Friction Sway Control Backing up and wet conditions?

[outdoors5]

We recently purchased a new to me tow vehicle and had a Reese Sway Control friction style installed.  This is the basic style mounted on one side of the camper and has a bar that slides causing friction.

Is it true that you can not back up with this style sway control ?  Also, the bar says loosen to the off position in wet wheather(No sway control in wet wheather?).  I do not get it...how convenient or usefull is this if I have to get out everytime I back up and have to turn it off in wet conditions.  Do I have this information correct?  Looking for input from anyone that uses this.

[AzRon]

I was told to disconnect the sway control bar when backing up, as in putting the pup in a spot or your yard, but never heard about during wet weather tho AzRon

[rccs]

You need to take the sway control off when backing into your campsite because if you turn to short you will bend or break something if the sway control bottoms out. I have not heard of loosening it in wet weather though, I use mine rain or shine and have not had any trouble. I usually remove mine when I get to the campground and stop to check in since once I arrive it is no longer needed (not much sway to the trailer going 15-25 miles per hour within the campground).

[GeneF]

1.  I believe the mfg's directions may state that you should not use the sway bar in wet conditions.  

Since this is a "friction" device, it may be that when water gets on it, it acts like a lubricant and the sway control will not be effective.  Just a thought.

The following is taken from Drawtites web site, their instruction page:

"When towing during slippery conditions such as wet, icy, or snow-covered roads or on loose gravel, turn on/off handle (5) counterclockwise until all tension is removed from unit. Failure to do so could prevent tow vehicle and trailer from turning properly."


2.  I didn't unhook the sway bar when backing up one time under the direction of the cg owner to get my Mesa into a tight spot.  Ended up jackknifing the trailer.  The sway control put a nice dent in the bumper of the Sienna.  This may be reason for taking it off before backing into a tight spot.   By the way, the cg owner disappeared pretty fast.  Most of the time I didn't bother to take it off if it was a fairly straight back in.

[threebeachboys]

Is it true that you can not back up with this style sway control ?  Also, the bar says loosen to the off position in wet wheather(No sway control in wet wheather?).  I do not get it...how convenient or usefull is this if I have to get out everytime I back up and have to turn it off in wet conditions.  Do I have this information correct?  Looking for input from anyone that uses this.

We have sway control and un-hook it to back up.  If the angle is too sharp, you will damage something  . . . .. hopefully only the sway bar - anything else may be very expensive . . . . .

Never heard the part about wet weather; we've driven in drenching, driving rain and not had an issue.  Thanks for the heads up; I'll definately check it out.

Pam

[flyfisherman]

You sure need to take care backing as there's a possibility of doing damage to  something backing up with a sway bar. Likewise, backing up with surge brakes ... here you have to make sure the brake coupler is pulled back forward to the towing position - otherwise the break-away mechanism may be activated.

A few years back there was a lot of caution about sway bars and wet pavements, but that was done to maybe an extreme. Maybe caused a lot of trailer towers NOT to use one at all ~ I always thought they were more at risk of causing a skid when the pavement first gets wet, when the pavement is the more slicker, where the tires would lose more traction. And I would think that might be at a lower speed, sharp turn. For sure, if there was a possibility of sleet and a little road ice (black ice?), I'd sure be undoing mine!




Fly

[GeneF]

"For sure, if there was a possibility of sleet and a little road ice (black ice?), I'd sure be undoing mine!"

I would be undoing the popup and parking the tv and popup.

Black ice is no fun.  Found that out when I totalled my car after hitting some black ice several years ago.

[Mike Up]

Why not get a properly balanced PUP to begin with. One that has at least 10% of the total weight on the tongue, and preferably 11% - 13%.
 
The other alternative is to get rid of the inferior friction sway altogether and use Reeses Dual Cam Sway control or a chainless design that has built in sway.
 
Friction sway bars always seemed like a bad idea to me when so many better alternatives exist.
 
Have a good one.

[tlhdoc]

Why not get a properly balanced PUP to begin with. One that has at least 10% of the total weight on the tongue, and preferably 11% - 13%.
 
The other alternative is to get rid of the inferior friction sway altogether and use Reeses Dual Cam Sway control or a chainless design that has built in sway.
 
Friction sway bars always seemed like a bad idea to me when so many better alternatives exist.

Depending on how it is loaded any trailer can have sway.  Finding a perfectly balanced PU with a floor plan and accessories that you want may be a challenge.  A friction sway bar is an inexpensive way to add some safety to a persons towing.  Why should I purchase a weight distributing hitch, if I don't need one.  Many PUs can not take the stress of a weight distributing hitch.  
 
As for the original question YES take it off when backing up and I loosen my sway bar when towing in the rain.  My sway bar manual says to loosen it when towing in the rain.  It does not say you have to loosen it all the way.

[outdoors5]

Wow!  :confused:   I have not used it yet on a trip and after reading responses I'm wondering if it makes sense to have this type of sway control.  I want sway control but do I have this correct:   If I pull into a gas station and have a tight turn and need to back up a little I need to... jump out of the tv take the sway off while everyone is waiting, back up the tv and then jump out again and put the sway control back on?  Plus, if it is raining when I may really need to avoid sway I need to losen it up thus making the whole sway system useless.  Do I really have this right or am I missing something?

(I know the above sounds like my original write up but I still can't beleive this is how it operates.  I guss with my above example I am trying to ask that is a slight and not sharp turn while backing up ok or not with sway bar attached?)

[flyfisherman]

Wow!  :confused:   I have not used it yet on a trip and after reading responses I'm wondering if it makes sense to have this type of sway control.  I want sway control but do I have this correct:   If I pull into a gas station and have a tight turn and need to back up a little I need to... jump out of the tv take the sway off while everyone is waiting, back up the tv and then jump out again and put the sway control back on?  Plus, if it is raining when I may really need to avoid sway I need to losen it up thus making the whole sway system useless.  Do I really have this right or am I missing something?

(I know the above sounds like my original write up but I still can't beleive this is how it operates.  I guss with my above example I am trying to ask that is a slight and not sharp turn while backing up ok or not with sway bar attached?)

A wll fitted sway bar is a good tool. Especially offering additional stability while traveling down the highway, like when an 18 wheeler goes swooshing by. You can get by with a short, straight back-up of a few feet. It's when backing into a camping site (or such), where there's going to be some tight turns that a problem can occur. As for wet pavement, if I were traveling down the expressway I'd just do like I'd normally do when driving without a trailer ... slow down. If I were on a two lane, curving, pitching road and it were raining, I'd loosen the bar. All common sense calls.



Fly

[GeneF]

Alas, perhaps we worry to much.

The $100 for a friction sway bar is well spent just for the safety factor.  It works well on smaller popups.  If I was getting one of the new bemoths that weigh over 3000 pounds plus, then I would go the full route of a wdh and a good sway control.

Right now I can pull my Jayco, approximately 7500 pounds with my 2500HD without a sway control.  Pulled it over 1000 miles without sway control and it was fine.  Trailer didn't budge.  However, I spent the extra money to get the dual cam sway control just for peace of mind.

When I had my Sienna and a 12 foot Mesa, I needed a sway control and used the friction bar type.  AT 30 mph I had sway with this setup.  Obviously it was not a good match.  Sway bar took care of the problem.

Pulled a 10 foot Rockwood with a Ford Windstar.  Again, I really didn't need the sway bar as the Windstar handled it very well, but I did use one.

As has been said, just use your common sense with sway bar.  You will find that you will be able to back up in most situations without removing the bar.  Backing into sites is one of the major reasons to take it off.

Sometimes things seem a lot more complicated than they are.

[badabing67]

maybe you should try towing the pup without the sway bar and see if you need it to begin with, in my opinion you should not need any thing but a 2" ball in your hitch, when I towed our 30ft TT, I used a friction sway control and a wdh, I did unhook when backing and turning (but not at a gas station), however i never loosened it in the rain, seemed like defeating the purpose to me. when we bought the pup, I sold the wdh and sway control to the dealer, I don't see a need for it when pulling with a fullsize truck. just my .02

[GeneF]

I don't see a need for it when pulling with a fullsize truck. just my .02

I didn't realize he was towing with a 3/4 ton truck.  Shouldn't have any problem at all.

Only other justification for the sway bar with be a little more insurance.

I only pulled the Mesa with a 1/2 ton one time and for about 20 miles and no sway bar.  Didn't even know it was there.

[Mike Up]

I pulled now with 2 trucks and one 'longer' wheelbase SUV. The Titan Crew Cab had 139" wheelbase. It pulled the Rockwood as if it weren't there. Got the Pathfinder, it needed airbags to handle the Rockwood due to the Pathfinder's shorter 112" wheelbase and it's softer springs.
 
Going to the Starcaft/Pathfinder combination allowed the harshness and sag to go away but the shorter wheelbase made me know that camper was still behind me.
 
Pulling the Starcraft with the Sport Trac reminds me of pulling the Rockwood with the Titan. I can't tell it's behind me. The Sport Trac has a long wheelbase, longer than most midsize pickups and 'equalling' the fullsize Chevy Avalanche with 131" of wheelbase.
 
If you're pulling with a pickup that has a longer wheelbase, the pull should be easy. If you're pulling with any size SUV, the shorter wheelbase 'could' make the tow harder where you'll definitely know the camper is behind you. The Dodge Durango and fullsize SUVs offer considerably longer wheelbases over midsizes. Midsizes are 104" - 113" where Fullsize SUVs are 117" - 123". Suburban is the same as it's Avalanche sibling at 131".
 
As far as power, all 3 of my vehicles had heavty power and pulling was never a concern. The Titan with (5.6L DOHC V8) 305 hp and 379 lbs of torque, the Pathfinder with (4.0L DOHC V6) 270 Hp and 291 lbs of torque (not much low rpm torque as with both V8s though) , and the Sport Trac with (4.6L SOHC V8) 292 Hp and 300 lbs of torque.
 
Having a fullsize vehicle will offer a better towing experience based soley on wheelbase length.
 
Have a good one.