I have a 73 F-100 4X4 with a 4" lift, 390 and np435. I tow a 18' trailer for camping and hunting. I have a problem with sway(not bad just a little). I only have a receiver welded to my back bumper. Would that make a difference as I don't have a hitch. Would a frame mounted hitch make a diff? Any help would be great, thanks.

 

Put a frame mounted hitch on, you can get one pre-drilled for your truck and bolt it on yourself for around $150-200.

 

It would depend on the rear bumper you have, some of the step bumpers back then were built stout and the bumpers were mounted directly to the frame.

A frame mounted receiver may have a higher load rating than your current setup it just depends on how stout your current setup is.

As for sway the Bumper/Tube hitch you now have and a Frame mounted receiver are not going to make a difference as far as sway is concerned. What will make a difference is a load equalizing hitch with sway control.

You didn't say how much your trailer weighs loaded, but i would make sure your hitch is properly rated for its weight. If in doubt of your current systems weight rating then get a new frame mounted receiver of proper capacity Class III-Class V. To the proper hitch add a load equalizing hitch (weight distributing hitch) with sway control.

Here is a link to "Equal-i-zer's" website. They are my favorite WSD hitch system but expensive. www.equalizerhitch.com/

Other companies also make WSD hitches that use a seperate shock for sway control, i don't personally like these systems as well.

BTW improper loading of the trailer can also cause sway problems. On a standard ball hitch you want 10-15% of the gross trailer weight on the ball.

The WSD will solve your sway problems.

Hope this helps

 

Ditto what blackhat620 said. Get a frame mounted hitch so that you can use a weight distributing hitch with sway control. You will notice a difference. The other factor you may be overlooking is that you are towing with a lift. The farther you are from the ground the less stable you will be in wind. You shouldn't need more than a class III hitch for your setup. Most guys that are using class V hitches really don't need them. My class III is rated for up to 10K with WDH and 6000 weight carrying. Is money is an issue, check out Reese for both the receiver and the hitch.

 

Thanks for the help guys. I am going to get a frame mounted hitch before I tow again and see if it makes a difference. Then if I need I can add a sway control. Appreciate all the help. Long live FORD!!!!!!!!!

 

no one asked if he has oversized tires or not ... the large tires reduces the stabality of the truck ... the side walls give because of the added weight of the trailer tongue weight .... what size tires are you running ??

 

33x12.5x15

 

Does your trailer have sway bars? If not, id recommend trying that to reduce sway.

 

no sway bars

 

I do not believe a weight distributing set-up or sway controls are necessary for an 18 foot trailer. You should however have a good frame mounted receiver type weight carrying hitch. Make sure at least 10% but no more than 15% of the total trailer weight is on the ball. It might mean redristributing some of you gear towards the front of the trailer. This will stop the sway and make you trucks rear brakes more effective.

 

Another point. Make sure the trailer towed level. With your lift, 4x4 and oversized tires this means you need a ball mount with a lot of drop.

 

That all makes sense. I think I have a drops of 4". Maybe I'll go with 6" and see. Is there a standard on how farr the ball is from the ground? That would give me a better idea on what drop to get. Thanks

 

Ramrod-- Trailers are not all the same, but most camping types probably ride level when the center of the coupler is 13-14 inches off the ground. Your ball height should be an inch or so higher to compensate for the anticipated tounge load. I have seen ball mounts with a drop of over a foot. ( sold mostly at the 4x4 supply stores).
Your truck can handle this 18 1/2 footer with ease. If it's loaded correctly and rides level you wont even know it's back there.

 

Alright, that's what I wanted to hear. I am going to get a frame mounted hitch and see what height the trailer tounge is at level. That should give me an idea on what drop hitch to get. Thanks