Troubleshooting Trailer Sway After Installing a Reese Strait-Line Weight Distribution System

Updated 07/18/2018 | Published 07/17/2018

Question:

i have a reese dual cam sway control 1200lb bars i know there to big on my 2006 rvision maxlite tounge weight is about 580 pounds i towed it to maine and back to nj great 80 miles per hour now i take it out for the season and all it does is sway when i get over 55 miles per hour and it never did before what am i doing wrong or do i need to down grade my bars?

asked by: LEE D

Expert Reply:

It is interesting that you are experiencing more sway with the 1,200 lb Strait-Line # RP66084. Typically what we see is that weight distribution (WD) systems that are overrated for their towing setup cause the trailer to be more stiff.

Nevertheless you do need to swap out the bars for part # RP22225 which would then make your tongue weight range 400 lbs - 800 lbs and would be a better fit for your application.

Other things to help combat sway are making sure that your trailer is properly loaded (back to front and side to side) with a tongue weight between 10-15% of the weight of the loaded trailer. It also helps to make sure that you are not driving faster than the max speed rating of your tires. A lot of tires are rated at 65 mph but some are now compatible with 81 mph. You should be able to drive at least 65 mph without sway with this system.

Make sure that you are following the steps mentioned above and once you swap the bars out you should not really experience sway.

expert reply by: Jon G