To stop trailer "death wobble" (sway), stay calm, take your foot off the accelerator, steer straight, and gently apply the trailer's electric brakes (if equipped) using the manual controller to slow the trailer down; avoid braking the tow vehicle or jerking the steering wheel, as this worsens the sway, then pull over to check cargo and hitch setup. Prevention involves correct loading (60% weight forward), proper tongue weight, and secure cargo.
3 Steps to Avoid Trailer and Caravan Sway
If you hook up the trailer to the hitch, raise it up a bit, then connect the sway bars. It will add a little more tension to them when you lower it.
What to do if your trailer starts to sway. If you ever find yourself in this predicament, stay calm, take your foot off the accelerator and steer straight. Don't hit the brakes or try to steer out of it; this will only make it worse. As the towing rig slows, the sway should diminish and eventually stop.
What to Do If Your Caravan is Swaying When Towing
The 80/20 rule for towing is a safety guideline suggesting you should tow no more than 80% of your vehicle's maximum rated towing capacity, leaving a 20% buffer for safety, varied conditions, and extra cargo like passengers and gear. This prevents overloading, reduces strain on the engine and brakes, improves handling, and minimizes wear and tear, ensuring safer operation and longer vehicle life. It's a crucial practice because real-world conditions (hills, wind, vehicle age) are tougher than ideal factory test conditions, and it helps account for payload (tongue weight, passengers, cargo) that eats into capacity.
At what speeds is trailer sway most likely to occur? Sway risk goes up as you travel faster. Most sway happens above 50 mph, but dangerous sway can happen at lower speeds if conditions are right. Highway speeds increase the effects of crosswinds, turbulence, and bumps, so a stable rig is even more important.
The 60/40 trailer rule is a crucial guideline for safe towing, stating that 60% of the total cargo weight should be loaded in the front half of the trailer (ahead of the axle centerlines) and 40% in the rear to ensure stability and prevent dangerous trailer sway. This weight distribution creates proper tongue weight (weight on the hitch), preventing the trailer from fishtailing or lifting the tow vehicle's rear wheels, which can lead to loss of control.
Strong winds exert a sideways pressure on both the towing vehicle and the trailer. If the trailer is high-sided, like a caravan, horse box or furniture trailer, the trailer can be unsettled causing it to begin to swing like a pendulum. Gusty winds can create more than a tonne of force on the side of a caravan.
The easiest way to reduce utility trailer bounce is to adjust tire pressure. By lowering pressure, the tires act more like a partially filled basketball and they bounce less.
The ideal tongue weight is between 10-15% of the fully loaded trailer weight. Too much will diminish your vehicle handling, while too little will cause trailer sway.
Travel trailer hitch height should match the height of your trailer's coupler to keep both units level. This ensures even weight distribution, safe braking, and smooth towing, no tilt, no sway, no guessing.
The maximum recommended speed is 55 mph when towing. Do not exceed any posted speed limit. DRIVE DEFENSIVELY – anticipate stops, brake early, and never follow closely. BEFORE GOING DOWNHILL, slow down and shift the transmission into a lower gear.
Keep the steering wheel straight. Attempting to fight the sway by turning the wheel will only worsen it and accentuate the problem. Let your vehicle slow down on its own. If you have trailer brakes, you can manually apply them gently once the speed decreases.
Trailer sway is the side-to-side movement of a trailer that occurs when it doesn't follow directly behind your tow vehicle. A small amount of sway is normal, especially above 45 mph, but it becomes dangerous when it reacts too much to steering and starts to fishtail.
Recognizing The Symptoms Of Axle Trouble
What to Do If Your Trailer Starts Snaking
You should put your hands at 9 and 3, not 10 and 2, because modern airbags make the older 10 and 2 position dangerous, potentially injuring your hands and arms, while 9 and 3 offers better control and safety, especially for emergency maneuvers. The 10 and 2 position was for cars without power steering and airbags; now, 9 and 3 is considered standard for superior control and airbag safety.
How to Prevent Trailer Sway:
If too much weight is in the wrong place—too far forward, too far back, or off to one side—it puts stress on the frame, axles, tires, and hitch. It also affects how the trailer handles behind your vehicle. Poor weight distribution can cause swaying, uneven tire wear, and longer stopping distances.
The most weight should be placed in front of the trailer axle. The ideal amount is 60 percent. This leaves 40 percent of the weight that should be placed to the rear of the axle. This will help avoid trailer sway and promote optimal driver control.
Generally speaking, the speed limits to observe when towing a caravan are 10 miles an hour slower than if you were driving in a car alone. That means on a motorway where the limit is 70mph, you should drive at no more than 60mph. On a dual carriageway where the limit is 60mph, you should stay below 50mph.
The drawbacks to a 5th wheel camper
These trailers require a truck that can not only handle the weight of the trailer but can also safely stop it. If you don't already own the right vehicle, this might require a second investment.
Road rules
The maximum open road speed is 90km/h, as long as you have a rigid connection between the vehicle and the trailer.