Hi all
Can anyone explain whether the trailer sway control on some vehicles is any good and does it negate the need for esc on the van
Regards ,Gone bananas
Welcome to the Forum Geoff.
ESC should be mandatory on any trailer larger than a 6 X 4 box trailer in my opinion - I fail to see how a sway control unit in tow vehicle would ever automatically correct a caravan that has started to sway. Sales gimmick IMHO.
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Possum; AKA:- Ali El-Aziz Mohamed Gundawiathan
Sent from my imperial66 typewriter using carrier pigeon, message sticks and smoke signals.
Thanks IMHO
Thats helpful.I guess my main quandary is around the inbuilt brake controller these vehicles have.does it need to be disconnected to use esc on the van.I might be tempted to not buy esc if the vehicle controller had the press button (as in red arc
Regards geoff
The question is your reaction time in trying to control a vehicle. If you get the wobbles are you going to just have one hand on the steering wheel whilst looking for the break controller or would you rather the ESC work automatically while you are two hands on the wheel and looking at the road.
Not sure about a sway control unit in the tug if that is what you man because it is the caravan that you want to slow down.
I have a an ESC along with the Redarc and would rather not be looking for a button to press. Hopefully I will never have to use either.
Good luck in what ever you choose.
Tim
-- Edited by TimTim on Wednesday 13th of March 2024 11:05:59 PM
Thanks Tim
I think I will get esc on the van now.Question I have now is whether the tow vehicles trailer sway control will work with the esc on the van or does it need to be disabled.
If I was in your position I would choose Dexter sway control over ESC, because DSC has better sensitivity and instead of braking all wheels at the same time it alternates between right and left.
The vehicle manufacturers all swear that esc on the van is not now necessary Geoff
I don't care how good you can drive or how many years behind the wheel towing - there are times when an ESC can be a Godsend. As for caravan manufacturers advising not necessary on their vans, they cannot predict how van is loaded, road conditions, other driver behaviors, etc - apart from that, very few caravan manufacturers have the ability to build caravans correctly nor understand vehicle dynamics.
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Possum; AKA:- Ali El-Aziz Mohamed Gundawiathan
Sent from my imperial66 typewriter using carrier pigeon, message sticks and smoke signals.
I've travelled from Adelaide to the Cape using the Anderson unit. Never had a sway problem and wouldn't relay on anything else plus the weight is far less than bar type units.
My Ranger has an inbuilt trailer stability control which is reasonably good, but I think the caravan systems are a very good addition.
ESC can certainly save your bacon in a crisis.
Whilst not with the van, I had reason to have the ESC in a Commodire Ute activate quite fiercely when I had to take very rapid evasive action to avoid a head on with a complete idiot on a country road.
If it hadn't been for the ESC, I probably would have ended up upside down in the roadside ditch rather than managing to gather it up and continue my journey. The car remained at least under partial control despite the wild swerve I made to avoid certain death.
I am subsequently a great advocate of that particular safety system.
The Dexter ESC is wired in parallel to the normal brake circuit and use the house battery so even if someone pulls out the van plug from the tug the Dexter ESC still works to stop sway.
