The hazards of trailer sway

Sgt. Schultz · 06-20-2013, 10:44 PM

Saw this link on RV Net:
Minor injuries reported in single-car accident - Ogemaw County Herald
RV.Net Open Roads Forum: Travel Trailers: Sway caused accident on I-75
A good reminder to review what to do if you are in a sway condition.
Some pointers:
RV 101® Education with Mark Polk: Trailer Braking, Trailer Sway & Windy Conditions

How To Control Trailer Sway by RV Education 101® - YouTube

**bikendan** · 06-21-2013, 12:26 AM

i own the same Avalanche and there's NO WAY that they should've been towing that long of a trailer with an Avalanche.
the V-Lites in that length range, have GVWR's that are at or over the Avy's max tow capacity with only a 150lb. driver.

once again, too much trailer for the tow vehicle.
i wish it had shown if they had a WDH or not.

Doering · 06-23-2013, 06:15 PM

How could a dealer have let that combo drive away (assuming it was a dealer purchase)? There is pushing the limits, but that is ridiculous! Good thing there were no serious injuries. Maybe very lucky this time.

acadianbob · 06-23-2013, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikendan

i own the same Avalanche and there's NO WAY that they should've been towing that long of a trailer with an Avalanche.

I totally agree with you. But there are still many who don't want to hear it.

ChooChooMan74 · 06-23-2013, 07:04 PM

It could have been a private sale. If I am to sell mine privately, I would make sure, for peace of mine, make sure the buyer was setup correctly.

Doering · 06-23-2013, 07:33 PM

Eleven pages of discussion over on RV Net. Many say the Avalanche is capable and that the accident was driver error. Tough to know without all the figures and specs of the exact TV and trailer from the setup to loading. Properly equipped Avalanche is equivalent to a 1/2 ton pickup?

ChooChooMan74 · 06-23-2013, 08:07 PM

Even an empty pintle hitch HD flatbed can put a 3/4 ton all over the road. Saw this dude towing at 70+ on the Mass Pike. Sway can happen to anyone who isn't properly setup. Excessive speed doesn't help the issue.

Auto4 · 06-23-2013, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChooChooMan74

Even an empty pintle hitch HD flatbed can put a 3/4 ton all over the road. Saw this dude towing at 70+ on the Mass Pike. Sway can happen to anyone who isn't properly setup. Excessive speed doesn't help the issue.

Was that today? I was swaying all over the Mass Pike coming home from Nornandy Farms with my 3/4 ton. However, the only time I was going 70 was going down hill. I had some issues that I need to figure out. I never had my trailer sway as bad as it was today.

ChooChooMan74 · 06-23-2013, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Auto4

Was that today? I was swaying all over the Mass Pike coming home from Nornandy Farms with my 3/4 ton. However, the only time I was going 70 was going down hill. I had some issues that I need to figure out. I never had my trailer sway as bad as it was today.

Oh no. This was last week. This guy had a pintle hitch bobcat trailer.

It was windy as all hell today coming home from the cape. Was it windy inland?

Auto4 · 06-24-2013, 07:46 AM

Not windy at all. I may have been hit by a wind gust. The sway was so bad that I thought I had a flat tire. It was the worst I have ever had a trailer sway in the 7 plus years of towing. Like I mentioned before I have other issues going on an it may have been a combination of my truck tires and hitch set up. New truck and I'm still trying to dial in the hitch. Also my tire pressure monitor in the truck displayed a "tire pressure sensor fault" on the dash. When I checked the pressure, my rear tires were reading over 90 pounds. Started the trip at 75 psi.

Sgt. Schultz · 06-24-2013, 08:18 AM

Auto4 glad you came out ok from it - what did you do to get out of the sway? Sounds like the sway was caused by a combination of issues - hopefully resolved now

avolnek · 06-24-2013, 08:23 AM

There's a lot of reasoning behind why this could have happened though... I would agree that the TV was a bit on the small size. I don't mean to pick on anyone but I feel the eco boost is another TV that is being a bit over rated and over loaded. The truck may be able to pull the weight it is declaring but with a camper there is a lot more than just weight... I feel the wind resistance is a more important factor... The other fact is the eco boost just isn't very heavy which means the camper is going to OWN the truck, not the other way around...

I think the eco boost is a great in town light load engine but I think people pulling campers with them are going to be more likely to see sway and white knuckle driving due to the light weight TV. Of course all of this can be combated with an appropriate hitch and sway control.. also driving experience comes into play and being aware of said issues...

Auto4 · 06-24-2013, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sreddy

Auto4 glad you came out ok from it - what did you do to get out of the sway? Sounds like the sway was caused by a combination of issues - hopefully resolved now

PANICKED!!! And let off the gas. I wish I had a good story about how my driving expertise saved us from an accident but in reality everything happened so quickly that my first instinct was to let of the gas and pray.

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