WW diet

eundercoffler wrote:
Hey Alcool,
Thanks for posting this information. I am curious what your tow set up is. I have a 2008 FSC2800 that I tow with a 2003 Ford F-250 supercab short bed.

The trailer ways right around 10,000 lbs as it sits with our supplies (pots, pans, bedding, games, etc) but no fluids, food, water, clothes etc. It has a tongue weight of right around 1,100 lbs.
Just curious what set up you use to tow considering yours is longer and heavier than mine.

Thanks,
Eric

We do need more info on your tow truck and set up...
A 2008 F250 might be close to not enough truck for WW 2008 FSC2800, depending on its door sticker capacity ratings..?

I'd also be skeptical of your WW 2008 fsc2800 being 10,000lb gvw, fully loaded, with no water...? Its a triple axle..? Have you scaled it un-hitched from tow vehicle..? Getting your exact accurate weights is important in figuring out your problem.

From my latest experience outlined in this thread, I find going back to basic towing guide lines is really all thats needed. Its already all been figured out for many decades now, no rocket science.

If your hitch is set up correctly and your tow vehicle is of the proper capacity to tow your TH, then go back to basics.
If it sways, increase the tongue weight. Its so simple many of us overlook the basics. My WW diet proved this to me.

Went from a huge tongue weight with absolutely no sway ever, even without my friction sway bar, to excessive high speed sway with the sway bar torqued all the way down tight as it would go. Only difference was a big change in tongue weight.

Basic tow guide lines say 10-15% of total gvw should be put on the tongue. Well, thats a rather large range for tongue weight. I would suggest experimenting with more tongue weight up to the 15%. My bet is that will cure all your sway.

Contrary to popular belief, big tongue weight isn't always a bad thing, as long as your TV can handle it. If it comes down to what is safer, a slightly over loaded tongue weight, or a trailer that sways excessively, you will have to make that call...


My hitch is a 1800lb tongue, bar/chain/friction sway set up. The last Truck I towed with was 2016 F250xlt srw, 6.7turbo diesel, 4x4, with anti sway(whatever that is). My personal truck, 2014 F350 Platinum doesn't tow my fsw3200 much different, it is a couple inches higher with more TW capacity.
Trailer tires are Michelin XPS ribs 235/85 16", 80psi.

With my WW diet, found not enough tongue weight was the only contributing factor for sway, on my set up.

I found it almost impossible to reduce tongue weight without almost completely unloading the front 2/3 of my TH, and moving almost all weight to the rear, as close to the ramp door as possible. My SxS rear tires are almost touching the ramp door, and almost all of my 'stuff' is 2-3' from the ramp door.

The exception to this 'go back to basics' might be some of the very expensive Hensley type contraptions that are suppose to eliminate all sway.
Have heard good things about them. Although for me, last time I looked, their capacity was not up the task of a very heavy TH like mine.

If it were mine, I'd start with a cat scale and spend some time there getting the trailer level and dis-connected, position tongue/axles correctly on the individual pads.
Then start moving weight forward till you get to 15% tongue weight. Try it out and see if it makes the difference. Its easier to increase TW than to decrease it, imo. On my TH just filling the 160gal water tanks will increase my TW by hundreds of lbs. Be careful traveling with water. Generally, full tanks or empty are the way to go. As half full 'tank slosh' is killer on the tanks/mounts/piping/etc...

jmo