Sway Control and your travel trailer:
Do you need it?
The short answer is – yes. Every camper should equip their trailer with some type of anti-sway device to protect yourselves and the drivers around you when you are towing your travel trailer. Whether you are sticking around Plattsburgh for a weekend, or touring the Adirondacks for your extended vacation, safety should always be a priority. The most important part of it is determining which type of sway control is right for you, as there are a few different options out there. Some simply aid in correcting a swaying trailer, while others have components such as weight distribution integrated into the hitch as well.
Option 1: Sway Bar (no weight distribution)
There are all sorts of different sway bars out there that can be utilized to help prevent or correct sway when towing your camper. This will allow for a smoother ride overall, as well as protect you from what can be a catastrophic accident when a camper sways out of control and ends up jackknifing. Check out this video for an example of what can happen without proper sway control.
Option 2: Weight distributing hitch with sway control
This is the option that we highly recommend investing in if you are planning to regularly tow your camper. The weight distribution helps to more evenly distribute the weight of your camper of the entirety of the unit, rather than placing the majority of the weight on the hitch of the camper where it attaches to your tow vehicle. This will put less stress on your tow vehicle, and assist in providing a much smoother ride. There will be built in sway control in this type of hitch as well, protecting you and your family from losing control of your trailer while traveling. In most cases, the bars in these hitch kits are rated for different size campers, so be sure to consult your friends here at the Plattsburgh RV Store parts & service department to determine which one is the best fit for your tow vehicle and travel trailer.
There are many different types of weight distributing hitches on the market. Here at Plattsburgh RV Store , we recommend the Blue Ox family of hitches, as they are made in the United States, come with a lifetime warranty, and are some of the most innovative on the market! As always, if you have any questions about safety while towing, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts! We are always here to help.
