When towing your RV, trailer sway—your trailer’s side-to-side movement—can pose serious safety risks, especially at high speeds. In severe cases, excessive sway can cause your trailer to tip, damaging both your RV and its contents, potentially flipping your tow vehicle, and endangering passengers.

What Causes Trailer Sway?

Several factors contribute to sway, including:

While some of these factors, like your speed and how you load your trailer, are within your control, using a camper sway control kit significantly improves safety on the road.

GoRVing-Jeep pulling all fiberglass camper

The Importance of Sway Control

Sway control systems are essential for safe towing. Many weight distribution hitches come with built-in sway control, which is highly recommended when your trailer’s loaded weight exceeds half the weight of your tow vehicle. Alternatively, electronic sway control kits can be used independently or alongside a weight distribution hitch for enhanced safety.

When to Use Sway Control Kits

One of the most common scenarios for sway control kits is SUVs towing small travel trailers. Unlike larger trucks, many SUVs lack built-in electronic brake controllers. While these vehicles may meet the weight distribution hitch’s weight threshold, adding an electronic sway control system offers an extra layer of security.

A sway control system like the CURT True Course can act as a standalone solution or complement a weight distribution hitch for small campers. Even for larger RVs, a Bluetooth-enabled sway controller provides peace of mind by stabilizing the trailer in various road conditions.

Fastway-E2 Weight Distribution Sway Hitch

Types of Sway Control Systems

There are two primary types of sway control systems:

  1. Friction or Pressure-Based Systems – These reduce sway by creating resistance to trailer movement.
  2. Electronic Sway Controllers – These advanced systems use motion-sensing technology to detect sway and strategically apply trailer brakes to stabilize the trailer.

Whether you tow a small travel trailer with an SUV or a large travel trailer with a heavy-duty truck, investing in the right sway control system ensures a safer and more enjoyable journey.

At Lerch RV, we want your towing experience to be as smooth and secure as possible. Please stop by Central Pennsylvania’s largest RV Parts and Accessories store, visit our parts page online, or text us at, 717-667-1400, to learn more about sway control options for your RV!

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