Sway Question

No way would I tow a 33ft trailer with a soft suspension Expy.:E
Especially with someone new to towing a long TT and on a trip so long,and over the Rockies.
OP, you need to forget that bogus towing capacity number and focus on PAYLOAD capacity and the loaded tongue weight of either trailer.

33' unless it's a really light TT is too long for your EX.
The longer the TT the more side surface to catch wind and if it's heavy that will only add to sway with the EX.
Just because Ford says the Ex can tow 9200 lbs doesn't mean you'd want to. Normally most tow ,much lighter TT's than what their tow vehicle is rated for.
You don't mention the weight of the TT's. IMo you shouldn't go over 6,000 lbs loaded with the EX. Go short with 25'-28' max.
Check the payload rating on the door jamb. Make sure the tongue weight is 12%+

1A) Make sure your current equipment is up to snuff: Essentially, inflate your tires to the correct pressure for your vehicles. For towing, that isn't the value listed in the door jam either. If you don't know that information, you can simply inflate your OEM (or equivalent) tires to the max pressure listed on the side of the tire (on both the trailer and the tow vehicle). Other safety equipment like a trailer brake controller should be installed.

1B) Make sure your tongue weight is at least 10% of total trailer weight. Even more would be preferable.

2) After those first two steps, you can then consider adding anti-sway and weight distributing hitches. There are a wide variety. Your vehicle should tow fairly stable before even adding one.

3) One you've performed those other steps, you can fine tune to your hearts content. Many people upgrade their tires on their trailers right away. Many people driving half ton tow vehicles upgrade their P metric tires to LT rated tires too. People also often add air bags to enhance the rear springs of their tow vehicle. Lots of fun ways to spend your hard earned dollar.

GusCalifornia wrote:
Hi everyone,
I have another question. We are getting ready to make a trailer purchase this weekend. I have of course read about sway. The problem is I keep getting different information about sway depending where I look or who I ask. My salesman, for example, told us that the difference between a 28 ft and a 33 ft would not make any difference with sway. Can that be right? I know his goal is to make the most commission so hard to tell if he is being truthful.

Also - how common is sway? We will be traveling from CA to Michigan and likely further so we will be on long stretches of open freeway for weeks. Is sway something we are going to struggle with daily or is it pretty uncommon?

Just an FYI - I have an expedition with a towing package giving me up to 9,200 lbs capacity
Thanks everyone!

First, throw away the new tires on on your trailer or replace the old tires if trailer is used. Replace with TL 10ply tires on both the trailer and truck. Then buy a good sway control set up ie Reese dual cam. Great sway control for my 32' trailer. It is also important you watch when you load your trailer and try to keep your load evenly balanced throughout your trailer.

GusCalifornia wrote:
Hi everyone,
I have another question. We are getting ready to make a trailer purchase this weekend. I have of course read about sway. The problem is I keep getting different information about sway depending where I look or who I ask. My salesman, for example, told us that the difference between a 28 ft and a 33 ft would not make any difference with sway. Can that be right? I know his goal is to make the most commission so hard to tell if he is being truthful.

Also - how common is sway? We will be traveling from CA to Michigan and likely further so we will be on long stretches of open freeway for weeks. Is sway something we are going to struggle with daily or is it pretty uncommon?

Just an FYI - I have an expedition with a towing package giving me up to 9,200 lbs capacity
Thanks everyone!

Truthfully A properly setup, and balanced trailer should not sway. No matter how long.

Having said that. Remember every pound, every person, you load into the Expe reduces the towing capacity by that much. And you will run out of payload long before you run out of trailer weight

Spend money for a good set up. Plenty of options. If you want the best look at Hensley or Pro-Pride. They work. Are the worth the money? To me yes. Other issues besides sway are the push and pull you get from passing vehicles.

Tyler0215 wrote:
With a proper sized tow vehicle and a good weight distribution hitch with sway control it won't be a problem. 28 to 33 ft, is 3/4T territory.

True but probably even more important is to check the hitch weight shoot for around 12-15%. Below 10% is where sway becomes a common issue.

You can’t pull everything on the lot with a half ton. Does the salesman own a travel trailer?

Adequate tongue weight is very important. I prefer 14% of the trailer's loaded and wet weight. Since I’m a boondocker, I’d go for the 28.

With a proper sized tow vehicle and a good weight distribution hitch with sway control it won't be a problem. 28 to 33 ft, is 3/4T territory.