skipnchar
Topeka or somewhere else
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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Anti sway equipment is nearly Always optional. WD systems are NECESSARY any time your tongue weight exceeds the receivers rating (class IV receiver is rated for between 500 and 600 lb. of tongue weight. Remember receivers aren't EVER rated for the brochure weight it's ALWAYS the actual weight which is ALWAYS much more than the brochure (which gives you the empty weight). Best to figure 15% of the GVWR or the trailer.
2011 F-150 HD Ecoboost 3.5 V6. 2550 payload, 17,100 GCVWR -
2004 F-150 HD (Traded after 80,000 towing miles)
2007 Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
US Govt survey shows three out of four people make up 75% of the total population
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Fordlover
Spring, Texas
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Joined: 12/27/2005
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LoudDog wrote:First off, figure you'll carry closer to 1000 lbs. 30 gallons of water alone is nearly 300 pounds... I thought I was being very weight conservative on our 18er and was shocked to see my trailer over 1000 pounds over the dry weight...
Just to clarify, we do not dry camp, so we never travel with any substantial water on board, 3 or 4 gallons in the black tank after dumping, and 8 or 10 or so in the fresh tank for lunch time or potty breaks along the way. I hate destroying fuel economy with a full tank of water, and 40 gal. of fresh water has a very noticable effect on my current TV.
It's good advice to go weigh the trailer, I guess I really need to go do that, and soon. Thanks for the insight to all, I'm reading the advice carefully.
02 Ford Explorer 4.6 V8 4x4, prodigy and equalizer
07 Crossroads Sunset Trail ST19CK
and no payments
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LarryJM
NoVa
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Joined: 11/09/2007
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mkirsch wrote:This is going to be a matter of opinion, so here's mine:
1. There is NEVER a point at which you do not need sway control. You should always have sway control on a bumper-pull travel trailer.
2. Friction bar sway controls are a waste of time. The best sway controls are integrated into WD hitches.
You've got it, it's not a big deal to set up. What do you have to lose by using it?
For a full profile trailer much longer than 20' I would agree some sway control should be used, but I strongly disagree on the friction being a waste of time and unlike I think you have I have 25 years plus experience using one on a 26' really high profile TT (the older bunk house ones that ramped up about 12 to 14" for the bunks in the rear and close to 150K miles towing in over 40 of the lower 50 states.
I would agree much above about 26' and you should switch from a friction sway to one of the integrated ones.
Larry
* This post was
edited 09/07/10 06:07pm by an administrator/moderator *
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Ron Gratz
full time RVer
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Joined: 12/27/2003
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skipnchar wrote:---(class IV receiver is rated for between 500 and 600 lb. of tongue weight.---
Class IV receivers are not limited to 500-600# of tongue weight.
For example, Curt Mfg makes a Model #14357 which, I believe, would fit either of your trucks.
It is rated for 1000# tongue weight in weight carrying mode.
Ron
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TomG2
Central Illinois
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Joined: 03/07/2004
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One reason I dumped the F-150 was to get away from WD hitches. Current 2500HD tows 700 pound tongue weight without a glitch. I have one, and play with it, but don't need it. Standard receiver hitch is rated for 1,000 pounds without WD hitch, not the five or six hundred pounds mentioned earlier.
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Chuck&Gail
In the Colorado Mountains
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Joined: 06/16/2004
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IMHO you never need Sway Control as long as you you are only parked. If you do tow, you need it.
IMO sway control is a good idea because someday you may be coming fast down a hill, in a crosswind, when a big semi goes by really fast. Friends of ours had towed for years without sway control when above happened to them. Fortunately nobody was coming other way as they lost it and rolled everything several times. TT and TV totaled, pieces blocked both lanes, but no permanent injuries.
If sway starts you have only a few seconds to remember NOT to touch the TV brake, but to use the override on the brake controller to straighten the whole mess out. Yes that will always work and stop any sway if you are quick enough, but I don't believe in tempting the Gods.
Be careful out there.
You don't need WD hitch IMO when TV outweighs TT by factor of four or more.
Chuck
Wonderful Wife
Australian Shepherd
2010 Ford Expedition TV
2010 Outback 230RS Toybox, 5390# UVW, 6800# Loaded
Not yet camped in Hawaii, 2 Canada Provinces, & 2 Territories
I can't be lost because I don't care where this lovely road is going
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Curtis F.
Mascoutah, IL, USA
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Joined: 11/18/2004
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Some interesting opinions.
Some additional thoughts from me.
If the back end goes down when you hook up the trailer, your headlights just went off the road and up into the air.
One benefit of Equal-I-zer hitch is that when properly set up, it keeps the truck within 1/2" of unloaded trim.
The faster you tow, the more weight will be lifted off the tongue by the sail affect of the front of the trailer. That makes the trailer more likely to sway. Add head winds to your speed and the sail affect can lift a significant amount of the weight off the tongue.
Tire blow-outs tend to induce sway or directional pulling.
It may be doable, but using the Equal-I-zer hitch will increase the stability and safety of your rig.
You may never need the fire extinguisher that is in your trailer, so leave that at home also.
Your choice, good luck.
03 PT Cruiser LE 5 spd
98 Silverado K2500 6.5 Turbo Diesel 4X4 Ext cab short bed with cap
05 Trillium Outback 13' + 30" extended tongue + upgraded 3500 lb axel The Glassasylum
89 Award 730, 30' TT
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