Ford Explorer Platinum towing

[iconnekt]

I just thought I can share an experience...

This past long weekend I had the chance to go back into RVing after a 17 years hiatus (). I got a new Explorer Platinum which comes with the tow package (max tow 5,000 lb) and a Wolf Pup 16FQ travel trailer, empty weight 2,900 (and strangely single-axle).

For a number of reasons yesterday I found myself on a 100 miles stretch of freeway in the middle of the desert with wind blowing very, very strong, I saw at least two big trucks turned on their side in the curbs...

Any case, I slowed down (most of the times barely 40-45 mph) and my rig really worked very well. I did feel a few times the "anti-sway" system clicking in and it was very effective, I never felt any particular problem in controlling.

So my kudos to Ford for a very good system...

[alsdas88]

Glad to hear you had a good experience and you stayed within your comfort zone in difficult travel conditions. Its always good to have proper equipment and have it setup to do the job correctly. Sometimes driving slow, like you did in those wind conditions will literally save your bacon.

[thebrakeman]

Sounds like a good combo.
If your trailer has electric brakes, I would recommend you use them (have a controller installed, if not already done).

[iconnekt]

Just to specify, I'm not talking about the "hardware" anti-sway bars, which I don't have. The car has an electronic anti-sway system, which instantaneously intervenes on the two back wheels by lightly braking one or the other whenever it senses a lateral movement caused by the trailer pushing. You as driver don't feel a thing and don't need to do anything, the only give out is a slight loss of power, like if a wind gust got you from the front.
I have found this system extremely well functioning...

[glsimms]

Get a good WDH anti-sway setup. It'll be even better.

I have a Ford Expedition with Fords HD tow package and anti-sway and brake control built in. But I feel more confidence with my Blue Ox. Just my opinion.....

[thebrakeman]

Yeah, I was going to let this go, but when you reposted, I figured I'd elaborate on what glsimms just said.


Most with the integrated, electronic, stability-control-based sway control (wow, that's a mouthful)...most have found that these electronic systems don't kick in until the trailer is already moving around quite a bit. And that makes sense. If they kicked in with just the slightest bit of side wind, it would be tapping the brakes all the time, wearing the brakes prematurely, and decreasing fuel economy.


But the fact is, you don't want to wait until things are moving around a lot, before you address sway. You want something mechanical back there, that will address sway when it first starts (or prevent it from starting, in the case of some very expensive systems). The easiest way is with a friction sway controller. This will apply a counter-force as soon as the angle between truck and trailer changes. These are only $50 at Harbor Freight, or up to $100 at a Hitch Shop.


That leaves the electronic system free to kick in only in an emergency situation, like an emergency lane change, etc.

[iconnekt]

You have for sure a point here, I totally understand. Even the manual of my Explorer specifically says that it's better to add mechanical sway control for rigs over 3,500 pounds (the max allowable is 5,000). Given that my trailer is 2,900 I'm within specs, but any case I will add a mechanical system, better safe than sorry... ;-)

[Major Oz]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

Yeah, I was going to let this go, but when you reposted, I figured I'd elaborate on what glsimms just said.


Most with the integrated, electronic, stability-control-based sway control (wow, that's a mouthful)...most have found that these electronic systems don't kick in until the trailer is already moving around quite a bit. And that makes sense. If they kicked in with just the slightest bit of side wind, it would be tapping the brakes all the time, wearing the brakes prematurely, and decreasing fuel economy.


But the fact is, you don't want to wait until things are moving around a lot, before you address sway. You want something mechanical back there, that will address sway when it first starts (or prevent it from starting, in the case of some very expensive systems). The easiest way is with a friction sway controller. This will apply a counter-force as soon as the angle between truck and trailer changes. These are only $50 at Harbor Freight, or up to $100 at a Hitch Shop.


That leaves the electronic system free to kick in only in an emergency situation, like an emergency lane change, etc.

Good advice.

I find, however, that the "friction" sway bar that came with my hitch greatly restricts my turning radius.

Between the anti-sway system on my truck and a light touch on my brake controller, I am comfortable running around the local Ozarks snake trails and I-80 in Wyoming.

If the gods get really angry, pulling over for a nap always works.

I learned, years ago with boats, a lesson that applies to vehicles: "when in doubt, chicken out".

[thebrakeman]

"Greatly restricts....."?
I used to use a friction sway controller with our popup, behind a minivan. Yes, I needed to know the limit, to be sure I didn't bottom out the unit within itself. But I never considered it excessive. And that was a single-axle popup that can handle jackknife reversing. With a double-axle trailer, if you back up at an extreme angle, you're pushing the trailer tires sideways. So you don't want to do that anyway.