Motorhome Sway Control vs Weight Distribution - What's the Difference?

It's an open secret that many motorhomes come standard with some substandard components, particularly when it comes to weight distribution and sway control. As a result, these are some of the most popular upgrades that RV owners typically look at when visiting an Ohio truck upgrade shop.

But what will motorhome sway control and weight distribution upgrades actually do for you, and which will be the better use of your money? Let's take a quick look at the differences between them.

1. Sway Control

Many motorhomes and trailers are built on top of stock truck body frames, which aren't entirely enough to keep a motorhome under control. Stock motorhomes can be very prone to swaying back and forth in the wind and are also easy to tip over in tight turns.

So, motorhome sway control upgrades are extremely common. The most popular method is to add a sway bar. This goes laterally across the RV, parallel to the axles, and acts as a torsion spring. The more the frame tries to twist in one direction - causing sway - the more the sway bar will push against that movement.

Frankly, if you feel like your motorhome is swaying too much, it probably is. There's a reason that sway bars are one of the most common upgrades on the market, and it's recommended for virtually any RV driver.

2. Weight Distribution 

Another common issue with stock RVs is that, when towing a trailer, the downward force put on the hitch ends up pushing the entire rear end down. This can cause handling problems, as well as encourage your RV to bottom out even on mild bumps, which can quickly damage the undercarriage.

A weight distribution hitch is the solution here. As the name suggests, it distributes the weight of a towed trailer more evenly across the body of the RV. Besides reducing wear and damage on your RV and its suspension system, this will also make the towed trailer ride more smoothly as well.

This upgrade is less important unless you regularly tow trailers. If you are just driving your motorhome by itself, you probably don't need to worry about upgrading the hitch.

Mainline RV & Truck Service Has the Upgrades You Need

We're one of the largest and most popular truck and RV service stops in Ohio, with drivers coming from all over the state. We carry a huge range of parts and upgrades, installed by our best-in-class service crew. Whether you're just stopping in for a little accessory, or need major upgrades to your RV, we have everything you need!



If you're planning on upgrades, click here to set up a service appointment!