Highway sway, delayed braking, poor rear visibility—these are real towing challenges that don’t simply go away the more often you hit the road. While practice and experience certainly help, so do quality towing accessories. The key is outfitting your rig with products that actually pull their weight (sometimes literally).
This article rounds up seven travel trailer upgrades that can greatly improve your towing experience this spring. Which ones are “right” for you depends on your setup and travel habits, but all are designed to assist with stability, safety, and security so you can hit the road with greater peace of mind.
1) Weight Distribution Hitch
When you tow a fully loaded trailer, the excess weight acts as a lever, pushing down on the hitch and causing your truck’s front tires to lose their grip on the road. This makes steering and braking more difficult, and creates an overall feeling of instability.
A weight distribution hitch counteracts your tow vehicle’s sag by redistributing some of that excess weight off the rear axle and onto the front axle (as well as back onto the trailer’s own axles). The result is a more level ride where the truck and trailer feel like one solid unit, rather than two separate pieces pivoting on a ball.
Many modern weight distribution hitches—like those by Blue Ox, Husky Towing, Reese, and Equal-i-zer—take control a step further by integrating sway control. These all-in-one systems are designed to resist the side-to-side trailer movement that can occur at high speeds or in windy conditions. They use a variety of mechanical methods to achieve this added stability, each with their own payoffs and compromises in affordability, user-friendliness, and quiet operation. We recommend doing some research on the brand and hitch before purchasing to ensure you choose a system that best meets your needs.
2) Heavy-Duty Shocks
An often-overlooked performance upgrade for towing, a fresh set of shock absorbers can do more than simply smooth out bumps on long rides. While your factory suspension setup might be able to support a heavy payload or towing capacity, it generally can’t dampen those heavy loads effectively, resulting in a bouncy or “boaty” feel when driving.
Heavy-duty shock absorbers are specially tuned to slow down the aggressive rebounding effect that extra towing weight can cause. (Basically, they can more quickly absorb the energy that makes the vehicle bounce.) They also provide greater resistance to the body roll that tends to occur during crosswinds or lane changes, helping to prevent trailer sway.
While rugged, fixed-valve options like KYB Monomax or Bilstein 4600s can eliminate the squishy feel of factory shocks and provide better stability when hauling, their high-pressure design can also make an unladen truck feel noticeably stiff during daily commutes. For those who only tow occasionally, an adjustable shock upgrade like the Rancho RS9000XL offers a “best of both worlds” solution by allowing a driver to manually tune the suspension stiffness to match the vehicle's current load.
3) Tow Mirrors
If you’re looking for a small upgrade with big impact, you don’t need to look much further than your side mirror. This is another area where factory equipment falls short—in this case, significantly limiting your rear visibility for reversing, lane changing, and maneuvering your trailer into campsites or parking spots.
Aftermarket tow mirrors are purpose-built to address these issues by providing an extended view of what’s behind and around your trailer. They come in a variety of styles, from simple clip-on and slide-on extensions to more permanent replacements with deluxe features. For durable, temporary solutions, look to brands like CURT, CIPA USA, and Milenco; for a more comprehensive, long-term upgrade, check out K-Source and Spec-D Tuning.
4) Rear View Camera
If extended tow mirrors aren’t providing enough visibility for your liking, a rear-view camera system may be the answer. While most tow vehicles come equipped with a standard back-up camera, it’s essentially useless once a trailer is hitched and blocking the field of view. Adding an external camera to the back of the camper can eliminate this dangerous blind spot.
While wired systems will provide the most stable, lag-free signal, a wireless setup will be easier to install. To maximize utility, many campers upgrade to a full observation system like the Furrion Vision S®. With multiple camera angles, low-light functionality, and a high-res touchscreen monitor, this system not only provides a clearer, safer view of the road but also doubles as a motion-activated security camera when the RV is parked.
5) Proportional Brake Controller
Not all brake controllers deliver the same braking experience. If your trailer brakes feel jerky, delayed, or overly aggressive, the issue may not be your trailer at all but rather the type of controller you’re using.
Brake controllers come in two flavors: time-delayed and proportional. Time-delayed controllers apply a preset amount of braking force shortly after receiving the “stop” signal from your tow vehicle, gradually increasing the output over a set interval. Proportional controllers, on the other hand, measure how quickly your vehicle is slowing down and apply trailer braking in real time based on actual deceleration. That proportional braking response not only feels smoother and more natural, but also helps reduce brake wear and improve downhill control.
While proportional controllers typically cost a bit more than time-delayed units, and may require more careful installation, many RVers consider them well worth the upgrade—particularly those who tow frequently, travel long distances, or just want a more confident, controlled braking experience. If installation is a concern, consider investing in a wireless option like the CURT Echo. This mobile brake controller plugs directly into your tow vehicle’s 7-way connector and uses a Bluetooth connection to control all brake settings right from your smartphone.
6) Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Tire blowouts are one of the most disruptive and potentially dangerous problems RVers face on the road, with underinflation being a leading cause. The challenge is that you often can’t feel a slow leak or rising tire temperature from the driver’s seat until it’s too late. With a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) on board, you can monitor pressure and temperature changes in real time, helping prevent minor issues from turning into roadside emergencies.
Most modern TPMS systems include sensors for four to six tires and connect to a smartphone app, allowing you to view tire data directly from your phone—or even mirror it to your vehicle’s dash display if you use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Systems like the Lippert Tire Linc® PRO, TireMinder A1AS, and CURT Tire Linc Auto Advanced offer scalable monitoring options, so you can choose a setup that fits your trailer, tow vehicle, and future upgrades.
7) Locking Hitch Pin
Standard hitch pins do the job, but they can allow a bit of play inside the receiver, which leads to rattling and clunking while driving. A quality locking hitch pin helps secure the connection more firmly while also adding an extra layer of protection against accidental (or unauthorized) pin removal during fuel stops, rest breaks, or overnight parking.
Before purchasing, make sure to confirm compatibility with your receiver size and hitch configuration. For a closer look at sizing, styles, and go-to brands, check out our deep dive Choosing the Right Hitch Pin: What to Know Before You Tow.
Shop Travel Trailer Towing Upgrades at Parts Via
Outfitting your rig with quality towing upgrades can make every mile feel more controlled and predictable—and that kind of confidence changes the entire trip. With Parts Via’s selection of towing accessories, you can build a setup that fits your trailer, tow vehicle, and travel style with ease.
If you’re gearing up for spring travel and don’t want to lose momentum waiting on parts, take advantage of our fast, FREE ship-to-store option at checkout. You’ll save on delivery fees and connect with local product experts and installation professionals who can help you get road-ready, so you can focus less on towing challenges and more on the adventure ahead.