Build my hitch - trying to reduce sway

[CampinHappy]

Just bought a Keystone Premier 29RK. Currently drive a 2017 F-150 4wd with 5.0 engine and 3.73 rear end. The trailer weights are (as of today fully loaded, fresh water 40 gals, grey/black empty, zero propane (oops), dual batteries, generic wdh and sway bar, basic food and groceries, clothes for a few days, and the front storage with the usual assortment of power cables, stinky slinky, chocks, water hoses, and a midsize tool box.

I know a 250 would be better, but not yet, I need to wait a year.

Truck - 5900
Trailer - 7440 , rear axles - 6240, tongue 1200.

Obviously looking at Hensley and the other +$2500 hitches. Wondering if some other could meet my needs.

Today we drove home 250 miles with a steady 20 mph crosswind most of the way (Central Texas to West Texas) and had some sway but no serious white knuckle events.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

[philh]

Put "E" tires on the F150. Made a HUGE difference for me. I no longer even use sway control on the WDH.

[valhalla360]

mkirsch wrote:
Yes, definitely NOT trailer sway. Trailer sway does not go away by itself. However, trailers will move around with undulations in the road and gusts of wind. If they snap right back in line behind the truck, then you did not experience sway and there is nothing to reduce.

On the other hand if you had to manually apply the trailer brakes to bring it back in line, that's a whole other ball of cats.

Good explaination...to many people think if you buy a magic hitch, your trailer won't be affected by winds.

It's perfectly normal in any type of RV to feel gusts. The issue is if your trailer continues wagging like a dogs tail after the gust or semi blowing by you...that's an indication of sway. If it immediately settles back in, just hold steady and it's good.

[noteven]

I dunno much about the cat balls but one rig I had was a long bed quad cab Dodge 3500 diesel towing a 30ft Roughneck travel trailer 1400 tongue 12000 trailer on a ProPride hitch. Handled
like it was on rails in side winds.

The first “kerTHUMP” going steep downhill around a hairpin on a Californy canyon road triggered a “What the ?? was that??”

[KD4UPL]

Have you got LT tires on the truck or P tires? I would absolutely get rid of the P tires if that's what you have.
You're weights sound reasonable for that truck. What's the problem you're trying to fix?

[dodge_guy]

blt2ski wrote:
I got moved half a lane getting hit by what where known 60-100 mph gusts on I205 crossing the Columbia river one time. Whole truck and trailer moved as a unit. While I'm not going to say my shorts didn't need changing. I don't consider that type of movement anything a Hensley or equal can help with.
If the trailer is moving left to right behind you on its own at speed above XX mph, that is when the cat is playing in those balls Don posted a picture of. I can say you have problems with the setup.
As noted by some others, what movements did you have? Some frankly are what many of us would call normal movements. Kinda like a plane in some wind conditions.....bouncy!

Marty

I agree 100% my Excursion and TT moved as one when hit by wind of a passing semi. Side wind gusts barely affected me. Now with the MH. I got shoved over almost an entire lane last year by a small gust, less than 50 mph. But it was definitely a wake up moment. In the 17 years I had my TT I have never had that type of movement.

[BurbMan]

Spot on Marty!

[blt2ski]

I got moved half a lane getting hit by what where known 60-100 mph gusts on I205 crossing the Columbia river one time. Whole truck and trailer moved as a unit. While I'm not going to say my shorts didn't need changing. I don't consider that type of movement anything a Hensley or equal can help with.
If the trailer is moving left to right behind you on its own at speed above XX mph, that is when the cat is playing in those balls Don posted a picture of. I can say you have problems with the setup.
As noted by some others, what movements did you have? Some frankly are what many of us would call normal movements. Kinda like a plane in some wind conditions.....bouncy!

Marty

[BurbMan]

mkirsch wrote:
...that's a whole other ball of cats.

Ball of cats?

[mkirsch]

Yes, definitely NOT trailer sway. Trailer sway does not go away by itself. However, trailers will move around with undulations in the road and gusts of wind. If they snap right back in line behind the truck, then you did not experience sway and there is nothing to reduce.

On the other hand if you had to manually apply the trailer brakes to bring it back in line, that's a whole other ball of cats.

[Tvov]

What hitch are you using now? (I may have missed that, still early and not enough coffee)

[APT]

How much weight did you restore to the front axle of the F-150? Ford recommends 50% or even 25%. I recommend 100% lost weight restored for TT's due to the large profile which is more impacted by wind than any other trailer of similar weight. That is the cheapest thing to try.

A ~$500 Equalizer, Reese Strait Line, or BlueOx SwayPro should do well when adjusted to restore 100% front axle weight.

[valhalla360]

A 20mph crosswind...with an occasional gust or trucks cutting off the wind as they pass...you'll feel a nudge now and then...so it sounds like it should be fine.

[Lynnmor]

You can weld the trailer to the truck, but you will never make the wind go away. What you felt was not sway, it was simple gusts of wind. Tell us exactly how you adjusted the sway bar, few are ever done correctly.

[Sjm9911]

When towing mine , that wasnt that heavy with my older 1500, i had a squishy feel in the back of the truck. It was sidewall roll and coreected with lt tires. What type of sway are you experiencing?