When towing a heavy caravan behind a towing vehicle with significant weight of its own, some sway is only natural… and while there is no mechanism that can actually eliminate trailer sway, there are several ways to reduce caravan sway.
1. Lower the Hitch Height
If the towing hitch between your vehicle and caravan is too high this will raise the front of your caravan and make it too difficult to handle. By having a lower hitch height this works better in reducing caravan sway.
2. Install a Weight Distribution Hitch
A weight distribution hitch helps to distribute weight evenly to the front and rear wheels of your towing vehicle, as well as making steering, accelerating and braking easier.
3. Have an Accurate Tow Ball Weight
An adequate tow ball weight is imperative to low-stay towing… so be sure to use a tow ball that’s compatible with your caravan’s nose weight.
4. Load Your Caravan Correctly
Keep the heaviest items in your van as close to the axle as possible and lighter items above them as this helps minimise any sway from the rear.
5. Replace Your Towing Vehicle Tyres
Did you know that caravan sway depends more on the tyres of your towing vehicle than on those of your caravan? Therefore, by replacing your towing vehicle tyres with ones with stiffer walls this will help reduce sway when towing.
6. Install Dedicated Sway Controls
By installing electronic stability controllers, this can automatically activate your caravan’s brakes if the swaying action exceeds calibrated limits and to help reduce the overall caravan sway.
For more tips on caravanning, head here.
