first camping trip with the new F-150 Ecoboost

[Melanie83103]

Hello Everyone-

After months of debate, we finally bought our F-150 Ecoboost about a month ago. We took it on our first camping trip, pulling our small trailer (Amerilite 16BH). It was awesome - a HUGE step up from pulling the trailer with our minivan. I love the truck for daily driving too. Only thing I miss is having that 3rd row of seating... But when my husband gets a new car in a year or two, we are considering the Ford Explorer, which I could use for hauling my kids and all their friends around.

Question for you all: the new truck is supposed to correct sway automatically. I do not fully understand how it does this but supposedly it does.... Should I still use our sway bar? Is there a down side of continuing to use the sway bar?

We are getting ready to do our big cross country camping trip this summer, and I am (as I always do) over researching every aspect of towing in preparation 🙂

Melanie

[FishOnOne]

The sway control on our Super Duty works great and maintains a stable load

[2112]

I wouldn't use the sway bar unless you have a need for it. If it is towing well without it then it's not needed.

Another off-topic: I second the Flex. It is an ugly machine but much more comfortable than the X. We test drove a Flex, X and Edge a few weeks ago and we graded the X on the bottom of those three. DW drove home with an Edge only because she couldn't get over the ugly on the Flex.

[waltah]

Jack_Diane_Freedom wrote:
Just make sure you turn on the 'sway control' using the DIC. It does not happen automatically if you do not turn it on. Just page through until you find it.

Sway control is activated automatically if you plug into the 7pin, you have to purposefully disable it in the DIC.

Driver Info Center, the screen between your gauges.

[goducks10]

The trucks sway control is only for extreme situations. It won't control sway until it's in the danger zone. I would deal with anything other than a simple WD hitch for that small of a trailer with an F150.

[tragusa3]

Melanie, glad to hear you are enjoying the truck! We bought ours for a cross country trip with a trailer the size of yours. You will LOVE it for the trip too!

Here's a link to our report with lots of photos. Looking forward to hearing about yours too. 🙂

Trip Report 2014

[TNRIVERSIDE]

Jack_Diane_Freedom wrote:
Just make sure you turn on the 'sway control' using the DIC. It does not happen automatically if you do not turn it on. Just page through until you find it.

What the heck is the DIC? MY 09 F150 has swat control but I have never heard of DIC.

[Jack_Diane_Free]

Just make sure you turn on the 'sway control' using the DIC. It does not happen automatically if you do not turn it on. Just page through until you find it.

[Tystevens]

Glad to hear the Ecoboost is meeting expectations. Our trailer is about twice as large as yours, and it does the job effortlessly.

With a trailer that size you may or may not need the sway bar, but no downside to using it, except the hassle of putting it on, I guess. I'd probably use it if I had it.

Good luck!

[ShinerBock]

Congrats on the new truck. Those little Ecoboost engines sure are towing machines for a half ton.

Here are some videos about how the trailer sway control works. It is on the previous model, but it works the same.

Video 1

Video 2

Basically it applies the brakes to individual truck wheels and/or the trailer wheels to counteract the sway.

[badercubed]

Still use the sway bar. Minimal time to hook up and it will never hurt.

Off topic from your question as well, but...

Consider a Ford Flex instead of the Explorer. although they look different, they have way more room. Our Explorer has terrible 2nd and 3rd row seating.