Anti sway bar

[Spotman]

I ddid some searching, but.... I have a 7x14 V-nose cargo trailer and the tounge is very short, can't even mount an LP bottle on it.

My question is, would an Anti Sway Stabalizer Bar work a lot better than just towing with my truck hitch? I have been towing all kinds of trailers with longer tounges with no problems. While I tow the Cargo trailer, it seems to lag and feels like it struggles. No it's not the truck, it's a Tundra! Any thoughts and suggestions from those of you who have used a sway bar would be appreciated.



Thanks,
Bob

[MtnDon]

While I tow the Cargo trailer, it seems to lag and feels like it struggles.

I'm not sure what you mean by that? Anti-sway bars are supposed to help if the trailer wants to "wag the dog", so to speak. If that is the case an anti-sway setup could help.

Our CTC is a 6x12 deep vee nose, maybe much like yours as there is also no room in front of the point for a propane cylinder. (However I mounted one on the drivers side of the point, adjacent to the slanted wall. See it here. )

Ours feels about the same as any other trailer of comparable weight when towing. It tows dead steady everywhere we've been with it. If yours is built about the same way there may be insufficient room for an anti sway bar system. I could not easily fit one to ours.

[lrrowe]

Bob, you have seen my trailer and it towed great without one, so I am not one to help much with a CT. I have used them on a traditional camper and ended up with an impossible to control sway which resulted in this.


My point is that I still got into an uncontrollable sway with one. But who is to say that it was not my truck's suspension's fault, my connection of the sway bar, my driving skill or just something that I could not control. A logging truck (not the one in the picture) went by me fast at 55 or so and the wind just pushed me over to the road's edge.

I know this does not really answer your question, just wanted to share it with you.

[Spotman]

Don, thanks for your input. I have been following your pages and very impressed. Including all the builds you have accomplished and the great knowledge you have given to everyone who asks. I just think it might be that this is the heaviest/bulkiest rig I have ever towed and it just felt "very" different than the others.

Bob, Dang, Damn and Darn... you kept your truck and "trailer" upright after all of that!

I probably would have said, "that's enough towing for me"!


Bob

[lrrowe]

Don, thanks for your input. I have been following your pages and very impressed. Including all the builds you have accomplished and the great knowledge you have given to everyone who asks. I just think it might be that this is the heaviest/bulkiest rig I have ever towed and it just felt "very" different than the others.

Bob, Dang, Damn and Darn... you kept your truck and "trailer" upright after all of that!

I probably would have said, "that's enough towing for me"!


Bob

I think I was very very lucky. Especially since I had two young boys in the truck with me. I used up both lanes on one side of a divided highway trying to get the trailer back under control. Afterwards, I concluded that the base of the wood frame had weakened as the result of a flood one year that went up to the top of the frame. If that happened, that weakness may have been what allowed the RV body to flip off the frame and save our butts. But no, it did not scare me that much as I went out and bought a replacement weeks later

[hankaye]

Soptman, Howdy;

You might try reading up on these. Although i think they require
about 28-34 inches from the ball along the hitch frame for proper
installation.

If your trailer is feeling piggish then you might want to re-examine
your weight distribution within the trailer ... If the steering isn't
extra light you may have to much weight aft of the trailer axle.

hank

[Spotman]

Hanaye, thanks for the info, will investigate hopefully tomorrow.

[hankaye]

Spotman, Howdy;

Hanaye, thanks for the info, will investigate hopefully tomorrow.

Sorry forgot to include the link, http://www.equalizerhitch.com/
and they have a special doc. for V-nosed trailers;
http://www.equalizerhitch.com/pdf/v-nosetrailers.pdf

hank

[Alan_H]

I was thinking weight distribution as well. Make sure you have at least 10% of your total weight as tongue weight.

[Spotman]

Spotman, Howdy;

Hanaye, thanks for the info, will investigate hopefully tomorrow.

Sorry forgot to include the link, http://www.equalizerhitch.com/
and they have a special doc. for V-nosed trailers;
http://www.equalizerhitch.com/pdf/v-nosetrailers.pdf

hank

I thought something was missing, I was going to Google for info!

[aggie79]

The Andersen weight distribution / anti-sway hitches don't use the torque arms to distribute weight so the bracket attachment point is shorter than most WD hitches. http://www.andersenhitches.com/Catalog/andersen-nosway-weight-distribution-hitch.aspx

If I do a CT conversion, I will get the Andersen setup.

[Mike S]

I have essentially the same set-up as you Bob. The only difference is that mine isn't a V-nose, and therefor has a longer tongue. But how would the tongue length make any difference in towing? What matters is how much of the trailer is in front of the axles, right? I've never towed with a WD hitch or an anti-sway bar so don't have much to compare to but IMO you're fine without them. I tow over winding mountain roads and passses, interstates, in snow, and in high wind situations on a regular basis. I've never experienced any kind of sway or instability with my trailer/truck combo. It seems to tow fine with the standard ball hitch. It's pretty easy to load a cargo trailer with too much weight in front and therefor create instability so be aware of that. Shoot for 10-15% of your trailer weight on the tongue for best handling.

[lrrowe]

At $450 for the kit, it is not inexpensive. But to help reduce the dreaded sway and results like I had, it may well just be worth it. I like the simplicity of it. It appears that there should be no pinched fingers like I used to get with the traditional style. And it looks good also.

[Spotman]

You guys are a great wealth of information on here. I will check weight distribution in the future. There really is no much weight in there when I do tow?? Most goes in my truck.

[hankaye]

Spotman, Howdy;

Another thought came to me when I re-read your initial post. When you mentioned
"While I tow the Cargo trailer, it seems to lag and feels like it struggles. No it's not
the truck, it's a Tundra!"
Well it may be the length of the 2 wheel bases. Is your's a short wheelbase? Here's a
few items to read to see if anything they have to say rings a bell ;
http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_g ... ility.html
Interesting series of articles (pages);
http://www.synthx.com/articles/trailer-design.html
Here is what I used for my search Wheelbase effects on handling when towing
Hope it helps or gives some insight.

hank