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Tire Sidewall Stiffness—The stiffer the sidewall of the tires the better the dampening of trailer sway. Weak
tire sidewalls or under-inflated tires will have an adverse affect on dampening.
Rear Suspension Stiffness—The stiffer the rear suspension the greater the ability of the tow vehicle to not
be affected by trailer sway. A soft tow vehicle rear suspension will allow movements of the trailer,
transmitted through the hitch, to have a greater affect on the tow vehicle. The stiffness of the rear
suspension of the tow vehicle is one of the significant factors affecting driver control.
TOW AT MODERATE SPEEDS ALLOWING FOR ADVERSE HIGHWAY AND WIND CONDITIONS. INCREASED
SPEED REDUCES TRAILER TOWING STABILITY, AND HANDLING AND STOPPING ABILITY.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STOP THE TRAILER SWAYING BY MAKING QUICK STEERING CHANGES, OR BY
FORCEFULLY APPLYING THE TOW VEHICLE BRAKES.
Trailer Loading
Trailer loading can have an affect on the towing stability. There are some general principles you can
follow when loading your trailer to keep trailer sway to a minimum.
Center of Gravity—The higher the center of gravity for a vehicle the less stable it will be in certain
situations. Therefore, when loading heavy items keep them as close to the floor as possible. Also a travel
trailer must have the center a gravity forward of the axles. Be sure to plan your load so the larger
percentage of the weight will be forward of the axles. After loading your travel trailer, make sure the hitch
weight, as a percentage of the total weight of the travel trailer, is between 10% and 15% for travel trailers
and 20% to 25% for fifth wheels. (See Weighing Your Unit on page 15.)
Fluids in Tanks—It is best to have the fresh water tank in your travel trailer either completely full or
completely empty when traveling. A partially filled tank can allow water to slosh from side to side or fore to
aft, having an affect on stability. We always recommend holding tanks be emptied before traveling. If it is
impossible to empty these tanks prior to travel, you will need to reduce your speed to compensate for the
larger affect this could have on stability.
Tire Sidewall Stiffness—Like the tow vehicle, the stiffer the sidewall of the tires on the trailer the better the
dampening of the trailer sway. Weak tire sidewall or under-inflated tires will have an adverse affect on
dampening.
Additional Factors Affecting Towing
Excessive speed, improper cargo weight distribution, low tongue load, ratio of mass of tow vehicle to
weight of travel trailer, wheel base of tow vehicle, rear overhang distance, tire cornering stiffness, under-
inflated tires, slippery surfaces, cross-winds, improper steering, passing other large vehicles or over-
steering, improper coupling, improper braking, and shoulder drop-offs are all factors that can contribute to
Summary of Contents for Escape 2014
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