Do I Need A Sway Control Hitch On A Pop Up Camper

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Sway Bar Necessary?

• Thread starter lynnmarie0123
• Start date Jun 27, 2020

• Tags

  sway bar

• #1

How-do-you-do

thanks to all who answered my newbie questions so far.

My side by side one is : dealer is recommending i go a Sway Bar. That means a whole new hitch AND BALL as well. Im towing with a hyundai santa fe SUV. pup WEIGHS 1450 dry out - my SUV RATED for 2000 pounds.
Im new to this - have never towed a camper.
Should i pay the extra $300 for this sway bar?
Im scared about braking while going downhill and pup going faster than the SUV.

LOGICALLY my brain says information technology shouldnt swing or jackknife. Merely in my heed i can see it happening.

thanks for whatever input.

lynn

• #2

jmkay1

2004 Fleetwood/Coleman Utah

It doesn't hurt to have i, but no you lot shouldn't have too many problems assuming y'all pack appropriately and go on weight on your tongue. I will say, non to scare you, only I had information technology happen to me, where
I had tunnel upshot current of air striking my popup just right and caused information technology to sway. Going whatsoever speed with an out of control camper tin can certain wake you lot upwards. Thankfully with the help of a big rig driver who used his rig to finish the wind and me E'er so slightly applying breaks got everything in control. It did brand me wish I had a sway bar to aid. It may not have stopped it from happening but it could have helped getting things nether command quicker.

• #3

Properly loaded pups of that weight seldom need an antisway bar. You don't indicate the model, but if information technology is a Jayco, for sure yous don't, they tow very well.

• #iv

I think there needed. And inexpensive insurance. You tin add it yourself for a bit less. You need the small brawl, and the bar. And a plate to put the brawl on the one-time hitch. I had trucks pass me and suck in the camper. Not fun. This was with the pup on a highway. Lots of traffic and bridges to get to where i demand to get. Hell, my boob tube by itself gets pushed past the wind sometimes on a bridge by my business firm.

• #5

• #6

I have never used a sway bar on lighter trailers, only information technology can't hurt. I wouldn't pay $300 for one, though. $l or lx bucks will become you one. Welding in the tab shouldn't be more than $twenty.

Last edited: Jun 27, 2020

• #7

Have you lot towed it yet to feel how the rig handles? I'd endeavour towing it a chip and run across how it goes before plunking down money on something that fixes a trouble your rig might not have.

For the braking, does your camper accept brakes? And, does your tow vehicle take a brake controller? Proportionally controlled trailer brakes will do much more to keep the camper in line going downhill than a sway bar. If it feels squirrelly, proficient controllers accept the ability to apply the trailer brakes without applying tow vehicle brakes. That should bring the trailer back in line.

I'd spend coin on making certain the trailer has working brakes and the tow vehicle can power them earlier spending money on a sway bar that might not be needed.

• #8

I am betting that a 1500 lb trailer doesnt have brakes and a Television receiver only rated to tow 2000 lbs doesnt accept a brake controller, either.

• #9

Personally, I don't retrieve information technology's needed. A 1450 lb trailer sounds rather small so, I'd say put the coin into something else as once y'all first going camping your listing of needs starts growing endlessly. As well, like someone else has mentioned, If you lot load the trailer correctly and continue the weight on the natural language y'all should exist fine.

• #10

Only be cautious and tow at a reasonable speed ........ any sway I every uncounted was going downhill. Once I experienced sway I bought a swaybar

• #11

It doesn't hurt to accept 1, only no yous shouldn't have too many issues assuming y'all pack appropriately and continue weight on your tongue. I will say, not to scare you, but I had it happen to me, where
I had tunnel upshot wind hit my popup just right and caused it to sway. Going any speed with an out of control camper can sure wake you lot up. Thankfully with the help of a big rig driver who used his rig to stop the wind and me E'er so slightly applying breaks got everything in control. It did make me wish I had a sway bar to assist. Information technology may not have stopped it from happening but it could have helped getting things under control quicker.

Wow!! Scary!!!! Thank you that reinforces my decision a little more than.

• #12

Personally, I don't remember it's needed. A 1450 lb trailer sounds rather small so, I'd say put the money into something else every bit once you start going camping your list of needs starts growing endlessly. Also, like someone else has mentioned, If you load the trailer correctly and keep the weight on the tongue y'all should be fine.

thank you! I wasnt even aware all weight goes tongue side either i really am a baby in this grouping!

• #xiii

• #14

Have you lot towed it yet to feel how the rig handles? I'd effort towing it a bit and run across how it goes before plunking down money on something that fixes a problem your rig might not have.

For the braking, does your camper take brakes? And, does your tow vehicle have a brake controller? Proportionally controlled trailer brakes will practise much more to keep the camper in line going downhill than a sway bar. If it feels squirrelly, good controllers have the power to apply the trailer brakes without applying tow vehicle brakes. That should bring the trailer back in line.

I'd spend money on making sure the trailer has working brakes and the tow vehicle can ability them earlier spending money on a sway bar that might not be needed.

Yeah the camper has brakes. As far as tow vehicle im not certain about a brake "controller" ...or what that fifty-fifty ways. Pup brakes only and not SUV? I dont know the respond to that... Merely yes your advice is sound and makes sense. Safe is #1 priority though. No i havent towed yet because its not mine yet. I simply put a down pay on it only. Before i go out dealer with it next week they want to install this. Thats why im request.

• #15

I am running a 3500lb popup on a 5000lb rated tow vehicle. I take electric brakes on the camper and a brake controller. I run a load distribution hitch with anti sway confined on information technology. Why? For an extra 10 minutes of setup and a couple hundred dollars I accept another layer of safety. I very rarely feel my camper behind me, except for the actress weight existence pulled. Existence passed past semis, loftier wind situations, etc. give me no problems.

• #16

If $300 is parts and labor, just practice it. If , later, you lose interest, stop using information technology, and see how things feel nether tow.

• #17

• #18

I don't have 1. I was previously unaware of the sway control adapter (https://www.amazon.com/Reese-26003-...ket&qid=1593389468&sr=eight-eighteen&tag=popupportal-twenty). At present that I know almost it, and knowing that my full cost to add a sway bar and adapter is under $100, I will well-nigh definitely exercise it.

I tow a 3200 pound trailer with a TV rated for 5000 pounds. And the trailer is well balanced. And then why would I do this? Because it'southward safer. And considering One time a few years ago I felt the trailer wag as I was going around a bend in the highway at 70 MPH in an area where the highway was in terrible condition with ruts and bumps. Information technology was no large deal, simply information technology made me realize that it is possible to go some sway even in a well balanced trailer. If the roads were slick for some reason, it may have been a lilliputian more than scary, though we also would have been travelling slower.

For $100, information technology's cheap insurance. And the claw-up time after doing it once or twice couldn't be more than 2 minutes. I'm good with that.

But if the trailer has electronic brakes and the tow vehicle doesn't have a controller, I'd do that get-go.

• #xix

Unless yous added it yourself I'1000 guessing that your Santa Fe has a Grade 2, 1" foursquare receiver with a i 7/8" ball. If they're talking well-nigh upgrading yous to a Class III 2" receiver, two" ball and mountain, and throwing in a sway bar, I'd call that a helluva bargain. If that's not what they're talking about that is still what you demand.

That'southward almost as of import equally getting a decent proportional brake controller added to the SUV.

• #20

give thanks you lot! I wasnt even aware all weight goes tongue side either i really am a infant in this group!

This is a demo of what happens when you don't load the trailer correctly and distribute the weight properly.

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Do I Need A Sway Control Hitch On A Pop Up Camper,

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