Hopefully ya'll can help me. I have a 2012 f150 stx with the 5.0l. The truck has standard equipment for that trim plus the integrated brake control and tow package. The only aftermarket parts on the truck are a set of timbrens bump stops installed in the rear. Recently I towed a 3k lb equipment trailer with a compact tractor weighing approximately 2500 pounds. I was not using a WHD and definitely had plenty of tongue weight. But I was getting trailer sway at any speed over 50 mph. The sway was not severe but still nerve racking. I towed an empty 5k dump trailer and did not experience any trailer sway. I also had trailer sway with a 16ft aluminum enclosed trailer. I experienced the sway with the enclosed trailer empty and loaded with furniture and house hold items. The Sway I experienced was similar to what I had with the equipment trailer with the tractor. Any ideas what would cause the trailer sway or a way to prevent it? Should I install a sway bar like one from hellwig on the truck?

tanks in advance

 

I cant really answer that question on the bar as I have never had sway with anything I pulled with or pulled over the years if the trailer was loaded right.


This seams to come up more so with todays trucks that ride like a car.

Just as needing weight at the front of trailer too much can also be bad. With car trailers I can tell on how much the truck squats and how far forward or back the load needs to be.
Only with a few TT using a car (station wagon in the old days) to pull with have I ever needed to use a sway bar setup on the WD trailer hitch.
I do use a WD hitch, no sway bar set up, on my 02 Durango with my car trailer and it is good up to 80+ MPH when needed but 70MPH it is happy with the gearing I have.

One thing I do do before towing is bump up the tire PSI mostly in the rear of tow truck and make sure the trailer tires are to max also.
So what was yours at both truck & trailer?

Good luck
Dave ----

 

The truck was set at 35 psi front and rear. Both trailers were set at 5 psi below the cold psi max pressure listed on the tires. Tire pressure was checked and set prior to using both trailers. I owned 2 chevy silverado half tons prior to my current f150 and never experienced trailer sway while towing the same trailers and and loaded about the same as I was when I experienced the sway with my f150.

 

Mini tires on it? Picture a 6'x8' with 12" tires, if so max pressure on the tires?
Are the trailers sitting flat when you hook them up?

 

Trailer tongue was slightly down From level. The trailer is a 22ft tandem axle equipment trailer not sure of the tire size. But they are the proper size tires for the trailer.

 

I think you have an issue with the weight balance of the trailer and the tongue weight. Can you rebalance your load? It sounds like you might be running light on the front end of your truck.

Steve

 

Think RV_Tech is on with tongue weight.
Ok still trying to sort out, does the trailer weigh 3K?
Although I am wondering if the tractor is all the way forward if the suspension on the trailer is causing issues. Not compressing and keeping the rear down.

My brother in-law had towed a trailer that was new to him. Long story short. One time he had a heavy tongue and next he went light (compensating) :/
Both wags the truck.

 

I would guess it is either improper load placement on the trailer, or poor tires on the tow vehicle for towing(possibly improper pressure) All brands of tires are not created equal, you know.

 

For starters, I'd fully inflate the trailer tires. Unlike passenger vehicle tires that have an acceptable inflation range, trailer tires should be kept to the maximum pressure listed on the tire sidewall.

Shifting the load forward until the trailer's tongue weight is 10-15% of the total trailer weight will also be helpful. Towing the trailer so it's a bit nose-down is fine, but if its more than 1-2 inches below level, you'll want a different ball
mount to raise it within that range.

If none of these fix the situation, go with a weight distribution that incorporates sway control.

You can see more information by using the provided link below:

https://www.etrailer.com/expert-126.html

 

Sadly it is the tires.

If you have the original tires on there the sidewall are not strong enough. I see this very often (service advisor at rv dealer). I have had many conversations with people that don't want to believe the tires are inadequate until I walk up to the back of the truck and push on it sideways. They then see the sidewall of the tire flexing back and forth.

Even if you put the tires up to the 51 psi on the side of the tire it will still sway. I replaced the tires on my 2014 with E rated tires right when I bought the truck (used) and don't have any sway when I haul my boat or car trailer.

 

Was it a windy day when you were towing? Pretty much any Box shaped trailer like a Holiday trailer, enclosed trailer etc will sway if there is wind and if you are at highway speed if you don't run a weight distribution hitch with dual stabilizer bars. The trailer is basically just a big brick wall for cross winds to grab onto and move back and forth on the hitch ball. If you own and tow an enclosed trailer often I would strongly recommend that you install the brackets to the trailers A-Frame and use a weight distribution hitch setup whenever you tow it to prevent the sway from occurring. As for the equipment trailer with the tractor, did you have the heavier end of the tractor loaded to the front or to the rear of the trailer? And how much of that weight approximately would you say was over the trailer axles? Too much weight behind the trailer axles can cause sway, it's almost always best to have more weight forwards on a bumper pull just to eliminate too much negative tongue weight and sway from happening.

 

The day I hauled the Big Orange NewYorker was the only time I ever experienced trailer sway, but I knew ahead of time this would most likely happen because I loaded it back end facing forwards on the trailer (I had no choice in the matter unfortunately) and the heavy front end of the car with the motor was all behind the trailer axles causing sway to happen at speeds faster than 50 mph but fortunately it wasn't going far when I hauled it (scrap metal) and the Tractor I hauled was loaded just right, the heaviest portion was right where the rear wheels of the tractor are as they were filled with calcium, plus the rear axle of the tractor. I loaded the center of the tractor tires directly in between the trailer axles so the mast majority of the load was exerted onto the trailer, but I had the weight of the 6 cylinder diesel motor and front end close to the front of the trailer for my tongue weight so there was a good amount of weight exerted onto the truck as well which prevented trailer sway from happening when I hauled it. We were able to go at 60 mph no problem with no trailer sway with it load like this. Had I had the rear tractor tires loaded just behind my trailer axles I know I would have experienced sway. It'd be a different story if the trailer was a gooseneck as they are far more forgiving with weight distribution than a bumper pull is.