There are many things that most of us take for granted, things that we do automatically or by rote, without ever questioning or considering why we’re doing them or what might go wrong. Trailering is one of them. Most of us assume that towing a trailer is simply a matter of slapping on a hitch and off we go, but in fact, it’s a complex business.
Many dangers are lurking just beneath the surface that you need to know about, because they can kill you. Not the obvious stuff, like failure to check the lights before setting off or driving around a corner and forgetting that you have a trailer attached. One that most people towing are completely clueless about is trailer sway. For Trailer Parts, visit //autoandtrailer.com/shop/trailer-parts
Trailer Sway: The definition of sway is not being able to control the trailer when the vehicle is turning or changing direction. The trailer is oscillating, swinging from side to side. It’s only when you look in your rear-view mirror and see the trailer heading for the trees that you realise that something is wrong. At that point, there is usually no escape. It’s all too late. Sway can happen when the weight of the trailer exceeds the tow weight ability, or when the trailer is not balanced properly, or if the wind is blowing too strongly, or if you drive too fast for the conditions.
When a vehicle is towing a trailer, it’s trying to balance two or more different weights on a single axis. And there’s usually a point at which the combination of the vehicle and the trailer will start to oscillate, and the trailer will swing out of control. This is not always easy to spot. And the problem with trailer sway is that you may be too busy fighting it to do anything about it. When the trailer sways, you need to take your foot off the accelerator and steer in the direction the trailer is swinging.
