Troubleshooting Trailer Sway that Is Less Obvious When Trailer is Loaded

Question:

I have a 2001 Premco Deck Trailer. It has tandem 5200 lb axles. I recently purchased it used from an individual who used it to haul gun safes. I decided to replace the original Load Range D tires with GoodYear Endurance Load Range E. I also made a few small modifications to the frame put a door on the back and swapped out the screw type ball hitch with a standard latch type After replacing the tires the trailer started to sway at just over 60 mph. I have used it to haul one load of around 1500lbs. It handled a little better when loaded but the sway was still present at times. The trailer has a GVWR of 9500 lbs. Do you have any suggestions for what I can to do solve this problem?

asked by: Kevin L

Helpful Expert Reply:

The type of sway you described and the fact it gets slightly better when loaded indicates that you need more tongue weight on your trailer. When a trailer doesn't have tongue weight that's between 10 and 15% of the total trailer weight you'll end up with persistent sway. Other times it can be from having a trailer that's not sitting level. To address this we have a help article I attached to this page that covers how to pick out the correct ball mount.

expert reply by: Jameson C