Do we need sway bars??

[jansj]

Newbie here - 2001 Silverado 2500 HD towing 2006 Forest River 23' Shamrock hybrid TT. Do we need brake controller? Do we need sway bar? Trip is coming up soon and I need the advice of you more experienced folks! Thanks in advance.

[randallb]

We picked up our 15RB in ND when we went to visit family. Towed it from Fargo to Grand Forks on just a draw bar and ball. Had a WD with sway control delivered to my nephews business in south central ND. Towed down to his place and installed the WD. What a difference. The 1400 mile drive home was easier than the 300 prior to the WD install. Anything that makes the drive easier is worth the cost. Much less stress after the WD with sway control was installed. Best $255 ever spent on towing equipment.
Randy

[JimNH]

A WDH with sway control is not expensive and it "can't hurt" - peace of mind if you cross a windy bridge or a large semi goes barreling past you! Better safe than sorry here.

[poppin_fresh]

I towed my 3000lb-ish hybrid with my Silverado 1500 with out WDH (did have brake controller). It was completely fine, didn't affect the steering, and never even wiggled in the wind or being passed by big rigs. WDH probably would have been a waste of $$ for that combo.

You have a much higher rated truck with not much heavier trailer. I personally would try it out to see if you feel you need a WDH.

[drenjoey]

Brake controller is a law for trailer over 3000lbs here in Maine, and probably across the country'

WD hitch is a big plus.

As for the sway bar, it is incorporated with my Blue Ox Weight Distribution system.
I didn't have sway bars with the previous campers and WD hitch I owned, and never felt the need for them

[fla-gypsy]

"Do we need brake controller?" Required!
"Do we need sway bar? Highly recommended

What you didn't ask; Do I need a WD hitch? Probably, depending on tongue weight

[kknowlton]

My opinion: Yes, and Yes. Better safe than sorry.

[KD4UPL]

Brake control for sure. Don't tow without it.
I don't know the tongue weight of your trailer but going by the description it's probably not that much. That in itself could induce some sway. If you can properly load the trailer with the right amount of tongue weight then sway control won't be necessary. It's basically a bandaid for a truck and trailer combination that isn't well set up or an oversized trailer with an undersized tow vehicle. Same goes for a weight distributing hitch.
I would think that a 2500 truck with that small of a trailer wouldn't have need of a WDH (not that you asked but other posters keep bringing it up.)
You need to get the ratings of your hitch and compare them to the weights of your trailer.
By the way, the factory hitch on that truck is known to be a weak design. It's a round tube so the only thing keeping it from rotating down is the welds. The welds seem to have a tendency to break. I would replace the hitch with one rated to carry your tongue weight without a WDH. This would keep you from having to purchase, carry, store, and trip over a WDH.

[bikendan]

jansj wrote:
Newbie here - 2001 Silverado 2500 HD towing 2006 Forest River 23' Shamrock hybrid TT. Do we need brake controller? Do we need sway bar? Trip is coming up soon and I need the advice of you more experienced folks! Thanks in advance.

yep, BC required by law.

you may not need a WDH but a sway control bar would be a good idea.

i hope you didn't tow it without the BC.:E

[DutchmenSport]

I think every state in the USA requires trailer brakes if the trailer is over 3000 pounds. A brake control is used when you have a trailer with electric brakes. When you push the brake peddle in the tow vehicle, the brake control sends an electric signal to the trailer brakes to activate them. Yes, you need this type of braking system when towing a travel trailer.

The other kind of braking system is a surge brake system. There is no separate attachments to the tow vehicle. All the braking mechanisms are in the trailer. Attached to the hitch coupler on the trailer is a surge sensor. What happens, when the tow vehicle slows down, the trailer continues to maintain it's speed. The tow vehicle is slowing, so the trailer is now pushing the tow vehicle. When this happens, the surge brake controller engages which activates the trailer brakes causing it to begin braking. The harder the tow vehicle brakes, the harder the surge, the greater the trailer brakes are activated. These systems are simply not a good match for a travel trailer. I've driven some like this and I found it to be a very jerky experience.

Sway bar. More than likely you'll want some kind of sway control system. There are basically 2 types. There are separate sway bars that attach separate to your hitching system and have a turn handle that actually tightens a brake pad in the bar. By tightning, this causes resistance which helps prevent the back end of the trailer from pulsating back and forth, (which is what sway is).

The second type is built into the weight distribution system. Weight Distribution distributes the trailer weight from the rear of the tow vehicle (squat in the rear) and moves that weight forward to the front axles, evenly dividing the weight on the tongue and hitch between the trailer and both axles of the tow vehicle. Yes, you will probably need this. Several kinds of weight distribution systems come with a built in sway feature. They all do the same thing, .... create resistance so it eliminates the rear of trailer from wiggling side to side.

[stratcat]

just upgraded my TV to a heavy duty. Used the weight dist hitch and was glad I did helped control side sway and passing big rigs.

Brake controller is mandatory by state and federal law. not having it will also put alot of stress on the tow veh. remember you have to stop the rig. have seen a few slide through intersections with tires smoking not a pretty sight...

[downtheroad]

You definitely need a brake controller....brakes are required.

Sway control is optional and is determined by how well your loaded trailer handles at highway speeds...

[jamesbeam4ever]

I would get a brake controller and i would atleast get a WHD hitch after that id drive it and see. You could probably get by without but for the couple hundred bucks in my opinion its worth it. I like to relax when i travel.