Need advice

[tsmcmillen]

Recently my family grew from being five people to six. I had to sell my tundra and got a 2011 Ford Expedition EL. My almost 6' 14 year old son was not comfortable in the Tundras middle seat up front nor was my DW. We own a 2007 Cherokee lite 28A.

Now to the heart of the question. We took it out for maiden voyage and found that there was a lot more sway behind the Ford Expedition then there was behind our Toyota Tundra. Upon research I found out that it is most likely the shorter wheelbase.

We are looking at replacing our weight distribution hitch and sway control with the new system. Our current system is a ProSeries 1000/10000 with a friction sway bar. My question is if you were going to replace your system what would you go with?

I know that there is the Hensley/Propride design which is around $2500 and up. The equalizer system for around $500-$700. The blue ox sway pro for around the same price and others. Just looking for some opinions and advice on the direction to go. If the ProPride/ Hensley design is the way I have to go then so be it. Just thinking financial it is a lot of money.

Just wanting some opinions. Maybe some guys out there that are pulling with Ford Expeditions, or the Suburbans / Yukon xl as they are the same wheelbase, can step in and say what you guys are pulling with.

[caper]

The best is the Hensley/Propride systems. They both control sway before it starts.

[kho6658]

If you currently have only one friction bar, try adding another. I run two and have no sway.

[caper]

Do you have LT tires on the new vehicle? Plus as kho6658 has suggested the second friction bar will help.

[tsmcmillen]

Currently one bar and they are fairly new passenger tires.

[david1963]

I've been using a dealer supplied Fastway E2 hitch when I started towing our Grey Wolf 26dbh with our Suburban. Never had sway issues even using regular passenger tires. I use the same hitch now on our chevy express 3500 I picked up when our family grew to 7 people and the Suburban became over burdened. The Express has a 135" wheelbase and still no sway issues using the E2 hitch.

[donanddona]

What is your avg speed?

[taken]

I loved our Equalizer system on our last TT, a 36 foot Cougar High Country 321RES. VERY easy to set up, controlled sway VERY well, and was a breeze to hook up. The cheapest place we found to order one was RV Wholesalers parts dept. We had a Reese Dual Cam on the TT we owned before that and it was much more difficult to get setup just right. I realize the PP and Hensley are better, but for the money I was very satisfied with the Equalizer.

[Stg1]

Originally Posted by kho6658

If you currently have only one friction bar, try adding another. I run two and have no sway.

x2 on this. As you can see in my sig, I pull a loaded trailer (7200#) with a 1/2 ton TV. I added a second friction bar when my 2'nd TT went over 6k in weight. I didn't have sway then and don't now, even though I gained an additional 4 ft in length.

[DDC]

" If the ProPride/ Hensley design is the way I have to go then so be it. Just thinking financial it is a lot of money. "

Your right they are a lot of money but they are the only ones that have zero sway as opposed to controlling sway, my Hensley is nearly twenty years old and has been moved from trailer to trailer as we renewed trailers, as I see it it has been one of the best purchases I have ever made.

[The_Rhino]

Tsmcmillen, what is your GCVW while towing your Cherokee Lite 28a w/family of (6)?

If you're under the Expedition EL's 15,000 GCVW, an affordable upgrade would be to find a used Equalizer (4) on CL, etc. which IMO provides the most stability for the money. (If it doesn't help, you can resell it for the same amount you paid...) Used Hensley/Proprides are much harder to find, but, again, you could re-sell a used one for about what you paid if it doesn't work out...

I would then swap-out at least your rear tires for LT/E rated tires. If you are a seasonal camper, you could get some spare rims & swap tires before the camping season. Then swap-back to your passenger tires for the rest of the year for a more comfy ride...

Had to consider the same options when we were considering a large SUV for towing but opted for a 3/4 ton truck instead. IMO the Excursion was the only SUV that made sense for towing 7,500+ lbs. but the older engine & tranny combo make 'em real fuel hogs...

[tsmcmillen]

I need to take it to the scales and double check the weight. My DW is not an overpacker when it comes to the camper. When we first got the trailer I had a 2004 Dodge Ram Quad Cab 4.7 with the gcwr was 11,500 and we were under it then. However, when we upgraded to the Tundra we went to a gcwr of 16,000 so I never weighed it. We never really added anything in the camper so my theory was if it was good enough for the Dodge I was okay in the Tundra.
We knew the payload of the of the Tundra while towing was not as high as other trucks so we kept the bikes or kayaks in the camper. But we did that with the Dodge also.

All that said the maiden voyage was a local run. We have a local lake you can get to either by the interstate or by backroads. While on the backroads the sway was minimum. However, I brought it back on the interstate and that was where they sway showed. It was a white knuckle ride the whole time. The passing semis were horrible and I stayed around 60. I did readjust the hitch after getting the Expedition and feel fairly confident in the setup. Next summer we are hoping to visit relatives in Kentucky and would like the ride from Georgia to Kentucky over the mountains to be a pleasant experience.

[B and B]

Good idea on swapping out to LT, that will upgrade and reduce the squirm. Try inflating to maximum pressure as stated by the tire manufacturer for the P series. I had the stock showing inflation of 45 psi when in fact they can take 44 psi increasing loaf per tire by close to 1000 lbs.
Also check with a competent mechanic but locally we can not run mixed tire legally, DOT stating unsafe,

[donanddona]

Even 60 is to fast for me. I travel at an agerage speed of 53-55. I don't have to pass and yes I'm retired.

[techntrek]

131 inch wheel base on the EL is plenty for a 28 foot camper. Dropping from 145 inches isn't the problem. Adding a 2nd sway bar isn't the answer either. I highly recommend the Reese Dual cam WDH, which actually prevents sway unlike the sway bars, Equalizer WDH, etc, which just help to remove the sway once it starts. I wrote this for another forum, reposting it here:

The biggest contributors to sway, in this order:

1. Not enough tongue weight

2. Distance between rear axle and the hitch ball

3. Speed

4. Short wheelbase vehicle (131 isn't short)

5. Camper tongue is pointed up, not level or pointed slightly down.

6. Not enough pressure in the TV and trailer tires (they should be at or near their max sidewall rating)

7. Lack of sway control

8. Outside forces like side winds, etc.


When sway starts ...

... never touch the accelerator, this adds energy to the equation right when you need to be removing it.

... never touch the TV's brakes, this magnifies the problem even though you are removing energy.

... never try to steer opposite of the the wobbling feeling, there is a 90% chance you'll increase the wobble, and increase it significantly.

... ALWAYS apply the brake controller aggressively, even if it means temporarily locking up the trailer brakes. You may have to keep applying some trailer brake all the way down the hill. This forces the TV to pull on the hitch which negates the sway.

One exception to the accelerator rule - if you are pulling a trailer without trailer brakes, and you are within 100 feet of the bottom of the hill, and nobody is in front of you, then mash on the accelerator. It has the same effect as applying trailer brakes by forcing the TV to pull the trailer straight. But this is a rare exception to the rule.

[thestrangebrew]

Another option I haven't seen mentioned here is the Andersen WDH. No sway problems, but from my limited experience and research, it doesn't seem to distribute weight that well for heavier tongue weights. Just throwing it out there though because it it does a great job for sway control.