sway control requirements

Hi all

After 10+ years with a TT, I consider WDH/Sway hitches required safety equipment. Not optional equipment.

2 or 3 trips a year across South or North Dakota and /or Nebraska where the wind always blows the wrong way for my travels. Also 2 or 3 times I have seen TT rigs with wheels to the sky on these windy days. I am convinced my Equalizer hitch is worth every penny.

RPreeb wrote:
This is a topic that I'm still back and forth on. I have a 2016 F-150 Super Crew 4x4 with 3.5L Ecoboost V6 and tow package. I have only pulled my JF X213 TT from the dealer to my home so far, but that was 150 miles on the freeway in a 25-30 mph crosswind (in other words a typical eastern Colorado day). It towed effortlessly with no WDH. That doesn't mean that I have no plans to get one, but I want to try a couple of short trips next spring before I make the investment.

Since I was towing with full propane tanks and battery but no water or other gear, it probably wasn't a fair test. Factory spec for tongue weight is 420 lbs, and the LP tanks have already run that up a bit. My truck is only rated for 500 lbs. That's my biggest concern. I think that the actual towing isn't really going to be an issue.

Head to a CAT scale and get an actual tongue weight. A couple of 20 lbs tanks will weigh 74 lbs when full and a single Group 24 battery weighs around 60 lbs. That alone may be enough to put you over your lbs weight carrying rating on the receiver. I'd get the WDH even if it's just a cheap round bar system. There's much better options like ones with integrated sway control. Whatever you do, make sure you have some form of sway control either integrated or external. If you've never experienced true sway, it's no joke and normally doesn't end well.

Ivylog wrote:
A PU will ride/handle better with some weight in the bed. 600 lbs, even on the tailgate will improve the handling. Hook the trailer up and go for a test drive without WD or sway.
The tangent of 2/250 is less than 1 degree so no one is going to flash their high beams at you if you do not use WD...
in the trees :S

I like to have 600 pounds of ballast to smooth out the ride.

This is a topic that I'm still back and forth on. I have a 2016 F-150 Super Crew 4x4 with 3.5L Ecoboost V6 and tow package. I have only pulled my JF X213 TT from the dealer to my home so far, but that was 150 miles on the freeway in a 25-30 mph crosswind (in other words a typical eastern Colorado day). It towed effortlessly with no WDH. That doesn't mean that I have no plans to get one, but I want to try a couple of short trips next spring before I make the investment.

Since I was towing with full propane tanks and battery but no water or other gear, it probably wasn't a fair test. Factory spec for tongue weight is 420 lbs, and the LP tanks have already run that up a bit. My truck is only rated for 500 lbs. That's my biggest concern. I think that the actual towing isn't really going to be an issue.

It's worth mentioning that 600 pounds of sand in the bed is a very different load than a trailer bouncing up and down, moving independently, with it's fulcrum far behind the truck, exerting way more leverage on the truck than a load carried in the bed (or on the tailgate, for that matter). I suspect that's why WD raises the carrying limit of the receiver. The truck in my sig has a cargo capacity of 2900 lbs. Does that mean I don't need WD with my ~800lb tongue weight TT? Of course not.

Lynnmor wrote:
Before 2011, the F250 had much stiffer springs. To improve ride the current springs will sag till the overload springs are contacted.

My last F-250 was a 2006. I had no idea that they had reduced the capability since then. The answer? Get a Silverado 2500HD. Much more capacity and that little trailer would not make it squat more than one inch. SYDTR

TomG2 wrote:
I have towed trailers similar to what the OP is talking about for thousands of trouble free miles with F-250's and Silverado 2500's. None had significant "Squat". The first thing I did when I recently downgraded to a F-150 was to purchase a weight distributing hitch.

Before 2011, the F250 had much stiffer springs. To improve ride the current springs will sag till the overload springs are contacted. If you had F250's before 2011, there is no comparison, read the information posted in the link I provided.

TomG2 wrote:
The OP has a F-250 and no weight distributing hitch will be required for that small of a trailer. One of the joys of driving a more than adequate pickup is the elimination of the bars and junk associated with the fancy hitches. Enjoy the freedom.

A WD hitch would be required for the OP's truck. According to Ford's 2012 RV and Trailer guide, the weight carrying capacity of the hitch is 600 lbs and the max trailer is 6,000 lbs without a WDH. Assuming the OP meant the 600 lbs was the dry tongue, they'll surely exceed the hitch's max rating once loaded. Also, as mentioned before, if this F250 is prone to rear end sag, a WDH will help correct this along with any potential steering issues.

Just because one has a large truck doesn't mean that a WDH would be useless. Over the years some folks have reported that even their 1 ton towed better with a WDH than without despite the truck being very capable of carrying the load. Not saying that they are necessary, but they can be beneficial even on very capable trucks. Tow capacity doesn't cancel out physics.

I have towed trailers similar to what the OP is talking about for thousands of trouble free miles with F-250's and Silverado 2500's. None had significant "Squat". The first thing I did when I recently downgraded to a F-150 was to purchase a weight distributing hitch.

TomG2 wrote:
The OP has a F-250 and no weight distributing hitch will be required for that small of a trailer. One of the joys of driving a more than adequate pickup is the elimination of the bars and junk associated with the fancy hitches. Enjoy the freedom.

You might want to read up on F250 sag.
rear sag