Anti sway question.

[Dozer]

If a truck has built in sway control, (2022 Ford Ranger) is anything else necessary regarding a hitch setup? If you're within the guidelines of the manufacturer re: tongue weight. What else needs to be done?
The truck is rated to tow 7500 lbs and I'm only planning to tow about 4500.

Thanks in advance,
Dozer

[hit_escape]

I used to tow a 4,000 lb TT with a 2003 Ford Explorer. The dealer sold me a cheap Husky WD hitch with no sway control. I was going down a long hill and not watching my speed and I could feel the trailer pushing and next thing I knew, I was going 70 mph. When I tried to slow down, the trailer started violently swaying back and forth. I steered straight ahead and hoped for the the best as the trailer dragged me from side to side. I made it to the bottom of the hill and regained control and immediately pulled over. I had two flat tires on the trailer and left huge skid marks from side to side of the hill. Fortunately, there was no oncoming traffic.

My point is, if you get weight distribution, don't stop there and get sway control too. I put an Equal-i-zer hitch on it and never had another problem, even when in 50 mph cross winds. I just towed my new 33' trailer through eastern WY with 50+ crosswind warning and no problems with my 10,000 rated Equal-i-zer hitch.

[BackOfThePack]

Trailer PITCH (severe misalignment with TV) is enough reason. Drop the curbside off the edge while in a high speed curve. Trailer is heading (mass) one way while TV going another.


The force of the LEVER on the TV (ball back to trailer axles) is the thing. SPREADING that force via leverage (torsion bar) across all three axles DAMPENS the force.

Keeping the TV rear axle PLANTED is the game. Those two barely one-foot square tire contact patches.

WDH is cheap AND effective if set up correctly (TV Steer Axle weight same solo or hitched with same TV load both weighings). Travel trailers are tall and have HUGE SAIL AREA. Most loss of control accidents involve high winds or gusts, natural or man-made. (Low COG construction materials trailers aren’t comparable).

You want to ELIMINATE sway, get a Hensley-patented hitch. Makes all other types obsolete.

[goducks10]

Those sway control systems are reactive vs proactive. WDH is proactive.

[StirCrazy]

sway control devices are nothing but a compensation for a imporperly loaded trailer. yes I like some of the saftey features being built into trucks now days but as it was mentioned before that is for regaining controle once the sway starts in an atempt to minimize the risk to life if it has gone to far.

the best way to prevent sway id to load the trailer properly with 10 to 15% (for conventional tow) of the total trailers weight on the ball. if your hitch is rated for 1000 lbs you dont need a equalizer to tow 700lbs, it wont help with sway much, but it may make the ride a little more confertable by reducing the forward/backwards rocking of the truck and trailer every time you hit a bump or dip in the road.

in 39 years of towing I only ever had sway once and it was my own fault as I had less weight in the front to make it easier to load on the truck (front jack was broken) after that trip the jack got fixed and it was always loaded properly.

[JIMNLIN]

Like any add ons/tow vehicle options for sway/suspension help/etc you have the truck so buy the trailer you want then load it all up and make a short run. If the combo doesn't behave the way it should then add a WD system.

[dodge_guy]

No. The system is always on and waiting to work. I have it on my Explorer and it works. Towing a 3 place snowmobile trailer. Hit a section of ice and you can feel the system working. Very impressive.

[Grit_dog]

Sjm9911 wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

Sjm9911 wrote:
Im for a wdh with sway controll also. Even if you dont have sway, you never know when something out of the ordinary can happen and it saves you.

..No matter how many "professional" RVers claim that belt, suspenders, elastic waist band and 2 hands firmly grasping your belt loops is required to safely tow a trailer, it’s not magical or mysterious. And if you’re in that OH SHT swerve to save your life, if you swerve hard enough to get the trailer to break loose, a wdh isn’t going to tip the odds your way very much.
Again, sway control is for people who are uncomfortable with how a “normal” trailer feels or who have an ill mannered trailer. And a wdh is for if you don’t have enough suspension, or hitch capacity to do the job without a suspension aide.

To a point. It atucally saved my ass when a consteution barrel was shot out at me on the delaware memorial bridge. If it wasnt for the sway controll, i would have been out a TV and TT. My truck is overkill for what I need, but the sway controll arms kept me from a crash. Running over a barrel at 55 , in between 18 wheelers , and then needeing to slow and swerve to recover wasnt fun. While this is the worst case senerio, it does happen. Barrel, also took out the TT brake lines and ripped off the dimond plate on the front of the TT before the TT tires went over it on the drivers side. So, brakes we no help here.

Yes that is unfortunate. And more common than you may think. I presume you meant construction barrel ie traffic control barrel.
Those get clipped and sent into traffic semi regularly on any highway lane closure. Quick count probably lost about 30 barrels this summer on just one job. About 3 months of nightly lane closures. Just a swag based on the pile of mashed barrels in the staging yard.
I understand it scared you. But like seeing a deer in the headlights, if ya can’t stop, don’t swerve. It’s unfortunate it got tangled up in the trailer.
Just like sjm said above. It’s peace of mind and differing experiences or experience levels that form “our” opinions. However some folks proverbially live with blinders on and refuse to accept opinions or fact, of which they do not recognize as it doesn’t fit into their pre determined opinions.

[Sjm9911]

I think it also comes from your experiance with things. What i experianced and worked for me may not be what others have experienced. So, we give advice that is limited to what we know. I still think a sway controll is better then not having one. And as stated , the built in one only helps after you start swaying to begin with. I rather not sway at all. I also think a wdh with the built in sway controller is a good option.

[Sjm9911]

Grit dog wrote:

Sjm9911 wrote:
Im for a wdh with sway controll also. Even if you dont have sway, you never know when something out of the ordinary can happen and it saves you.

..No matter how many "professional" RVers claim that belt, suspenders, elastic waist band and 2 hands firmly grasping your belt loops is required to safely tow a trailer, it’s not magical or mysterious. And if you’re in that OH SHT swerve to save your life, if you swerve hard enough to get the trailer to break loose, a wdh isn’t going to tip the odds your way very much.
Again, sway control is for people who are uncomfortable with how a “normal” trailer feels or who have an ill mannered trailer. And a wdh is for if you don’t have enough suspension, or hitch capacity to do the job without a suspension aide.

To a point. It atucally saved my ass when a consteution barrel was shot out at me on the delaware memorial bridge. If it wasnt for the sway controll, i would have been out a TV and TT. My truck is overkill for what I need, but the sway controll arms kept me from a crash. Running over a barrel at 55 , in between 18 wheelers , and then needeing to slow and swerve to recover wasnt fun. While this is the worst case senerio, it does happen. Barrel, also took out the TT brake lines and ripped off the dimond plate on the front of the TT before the TT tires went over it on the drivers side. So, brakes we no help here.

[Dozer]

Boomerweps wrote:
Funny.
Unless Ford changed their brochures for 2022, the Ranger has that 750/7500# tow rating without requiring a WDH. With the factory tow package.
Yes, the F150 requires it at 500/5000# with factory tow package.

Have you seen the rear end of the new Rangers, and how they sit high?
I'm guessing a 500 lb tongue weight might level it nicely.

[Boomerweps]

Funny.
Unless Ford changed their brochures for 2022, the Ranger has that 750/7500# tow rating without requiring a WDH. With the factory tow package.
Yes, the F150 requires it at 500/5000# with factory tow package.

[MitchF150]

GD.. Because it basically doubles the tongue weight rating of the receiver on the truck. What's wrong with that?

A new Ranger is not going to have very stiff rear suspension and probably only a 500/1000 tongue rated receiver.

But, I agree.. Additional 'sway control' on the hitch is not always needed.. I don't have any of that.. Just an old EAZ-Lift #1000 bar and chain setup. Been using it for over 18 years on 2 different trucks (both F150's) and 2 trailers.. #5000 GVWR one and the current #7000 GVWR one.

I also figure, if you have to ask, you probably don't have all that much experience towing (not "you" GD.. the OP or other newbs at this RV thing).

I too have been towing various stuff for over 40 years. 🙂

But, it's the interwebs.. So anyone can say anything they want! ha, ha!

Mitch

[Grit_dog]

MitchF150 wrote:
No... You need a physical WD hitch setup if you plan on towing a #4500 TT with even a 2022 Ranger.. The built in sway control is only when you are totally out of control and if your truck ever gets into that mode, you are not doing well...

What makes a wdh an absolute need in this scenario? Asking for a friend...
And no "you must replace the lost weight on the front wheels to maintain proper steering handling and braking, which we hear all the time on this forum. Care to guess how much weight a, say 700lb tongue weight takes off the front of a truck? Let's just say not enough to matter and certainly less than any other number of factors that could affect handling or braking.

And how/why is the built in sway control only for when you're totally out of control? That doesn't make sense in the least. Or is this just a "don't trust the fancy new technology to work" thing? If so, I agree with that, but moreso, "learn to trust yourself and posses enough driving skills" to not need nannies that many times are just substitutes for basic driving skill and common sense.

I was thinking about the weight cops here, this week when I had a loaner Chevy Colorado and towed a trailer cross state. Around 4-5000lbs. Truck was wound up and pretty poochy up the passes trying to maintain speed limit. It failed there. Well, it got a D+, but only for it's effort!
Trailer towed like poop. Felt like it needed sway control, lol. Then I looked at the tire pressures on the truck and after I added about 15psi to the rear tires, she towed like she was on rails. (Had to let that same 15psi back out + some last night in the snow on the half wore out pavement princess tires it has, lol)

PS, just trying to not scare the RV spirit out of the new guy who is on the cusp of being told that's too much trailer for his brand spankin new Ranger, when it is not.

[Campfire_Time]

Get the WDH. I have a 4500# loaded trailer and tow with a 1500. The WDH doesn't make much difference in front end height, maybe 1/2", but it is WAY more stable towing with it compared to without.