WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TRAILER SWAY AND TRAILER SWAY CONTROL

Anyone who has hauled a trailer – with or without a commercial driver’s license – has experienced trailer sway.

Although commercial tractor-trailer and semi-truck mishaps make headlines, trailer sway accidents among non-commercial drivers often go unnoticed.

If you’re a trailer owner who hauls a mobile home, cargo hauler or recreational travel compartment, check out the Trailer Sway Control Kit for better trailer stability. Available for sale in Sherman at Sherman Chevrolet, this kit can be bought or ordered from the Sherman Chevrolet Parts and Services Department. But first, it’s important to know more about trailer sway control.

What is trailer sway control?

Basically, it’s an angular hitch that controls trailer swaying through friction variation or camshaft rotation.

But even with a trailer sway control hitch, accidents do happen.

The cost of trailer repair, even from a minor accident, can amount to thousands of dollars. If your vehicle also sustains damage or another vehicle is involved, expenses skyrocket even more. Also, most trailers have brief lifespans. As time passes, a trailer’s lateral motion (sway) becomes a serious road issue.

Chevrolet has published a downloadable 2018 Trailering Guide, which contains a chart that estimates the total amount of weight different Chevrolet models can trailer. The trailer towing weight distribution for the Silverado ranges from 12,500 to 23,300 pounds, based on model type. Choosing the right hitch for your vehicle is important. Some trailers require a weight-distributing hitch, so be sure to use a frame-mounted weight-distributing hitch and a properly sized sway controller.

StabiliTrak is required in order for the trailer sway controller to work.

In combination with StabiliTrak and the Integrated Trailer Brake Controller, the Chevy Trailer Sway Control senses trailer sway, automatically applying the vehicle and trailer brakes. This feature also reduces engine power, if necessary, to further restore vehicle and trailer stability. The trailer sway control employs an angled sensor inside the steering wheel assembly to measure the driver’s rotational movement around a vehicle’s axis (yaw), which determines vehicle direction.

In addition to the Trailering Guide, Chevrolet offers many useful tips for trailering and towing with your Chevy. Whether you’re trailering beginner or a seasoned expert, be sure to read these tips along with the guidebook.

The Parts and Service technicians at Sherman Chevrolet can guide you to the right trailer sway controller for your Chevy vehicle. If your Chevy needs StabiliTrak in order to activate the trailer sway controller, we will perform this installation. Our parts technicians will also explain how the sway controller works with different Chevrolet models.

Make sure to have the Trailer Sway Control Kit installed before your next RV trailer road trip!

Sherman Chevrolet is your one-stop shop for all GMC parts and accessories, including Trailer Sway Control Kits. Contact the experts at Sherman Chevrolet for all your Chevy parts and repair needs.