Ford Trailer Sway Control

[Colliemom]

Got a question for those of you who are towing TT's with Ford vehicles. My friend who just picked up her new TT last week has issues with trailer sway in both her new and older TT, so has a trailer sway control brake on her hitch system. She insists that I need one too despite the fact that I never had a problem with my last TT. It pulled along straight as an arrow behind my two GM pickups.

I now as most of you know, have A 2012 Ford Flex with the Ford Sway Control built into the system. According to Ford, no other sway control equipment is necessary. Do any of you have this on your Ford's and if so, what has your experience with it been? Think there is need for a sway bar on the hitching system. I will have a Weight Distributing system. I'm thinking I will try towing without a sway control bar on the hitch and see what happens. Would appreciate some feedback on this.

[Azusateach]

I have the friction-type of sway control on my setup. For the small amount of money it costs, and the fact that it doesn't attach to anything but the hitch, I'd go for it. That kind of "overkill" is worth it in my book.

Laura

[Cougarfan]

I have a Jeep Liberty with integrated sway control but still use a friction sway bar on my hitch. Like Laura said, they aren't expensive.

I'm no expert on towing but here is my .02 worth.

Its possible that your friend has too much weight behind the axle. If she moves some weight forward, it might fix some of the sway. Also, is the trailer sitting high in the front? It might help to lower the ball height so the trailer runs a little low in the front. She also may have her WDH set up taking too much weight off the rear wheels of her tow vehicle. Better to have a little more weight on the rear axle than the front. Not a lot more but a little. The only way to determine the weights is to take the tow vehicle and trailer to a truck scale. There are instructions all over the net on how to weigh your rv set up. I did read that someone took their small Jayco to a scale and the set up was too light to register (remember these scales are for semi trucks.) The speed you drive can also affect how much the trailer sways. She can test different speeds to see if it stops. Wind can also cause sway and there isn't anything you can do about it other than to slow down or get off the road. If she tries all of that and still experiences sway then she should take it back to the dealer and have them make sure the axle is tracking straight.

If you get sway on your trailer, just reach down and manually engage the brake controller for the trailer a bit. Don't hammer it and don't use your tow vehicle brakes. You'll feel it pull but it should pull the trailer straight behind you before it takes both vehicles for a most unpleasant ride. I experienced sway on the freeway with my Jayco after a semi passed me at about 80 (okay, that's probably not how fast he was going but it felt like it) and used this method and it did work.

Hope this helps.

Laura

[Colliemom]

She was experiencing some sway on the way home from the dealers the other day with a brand new unloaded trailer. Was a bit on the windy side too. She's pulling with a Dodge Caravan and I kind of wonder if perhaps the design of the vehicle itself, and the location of the hitch, might be some of the problem. The dealer installed and set the weight distribution system so that all was level before we left. So it's hard to say.

I will have a sway control put on my TT too. Like you say, better to be safe than sorry. Didn't need it on the truck as it rode higher than my Flex and made a good solid towing platform. If they keep improving the gas mileage on the trucks, especially with the new engines coming out this year, I may very well go back to a truck when my lease is up. But will see how that Flex does.

[Sandersmr]

I don't have sway control with my small trailer. My truck doesn't require WD and when I talked to PPL about the need for sway, we decided it wouldn't help the issues I was having with wind. With crosswinds, I was being pushed around some, but it wasn't actual sway. It was the wind hitting the profile of the truck and the trailer, pushing both around some. I wonder if that was what your friend was experiencing, especially since she was towing with a van - adding to the surface area for the wind.

I do watch the trailer in my tow mirrors and it tracks straight with the truck. As Laura said, I can control any feeling of potential sway with a tap on the brake controller, but it's not something I've done much. And I drive on the interstates with 18 wheelers passing as well.

[mitch5252]

...The dealer installed and set the weight distribution system so that all was level before we left. So it's hard to say.

..
Which brings me to the question I keep forgetting to ask - when the dealer sets up the WD, it's with a completely empty trailer / vehicle. What about once it's loaded for a trip? Is it necessary to "readjust"?
..

[WickedLady]

Just need to be sure that the load is evenly distributed; not too heavy on one side or the other, etc.

[Colliemom]

I did read, on RVNet I think it was, that if you want to make sure you are even all the way around, is to take a tape measure and measure from the top of your wheel wells on your tow vehicle to the ground. All 4 should be the same. I've done that a few times till I knew I had nothing different in truck or trailer than before, and that the number of links in the chains were right from there on.