The Redarc controller is an easy install and works great!

 

Thanks for the suggestion. We have a Curt Echo wireless brake controller that seems to be doing alright but am exploring switching to a hard wired solution.

Does anyone have any experience with the after market electronic sway control systems that mount directly to the trailer like the one below?

https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...s/HA81775.html

 

I'm curious to know what you decided to do and how it's going. Just towed a 25ft Forest River Vibe 30 miles down the road for our first camping trip and it was not fun. It's about 5000lbs and I took the manual's recommendation and did not get a weight distribution hitch. I've never hauled anything before but I felt like I was swaying all over. It was not a relaxing drive! I'm looking into other options now.

 

Sway often starts with too light tongue weight. See if that’s the problem before moving to more drastic measures.

 

I picked up a Hayes Electronic Sway Controller (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hayes-Sw...1775/312242708) from etrailer.com. For whatever reason their site pulls up a different page when you try and load it. I bought it for $250, the price continues to go up and down, if you wait you may be able to get it cheaper than what they have it listed for. I drove the trailer last week on a 10 mile stretch of highway and it did pretty good, definitely not white knuckling it. The Defender unloaded was even getting pushed around.

 

I will check that out. Did you drive your trailer without that and then with for comparison?? Also, what are you doing for mirrors? I couldn't find any extenders that fit the side mirrors and I'm just using little stick on blind spot mirrors... really not ideal.

 

Haven’t towed the trailer without some form of sway control. Prior to the Hayes Swag Controller I was using a curt mechanical sway control with my wife’s X5. The X5 felt very stable but it’s also a lot more aerodynamic than the Defender. However, the Defender felt safe and in control, more so than the X5.

I’m not using tow mirrors with the Defender, there is actually a camera view for towing which gives pretty good visibility down the side of the trailer.

 

So I finally got the sway controller and took it for a spin yesterday. We live in a very windy part of the country and took it on the highway with 25 mph wind and it did not feel safe.

When the product arrived it had warning stickers to not use with an integrated braking system. I do have a brake system installed... wasn't allowed to take my trailer off the lot until I got it. So I was wondering if you had a brake system and whether or not you use it with the sway controller. My brake system feels great when I'm towing. I turned it all the way to 0 while using the sway control yesterday but maybe that wasn't enough. Maybe it needs to be disconnected. Just wanted to see if you had dealt with this and had advice before I disassemble the brake system.

Thanks for your help!

 

I don’t remember seeing any warnings not to use a trailer breaker controller with the Hayes Sway control device. I believe I saw a video or read some Hayes literature that said it works seamlessly with a brake controller. I use my brake controller with the sway control device. I haven’t made any really long trips with it but have had some highway driving with a fairly strong cross wind. I’d feel the rear end twitch slightly and then the “event” was over. We have a camping trip planned this weekend with the travel trailer and can let you know how it did.

I’m using a Curt Echo wireless. Take controller which is Bluetooth based but I’m not completely sold on it. It either works great or feels like it doesn’t work at all. Might switch later this summer.

 

I have a redarc brake controller. When my sway controller came in the mail it had a couple stickers on the packaging with the warning not to use the integrated brake control. You can tell it's definitely an after market addition. Anyway, I'd love to hear how it all felt after your trip. Maybe what I'm feeling is normal.