Electronic and Mechanical Sway Control Devices for Boat Trailers with Surge Braking Systems
Question:
Our boat trailer has the hydraulic surge brake system, and my wife pulls it with a Ford Explorer. I see Electronic trailer sway control units, is there one that will work with the surge brake system?
asked by: Mark B
Expert Reply:
Aftermarket electronic sway control units can provide some degree of correction for trailer sway. However, such a device is not compatible with surge-type trailer brakes. It will work only with electric and electric-over-hydraulic trailer braking setups. Some vehicles can have a similar OEM system built-in. The main issue with these is that they do nothing until sway has already begun and can then be detected. Trailer handling will have already been diminished.
The other 'trouble' with these is that they often get used as an easy-to-add Band-Aid solution, as opposed to addressing trailer sway through more fundamental mechanical solutions: 1) proper trailer loading and 2) a weight distribution/sway control (WD/SC) hitch that also moves trailer tongue (TW) weight forward to the front axle at the same time that it prevents/controls sway. These integrated systems address two problems: trailer sway and loss of tow vehicle front axle traction from the vehicle being rear-end-heavy from the trailer TW. A light front end on the tow vehicle can lead to loss of both steering and braking performance.
Boat trailers can be tricky when it comes to sway. A power boat will almost always be quite rear-heavy, due to the engine and fuel weight being concentrated there. Also, boat trailers with a straight pole tongue, as opposed to an A-frame tongue, will require a pole tongue adapter like
# RP3280 to allow installation of a WD/SC hitch.
But we do have many options that are compatible with surge brake trailers; please refer to the linked page. These systems from Equal-I-zer and others prevent sway, rather than react to it, and they also help keep the tow vehicle level by reducing rear sag. All in all these are a much more effective way to address sway. I linked an article and video that explain the benefits of WD/SC.
The key to choosing a system is knowing your fully-loaded trailer's actual tongue weight. We offer a handy scale from etrailer, part # e99044, that makes it simple and quick to measure trailer TW. This helps you learn the best way to load the trailer to keep the tongue weight in the ideal 10- to 12-percent range for a boat trailer. All systems work over a TW range of several hundred pounds and the ideal is to have your trailer's actual TW fall near the middle of that range.
Please review the linked information and feel free to tell me about your trailer design and your actual loaded trailer tongue weight.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
etrailer Tongue Weight Scale for Campers and Utility Trailers - 2,000-lb Capacity
- Tongue Weight Scale
- Analog Scale
- 2000 lbs
- etrailer
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