2017 Ford F250 and trailer sway ???

[AirMiles]

Originally Posted by pteck

^That's what's important in the end! A nice and confidence inspiring setup.

If I may point out, the difference between a regular WD/AS hitch and a PPP hitch. There's not much difference in what they achieve with weight distribution.

The major difference is where the pivot point is effectively located.

In the spectrum of pivot point locations... PPP's locate it optimally by virtually putting it about the rear axle. You're feeling the effects of that.

It's not a stretch to surmise that your previous setup located the ball too far past the rear axle, with the truck bed overhang and additional stinger projection... To the point that even a smaller airstream had leverage to induce sway on a big HD truck.

Wheelbase to rear overhang is such an important dimension to minimizing sway. It either gives more leverage to the tow vehicle for control, or to the trailer to induce sway. Which is why Andy with Can-Am RV critically pays attention to this when they setup hitches. Making modifications of literal minor inches to always keep the ball tight and close to the tow vehicle.

HD trucks have forgotten this. Exacerbated by the even taller beds in recent trucks, that further require a long stinger to clear the tongue jack.

I think this post hits the nail on the head!

[AirMiles]

Here’s an update on my F250 towing experience after 2,500 miles with the Propride. I left Florida about two weeks ago and traveled I75 to north Georgia at interstate highway speeds. Not a hint of sway, loosesness, or push-pull from other vehicles. The truck and Airstream performed flawlessly. Then did the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. Up and down all those 5-degree inclines while turning on the switchbacks was also handled perfectly. Then back on the Interstates to Arcadia National Park at Interstate highway speeds in the stiff winds of the Northeast was also handled perfectly.

I’m back to having total confidence in my rig. In all these situations of speed, traffic, wind, incline and curves, the F250 and Propride handled perfectly. I still can’t understand why I could not find the sweet spot with my Blue Ox, but the Propride has a broader sweet spot range with my rig. I can run any amount of weight distribution from light to heavy and still have no handling issues. I can’t explain why the Propride fixed my handling issue, but with the Propride And the F250, I’ve got my rig handling like its on rails again.

Thanks again to everyone who offered suggestions to help me fix my rig’s handling issue. Hopefully my experience will help others that have an experience similar to mine.

[rmkrum]

The ProPride anti-sway is designed into the mechanical linkage on the hitch head. It seems to be amazingly good at stopping any sway under any conditions, even in turns. It makes an Airstream track like a fifth wheel setup.

Watch for the front of the trailer tracking far inside the turn radius during a tight turn. It does not act like it’s on a conventional ball hitch at all. It will look like a fifth wheel setup during turns.

The WD bars are basic conventional spring bars. The jacks are the Hensley design refinement for easy adjustment of WD loading. I had a similar experience going from a Husky brand hitch to the ProPride. Night and day on sway elimination and much easier to adjust WD.

Your relatively heavy truck is masking the WD adjustments. Use the three-pass CAT scale method to verify your WD settings. Search for it on the forums.

[Fair_Enough]

Airmiles, glad it worked well for, so my F150 that is otherwise being push pulled into longitudinal ruts in the pavement. I call it “hunting”. It actually does this some without the trailer. Could the cause be P rated Michelin’s? Not spending a grand to find out. Eventually but not now.

My advice since you have a P3 about WD, if you need to level the truck add some but don’t obsess over it.

Those links in the hitch design actually project the pivot point forward of the rear axle, so any sideways force on the trailer acts equally on the TV. So no sway.

I have a cargo trailer that I use no WD nor sway control and the push pull is there but not as bad as it is with the AS, pre-Hensley. I am looking forward to a July long airstreaming trip rather than dreading it. Thanks Hensley.

Safe journeys
Clint

[AirMiles]

I agree Clint that I don’t need the truck level. When I dial in enough weight distribution to level the F250, the connection to the Airstream is way too ridged. It beats us to death and will pop rivets. When I dial down the weight distribution to smooth the ride, my truck’s front end is about an inch high, and CAT scale results show equal weight on the truck front and rear axle. Since the amount of weight distribution does not affect sway control with a Propride, I choose to go with the smoother ride and slightly raised front fender height.

[SteveSueMac]

AirMiles - what do the scales tell you about front axle weight solo, with trailer attached, and with amount of WD applied? Balance front to back is a view, but is your front axle at an underweight position? That’s a question based on curiosity not judgment (in case that needed to be said [emoji3]).