Sway Control
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More Turbo
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Tennessee
Sway Control
I bought an 31ft Airstream a couple of months ago and have been playing with the hitch. I have a load distributing hitch with a friction bar sway control. On the way down to FL last week, I did not use the sway bar at all. I did not feel safe going more than about 60 but it was the first long tow with the trailer. On the way back, I got the sway bar hooked up and I felt more stable and could go 70 without any major problems. I know some folks go with the Hensely hitches which are pricey but seem to get rid of sway. So should I be shopping for a better hitch?
My Excursion is not be most straight line stable tow vehicle nor have any Ford trucks I have driven. I wish they would design these things so if you let go of the wheel it would stay straight and not wander. Also steering is way too twichy for me.
Perry
My Excursion is not be most straight line stable tow vehicle nor have any Ford trucks I have driven. I wish they would design these things so if you let go of the wheel it would stay straight and not wander. Also steering is way too twichy for me.
Perry
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 586
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A close friend of mine tows with a V10 Excursion. A 32' Prowler with a single slide that comes in at 7200 lbs dry. After one season, he ditched the stock springs on the excursion and replaced with stock F-250 Springs. The Excursion springs are extra soft. Also, the factory spec Load Range D tires are just too squishy. If you don't want to invest in new rims, Source a good load range E tire for your rims. If you're open to a new tire and rim package, you can find a lower profile, load range E ( like a Cooper Zeon) that will almost completely eliminate the tire roll which tranlates into a Squirrelly ride on the interstates.
I did the tire and rim thing on an old Jeep Wrangler, which is notorious for poor highway manners. When I switched to a set of 18s with 255/55-18 Toyo Proxes ST it was like driving a new touring sedan. A more appropriate example for you, a friend with an 04 F-150 went to a 20" rim with the Cooper Zeons in Load range E and it handles his towing duties very well.
I did the tire and rim thing on an old Jeep Wrangler, which is notorious for poor highway manners. When I switched to a set of 18s with 255/55-18 Toyo Proxes ST it was like driving a new touring sedan. A more appropriate example for you, a friend with an 04 F-150 went to a 20" rim with the Cooper Zeons in Load range E and it handles his towing duties very well.
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More Turbo
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 669
Likes: 7
From: Tennessee
How did we get on to tires? If you use a load distributing hitch you should not need to put on heavier springs. My tires are load range E anyway. I was expecting the springs to be a little weak but they seem fine to me. I could use some good shocks for the rear though. Cars in the 70's use to tow big trailers without problems and they had much softer springs than the Excursion. Even if your have heavy springs you should still use a load distributing hitch for anything over 5000lb. The idea is to put some weight back on the front wheels for better control. Bigger springs is not going to do that.
Perry
Perry
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 586
Likes: 1
They are all factors in creating sway. You asked how to help reduce your sway issues.
I never said get stiffer springs and ditch your WD hitch.
Those old boats from the 70's went to great length to try to control sway. That's where the original dual cams came from, cars were running dual friction bars, they even had those cable things attached to the front corner of the trailer that were then connected to the bumper ends of the tow vehicle.
I never said get stiffer springs and ditch your WD hitch.
Those old boats from the 70's went to great length to try to control sway. That's where the original dual cams came from, cars were running dual friction bars, they even had those cable things attached to the front corner of the trailer that were then connected to the bumper ends of the tow vehicle.
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