F150 tow 175LHS, need sway control?

Good decision.

Fact or fiction, single axle travel trailers have a bad reputation for rough riding and sway tendencies in the circle I travel in. Weight distribution and sway control will allow the tow vehicle to control those tendencies better.

Utility trailers tend to have the axles located farther to the rear which makes them more stable. Travel trailers tend to have them located more centrally, closer to the COG, which increases their tendency to sway.

More modern single axle travel trailers do seem to have the axles located farther to the rear than in the past, but that also increases the tongue weight percentage. I would not be surprised if the tongue weight on some single axle trailers is 15-20%.

Well, I guess I just play safe and install it anyway. Thanks guys for the info.

No one 'needs' sway control when towing...on the good days out there

But...when Mr Murphy crosses your path...either you have the proper
sized and proper equipment spot on, or not...no time to go back to
the store for them...or to readjust the setup...either it is spot on
or not

For all things designed/engineered is NOT for the good days when anything
can tow anything...but for that day Mr Murphy crossed your path...

The friction bars would work fine for that size TT. I ran dual friction bars on my 34'Cugar 304BHS that weighed it at just under 10,000#.

Don

my previous setup.. truck and trailer.

Ram 1500 V6 and a 21 foot ultra lite.. with 2 axles...

the sway from trucks was BAD....

first time out (first trip) I did not use the anti-sway...

after 100 miles I got to a rest stop... and installed it...
it reduced the White Knuckle Drive.

TomG2 wrote:
A simple sway control device cannot help push the trailer back into line. They are nothing more than a friction brake which wants to stay in any position that it is subjected to. It can help to keep things in line but once it is shoved out of line, it has a tendency to stay that way.

Correct, it just helps reduce the side-to-side oscillations.
The forward motion of the tow vehicle pulls the trailer back into line.

A simple sway control device cannot help push the trailer back into line. They are nothing more than a friction brake which wants to stay in any position that it is subjected to. It can help to keep things in line but once it is shoved out of line, it has a tendency to stay that way.

It all depends on the trailer build. I've towed heavy trailers that towed like a dream and I've towed light trailers that wanted to yank you off of the road they had so much sway.

It all had to do with tongue weight and the way the trailer was built. The only way you can know how your trailer will tow is try it.

And before anybody starts. I would much rather tow a well designed trailer with no sway control than a POS that has every bandaide on the planet to keep it from swaying.

I towed a 4100lb TT ( loaded ) to Fl Keys two times and NC mountains with no problem. I had a 2004 F150 4.6l supercab 4x4. It did have a single friction bar for sway control. I would recommend doing at least that much. Others with more experience can tell you more. My TT was about 17', about 20-21' overall. Hardly knew it was back there except with a really strong wind or lots of 18 wheelers, but no swaying.

I towed a 4000# (loaded) trailer with ~500-600# tongue weight (~14%) with my F150 for a year or two without sway control or WDH. It was ok. The trailer didn't affect the truck much, perhaps because I've stiffened the suspension and switched to LT tires. But the trailer did rattle around back there.

I later added a WDH with Sway control and appreciated the sway control during an emergency maneuver. The friction sway bar quickly got the trailer back in line and reduced the side-to-side rocking.
But again, the trailer didn't affect the truck much.

So yes, I think it would be a good idea.