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Old 08-28-2017, 06:03 PM   #1
Dball
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Sway control or not?

We are looking at making some pretty long trips with our TT in the very near future and wanted some expert opinions on sway control with a truck my size.

I know it won't hurt any truck to add sway control but I have an '05 F-350 dually pulling a 28' hideout TT. Will my truck still feel the "white knuckle" effects of the wind and passing trucks that a smaller truck does? I have made some small trips around our area with absolutely no problem, but I also don't want to get that far from home and regret our decision either.

I can pull and stop with ease.....the sway is what concerns me most.
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Old 08-28-2017, 06:08 PM   #2
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I would get one. It can only improve the handling of the tow especially in high winds or that big rig trying to blow you off the road. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.


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Old 08-28-2017, 06:25 PM   #3
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I used to do RV transporting, sway control wasn't an option for us because we couldn't put the brackets on the trailer frame. I can tell you that I have about 35k miles towing 24-30 trailers and they towed very well with my dually without the sway control. I also have several thousand miles towing smaller trailers and could feel them moving around much more. If it was me, based on my experience, I wouldn't bother. Of course, as already pointed out, it doesn't hurt and can only make things better.
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Old 08-28-2017, 06:37 PM   #4
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For safety and a peace of mind, at what 50 bucks? It's your money, trailer etc. My opinion is you might not need it but, you should have it. Have you been hit with a 40 mph cross wind yet? or may you at some point. That's when you may really say that 50 bucks just paid off.
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Old 08-29-2017, 05:34 AM   #5
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It depends, do you want to safer and more secured or not. I know the Husky T/s that I have has been very good. You probably can do without it but the money you spend for extra safety would be well worth it. I personally would not travel w/o it. Remember safety is job one for you and others around you. Happy travels.
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Old 08-29-2017, 07:28 AM   #6
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Sway control or not?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dball View Post
We are looking at making some pretty long trips with our TT in the very near future and wanted some expert opinions on sway control with a truck my size.

I know it won't hurt any truck to add sway control but I have an '05 F-350 dually pulling a 28' hideout TT. Will my truck still feel the "white knuckle" effects of the wind and passing trucks that a smaller truck does? I have made some small trips around our area with absolutely no problem, but I also don't want to get that far from home and regret our decision either.

I can pull and stop with ease.....the sway is what concerns me most.
There's a video floating around on You Tube or elsewhere on the internet which shows a TT about the size of yours swaying wildly out of control, then flipping and jerking the tow vehicle around in the process. Now, to be fair, the driver was trying to pull it with a big SUV, not an F-350 dually, but without a sway control hitch that TT could develop sway. I believe 2005 was before Ford starting putting "Trailer Sway Control" into their truck electronics. I'd do it out of an abundance of caution, and to avoid getting sued for negligence.
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Old 08-29-2017, 08:06 AM   #7
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Ive traveled thru some pretty nasty storms and i know the sway control worked. I hope you are using a weight distribution hitch, even with a dually the weak link is your hitch reciever.
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Old 08-29-2017, 08:21 AM   #8
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I don't tow a heavy bumper-pull trailer and have never needed a WD hitch or sway control. In fact, until doing a bit of self-education on this subject, I essentially knew nothing about how all this works.

I did run across this system that seems rather innovative and seemingly effective in both WD and sway. The recent thread on finding the optimum adjustment on WD hitches has led me to think there has to be a simpler and better way. What do you experienced folks think about this one?

https://andersenhitches.com/Catalog/...ion-hitch.aspx

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Old 08-29-2017, 11:15 AM   #9
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No matter how big/tough your truck is, your front end will rise without a WDH. This is not desirable.

No matter how big/tough your truck is, wind can/will push the trailer around without a some sway control. Now, with a bigger/tougher truck (especially DRW), the "pushing" of the trailer may have no affect on the truck... but the trailer still feels it. If the truck is not negatively affected, the movement usually stops there and does not accelerate into uncontrollable sway.

Combine no sway control and no WDH (where the front end is higher than normal), a big trailer can cause issues on bigger trucks... even DRW. The rear end of the truck may not get pushed around however the front can which results in the same thing.




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Old 08-29-2017, 01:37 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Desert185 View Post
I don't tow a heavy bumper-pull trailer and have never needed a WD hitch or sway control. In fact, until doing a bit of self-education on this subject, I essentially knew nothing about how all this works.

I did run across this system that seems rather innovative and seemingly effective in both WD and sway. The recent thread on finding the optimum adjustment on WD hitches has led me to think there has to be a simpler and better way. What do you experienced folks think about this one?

https://andersenhitches.com/Catalog/...ion-hitch.aspx


I like simple but sometimes simple isn't the best answer IMO.

I personally don't like the polyurethane bushings. He says they will last forever yet I've had them split. Also, the ball has a V shaped bottom that depends on "brake lining" material to give you sway control. That sounds like a problem to me since brake linings wear out, sometimes quickly, and this hitch head is going to be pushing and grinding into that material with thousands of pounds of force constantly.

I'm sure some have bought them so I'll just wait to see what the verdict is down the road several years.
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Old 08-29-2017, 02:26 PM   #11
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I have a 3500 DRW CC and tow a 32' TT and I run a anti-sway bar on it. This is my first camping season with the DRW and we rolled up to Maine a few weeks ago, and the truck never felt any semi or bus passing us. Even though you're running a DRW, I'd still run it, for that "what if" moment
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Old 08-29-2017, 02:44 PM   #12
Dball
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To make things a little clearer, I also do not have a weight distribution hitch. The truck does squat some but not a lot.

Thank you guys for all of your knowledge and experience. I'll start looking into a nice hitch/ sway control set up.
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Old 08-29-2017, 03:44 PM   #13
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Yes you do want a WDH. Although I could not use sway control when I was transporting, I did use WDH. It does make a difference
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Old 08-29-2017, 03:57 PM   #14
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I hear its recommended to use WD when the trailer weight exceeds half the weight of the tow vehicle, discounting any WD state requirement that may exist. Is that a good rule?

Why no sway control when transporting?
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Old 08-29-2017, 04:07 PM   #15
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Quote:
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I hear its recommended to use WD when the trailer weight exceeds half the weight of the tow vehicle, discounting any WD state requirement that may exist. Is that a good rule?

Why no sway control when transporting?
Many sway control setups require a bracket that is bolted to the frame, we couldn't make any modifications. We also had to use the removable saddles for the WDH spring bars. Nothing could be drilled or bolted.
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Old 08-29-2017, 04:24 PM   #16
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With an F150 4x4 pulling a 29', 7K TT I used a WD hitch. It swayed regardless, and a passing semi --- gulp. I added a sway control device and the tail wag mostly disappeared. I then 'upgraded to an F350 CCSB SRW in anticipation of buying a 5th wheel but still pulled the TT for another year. That truck also had a sway bar rear suspension. I also was able to tow, nary a tail wag, without the sway device though did use the WD hitch since I had it and was no problem to use.
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Old 08-29-2017, 11:11 PM   #17
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If it is recommended on about every application, why don't the manufacturers just install their version from the factory and make this a thing of the past?
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Old 08-30-2017, 03:19 AM   #18
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If it is recommended on about every application, why don't the manufacturers just install their version from the factory and make this a thing of the past?
$$$$$$$$$$$
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Old 08-30-2017, 06:11 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dball View Post
If it is recommended on about every application, why don't the manufacturers just install their version from the factory and make this a thing of the past?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave W View Post
$$$$$$$$$$$
Money is one factor, interchangeability and inter-use is another. Trying to adapt a "factory version" of sway control/weight distribution that would fit all types and brands of hitches would be "near impossible"...

Just look back during the past few weeks on this forum with the "passionate" and sometimes "heated discussions" about which type of hitch is best..... Trying to get an RV manufacturer to "adopt" one type of system to all their trailers would probably turn off as many people who "don't like that system" as it would "provide a standard" by which everyone would have to use a specific type of hitch... Then, for those with a previous RV, how many would have to buy a new hitch because their current one (maybe from a different RV brand) wouldn't fit the "Keystone system".....

Talk about a "nightmare" trying to "force" everyone to use one type of sway control ????? WOW the customers Keystone would lose !!!!!!
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Old 08-30-2017, 07:24 AM   #20
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In all my travels and maybe over 65,000 miles, in all differences , IT IS THE WAY YOU LOAD THE TRAILER! A back heaver trailer will wobble all the time and only be increased with wind , traffic and road conditions along with speeds over 45 mph. I have had WD bars and that is it. Some do not have that, And the transporters do not need any thing because they are running empty (sans any water).
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