Pitching
Towing
United Kingdom
Europe
Pitching, trailer pitching, caravan pitching, longitudinal sway, motorhome bounce, fore-aft oscillation
Pitching is the vertical fore-and-aft "nodding" motion of a motorhome, caravan, or trailer where the front and rear ends rise and fall in turn on uneven roads. It is amplified by uneven load distribution (too much rear or front weight) and worn shock absorbers.
Single-axle trailers pitch most — a weight-distributing hitch and a stabiliser jockey wheel calm it down. On large motorhomes, air suspensions (Air Premium, Goldschmitt) actively level the chassis. Not to be confused with snaking (side-to-side). Snaking is more dangerous, but pitching wears out passengers and damages crockery and locker contents.
