Traction control systems and trailer sway bars

[ognend]

Hello! I have been reading my new truck manual (yeah, I know!) and in the towing section it mentions that the Traction Control System and Stabilitrak system "sense" trailer sway and selectively apply trailer and truck brakes (and may even reduce engine torque) if they sense your trailer is swaying. Does this mean I can do away with my sway bar? Or is this just sounding great on paper but not in practice? I would not mind doing away with the sway bar but on the other hand it is a "hardware device" that needs no computers and is really not subject to any failure and needs nothing to operate. Thanks!

[Grit_dog]

ognend wrote:

Thanks. I am a bit puzzled as to how to approach this. Right now I have the new '21 Chevy DRW cab/chassis truck. I am waiting on delivery of a Palomino HS-2902 Max truck camper which will be around 4200 lbs wet. This leaves me about a 1000-1100 lbs for the bumper pull hitch for my about 6500-6800 lbs horse trailer. I guess I will know once I have the whole combo set up. My guess is that the truck camper will lower the back of the truck enough for the WD to be necessary with the bumper pull hitch. Not excluding the possibility of needing a set of Timbrens or SuperSprings to bring the truck back to level. After it is at level, I will have to determine whether I will need a WD and anti-sway bar. So many variables....

Whether you need sway control is not predicated at all on whether a camper is on the truck. WD, yes, maybe, if you need to pull weight off the truck's rear axle and don't want to add to the suspension.

[Me_Again]

I do not think a 7K trailer with 700 lbs of hitch weight stands much of a chance of pushing around a 3500 dually truck. Tonnage and wheels on the ground win 99.99% of the time.

[ognend]

IdaD wrote:
I tend to agree with Grit on this one. I've never even used a WDH, none of the trailers on our farm had them growing up and my dad never bothered with one on our old TT. Our old pop up camper was fine without one. We have a fifth wheel now but there's a very good chance we'll go to a TT or TT Toy Hauler for our next camper and I'll certainly give the basic ball a shot before I spend any money on a WDH. If nothing else at least give it a shot. It might work better than you think.

Thanks. I am a bit puzzled as to how to approach this. Right now I have the new '21 Chevy DRW cab/chassis truck. I am waiting on delivery of a Palomino HS-2902 Max truck camper which will be around 4200 lbs wet. This leaves me about a 1000-1100 lbs for the bumper pull hitch for my about 6500-6800 lbs horse trailer. I guess I will know once I have the whole combo set up. My guess is that the truck camper will lower the back of the truck enough for the WD to be necessary with the bumper pull hitch. Not excluding the possibility of needing a set of Timbrens or SuperSprings to bring the truck back to level. After it is at level, I will have to determine whether I will need a WD and anti-sway bar. So many variables....

[IdaD]

I tend to agree with Grit on this one. I've never even used a WDH, none of the trailers on our farm had them growing up and my dad never bothered with one on our old TT. Our old pop up camper was fine without one. We have a fifth wheel now but there's a very good chance we'll go to a TT or TT Toy Hauler for our next camper and I'll certainly give the basic ball a shot before I spend any money on a WDH. If nothing else at least give it a shot. It might work better than you think.

[ognend]

Grit dog wrote:

Mike134 wrote:

ognend wrote:

Excuse me for ruining your day up there on the pedestal of towing Gods. Jeez.

Have to excuse him, he's got over 15,000 posts (average 5 a day) so he's "that guy" at the campground bar.

Yes, my apologies. Would it have made a difference if I just simply said “you don’t need it”?
Doubtful. That would have gathered the same crosswise reactions from all of those that believe you can’t leave the house without your wdh, virtually regardless of the type/size of trailer being pulled.
Fwiw, that “theory” lives almost exclusively with the RV crowd. Not sure why, but suspect inexperienced drivers and good RV salesman have a good part in it.
Furthermore, horse trailers in general are designed with the axles farther aft than say a typical TT or utility trailer. Why? To ensure adequate tongue weight on a “non adjustable” but variable load. Horses move around right? If they could move too far aft, they would create a bad towing situation.
But as I don’t agree with the “you need a wdh” for everything moniker, carry on.
Regardless, the stability control of the vehicle is not a good substitute for sway control, if it’s actually needed. It would tax the vehicle and/or trailers brake systems almost constantly with a trailer that was un-duly squirrelly.
Vehicle systems also work on a different premise. While anti sway hitches make it hard to turn or pivot on the stinger, resulting in a straighter pull, vehicle systems use brakes and throttle, mostly brakes, to yank a trailer back straight.
Proactive vs reactive systems is a good descriptor.

Again, sorry because y’all likely don’t want to hear this from me….

This is actually a very nice explanation. Thank you!

[ognend]

Grit dog wrote:

ognend wrote:

time2roll wrote:
I agree with Grit. Will depend on the combo and how it tows without. Also read the complete towing section of the owners' manual as there could be more details than the marketing brochure. Some truck hitches want the weight distribution etc. to go over 5,000 pounds trailer weight. Plenty of larger trailers tow just fine with just a pintle hook.

Give it a go and post the results.

I've been towing this trailer since 2007 with 4 different trucks (1/2 ton, 2 3/4 ton diesels and now a 1-ton DRW cab/chassis) - I always used the same adjustable WD/sway-bar hitch since the trailer has been the same trailer since 2007. I was just hoping to see if I can do without the anti-sway bar on the trailer/hitch and maybe without the weight distribution as well. The trailer has a GVWR of 7,000lbs and my current truck is 8800lbs. I read my towing section of the truck manual and I understand about weight distribution in trailer and need to have 10-15% of trailer weight on the hitch.

Sorry, not angry, just presented a couple scenarios where you would or wouldn’t need trailer sway or wdh.
In the 14ish years you’ve towed the same trailer, with now 4 different trucks, and just blindly hooked up the wdh because you thought it was “needed”, now you’re asking if it’s needed.
Have you once towed it without the wdh and or sway control? How did it handle?
Therein lies your answer.

I always towed with WD/anti-sway, well, because like everyone said, I figured hardware is hardware but also because none of the trucks I had until now had flatbeds that extended low in the back. The current truck has a 9ft4" flatbed that when doing max turning runs into the WD arms of the hitch, hence restricting my maximum turn radius - this is fairly annoying. I did away with the WD arms but kept the anti-sway bar which is not in the way. The trailer pulls just fine but obviously I can't test every imaginable scenario - hence I though I ask if the truck "software" has been show to be capable of replacing the hitch "hardware". Sometimes these systems have been in place for years and after many years of existence, you could get a definitive answer...

[Grit_dog]

Mike134 wrote:

ognend wrote:

Excuse me for ruining your day up there on the pedestal of towing Gods. Jeez.

Have to excuse him, he's got over 15,000 posts (average 5 a day) so he's "that guy" at the campground bar.

Yes, my apologies. Would it have made a difference if I just simply said “you don’t need it”?
Doubtful. That would have gathered the same crosswise reactions from all of those that believe you can’t leave the house without your wdh, virtually regardless of the type/size of trailer being pulled.
Fwiw, that “theory” lives almost exclusively with the RV crowd. Not sure why, but suspect inexperienced drivers and good RV salesman have a good part in it.
Furthermore, horse trailers in general are designed with the axles farther aft than say a typical TT or utility trailer. Why? To ensure adequate tongue weight on a “non adjustable” but variable load. Horses move around right? If they could move too far aft, they would create a bad towing situation.
But as I don’t agree with the “you need a wdh” for everything moniker, carry on.
Regardless, the stability control of the vehicle is not a good substitute for sway control, if it’s actually needed. It would tax the vehicle and/or trailers brake systems almost constantly with a trailer that was un-duly squirrelly.
Vehicle systems also work on a different premise. While anti sway hitches make it hard to turn or pivot on the stinger, resulting in a straighter pull, vehicle systems use brakes and throttle, mostly brakes, to yank a trailer back straight.
Proactive vs reactive systems is a good descriptor.

Again, sorry because y’all likely don’t want to hear this from me….

[Grit_dog]

ognend wrote:

time2roll wrote:
I agree with Grit. Will depend on the combo and how it tows without. Also read the complete towing section of the owners' manual as there could be more details than the marketing brochure. Some truck hitches want the weight distribution etc. to go over 5,000 pounds trailer weight. Plenty of larger trailers tow just fine with just a pintle hook.

Give it a go and post the results.

I've been towing this trailer since 2007 with 4 different trucks (1/2 ton, 2 3/4 ton diesels and now a 1-ton DRW cab/chassis) - I always used the same adjustable WD/sway-bar hitch since the trailer has been the same trailer since 2007. I was just hoping to see if I can do without the anti-sway bar on the trailer/hitch and maybe without the weight distribution as well. The trailer has a GVWR of 7,000lbs and my current truck is 8800lbs. I read my towing section of the truck manual and I understand about weight distribution in trailer and need to have 10-15% of trailer weight on the hitch.

Sorry, not angry, just presented a couple scenarios where you would or wouldn’t need trailer sway or wdh.
In the 14ish years you’ve towed the same trailer, with now 4 different trucks, and just blindly hooked up the wdh because you thought it was “needed”, now you’re asking if it’s needed.
Have you once towed it without the wdh and or sway control? How did it handle?
Therein lies your answer.

[dodge_guy]

I would always use WD at minimum. I would running less than a Dual Cam system. My Explorer has the trailer sway control. Towing my 3 place snowmobile trailer I went over an ice covered section of road once, and you could feel the sway control working, the trailer had no trailer brakes as it was under 2k lbs. the system works, but I would want something working before I need the vehicles sway control.

[ognend]

Sjm9911 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
It will work but not as well as a properly set up trailer with a good hitch weight and a WDH with sway control.

One problem is if it is activated a lot, you will wear out brakes and burn more fuel...so better than losing control but not a good plan for every day towing.

I have pondered the same. Just set the wdh with a tad bit of weight and make use of the sway controll. I upgraded to a 2500, i dont need a wdh hitch or sway controll either. But i still ise it because, i have it , and it can help. Tbh, this last trip it probably saved my ass. Going over the Delaware bridge, at like 55 mph, a large garbage can type construction cone was shot in front of me. I swerved a bit, not much as there was cars in both lanes on my side. I hot it with the truck on the front left. It cam back at me and hit the TT on the front left. If i dint have the equilizer i think i may not have controlled the sway from the impact. Trailer, lucky had minor damage, ripped the bolts of the bottom of the dimond plate, and took out the electric break wires. Use the hitch. Its not just about minimums. It can save you a wreck. And maybe your life. While this dosen't happen often it can happen. And i dont know for sure that the wdh/sway saved me. But i will say i think it did.

Thanks for relaying your experience - I am one of those people who is always checking and double checking and understanding weight limits,distribution and erring on side of caution. This thread was more to see if TCS and Stabilitrak made the hardware in the back obsolete (I guess not!). One thing I dislike is the WD bars on my hitch, since I got this new flatbed DRW cab/chassis, in full-radius turns the back of the flatbed is low enough to hit the WD bar and hence limit my turning radius. This is is what really started the ball rolling on getting rid of WD and sway bar... 😉

[Sjm9911]

valhalla360 wrote:
It will work but not as well as a properly set up trailer with a good hitch weight and a WDH with sway control.

One problem is if it is activated a lot, you will wear out brakes and burn more fuel...so better than losing control but not a good plan for every day towing.

I have pondered the same. Just set the wdh with a tad bit of weight and make use of the sway controll. I upgraded to a 2500, i dont need a wdh hitch or sway controll either. But i still ise it because, i have it , and it can help. Tbh, this last trip it probably saved my ass. Going over the Delaware bridge, at like 55 mph, a large garbage can type construction cone was shot in front of me. I swerved a bit, not much as there was cars in both lanes on my side. I hot it with the truck on the front left. It cam back at me and hit the TT on the front left. If i dint have the equilizer i think i may not have controlled the sway from the impact. Trailer, lucky had minor damage, ripped the bolts of the bottom of the dimond plate, and took out the electric break wires. Use the hitch. Its not just about minimums. It can save you a wreck. And maybe your life. While this dosen't happen often it can happen. And i dont know for sure that the wdh/sway saved me. But i will say i think it did.

[time2roll]

ognend wrote:

time2roll wrote:
I agree with Grit. Will depend on the combo and how it tows without. Also read the complete towing section of the owners' manual as there could be more details than the marketing brochure. Some truck hitches want the weight distribution etc. to go over 5,000 pounds trailer weight. Plenty of larger trailers tow just fine with just a pintle hook.

Give it a go and post the results.

I've been towing this trailer since 2007 with 4 different trucks (1/2 ton, 2 3/4 ton diesels and now a 1-ton DRW cab/chassis) - I always used the same adjustable WD/sway-bar hitch since the trailer has been the same trailer since 2007. I was just hoping to see if I can do without the anti-sway bar on the trailer/hitch and maybe without the weight distribution as well. The trailer has a GVWR of 7,000lbs and my current truck is 8800lbs. I read my towing section of the truck manual and I understand about weight distribution in trailer and need to have 10-15% of trailer weight on the hitch.

I don't think anyone can definitively say if it will work well or not with your particular combination.

If you sense more sway or do not like the control effort by the vehicle it will be very simple to put the old equipment back on.

Don't head into a gusty cross wind at 70+ on the first try.

[Groover]

The factory sway control system works by applying the trailer brakes. I would prefer a sway bar to regular brake applications.

[NamMedevac_70]

ognend wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
Why do you need it? If the answer is because your trailer tows poorly and is all over the road, then absolutely you cannot get rid of it. Why would you want your vehicle trying to compensate for a schitty handling trailer with its own brakes ALL the time?

However, if the answer is you do not know why you need it, perhaps only because someone said it was required, then you most likely dont need it nor did you ever need it, regardless of what fancy features the truck has.

I am not sure why these angry tones - it was a simple question. I put on weight distribution/anti sway hitch on my trailer because it is cheap insurance but this was back in 2007 when I had a 1500 truck (1/2 ton). Now I have a truck that weighs more than the trailer and a truck that has all this fancy new stuff like traction control, stabilitrak etc. So, I thought I ask. Excuse me for ruining your day up there on the pedestal of towing Gods. Jeez.

Well said