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Old 02-03-2016, 03:20 PM   #1
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Proper way to get out of a sway event?

So I'm not asking how to avoid sway. I know you need the right TV, know your weights, know your distribution of said weights, properly inflated tires, properly adjust wdh etc. I'm asking, if for whatever reason someone was in an event that causes the trailer to sway drastically, what are the proper steps to straightening out your trailer? Obviously slowing down, but do you slow the TV? Brake hard? Use the trailer's brakes? Which is it?
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Old 02-03-2016, 03:47 PM   #2
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Hold on,PRAY,Accelerate/while hitting the manual Trailer brakes,then if still in control, Slowly slow down! Youroo!!
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Old 02-03-2016, 03:55 PM   #3
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X2..... accelerate slightly and slow down after fishtailing is over.
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Old 02-03-2016, 03:56 PM   #4
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Youroo....I'm afraid I disagree....



Prayers always come first.... plus back when I first encountered this particular manifestation of trailering,....I found it difficult to hold on, steer, and hit the manual brakes at the same time. I only have two arms/hands, my feet were always in the wrong place, and my butt was grabbing......oh...I get it....hold on with your heinee....yeah... But i sure hope I don't have to try that, besides, DW says my bass is shrinking. oh crap...that's a fishing story..
ok, nevermind...back to the taxes ugh
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Old 02-03-2016, 04:06 PM   #5
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Seeing as your truck is so new...any chance it has the anti-sway breaking when a trailer is attached?

Hopefully that would help a little so you have more time to do the other 10 things that your 2 hands, arms and feet should be doing...your butt will do what it does best...
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Old 02-03-2016, 04:52 PM   #6
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Seeing as your truck is so new...any chance it has the anti-sway breaking when a trailer is attached?

Hopefully that would help a little so you have more time to do the other 10 things that your 2 hands, arms and feet should be doing...your butt will do what it does best...

Yep it sure does! I was just curious what's the proper way to get out of the situation should it occur. Hopefully won't ever have to implement it lol
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Old 02-03-2016, 06:35 PM   #7
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I've never had to stop a badly swaying trailer, but I've always been told to manually activate the trailer brakes with the controller which will reduce the trailer swaying and everything will slow down, getting you under control. It makes sense to slightly accelerate but I question being able to coordinate all the above while your poop hole is contracting.
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Old 02-03-2016, 06:49 PM   #8
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I remove foot off accelerator, apply trailer brakes only and keep vehicle under control....this is on dry road......

Controlling Sway Causes of poor tow
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Old 02-03-2016, 07:07 PM   #9
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Praying is a waste of time. Apply moderate force with the manual trailer brakes. As long as the trailer tires have traction, it will stop the sway in an instant (assuming you're not talking about a hurricane and the like).

As a young adult in a pinch one time, I pulled my enclosed car trailer with a sandrail in it with a 1985 Toyota 4x4. It was WAY more trailer than that little truck was designed for (and did not have a trailer brake controller). At one point in a slight decline on the Interstate the trailer started swaying badly. To this day I am not sure how/why I didnt wind up on my side. This happened right before my exit and as I was stopped at the intersection a couple people pulled up beside me and applauded. Not really sure if it was the good kind or the bad kind. I never have and never will put myself in a position like that again.
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Old 02-03-2016, 07:14 PM   #10
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I've never had to stop a badly swaying trailer, but I've always been told to manually activate the trailer brakes with the controller which will reduce the trailer swaying and everything will slow down, getting you under control. It makes sense to slightly accelerate but I question being able to coordinate all the above while your poop hole is contracting.
I believe those are called "Sphincter Tucks"....
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Old 02-03-2016, 07:23 PM   #11
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You know you have a sway problem when the rear of the trucks starts sliding around . Then compound the issue with no trailer brakes . Been there and don`t care to go back .
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Old 02-03-2016, 08:26 PM   #12
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I had a sway event on the highway on my second tow with my pop-up. The only thing I was ever told was to squeeze the trailer brake lever.

It swayed. I squeezed and also let my foot off of the gas pedal. After the sway slowed down, I tapped the brakes and also slowed down.
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Old 02-04-2016, 09:14 AM   #13
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I remove foot off accelerator, apply trailer brakes only and keep vehicle under control....this is on dry road......

Controlling Sway Causes of poor tow
That's a very informative article.
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Old 02-04-2016, 11:50 AM   #14
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When I first got my dump trailer, the operator loaded 3 tons of gravel way too far in the back. As soon we hit the freeway at about 50 MPH it started swaying pretty bad, I let off the accelerator and luckily thought to apply the trailer brake. It took what seemed like an eternity but it finally stopped swaying. Immediately got off the freeway and took side streets all the way back to to the jobsite. Now I direct them on load placement and even had to dump one on the spot when they placed it wrong.
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Old 02-04-2016, 12:59 PM   #15
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I've never had to stop a badly swaying trailer, but I've always been told to manually activate the trailer brakes with the controller which will reduce the trailer swaying and everything will slow down, getting you under control. It makes sense to slightly accelerate but I question being able to coordinate all the above while your poop hole is contracting.
X2
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Old 02-04-2016, 02:04 PM   #16
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Talking from experience

Last spring had a rear left wheel come off of TV at 100 KPH (55 MPH) while towing 28 foot 5th wheel. Trailer was swaying pin to pin. Instinct kicked in and I accelerated slightly, and gently applied trailer brake by hand Trailer came back behind TV quickly and from there I used trailer brake to bring the combo to a stop.. The wheel coming off broke my TV brake line and we had no brakes other than Trailer brakes.

Scary yes but not until everything get under control.

For minor sway situations I find that accelerating a bit to pull trailer into position followed by gentle braking will work to quickly regain control.
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Old 02-04-2016, 02:29 PM   #17
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I agree. Experienced it. Heading down a large hill in eastern OH on I-77 N, traveling at 70 mph, trailer started pushing the truck up to 80 mph very quickly. Acceleration was not an option; let off gas and hit manual trailer brakes hard. It stopped the sway immediately, then I used truck brakes and manual trailer brakes, (mostly trailer brakes to slow both. Yes, pucker effect to the max. Traded 1/2 ton in for a 1 ton.
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Old 02-04-2016, 02:53 PM   #18
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I can echo many of the replies so far, foot off the gas and apply the trailer brakes ONLY to straighten up and slow down. While I have never had any RV sway I have experienced trailer sway towing a 20 foot flatbed trailer with a Ford F150 tied down a bit too far back, but nobody thought it was when it was loaded. Going straight and uphills no problem, when I was going down a long grade was when it started to sway. Instant pucker factor +10!! It wasn't severe but it was quick and that was enough! After that it was very, very slow the rest of the grade. I have seen 2 almost disasters over the years, the worst was a pickup towing a full size van on a U-Haul trailer. It started to sway a little and the guy didn't get it and he just kept going 70 so it quickly started swaying more and more and everyone behind him including us slowed way down as the trailer pulled that truck across all 4 lanes and almost over but then just into a 180 before he got it stopped facing all the traffic in the wrong direction.
It can happen so fast you won't have any time to pray!
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Old 02-04-2016, 03:05 PM   #19
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Best defense is best and largest anti sway bar setup. Accelerate and use trailer brakes. 5th wheel much more stable.
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Old 02-04-2016, 03:28 PM   #20
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Youroo is correct. Apply the trailer brakes manually while accelerating with the TV. Basically you are stretching the hitch point. That should help to pull the rig straight. Once you have regained control is the time to gradually brake. Braking with the TV will only only amplify the sway especially if the brake controller is set on the light side. You may also have to steer into the slide to keep the TV from coming around.

I have had this happen once on flat open land in Nebraska. I was pulling a single axle 21' camper with a HD everything 3/4 ton 4WD Chevy. It was set up properly with a WDH. A rouge gust of heavy wind came broadside on the driver's side. It literally heaved the camper sideways-and the back of the TV with it. If it had been really windy that day, I may have expected it, but it came out of nowhere. I used the brakes on the trailer, accelerate the TV method and it worked. Heart back in the chest and a little TP and we made it home okay. This is the only time it has ever happened. Phillyg, you can do this if your life depends on it.

Actually, this is something you should practice for because most often the brake controller is hard to reach and learning in a situation is not prudent. Ford is now putting the integrated brake controller at the top of the dash which really make sense. We will be putting one on our E-450 chassis.
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