Forum Discussion

coach4life's avatar
coach4life
Explorer
Sep 29, 2014

Trailer Sway

I currently tow a 30ft - 2011 open range roamer 303BHS (7100 dry) with a 2013 f150 ecoboost (previously a f150 v8)and we loved the design & floor plan as it was different than all the others at the time. the queen/master is in the back and recliners in the front. this design was a selling feature for us.

both trucks have towed fine (ecoboost is much more powerful though). i have anti sway control in the truck, anti sway bar in the back and of course the eq (stabilizer) hitch as well I find that when we drive on the highway we get a lot of sway (especially on the interstates) or trucks going by us. the trucks just seem to suck us in for a bit until they pass us or get even with us. on the other hand when i drive about 65 mph or more the swaying increases dramatically and is very consistent. anything under that is fine or on single lane winding road no problem. up hill no problem with my truck for the most part. i have talked to others with longer and heavier trailers and they say they go even faster and don't have the problem with sway like i am describing.

not that i am in a rush by any means, but driving long distances from time to time gets taxing with the sway. any of you other trailers towing peers have the same problem. is this normal. i thought perhaps it is because of the weight in the back of the trailer rather than the front (a feature we loved about it).

just curious on your thoughts on this. or what can i do about it. i am just a sensitive driver.
  • TucsonJim's avatar
    TucsonJim
    Explorer II
    Sep 29, 2014
    Like others, I'm betting that your tongue weight is too light. Do you have any heavy items you could place in the front of the coach? Then you could take a test drive to see how it reacts.
  • bigcitypopo's avatar
    bigcitypopo
    Explorer
    Sep 29, 2014
    I got a Hensley arrow hitch, and made sure my tounge weight was right... All sway was gone. Period... I've since upgraded to a diesel... But would hesitate pullin with an Eco again..

    Tounge weight was always the issue.. Had to load the rig accordingly. My water tank was up front a bit so I was able to balance...
  • Francesca_Knowl's avatar
    Francesca_Knowl
    Explorer
    Sep 29, 2014
    coach4life wrote:
    ironically most of my problems (swaying) are driving down I5 in washington state which is where you two responded from on your profile. not the best hwy to begin with.


    Don't I know it!

    Been down there with the trailer often, which reminds me:
    I can actually PREDICT certain places on that road where my (properly balanced) trailer will tend to sway, since road conditions themselves can actually have an important effect that's unrelated to the setup. Downhills and curves come to mind, both of which require very judicious attention to speed. There's one curve near Longview that has both conditions at once! I can think of more such spots in the Northwest, too.

    Interestingly, as I've become more familiar with both the roads and how my combination handles I've made much less use of that good ol' sway-stopper, the manual slide knob on the brake controller. Ain't that magic? At the first hint of sway, slide that knob over (without applying tug brakes) and PRESTO! that bad sway be g-o-n-e GONE! :)
  • coach4life's avatar
    coach4life
    Explorer
    Sep 29, 2014
    MitchF150 wrote:
    You need to get some actual weights on your rig to tell a few things, but just guessing off the cuff, it sounds like you might not have enough tongue weight.

    So, lots of things it can be, or maybe you are just ultra sensitive?? To me, "sway" is when you are see sawing the steering wheel to gain control over the rig... If all that's happening is you feel a wiggle or a tug or pull from the trailer when conditions warrant, that's just what's happening at that time and may or may not be 'normal', but is not a condition that should cause an out of control situation either..



    some good suggestions MitchF150 i do have the same thoughts on the instruments as you suggested (ie. anti sway bar, eq hitch, etc) the swaying is really just driving down the highway and if that speed creeps up around 65 the trailer just starts moving and i can feel it in the drive. i dont try to counter it but rather just slow down and it corrects itself.

    but i am going to find the weight of the tongue. with e recliners only in the front and master bed and cupboards in the back there could definitely be a shift i need to do when loading it up. as suggested by everyone so far.

    tnanks guys.
  • coach4life's avatar
    coach4life
    Explorer
    Sep 29, 2014
    ironically most of my problems (swaying) are driving down I5 in washington state which is where you two responded from on your profile. not the best hwy to begin with.

    like i said there is no rush, but if i do creep up on the speed for whatever reason (to pass for example) the trailer definitely lets me know to slow down. so there is a sweet spot.

    that being said. i was wondering about the weight too, but will check into the suggestions mentioned as well. thank you.
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Sep 29, 2014
    The one thing I have found will effect sway is if the front of the TT is nose high at all. The higher it is the lower the speed at which it will start to sway.
    Just my experience.

    Good luck!
    Scott
  • Francesca_Knowl's avatar
    Francesca_Knowl
    Explorer
    Sep 29, 2014
    coach4life wrote:
    when i drive about 65 mph or more the swaying increases dramatically and is very consistent. anything under that is fine or on single lane winding road no problem. up hill no problem with my truck for the most part.

    If your tongue-to-trailer ratio is correct (10-15% of TT total), then in my opinion you should just slow down. Most combinations have a "sweet spot" speed-wise, and it sounds to me like you've found yours. If the trailer doesn't sway at around 60, that's a good speed for you. Another consideration may be that the tires you have on are likely limited to maximum speeds of 65. Why push the edges of more than one envelope?

    And since speed is the most important component of fuel economy, your wallet will appreciate it, too.
  • MitchF150's avatar
    MitchF150
    Explorer III
    Sep 29, 2014
    You need to get some actual weights on your rig to tell a few things, but just guessing off the cuff, it sounds like you might not have enough tongue weight.

    The "anti sway control" built into the F150 is not meant to dampen any slight wiggles... It's meant to help you control a situation where you are in a really serious sway condition where you are on the verge of crashing.

    The "sway bar" you have on the rear axle of the truck is meant for cornering and is actually a "anti roll bar" to help keep the body roll to a minimum.

    Finally, the EQ hitch you have might not be setup properly?? Do you have a pic of the hitched up rig?

    So, lots of things it can be, or maybe you are just ultra sensitive?? To me, "sway" is when you are see sawing the steering wheel to gain control over the rig... If all that's happening is you feel a wiggle or a tug or pull from the trailer when conditions warrant, that's just what's happening at that time and may or may not be 'normal', but is not a condition that should cause an out of control situation either..

    So, get some actual weights. Get a pic of the setup and maybe slow down a bit?? ;)

    Going 60 mph compared to 65 mph is not going to cost you that much time/distance in the long run...

    Good luck!

    Mitch

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