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Travel Trailer Sway- What Causes it?
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One of the risks of towing a standard travel trailer is the likelihood of swaying and loosing control. Travel trailer sway can be caused by a variety of factors. Any one of the following factors may not cause swaying but more than one could.
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Towing speed
Towing speed may be the one biggest factor that determines trailer sway. The bad news is that tests indicate that any speeds exceeding 45mph tend to cause any trailer to start to sway. With highway speeds being typically greater nowadays, it's usually not illegal or practical to move at a speed that'll control trailer sway. Learn more about trailer sway control, go here.
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Gusting winds
Depending on the weather, winds may gust and rise in velocity. Gusting winds can also be high winds that are blocked by a bridge overpass or tree line and the blockage is cleared while towing. From a fairly low side force, your trailer moves to a higher side force, which pivots it on the Hensley hitch ball, creating a tow angle.
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High winds
Winds that blow perpendicular to the side of a moving trailer push and pivot it on the Hensley hitch ball, causing a tow angle. And the larger the side of your trailer, the stronger will be the force at any wind velocity. It's never wise to tow in high winds, so it should be done carefully if necessary.
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Improper loading
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Trailers are extremely sensitive to where load cargo is placed. Your water tanks, clothing, supplies and anything will alter the weight of your trailer and how the weight is distributed all over the towed combination. Find out for further details on hensley arrow hitch right here.
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Poor trailer design
The fact is some trailers are better built for towing compared to others. The design of trailers includes many different variables that must be addressed to correctly balance the trailer. Even with a proper trailer design, it can be difficult to determine the right trailer layout due to the fact that the trailer will be used by lots of different customers.
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Bad roads
With any kind of travel across the country, there are some roads that are in bad shape. Poor, uneven roads can cause imbalance and make a trailer sway.
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Downhill travel
Towing downhill may cause the trailer to go faster than the vehicle towing it. The tow car is designed to slow down when your foot is off the accelerator but trailers don't come with this feature. When the speed of the trailer is higher than that of the tow vehicle, the trailer can start to sway.