When going out on trips, people have to carry a lot of equipment with them. One option is that you purchase a large vehicle like motorhomes or RVs. Though, this is not optimal for most users which is why getting a trailer can be better for them.
But when you purchase these vehicles, one thing to keep in mind is if you have a vehicle powerful enough to tow them. Even after this, trying to drive around your vehicle can be quite annoying as most trailers will sway even when they are tightly towed.
This is where the Reese Sidewinder comes in. The device allows users to reduce sway from their trailers and even make sharp turns on them with ease. While there are tons of benefits when using this equipment, you should note that there are some downsides as well.
Considering this, we will be using this article to provide you with some common problems that can be found on Reese Sidewinder along with ways to troubleshoot them.
Common Reese Sidewinder Problems
- Device Making Sounds
Using Reese Sidewinder can be quite helpful as the overall sway from your trailers is reduced when driving around. This makes it easier for you to go at high speeds without having to worry about your trailer.
Additionally, you can make U-turns easily with the equipment installed. But many people have complained that their device started to make sounds after a few months had passed.
This can be due to several reasons. Although, these are related to the connections on your vehicle. Make sure that all the bolts in your hitching system are tightly connected. You can even try taking them out and then installing them properly.
If these are all fine then the next thing that you should do is to lubricate the system. When making turns, the equipment uses sharp motors to help you out.
These can start to get damaged if not lubricated regularly. Considering this, if you had not been doing so then place some oil on the device and then try turning it. You can remove our towed vehicle and manually move around the equipment for some time.
This will ensure that the device has been lubricated properly fixing the problem you were getting. Although, you should make a habit of doing this as the problem will eventually appear again without it.
- Vehicle Still Swaying
If you are still having stability or swaying issues on your vehicle even after Reese Sidewinder has been installed. Then the problem might be from your vehicle instead of the device itself. You can try checking the connections just like mentioned in the step above to confirm this.
If you notice that your device is properly installed then the reason for sway on your trailer can be due to its weight being unbalanced. When towing down a heavy trailer or camper to your vehicle.
You must balance out the weight between your vehicle evenly. This has to be done following a guide and you might even have to install metal bars in your vehicle to balance the weight. Once you have gone through what percentage of weight should be split between your trailer and vehicle.
Go to a workshop and use their electronic weight scale to balance this out. The facilitator at the workshop should also be able to help you out in managing your weight properly. Most of these are already aware of how this works so do not be hesitant to ask them for help.
- Vehicle Getting Damaged
No matter what type of hitching system you are using on your vehicle. One thing that you have to look out for is the weight and pressure being applied directly to the system.
Keeping this in mind, if the values go higher than the recommended weight then there is a chance that both the equipment and your vehicle can get damaged.
The easiest method to check this is by taking off your Reese Sidewinder and observing the areas near it. If your vehicle has no scratches or damages on it then the weight being applied is optimal.
However, if there are damages then you will have to reduce the load as soon as possible. This is because there is a high chance of your device breaking while you are driving on the road which can be quite dangerous.
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