What causes a trailer to wobble?

[Janee]

I always thought this was due to driving too fast, but

1)are there any other reasons for this to happen, and
2)how do you stop it wobbling once it has started?

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Are you talking snaking from side to side.
Check tyres, they should be special tyres for trailers, not car tyres, and pressures need to be correct.
Might be a good idea to have it serviced to check brakes.

 

[Janee]

Thanks, Bonkers2, yes snaking side to side, not my trailer I might add, just frightened me because it happened to a friend and I realised I didn't know what to do if it happened to me

 

[TheSylv007]

I think you're supposed to gradually decelerate and the snaking should subside. Something to do with the wheels of the trailer becoming out of alignment with the tow vehicle.

 

[applecart14]

It can happen if you don't change down a gear when going down an incline. I always change down to third when going down a steep hill to allow the engine to brake. You can also get caught out in cross winds. I had my trailer start to snake going downhill when I hit a cross wind and it was quite frightening. Keep the trailer in a straight line and brake slowly and gently and don't try and accelerate out of a snake as you can never accelerate quicker than you can brake.

You should always be one step ahead of everyone else when towing so should anticipate the road at all times. You should anticipate what other road users are going to do, and if you see brake lights ahead of you don't brake at the last minute, start changing down gears and slowing well ahead of the lights.

 

[DragonSlayer]

If the trailer is not level. On all my trucks, I've had to add a drop plate to the tow bar as it was too high. Get the vehicle with the trailer on a flat piece of road and put a spirit level on the part behind the bit that attaches to your vehicle. After I got this sorted I had no more issues.

 

[dixie]

It was the tyres when it happened to me, but it was the car tyre that was flat not the trailer, still caused the snaking going down a steepish hill on A38 - not pleasant, I always go extra slowly on that bit now!
As others, slow down gently. You can also get anti-snaking bars and/or special tow hitches added to the trailer, but not sure how they work. Think it is more common on caravans.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

This happend to me on the M4 and we ended up facing the way we came with teh roof off the trariler and the horse escaped on mottorway.


What Bonkers says is correct along with


perished tyres with splits in - which leads to a possible blow out.
Uneven tyre pressure in the trailer OR car]
loose connection between the horse trailer and car
wo horses squabbling in the bag
One horse fretting in the back
Young horse or unsure horse moving around or finding it hard to balance
side top door left open causing a though draught
un balanced trailer
horse put in passenger side instead of drivers side
Driving to fast
braking to heavily
gust of wind
large vehicle passing at speed on the near side or off side
put an anti snake bar on

along with :


Snaking can be caused by a number of factors, including:

Very light or negative noseweight.
Incorrectly placed loads (i.e. heaviest horse travelled on the left hand side of the trailer).
A trailer too heavy for the car.
A horse losing its balance.
Cross winds or an overtaking lorry.
Uneven tyre pressures or brakes.
Swerving.
Driving out of line with grooves in the road left by lorry wheels.

 

[galaxy]

Put an anti snake bar on!!

£100 is all it costs. They are common place with caravaners but for some reason horsey people just don't use them, yet would nearly spend that on a set of travel boots. I just don't understand it....