New truck, New trailer, TONS of sway!

[Mwolfe450]

I recently took delivery of our 2015 Prowler 32pbhs trailer and towed it home with my 2015 f150 ecoboost pickup. The dealer I bought it from also sold me and installed a blue ox sway pro system. The ride home was downright scary on the highway. A 5 mile trip was about all I could handle staying in the right lane, well some lane and some shoulder, well below the speed limit. I even had a few panic and grab the brake box slide moments to straighten back out. I got it home and thought they set the bars too tight. The rear of the truck felt unplanted and very unstable. Today I hitched back up and went for another ride with less tension on the bars, which helped the truck feel more planted, but still had way more sway than I was comfortable with. I plan on re-installing the hitch myself, and also getting everything weighed up but I need to figure out what issues I might be faced with. The trailer is a touch over 8k empty, and has a tongue weight of 950lbs. The truck is good for 10,700 pounds, so I know I am at the higher end of my truck's capacity, but still within it, especially with the trailer completely empty. Any research I found made the hitch seem like a good unit, and the truck seems to carry the weight ok considering what I'm towing. Any thoughts, or insight is greatly appreciated.

Matt

[93Cobra2771]

Not everyone. 🙂

[bid_time]

So basically what you all are seeming to indicate is that truck doesn't have at least 1,000 lbs of payload capacity. Cause that's all it takes to handle the tongue weight 8,000 lbs dry trailer (that's all he is towing right now is a dry trailer and he is having problems). His sway issue isn't the tow vehicle.

[RDMueller]

goducks10 wrote:
I wonder how the RV transporter managed?

???

I would imagine the transporter used a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel truck, probably a DRW. Not aware of any transporters using 1/2 ton trucks unless they are moving pups.

To the OP, all I'll add to this thread is that I'm in total agreement with everyone here who believes you need a bigger truck for that TT. My TT is 6' shorter than yours and significantly lighter and I tow with a 3/4 ton long bed diesel. Wouldn't even consider using a 1/2 ton. But that's just me. I tow with confidence and like it that way. Being right up against max limits is just no place to be, IMHO.

[goducks10]

I wonder how the RV transporter managed?

[2012Coleman]

DutchmenSport wrote:
I looked up your TT and it's 35 feet long with a rear bunk house and rear outside kitchen, and comes in (empty) at over 8100 pounds. You're towing with a 150. I'll be honest and the first one say it plain out... too much trailer for your truck. No matter what you do, more than likely you'll never solve the trailer sway. That trailer has a lot of tail weight. Your truck is a single rear wheel. You're going to get sway with that set up. Simple ... you need a heftier truck. It's that simple.

Try towing with that 250 and you'll see a world of difference.

DownTheAvenue wrote:
That trailer is 35'10" long! ALMOST 36 FEET!!!!!!!!!! It is 11'4" tall. It has a 920 hitch weight with about a 10,000 GVWR. Very light tongue weight that compounds the problem. That is a gigantic trailer, catching a lot of wind and exerting tremendous forces on your light duty truck. Until you tow it with a 2500 or 3500 series truck, even a dually, you will always be towing a dangerous set up with your 1500 series truck.

YOU NEED ANOTHER TRUCK OR ANOTHER TRAILER!

OP wrote:
The truck is good for 10,700 pounds, so I know I am at the higher end of my truck's capacity, but still within it, especially with the trailer completely empty

After your experience towing that beast with your ecoboost, you still think this? Your truck isn't as good as you think it is. Note: airbags won't help.

And guess what? Your towing it empty with no passengers in your truck - it's going to get worse. I wouldn't transport my family in that setup.

Do some research on payload. Your truck can PULL a flat trailer with 10,700 lbs. The more important question is what can it carry?

Whoever sold you that TT for your TV should be arrested.

Good luck.

[coolbreeze01]

I'd unhook the sway bars and take it for a spin.

[TomG2]

A fortunate few of us can handle a swerving and swaying trailer as it snakes down the highway. Most can't, that's why they sell HD tow vehicles.

[razehm]

In 2012 we bought an F-150 V8 truck and we loved it. In 2013 we went and bought a 32 foot TT Keystone Bullet lite. The TT rating for max weight when loaded is 7600. The trucks max rating for towing was 7700. We were always worried about weight, kept the holding tanks empty etc. Not a good idea to try and get the most TT for your trucks rating and we should have gotten our F-350 first. So yeah we upgraded to a 2016 F-350 6.7L diesel. We took one trip to the Oregon coast that easily convinced us that a 1/2 ton just isn't enough truck even thought they will say it is. Good luck but no sense in having a TT your not willing to even go the 30 miles to the closest scales. By the way if I remember right our F-150 was right around 6600 pounds on the scale.

[nma33]

I towed a 34' 7800 dry weight Pilgrim TT with an Expedition w/tow package, WD hitch and Sway control, for 10 years, It swayed some at times but nothing I couldn't handle, Try what the others have suggested. Weight distribution is extremely important, Need to have a flat tow, too much pressure on your hitch and the front wheels are raised, less traction, less control. Good luck, see you around NJ!
Nick

A picture of your rig hitched up from the a few angles would be helpful too.

[Community Alumni]

Sounds like your hitch isn't doing much of anything. What size bars did the dealer sell you? Have a look at your bars and count the dots that are on the opposite end of the chains. If you have 3 dots then they're 1000 lbs and 4 dots are 1500 lbs bars. With a trailer that heavy I would use at least the 1500 lbs bars.

Also, you can have a situation where the ball is set too high. On level ground measure the height of the ball and the height of the leveled coupler. The difference in height should be within 0" - 1".

It's possible that you have a combination of problems with the original install. I would grab the instruction sheet and follow along to make sure everything is setup correctly. The instructions are pretty easy to follow. As a side note, the more you tighten the chains, the more rigid the connection becomes, and the better it controls sway. Too tight and it will become pretty rigid, stiff, and uncomfortable over bumps. I would first verify it was installed properly before using more links.

Sure you got a lot of trailer and some good weights, but you're not trying to pull it with a Ford Fiesta. I would first verify the setup and operation of the hitch before looking into ditching the truck. Like Dodge Guy says, you could end up with a really expensive band aid. The setup will never be ideal, but it's possible to make it manageable. That seems like all you're looking for.

[DownTheAvenue]

That trailer is 35'10" long! ALMOST 36 FEET!!!!!!!!!! It is 11'4" tall. It has a 920 hitch weight with about a 10,000 GVWR. Very light tongue weight that compounds the problem. That is a gigantic trailer, catching a lot of wind and exerting tremendous forces on your light duty truck. Until you tow it with a 2500 or 3500 series truck, even a dually, you will always be towing a dangerous set up with your 1500 series truck.

YOU NEED ANOTHER TRUCK OR ANOTHER TRAILER!

[irishtom29]

I think that if properly set up--tongue weight, ball height etc.--the trailer will tow fine. I agree with those who advise looking forward into the TV tires--light truck tires on the TV will work better than P tires and even the tire pressure will affect the feel; when I first pulled my trailer this year the TV tires were at 35 pounds and I had a slippery, unsettling feel. Got the bicycle pump and put the tires back up to 40 pounds and the normal solid feel returned.

Note that the new 2015 F-150s have generous payload and a receiver rated at 1230 pounds when used with WD. In some configurations a new F-150 can have more payload than an F-250 with a diesel. In any event it has yet to be cogently explained to me why the size of the TV would affect what goes on behind the pivot point of the trailer and TV. I think a poor set up with a 150 is still going to be a poor set up if used unchanged with a 250.

[DownTheAvenue]

DutchmenSport wrote:
I looked up your TT and it's 35 feet long with a rear bunk house and rear outside kitchen, and comes in (empty) at over 8100 pounds. You're towing with a 150. I'll be honest and the first one say it plain out... too much trailer for your truck. No matter what you do, more than likely you'll never solve the trailer sway. That trailer has a lot of tail weight. Your truck is a single rear wheel. You're going to get sway with that set up. Simple ... you need a heftier truck. It's that simple.

Try towing with that 250 and you'll see a world of difference.

X2

[RinconVTR]

I have a different recommendation to add, once you verify your weights and the WDH is set properly.


TURN OFF TRAILER STABILITY/SWAY CONTROL.


I know it sounds weird. Just try it any report back.

[daystrom]

I was in the same situation but not quite as bad. Had an '11 F150 EcoBoost with P rated tires and a 1400 lb payload. Trailer weighed in loaded on the scales at almost 8,000 lbs.

An Equal-i-zer hitch certainly helped the situation but the minimal payload and P rated tires still made my ride stressful.

Traded that F150 for an F350 diesel that has 3500 lbs of payload. Towing problems gone.

You may buy some time upgrading to LT tires and dialing in your hitch but in reality, your trailer is too long and heavy for the F150.