Trailer Sway, commonly known as the fish tailing or side-to-side action of an RV trailer as an automobile is pulling it. This movement can easily cause the tow vehicle to become unstable and roll over causing a roadway accident.
Each year many American families hit the roads to go camping. For those who want to leave their worries behind, but little else, recreational vehicle camping is becoming increasingly popular. Nationwide, there may be as many as 30 million RV enthusiasts, including renters, and by 2010, the number of RV-owning households is estimated to rise to nearly 8 million.
What is trailer sway exactly? It is the fishtailing or side-to-side action of a trailer as it is being pulled behind the family vehicle. This phenomenon can occur when the tow vehicle/trailer combination is being passed by a tractor trailer, hit by a sudden wind gust or when the driver is forced to take an evasive maneuver. Though relatively unknown to consumers until they encounter it, the RV industry has known about trailer sway long before the advent of the lightweight travel trailers that are so popular today.
To avoid the dangers of trailer sway, RV users need to understand not only the capacities and limitations of combination vehicles, but also how to deal with trailer sway once it occurs. However, one of the biggest problems facing RV users is that no one actually advises them about the hazards of trailer sway or how they should react if caught in a trailer sway situation that might result in the loss of control. This is an issue that must be addressed by the RV industry in order to assure the safety of consumers.
The leading Pivot Point hitch, manufactured by Hensley Hitch, is called the Hensley Arrow. Dynamic testing has shown that the Hensley Arrow virtually eliminates the problem of trailer sway in the real world. Available from trailer dealers throughout the country, the Hensley Arrow sells for approximately $2,500 and is easy to install. When compared to other friction type sway control devices, the Hensley Arrow has approximately a ten fold improvement in a trailer's damping ratio according to recent dynamic tests. Having been on the market for almost two decades, to date there has never been a single trailer sway accident when a trailer was equipped with a Hensley Arrow. Additional information is available from Hensley at their website, which is located at Hensley, Mfg., Inc.
Our attorneys have experience in handling Trailer Sway cases. At the Newsome Law Firm we have valuable experience in Trailer Sway cases. Please feel free to Contact Us for assistance.
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