer or hitch shop where hitches are sold and installed for an education on how hitches work. The bars you speak of are not anti-sway bars. They distribute the tongue weight of the trailer between the tow vehicle and the trailer wheels. A sway control is usually an adjustable friction brake device that mounts on a small ball attatched to the side of the hitch head on one end and a similar ball on the side of the trailer A-frame on the other end. Cam-action mounts for the trailer end of the equializer bars also act as sway control. You may have either style. Why do you think the electric brakes are a later addition? The trailer originally came with electric brakes. Darol

Well the electric brake replaced the hydrolic ones that were on there per maintaince book replaced in 1992 . The new brake wires run underneith the belly pan of trailer and branch off to the wheels I want to rewire the brake the wire that is being used is cracking I dont think it was ment for outdoors and ten years of sitting . SO the new question is what do I need for the trailers brake system (anti sway ,resistors, new emergency break away switch ) so-on thats what I need to know ...

[AYRSTRM2]

Electric brakes do not have sway control as a feature. There is an emergency maneuver you can take with electric brakes in an EMERGENCY to try to tame sway once it is happening, but the controller or the brakes themselves in no way control sway.

Unless there's some sort of new high tech feedback controller out there that I have not heard of. And can control each wheel separately.

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by Mrcrowley

Well the electric brake replaced the hydrolic ones that were on there per maintaince book replaced in 1992 . The new brake wires run underneith the belly pan of trailer and branch off to the wheels I want to rewire the brake the wire that is being used is cracking I dont think it was ment for outdoors and ten years of sitting . SO the new question is what do I need for the trailers brake system (anti sway ,resistors, new emergency break away switch ) so-on thats what I need to know ...

It sounds like you need to find a trailer repair facility who can assess what your trailer really needs, and then has someone who is qualified to make necessary repairs for you.

While much of this can be a do-it-yourself project if you are familiar with the system, it sounds as though you haven't much experience with it. Your trailer brake and hitch system are important enough safety issues that you shouldn't try to tackle them yourself until they've been set up properly the first time. At least then you have a baseline to operate from when something goes wrong rather than having to try to figure out how to make it right to begin with without a frame of reference. If you get it wrong, it could literally be a fatal mistake, and none of us ever want to see that.

Good luck!

Roger

[dmac]

Sway control is part of the hitch. Your electric brakes are a separate system.

Your electric brakes require an electronic brake controller in the tow vehicle (like a Tekonsha Prodigy), and appropriate tow vehicle wiring with a 7-way plug at the rear.

The trailer has an "umbilical cord" that plugs into the 7-way plug on the tow vehicle. One of the wires is ground, another carries the current from the brake controller to activate the brake magnets. These wires are continuous to the brake magnets inside the brake drums.

An alternative hot is provided from the trailer battery, through the breakaway switch, and on to the brake magnets. If the breakaway switch is pulled, current is sent form the trailer battery to activate the brake magnets.

Overall, it is a very simple system.

[Mrcrowley]

I install a electric braking system on my 21 foot boat trailer which had lurch brakes. I installed a electric brake system and it is easy I install small gel cell 12volt battery with break away switch all the brakes installed and adjusted by me I know what I doing BUT I want to make sure I am using what ever Airstream provided for there trailer and not miss anything that I CAN use . The brake system that was install by whoever has a legth of 12/2 romex connected with eletrical twist connecters at the brakes I do not feel safe with that so I am using the same kind of cord used for the electrical trailer pole hook up but 10/3 with 10 guage wire the the axle I am going to solder a Y for both sides and use liguid electrical tape to seal it and solder all connections.

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by Mrcrowley

I install a electric braking system on my 21 foot boat trailer which had lurch brakes. I installed a electric brake system and it is easy I install small gel cell 12volt battery with break away switch all the brakes installed and adjusted by me I know what I doing BUT I want to make sure I am using what ever Airstream provided for there trailer and not miss anything that I CAN use . The brake system that was install by whoever has a legth of 12/2 romex connected with eletrical twist connecters at the brakes I do not feel safe with that so I am using the same kind of cord used for the electrical trailer pole hook up but 10/3 with 10 guage wire the the axle I am going to solder a Y for both sides and use liguid electrical tape to seal it and solder all connections.

Thanks... that helps. I think your unfamiliarity with the terms throws us a little as well. You won't need a powered break away switch like you used on your boat trailer, as the the break away switch on the Airstream should be wired directly to the coach battery.

As dmac said, the systems are relatively simple.

Roger

[dwightdi]

Make sure you do not use solid wire. It will fatique. Use the multistrand stuff. You do not need to use three conductor wiring, you only have to have two wires going to each brake. They do not usually fuse the break-away switch for some reason. It is a good idea not to test it for too long but you should be able to hear a click at each wheel when it is activated. Most of the early disc brakes (used in the 70's) have been replaced by the owners or shops since you can not get parts for them anymore. I replaced mine myself.

[lewster]

Originally Posted by dwightdi

Make sure you do not use solid wire. It will fatique. Use the multistrand stuff. You do not need to use three conductor wiring, you only have to have two wires going to each brake. They do not usually fuse the break-away switch for some reason. It is a good idea not to test it for too long but you should be able to hear a click at each wheel when it is activated. Most of the early disc brakes (used in the 70's) have been replaced by the owners or shops since you can not get parts for them anymore. I replaced mine myself.

The reason that there is no fuse on the break-a-way switch is safety. If the fuse blew and your trailer separated from the TV, you would have no braking in the trailer! If you feel that you need circuit protection, the only device to use is the auto reset circuit breaker. In an over current situation, it will constantly cycle on-off but will still be activating the brakes, although at a much lower draw and decreased braking power.

If you really want the best wire for your trailer, use stranded marine grade wire. It comes in 14/2, 14/3, 12/2, 12/3 and a bunch of other popular sizes.

[Mrcrowley]

Home depote should have the two strand wire I need..

[ticki2]

Originally Posted by AYRSTRM2

Electric brakes do not have sway control as a feature. There is an emergency maneuver you can take with electric brakes in an EMERGENCY to try to tame sway once it is happening, but the controller or the brakes themselves in no way control sway.

Unless there's some sort of new high tech feedback controller out there that I have not heard of. And can control each wheel separately.

This raises an interesting question . The '76 service manual shows a schematic for electric sway control ( Tru-Track Electric Sway Control ) I have not found this on my coach , possibly was an option . Has anyone come accross one of these ?

[markdoane]

Ticki2,

There was a brief mention of this a year ago. Here is the thread.
http://www.airforums.com/forum...uch-16549.html

It starts around the middle of the thread. Can you post a scan of the schematic?

[ticki2]

Originally Posted by markdoane

Ticki2,

There was a brief mention of this a year ago. Here is the thread.
http://www.airforums.com/forum...uch-16549.html

It starts around the middle of the thread. Can you post a scan of the schematic?

Don't know how well this will work but will give it a try.

[Excella CM]

I wonder if anyone has designed or built a computer/sensor controlled differential braking anti-sway? The example in this thread looks like it applies all 4 at once. I wonder if it would work if you could brake the only one side in a hyper-controlled manner?

[Loren]

My Holiday Rambler, which was manufactured in 1995, had some extra wires that seemed to go nowhere. I found one end of them at the hitch.

When I took it to an RV service tech for some unrelated repairs I asked about the wires. The technician told me that an anti-sway device was available as an option on this trailer, but my trailer didn't have it installed. These wires were for that device.

It was supposed to work by sensing sway and applying brakes on one side to counter the sway. According to the technician, the system didn't work well and was discontinued.

I don't know whether or not his explanation is true, but it's certainly plausible. I had never heard of this system before, and haven't heard of it since.

I would guess that with today's sensors, such a system could be built.

Loren