Do I NEED sway control??

[sherritoo]

We've towed our 22 ft 2004 Airstream International AS without weight distribution or sway control for probably 4,000 mile without any problems. Really haven't felt the need for it. Pulls like a dream.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Oh cr@p...

aqui para cá nesse ponto

[THEPILL]

Originally Posted by sherritoo

We've towed our 22 ft 2004 Airstream International AS without weight distribution or sway control for probably 4,000 mile without any problems. Really haven't felt the need for it. Pulls like a dream.

AANNNDDYYYY!!!!



Shane

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by sherritoo

We've towed our 22 ft 2004 Airstream International AS without weight distribution or sway control for probably 4,000 mile without any problems. Really haven't felt the need for it. Pulls like a dream.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by THEPILL

AANNNDDYYYY!!!!



Shane

Apparently, some members feel that my statements about hitches and sway controls, is "hogwash".

Therefore I won't make any further posts about those 2 subjects.

Andy

[sd90mac]

Originally Posted by sherritoo

We've towed our 22 ft 2004 Airstream International AS without weight distribution or sway control for probably 4,000 mile without any problems. Really haven't felt the need for it. Pulls like a dream.

Welcome to the forums.
What does it say about this subject in your owner's manual for your Airstream? Our owner's manual specifies the need for WD, at the least.

[Snowday]

I have never used these things before. I have never owned an Airstream before either. I have a 2003 half ton Chevy pickup and a 1967 Globetrotter 20. Can someone point me to a good tutorial on these bars, how to install them, what they do, and what kind of receiver I need to buy? Should I use the old ones or get something new? Thanks, TJ

[Florida 55]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Apparently, some members feel that my statements about hitches and sway controls, is "hogwash".

Therefore I won't make any further posts about those 2 subjects.

Andy

Andy,

I for one appreciate your postings regarding hitches, sway control, and weight distribution bars. Thanks to you lighter weight bars were my first acquisition after buying an Airstream from a private owner. I encourage you to continue saying what's on your mind. Those who disagree are free to ignore your postings. If you save even one person from an accident the effort will be more than worth it.

[DMT]

Originally Posted by Florida 55

Andy,

I for one appreciate your postings regarding hitches, sway control, and weight distribution bars. Thanks to you lighter weight bars were my first acquisition after buying an Airstream from a private owner. I encourage you to continue saying what's on your mind. Those who disagree are free to ignore your postings. If you save even one person from an accident the effort will be more than worth it.

Count me in too. Andy's posts offer a wealth of learning and experience. So too do many other senior posters. I really appreciate the generosity of these folks sharing their advice and experience.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Maybe Andy's Plasti-cote is pealing, he'll get it re-shot and be back, watch for him in other arenas.

Bob

[Kevo]

So my TV weighs 7000lbs. and I have a 22ft Safari. I was waiting till i had the camper finished before running it over to have it weighed. But I am guessing it could not weigh more than 2500lbs or so. Thus far I have towed it several hundred miles and on many local camping trips and so far, with no sway bars, it tows just fine. I am not one of those folks who keeps their camper loaded to the gills either. But I have never not once seen the back end of the trailer sway or not track properly. Like Shane, I would like to know what difference in safety is with or without it, and what sway / WDH would you guys recommend for a typical setup ?

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Apparently, some members feel that my statements about hitches and sway controls, is "hogwash".

Therefore I won't make any further posts about those 2 subjects.

Andy

Me too, Andy. Even though you and I don't always agree on the FINER points....ya gotta keep talking the truth until perceptions and myth die out. Like others said, if folks don't like it ...let it go, you've done your part.

[perryg114]

This whole sway thing seems like there is a one size fits all mentality. There are some Tow Vehicle / Trailer Combinations that are unstable in sway and some that are not. Does it make sense to add sway control when you already have a stable combination? In my opinion NO. If you don't have a tendency to fish tail when a truck passes or when braking hard I don't see a need for it. I have a Load Distributing Hitch but it is the old kind with the friction sway system which I think can do more harm than good, especially if it is old and rusty and may tend to bind. I am sure there are sway control systems that may actually help than hurt but my rig seems to be stable and adding something just as a knee jerk reaction does not make sense to me. Adding friction can cause more problems than it is worth because it can work for you or against you. As said above it has no brain. So what sway control system is worth investing in and can I add it to the hitch I have or do I have to start all over again?

Basic physics tells me that you can have an unstable underdamped system (not enough sway control) or you can have a properly damped system and no sway control. You can also have an overdamped situation that is not stable either.

Airstreams are among the most stable trailers out there. Truth of the matter is that an Airstream sitting on the ball with no load distrubution is more stable than an SOB top heavy trailer with all the stability control.

Perry

[DMT]

Reese Strait-line is good value for the money.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by perryg114

This whole sway thing seems like there is a one size fits all mentality. There are some Tow Vehicle / Trailer Combinations that are unstable in sway and some that are not. Does it make sense to add sway control when you already have a stable combination? In my opinion NO. If you don't have a tendency to fish tail when a truck passes or when braking hard I don't see a need for it. I have a Load Distributing Hitch but it is the old kind with the friction sway system which I think can do more harm than good, especially if it is old and rusty and may tend to bind. I am sure there are sway control systems that may actually help than hurt but my rig seems to be stable and adding something just as a knee jerk reaction does not make sense to me. Adding friction can cause more problems than it is worth because it can work for you or against you. As said above it has no brain. So what sway control system is worth investing in and can I add it to the hitch I have or do I have to start all over again?

Perry

Perry, I think you are missing one point. Although, yes, you can have a very stable rig w/o WD and sway control under normal driving circumstances, it's when thing are less than normal that things go bad very quickly.

When emergency maneuvers happen, oil on water, hydroplaning, unexpected traffic situations at high speed....etc. you find very quickly that you don't have control. I'd bet if you talk to 100 people who have had serious trailering accident, the one common thread would be, "I don't know what happened...it was so quick...the trailer just started coming around...."

Yes, it can happen with proper sway control and properly set up WD, but it's about risk reduction.

Your logic is a little like, " I don't need to get new brakes. The truck is stable and I always coast up to stop signs and slow down way before exit ramps." Yeah, that'll work....till you need them!

[dznf0g]

I've had WD with the add on friction bar on lighter trailers; Equal-i-zer: and Reese dual cam.

Reese and Equal-i-zer both work well WHEN SET UP PROPERLY. EQ doesn't give the flexibility to purchase mix and match parts to fine tune an AS setup, so Reese is my current setup and prefered choice.

If ya got a lot of bucks, ProPride or Hensley are said to be excellent, but I have no practical experience.

[ROBERT CROSS]

How much did your TV cost, how much did your AS cost, what value do you assign to your family and fellow travelers and how much does a well designed working hitch system add to the total investment?

It's a no brainer.

Bob

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by perryg114

This whole sway thing seems like there is a one size fits all mentality. There are some Tow Vehicle / Trailer Combinations that are unstable in sway and some that are not. Does it make sense to add sway control when you already have a stable combination? In my opinion NO. If you don't have a tendency to fish tail when a truck passes or when braking hard I don't see a need for it. I have a Load Distributing Hitch but it is the old kind with the friction sway system which I think can do more harm than good, especially if it is old and rusty and may tend to bind. I am sure there are sway control systems that may actually help than hurt but my rig seems to be stable and adding something just as a knee jerk reaction does not make sense to me. Adding friction can cause more problems than it is worth because it can work for you or against you. As said above it has no brain. So what sway control system is worth investing in and can I add it to the hitch I have or do I have to start all over again?

Basic physics tells me that you can have an unstable underdamped system (not enough sway control) or you can have a properly damped system and no sway control. You can also have an overdamped situation that is not stable either.

Airstreams are among the most stable trailers out there. Truth of the matter is that an Airstream sitting on the ball with no load distrubution is more stable than an SOB top heavy trailer with all the stability control.

Perry

Perry.

The question of "safety" should never be compromised.

Ride in the back end of your trailer at 60 mph, and then you will see that your trailer "is not" as stable as you may think.

As and example, if you had to change lanes very quickly, you will find that the load equalizing hitch "AND" sway control, will most likely save you from a loss of control issue.

Caravanner Insurance proved that many times over in 1970. Physics are still the same, and do not offer any form of additional security, just because you use a truck.

But, as always, you can accept experience and/or facts, or kick it to the curb. It's always your choice.

Andy

[perryg114]

Well I plan on doing more research. I have found that if you just throw money at something without any thought behind it that you are usually just wasting money and not solving the problem. I am not going to just drop $700 on the latest sway gadget without the knowledge to make it work properly. I have done some basic stability tests with the setup I have and I have not seen anything that concerns me. I did some panic stops and curvy roads and I see no inherent stability problems. That does not mean there is no room for improvement. You are never going to be able to eliminate all risk even with the best high dollar hitch setup you can find. There are situations where you can roll or jackknife a trailer. Swerving and hitting the brakes at the same time is going to get you in trouble trailer or no trailer. Paying attention and keeping a safe following distance is going to save more lives than anything. It is when we are surprised by something like a car stopped in front of us or something in the road. There is no way you are going to idiot proof a trailer or any motorvehicle.

I think what would sell more of these sway control hitches is to see test with and without the hitch. I want to see if it really makes a difference. Where is the data not some slick add that promises you the world because you bought a new toy. Where is the evidence that these things actually do anything. Are they just snake oil or do they really help. I suspect it is somewhere in between. With no data you have no way of telling. Without data it is just BS. Show me data.

I am a test engineer I have to have more than BS to buy something.

Perry

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by perryg114

This whole sway thing seems like there is a one size fits all mentality.

Basic physics tells me that you can have an unstable underdamped system (not enough sway control) or you can have a properly damped system and no sway control. You can also have an overdamped situation that is not stable either.

Airstreams are among the most stable trailers out there. Truth of the matter is that an Airstream sitting on the ball with no load distrubution is more stable than an SOB top heavy trailer with all the stability control.

Perry

Perry.

The very best sway control, is not friction, but torsion.

I don't wish to change your mind, but an Airstream, is a "very unstable" trailer to tow.

Why??

SOB's typically have a flat front. That creates tons of wind resistance, which also acts, to some degree, like a sway control.

Airstream, on the other hand, is very aerodynamically clean, which offers very little wind resistance. Therefore one must use better equipment to tow an Airstream than an SOB.

Try pulling a flat fronted trailer at high speed, like 90 to 100 mph. It won't happen.

But with an Airstream, even a loaded 31 footer, you can easily tow over 100 mph with a car.

Years ago, as a test, an empty 5 X 8 boxed U-haul was towed with a 1973 Buick at a maxed out speed of 85 mph.

Additional testing, with the same tow vehicle, towed a loaded 31 foot Airstream at 115 mph.

That answers which design was cleaner, and which design required top notch load equalizing hitches with sway control.

But again, to each his own choices.

Andy