Trailer sway is dangerous and can ultimately prove deadly when it results in a crash. Here, we believe, is the best video demonstration of how trailer sway occurs and how to prevent it.
Watch as a toy car pulls a trailer on a special treadmill where the load in the trailer can be switched easily from place to place — front, back, middle, etc., each method affecting the vehicle’s towing stability. See the absolutely worst way to position a load.
If you own a travel trailer, please watch this video from Australia.
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Thank you! Extremely instructive and helpful!
Excellent!
TV advertised “towing capacity” is just ONE leg of the stool! Perhaps even More important: Tongue weight as a % of total towed weight (should be 10-15%)…and THAT weight is added to the TV’s GVWR. Gotta run ALL the numbers…and weigh all the axles of the combined fully loaded rig to see if its all within the rated allowable numbers. And then there is wheelbase- you TV may be a powerhouse- but if its a short WB (like a Jeep or 4Runner), it just NOT going to be stable with a longer (like 25′) trailer. Lawyers will have ALL those numbers if you get sued after an accident- you can COUNT on it!
And now, many trailer manufacturers tout the 2″ receiver they provide on the rear of the trailers they build. Many buyers will no doubt hang all kinds of attachments to those, way out on the back, and…well…just watch the video.
Long tail swing on a C Class can also cause a jacknife when pulling a toad. The lighter the toad, the better.
Aside from proper weight distribution and not exceeding published vehicle weight limitations, watching one’s speed going down hill is just as critical. My experience is that towing most any trailer down a grade, the stability dynamics change from flat, level towing, or towing uphill, such that a sway condition can setup more easily downhill. It pays to be more mindful of a subtle change in stability going downhill because the trailer is often pushing the tow vehicle due to engine compression acting to retard the tow vehicle’s speed such that the tow vehicle is no longer pulling the trailer.