Big truck woes

DownTheAvenue wrote:

Golden_HVAC wrote:
The difference between a F-350, F-250 and F-150 if you are under 10,000 GTW is not all that much. 38' length X 8' tall or 10' tall if the trailer is that high of sidewalls is into almost 400 square feet of sail area, a LOT to deal with.

Having a F-350 with a slightly higher rear axle weight might help a 'little' but not nearly as much as you might like. IT is the front of the trailer being twisted left and right by all that wind of a passing truck, and that 400 square feet of sail area doing the pushing.

Your truck rear axle weight might be in the 2,500 pound empty range, while a F-350 gas truck might only be say 400 pounds heavier, so both will tend to get pushed around a bit on two lane roads by the 18 wheelers going 70 in the other direction!

You might look into the Pro Pride hitch system. It was developed by a engineer that had a horrible experience towing a travel trailer behind his then nearly new 1950's sedan and 1950's travel trailer. Many years later he designed a much better hitch system.

Good luck,

Fred.

This is the most accurate post. The issue is not the weight of the truck, but the size of the trailer. There are only two hitches that will stop the sway, the Hensley Arrow and the Pro Pride. I prefer the Hensley Arrow, Expensive? Very. Worth it? Absolutely. Buy the Hensley Arrow. Tow with it. You will be impressed. If not send it back. You get all your money back including shipping both ways.

+1. Jim Hensley designed both hitches; the ProPride 3P (for Pivot Point Projection) is the evolution of the original Hensley hitch, but the company that bears Jim's name is not his own and chose not to incorporate the design changes - hence the ProPride company and the 3P hitch. While the approach is a little different the core design is the same, and the key element is that these hitches do not dampen or attempt to control trailer sway - they eliminate it completely.

This is my seventh year towing with a ProPride hitch. Makes me smile every time!

Note that I am neither commenting for or against a 38' TT behind an F-150...