Can I Sway Your Opinion?
by Mark J. Polk
Continued from page 1

He takes you to the parts department and shows you a brake controller and explains that this is what activates the trailer brakes, and the dealership can install it when they do the wiring for the trailer lights. You like the features he explained about the brake controller. The fact that you can manually adjust the amount of braking action, so that when you hit the brake pedal, the tow vehicle and the trailer work together to stop the weight in a reasonable amount of time. What you really like is the part he explained about the slide lever that activates the trailer brakes without using the vehicle brakes. He said if you’re on a steep grade and you don’t want to prematurely wear out the vehicle brakes, you slowly slide the lever and the trailer brakes will slow you down. But what really sold you on it was when he explained that if the trailer starts to sway, you could gently tap the lever activating the trailer brakes on and off to help straighten the trailer out.

He then went on to explain that trailer sway is one of the biggest problems you will encounter while towing the pop up. He took the time to explain that for the trailer to pull properly, the manufacturer recommends that the tongue weight resting on the ball mount should be 10 to 15% of the total trailer weight. If it is more than 15%, they have what is called a “weight distribution hitch” that takes the additional tongue weight and distributes it to the axles on the tow vehicle and the trailer where it should be. If it is less than 10% when you load your cargo, you distribute it to add some additional weight on the tongue. He looked up the pop up you were buying in the brochure, and the tongue weight was 305 pounds. With the air conditioner installed and cargo loaded, it would be between the 10 and 15% range. He said that a weight distribution hitch was more commonly used with heavier trailers, and in some cases with pop ups, depending on the tow vehicle. In this case, however, it would not be required.

The next thing he asked was if the vehicle had a receiver. He explained that the part of the hitch that is bolted to the vehicle is called a receiver, and he showed you a chart that had several different classes of receivers, depending on the amount of weight you will be towing. The class II receiver was rated for 3,500 lb. gross trailer weight and 300 lb. maximum tongue weight. For a small difference in price, he recommended a class III receiver rated for 5,000 lb. gross trailer weight and 500 maximum tongue weight (since the trailer tongue weight exceeded 300 lbs.).

With that done, he said he would show you a component that the dealership strongly recommends to anyone purchasing a pop up. He walked over and picked up a part from the shelf called a “friction sway control.” One end of it is mounted to the hitch in the receiver and the other end to the tongue on the camper. You adjust the amount of friction by turning the lever clockwise for more friction and counter clockwise for less friction. He explained that you turn it in 1/8” increments until you get it adjusted where you feel comfortable. This will not totally eliminate sway, but it will control it to the point that you feel in control of the vehicle when you’re pulling your camper.

Finally, he said that would do it. For less than 10% of the price of the pop up, you can get all of the hitch work done and ensure that your family is safe when you go on a trip. At this point, you are convinced that the salesperson has your best interest in mind and is not just trying to make more money for the dealership.

Now you are all packed up for your first weekend getaway with your new pop up. You made all of the pre-trip checks that the dealership explained, and you are ready to go. The family is loaded into the vehicle and you back out of the driveway. You take the on ramp to the interstate and settle in, enjoying the music on the radio. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a transfer truck going twenty miles over the speed limit passes you as if you were sitting still. You feel a slight movement behind you-- just enough to remind you that you’re pulling the pop up. You look at your watch and tell the family that you should be there in a couple of hours.

Mark Polk is the owner and operator of RV Education 101, a video production and educational seminar company specializing in the RV industry. For more information visit www.rveducation101.com or call 910-484-7615