sway

[ed cobos]

hello all - read donnie08's sway problem and it got me thinking - have a hideout TT 24' towed with f150 v8 - i do get swaying with winds and passing trucks or over 60 - would a friction sway control really reduce? and is it easy to install?

[gepaine]

Yes, a friction sway control will reduce sway, and they are usually not difficult to install; however, it will not elimate sway completely. It should make your towing safer and more relaxing.

That being said, I initially had a friction sway control when towing our 24-foot TT with a 1/2 ton truck, and after encountering a very bad wind situation, I replaced it with a Hensley hitch. Hensleys are very expensive, but you have a lot of other less expensive options that are also big improvements over friction sway controls.

Also, I would not tow without some form of sway control.

[fla-gypsy]

Friction sway control= Good & cheap

Integrated sway control(Reese Dual Cam, Equalizer, Blue Ox) = Better & $

Top of the line (Hensley, ProPride) = Best & $$$

[ed cobos]

tnx - how are things in wa? - going up this summer - hood canal, seattle via many stops in oregon. went to american hitch and checked out both the friction and a reese system, it's a matter of what we want to spend - just mad dealer didnt offer options when we bought new - like my wife said they just wanted us to buy and leave.

[SteveC7010]

A single friction bar on a 24' trailer is questionable for effective sway control. You really need two of them for a trailer that size. The downside of friction sway control is that you have to set it and adjust it EVERY time you hookup. One tiny error in setting it and you have little or no sway control. Set it too tight and you'll break something when backing up.

Very few ball platforms are available (if any) with tabs for dual friction bars so you've got to go the expense of having a second tab welded onto your ball platform. Add in the cost of the two friction bars and mounting hardware plus installation costs, and you're equaled or exceeded the cost of the Dual Cam upgrade to your existing Reese WD hitch.

IMHO, you're better off going straight to the Dual Cam. If you upgrade to a larger trailer in the future, the most you'd need would be beefier weight arms. Your old ones will then bring a good price on a Craigslist sale.