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Do You Need A Sway Bar For Your Camper?

Published on September 24th, 2021 by Emily Lawrence

travel trailer with a sway bar going down a forest road

Do You Need A Sway Bar For Your Camper?

Traveling with an RV is one of the most freeing experiences in the world. Once you’ve got the right tow vehicle and camper, you just want to get out on the open road. But there are a few pieces of safety equipment that you need to look over first. One important item is the sway bar, which is common in many towable trailers. But do you really need a sway bar for your camper, or is it just one more accessory?

What is a sway bar?

Sway bars are important pieces of safety equipment for RVs. They help prevent swaying on the highway and they can even save your vehicle from a dangerous crash or rollover. Some drivers find that sway bars make it harder to turn, but overall, the extra safety is worth it. Most campers on the market today come with sway bars pre-installed, so you don’t need to worry too much about seeking one out.

If you have a camper that doesn’t have a sway bar, or are still weighing the pros and cons, we’ll explore more details about this product below.

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Camper sway bars come in a couple of different forms, but they all serve the same purpose. The two main types are hitch sway bars and adjustable sway bars.

Hitch sway bars are made with a pair of sturdy metal arms that connect the trailer to the hitch of the tow vehicle. With this model, the sway bar is built directly into the weight distribution hitch with no need for extra add-ons. Sometimes chains or adjustable bars are added for greater control or flexibility.

Adjustable sway bars are a bit less common these days, but they are still good pieces of equipment. The adjustable type of sway bar connects directly to the tongue of the trailer and the hitch of the tow vehicle. It is a solid bar that can lock into place at whatever length you choose. When you’re traveling on the highway and experience rough conditions, this bar will stay steady and prevent the trailer from moving closer or further from the tow vehicle.

Most cars and trucks have sway bars as well, although these are a bit different compared to camper models. It helps improve their suspension and keeps them stable during turns and harsh driving conditions.

Many modern travel trailers are built with weight distribution hitches and they have sway bars that are already attached. Because of this, you usually won’t need to go out of your way to buy a separate sway bar. Make sure you ask your dealer about the hitch, so you can be certain that you have this important piece of equipment.

Why do you need a sway bar for your camper?

If you’ve ever bought an RV, you know that there are necessities, and then there are accessories. It’s easy to get sucked into an endless trap of buying add-ons, appliances, and bonus features for your unit. Because there are so many products for the RV market, sometimes it’s hard to know what’s actually going to be important.

Trust me when I say that sway bars are not pointless accessories. Far from it, in fact! This sturdy metal frame could end up being a lifesaver for you, your passengers, and the RV itself.

Campers experience a lot of stress and outside forces. When they’re being driven at highway speeds, they’re vulnerable to swaying. If the driver can’t get this movement under control, the camper and tow vehicle could crash and flip over. This is an extremely dangerous situation and it could even be deadly. There are a few different factors that can cause sway while you’re driving.

Wind

Wind is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to trailer sway. Most travel trailers are larger than cars and they have a lot of flat surface area. If the wind hits it broadside, it’s going to be hard to resist the movement. Wind speeds are sometimes compounded when you’re driving at highway speeds, so it’s important to get a sway bar for your camper.

Rough roads

If you prefer camping off-the-grid, you’ll probably deal with pretty rough roads. Most vehicles can handle these conditions, especially trucks that are strong enough to haul trailers. However, most travel trailers don’t have the same powerful suspension.

They can end up becoming unbalanced during rough conditions and might twist or slide forward toward the tow vehicle. In these conditions, a sway bar is vital! It helps to keep the trailer locked in place and prevent unwanted movement.

Tight turns

A similar situation happens during tight turns. Travel trailers are notoriously hard to maneuver, and it can be tricky to make turns while driving. The centrifugal force of turning (especially at highway speeds) can place too much pressure on the camper. They’re large and top-heavy, so there’s a very real risk of flipping. Semi-trucks and other large vehicles experience similar risks.

In this situation, your best bet is to drive cautiously. Give yourself plenty of time and turn as gradually as possible. The people behind you might get a bit annoyed, but it’s a good trade-off because you’re keeping everyone safer in the long run.

Passing vehicles

If you’ve ever passed (or been passed) by a semi-truck on the highway, you probably felt a bit unsteady in your lane. When this happens, your vehicle gets caught in the slipstream of nearby vehicles. This wind pressure and momentum can cause your vehicle and camper to sway. Sway bars will minimize this movement and help you recover from any unsteadiness.

Weight distribution

Finally, sway bars help with the weight distribution between campers and their tow vehicles. As I mentioned above, many modern sway bars are built into weight distribution hitches. These two items work in tandem to make the whole setup safer and more secure.

Without a proper hitch, your tow vehicle would be imbalanced because of the immense weight of the trailer behind it. The front wheels would carry less weight, while the back ones became overwhelmed. The trailer would pitch forward as well, which makes the back end more prone to back and forth movement. A combination of a sway bar and a weight distribution hitch makes the whole setup more streamlined and balanced.

What are the best aftermarket sway bars?

Again, most modern campers come with pre-installed sway bars. The industry recognizes the safety benefit they provide and has made them standard across most models.

If your hitch has worn out, or you have a mode that requires extra reinforcement, there are a few places you could look to find a good sway bar for your camper. These are all quite affordable and have been highly reviewed by customers.

CURT 17200 Trailer Anti-Sway Bar Control Kit

This sway bar is compatible with a variety of trailer designs and uses a brake-pad material to minimize movement. It’s slightly more expensive than the next option, but it’s quite popular among its customers. (About $53, Amazon)

Ultra-Fab Products 35-946204 Ultra Sway Control

The Ultra-Fab sway bar is protected by a 3-year manufacturer warranty, so you can rest assured that it’s not going to break anytime soon. It’s also adjustable and is one of the cheapest sway bars on the market. (About $41, Amazon)

Pro Series 83660 Value Friction Sway Control

The Pro Series sway bar has outstanding reviews from customers. It has a heavy-duty design and it’s easy to install and remove. It can be installed on the right, left, or center, and some customers like to buy two just for the extra protection. ($66, Amazon)


RVers looking for valuable how-to information have learned to go to the experts. Forums such as iRV2.com and blog sites like RV LIFE, Do It Yourself RV, and Camper Report provide all the information you need to enjoy your RV. You’ll also find brand-specific information on additional forums like Air Forums, Forest River Forums, and Jayco Owners Forum.

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10 thoughts on “Do You Need A Sway Bar For Your Camper?”

  1. The Sway bar is one of the most rewarding investments I’ve made in my RV. Since setting it up my trailer no longer sways uncontrollably, it is essential to protect our safety when moving.

    Reply
  2. The swing bar is a very important thing to control swaying. This little extra feature doesn’t just make driving with a trailer easier. Thank you for sharing this useful information.

    Reply
  3. Thank you for sharing this information. I used to think that purchasing a sway bar for an RV was pointless, but it is critical when towing a camper. With a sway bar, you won’t have to worry about swaying campers or unstable rigs while being towed.

    Reply
  4. All this about needing or not needing a sway bar on a camper trailer. No mention if they are needed on a Motor Home. My 2005 Class C Jayco would be nearly pushed into the opposite lane by a passing 18 wheeler. even box trucks and large SUVs. Don’t even think about those 800 foot long Class A’s travelling at 200 MPH . When I seen one coming up behind us, I would attempt to get to the outside lane and grip the wheel in a death grip.. By the end of a day of driving I was a nervous wreck and beat.. My wife was afraid to drive on the highways due to the passing vehicles.
    Our MH had sway bars, came on the vehicle stock , but they were not doing the job.
    I bought heavy duty replacements and in a couple of hours, replaced them myself in the drive way.
    Now I don’t even think about passing vehicles. the Motor Home stays in her lane and is barely effected by passing vehicles.

    Reply
  5. Try a Hensley Hitch. It’s a bit pricy but if you can afford an Airstream you can afford a Hensley. I have one on my 28 ft. Avion (looks like an Airstream but no longer made) and was glad to have it this past week when I went around Chicago with wind gusts up to 50 MPH. The hitch extends in front of the ball and virtually eliminates sway. There’s a lot of YouTube videos on it and the “Keep Your Daydream” channel had one when they had an Airstream a few years back.

    Reply
  6. “Many modern travel trailers are built with weight distribution hitches and they have sway bars that are already attached.” I am curious, can you tell me what manufactures include weight distribution hitches and sway bars?

    Reply
  7. I have an Airstream Basecamp 16x. I tow with a 6-cylinder Toyota Tacoma. No weight distribution hitch or sway bar. At the Airstream dealer they questioned this arrangement, kind of funny since their website shows exactly that, including in videos. … Anyway we have had no sway or problems but I have wondered whether I should get such a hitch. A friend has the same model trailer he pulls with a Jeep Cherokee and he DOES have a sway-control-type hitch. He purchased his from the Airstream dealer. I do not want to purchase any WDH from the Airstream dealer. Trouble is there doesn’t seem to be any room for the part of the hitch system that attaches more or less permanently to the trailer. A technician at a local RV place took one look at my set-up and said he didn’t see how I could use such a hitch without cutting into the bottom of the plastic tank covers. … So, what would be the brand/type to buy online or at a non-dealer to fit on my Airstream without cutting? Thanks!

    Reply

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