Benefits to Sway Bar

KayBee

Hi, Brand new owners of a T@B 400. We'll be picking it up sometime within the next week or two. So exciting! But to my question...we're first time travel trailer owners of any kind. We thought having the sway bar installed might give us peace of mind, since we are absolute newbies at this. If we don't mind spending the money on that, is there any reason not to do it? Thanks in advance. Looking forward to learning lots from this group. We will be towing with a Nissan Pathfinder.

Dalehelman

Reposted Fromm another thread.
IMHO If you’re trailer is loaded properly ie tongue 15%-20% of total weight not to exceed TV or trailer  specifications neither of those things are needed. I would but my money to better use. 

MuttonChops

KayBee said:

...we're first time travel trailer owners of any kind. We thought having the sway bar installed might give us peace of mind, . . . . is there any reason not to do it?

Short answer is No, there is no real negative to having a sway bar installed.  Depending on the type/style of sway bar installed you might have the extra task of disconnecting it before backing up.

Most T@Bbers** don't seem to use sway bars, while many folks do for the same reason you are considering; Peace of Mind, a little extra safety factor. 

** It should be noted that today most T@Bbers are towing the smaller/lighter 320 vs. the 400 which has only been available for a short period of time.

I'm also a new T@B owner (have towed boat trailers in the past) and I'm going to use the frequently suggested approach to first do some actual towing*** and see how everything goes/feels before adding something like a sway bar.  Adding a sway bar is not a big deal task.

*** my tow vehicle includes a Trailer Sway Control feature.  Tow vehicle stability control software uses the trailer brakes and vehicle brakes & engine to help control sway.  And I'll be towing a 320 so most likely my set-up won't need a sway bar with a correctly loaded trailer.

Use the forum SEARCH field (upper right, below username) and search for threads with talking about your tow vehicle T@B combination.

jkjenn

 My Jeep came with instructions as to when a sway bar, but clearly states not to unless those conditions are met. Always best to check your manufacturer's guidance.

db_cooper

I wouldn't buy it in advance. Wait until you've towed a bit. If you get a bit of sway, then slow down, and consider a sway bar.

We tow with an Xterra, and had a bit of sway, so I installed a cheap friction sway bar.  Later , I moved the spare to the tongue, and added a battery. That took care of the sway.  

Dealers want to sell you a much as they can while they've got your attention.  Wait and make an informed decision.  My .03 cents. 

Dalehelman

IMHO a sway bar is a way to arrest a problem you should not have in the first place. Find and fix the problem don’t just cover it up with a band aid.

db_cooper

Dalehelman said:

IMHO a sway bar is a way to arrest a problem you should not have in the first place. Find and fix the problem don’t just cover it up with a band aid.

I have to disagree just a bit.  Our tongue weight can vary depending on what we're doing, carrying bikes, water, etc.  I know when to use the sway bar and when not to.  It's not always a bandaid.

Dalehelman

If your tongue weight has changed beyond the  recommended parameters.  compensating with a sway control devise may not be the best  solution . Once again this is only my opinion for what little it may be worth.

atlasb

Hi Kaybee,  we pull our 400 with a 2016 Nissan Frontier Crew cab.  Have not found the need for the sway bar.  The 400 depending on how you load gives you a fair amount of weight on the tongue.  Some are close to the #500 range most around #350 or so.  Take it easy until you are comfortable.  We do tend to take way more than we need so the weight can get up there quick if you don't watch it.  Enjoy your new 400.  We love ours!

dragonsdofly

@KayBee, no advice directly about towing a 400, as I have a 320. We were also complete rv newbies. 18,000 miles later, I'd actually argue against sway bar usage, but wanted to say welcome to the forum, the t@b family and congratulations on your trailer! Happy t@bbing.

newell

Of course I can't find it now but I thought I read somewhere that nuCamp advised not using a sway bar.  Or, maybe my dealer told me that.  Does that sound familiar to anyone else?

dragonsdofly

@newell, I seem to remember something about the "c" channel frame not being good for withstanding the stress of the sway bar mount/operation. But then, my memory could be very fuzzy.

newell

dragonsdofly, I'm pretty sure I read that in all the paperwork that I got with the T@B.  I'm going to see if I can find it.  Yea, my memory is pretty fuzzy too.

abenteurer

dragonsdofly said:

@newell, I seem to remember something about the "c" channel frame not being good for withstanding the stress of the sway bar mount/operation. But then, my memory could be very fuzzy.

dragonsdofly - Please share the source if you find it - that would be really good to know.  I don't remember ever reading that though my memory can be very fuzzy too, according to my wife... 

I tow most of the time with an Equal-i-zer 6K hitch (overkill) but it has seen me perfectly through some dangerous situations, plus I can back up without removing it.  My T@B 320 tows okay without it but it's much more stable with.  I also have a Weigh-Safe hitch (overkill) to make it much easier to check the hitch weight.  It seems to work well and is made with high quality materials but is noisy when towing.  I tend to go with overkill (ex. my preferred TV is a V8 Grand Cherokee Overland) because as a retired engineer I prefer safe configurations to mangled bodies and explanations.  The owner's manual of my 2015 Grand Cherokee Overland does not mention sway bars, only the vehicle's Trailer Sway Control (TSC) capabilities.

Dalehelman

dragonsdofly said:

@newell, I seem to remember something about the "c" channel frame not being good for withstanding the stress of the sway bar mount/operation. But then, my memory could be very fuzzy.

Correct 

Luckyj

I would be worried to use one on that c frame.

dragonsdofly

@KayBee, @newell, @abenturer, et al, found the info I seemed to remember in a recent discussion regarding towing a t@b 400, and as I said, my memory is very fuzzy indeed. The discussion was regarding a weight distribution hitch, not anti-sway connection. Repeat, certain weight distribution hitches are not recommended for c-channel frame type trailers. I have not found any prohibitions or warnings regarding any anti-sway connectors. Thank you @Dalehelman, for the gracious and gentle correction.

WillieontheRoad

We are also new T@B owners, a 400.  Just returned from an Austin-Florida adventure.  We do have a sway bar, but it stayed stored in the back of our tow vehicle for all of our trip cross country and back.  Lots of trucks and wind, but we never felt the need to use the sway bar.  We saw many big box trailers swaying on the road, but our little T@B always towed true behind us.  In very very windy conditions I might see a need to put the sway bar on, but loaded properly the T@B tows like a dream.  Hope this helps.
Alan

WillieontheRoad

SWAY BAR UPDATE...
Karen and Bill,
Landed in Austin for a few days from our FLA trip and now we are off to Tuscon.  Thought that I should give you an update on my sway bar thoughts.  I earlier said that we felt no reason to add a sway bar to our 400, but I now think that it might be a good idea to have one.
Through NM we got into some high wind advisory mountain canyons.  I had put our sway bar on and felt much safer.  The Jeep GC and 400 acted as one unit.  I had not realized that on our earlier trip, without the sway bar I was instinctively correcting to prevent the 400 from swaying when big trucks passed.  The sway bar does make groaning noises when you stop for gas and are making tighter turns, but no problem.  After we left the interstates, I made sure to remove the sway bar, but it was a wonderful comfort on our trip west.

if you do decide to add a sway bar, you need nothing more elaborate than a simple Pro Series or Curt bar...around $ 40.00

Here's the hitch system that I purchased...

https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Curt/C17128.html
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/TorkLift/TLM9005.html

Make sure you get a side ball mount that is welded to the hitch adapter.  No add-on mounts!
Installation video for the sway bar makes DIY look easy.  Purchase a few good drill bits and get started...However, I found drilling into a  trailer tongue was more than I wanted to handle.  After an hour I had hardly make a dent in the trailer frame.  Finally I took the trailer to my RV dealer and gave them a hundred dollars to install the  sway bar plate for me.  Also, ask them to add the 1 1/4 ball for the sway bar at the proper torque.

Hope all this helps,
Alan, Joan & Willie

trainwrecked

I love our sway bar. Dealer installed and I used it from day one, but after reading more than a few recommendations to ride without it, I gave it a try.  Curvy mountain roads at low speeds?  No difference.  Long straight highways at high speeds?  Nice and stable with or without it.   But, when I attempted a fast lane change and recovery as if avoiding someone slamming on the brakes in front of me - a world of difference in how stable the maneuver felt.  Will never ride without it now.

Sharon_is_SAM

trainwrecked, what speed were you going when you felt unstable?

trainwrecked

About 60 mph 

WillieontheRoad

UPDATE TO MY SWAY BAR UPDATE....
We just came through southwestern Arizona today with high wind advisories, sustained winds at 60mph and dust storms.  They even considered closing I-10 if the wind got worse.  Big box rigs were parked in rest stops because of the wind.  But, our V6 JeepGC and Willie our 400 with its sway bar cranked up tight worked like a team and we had no problems.  We were so thankful we had the sway bar. 
In our opinion, even if the sway bar stays stored during good weather, it's so beneficial to have one ready to install if you need it.  T@Bs pull wonderfully, but trailers are trailers and they all may sway in high winds.
Alan, Joan and Willie

KayBee

Thanks all for the comments. It's good to get the advice of others who have done this before.