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Old 02-15-2018, 08:40 PM   #1
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Do I Need Sway Control?

Brand new to towing and planning a trip out west this summer.

I have an Avalon Suntrail Sport Special. It's a relatively little trailer at 2500lbs and 350 young weight. Overall size of the shell is 15'L x 7' W and it sits 9' tall.

I'm pulling it with a F150 Supercab which has built in sway control.

Advice?
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Old 02-15-2018, 08:49 PM   #2
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Unusual question for an Airstream Forum...

If it is single axle, I believe you can tow it on the naked ball but if it is a tandem, then a single friction sway bar should do fine.
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Old 02-15-2018, 09:40 PM   #3
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Figured I'd ask the experts.

Single axle.

Thanks
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Old 02-15-2018, 09:48 PM   #4
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This is definitely a case of, "it's better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it".

My cargo trailer can whip me around in crosswinds, passing semis, being passed by semis etc... It's super light compared to my Avion/Airstream/SilverStreak.

The addition of WD hitch and even simple sway control can make a monumental difference.
I towed for years solely on the ball... no more.

Ian
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Old 02-15-2018, 09:51 PM   #5
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yes, its a must

else risk your life
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Old 02-16-2018, 03:30 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MNash56 View Post
Brand new to towing and planning a trip out west this summer.

I have an Avalon Suntrail Sport Special. It's a relatively little trailer at 2500lbs and 350 young weight. Overall size of the shell is 15'L x 7' W and it sits 9' tall.

I'm pulling it with a F150 Supercab which has built in sway control.

Advice?
It really depends on your driving. I’ve ridden with people who swerve for every trash bag or squirrel and others who can go 500 miles without a “surprise” lane change. The way the majority of people drive I would say get it.
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Old 02-16-2018, 04:20 AM   #7
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Welcome!


Quote:
Originally Posted by MNash56 View Post
Brand new to towing and planning a trip out west this summer.



I have an Avalon Suntrail Sport Special. It's a relatively little trailer at 2500lbs and 350 young weight. Overall size of the shell is 15'L x 7' W and it sits 9' tall.



I'm pulling it with a F150 Supercab which has built in sway control.



Advice?


1) yes you need it. No matter what you may be able to control, there's plenty out of your control. It's like insurance. You may not need it every day but the day you do, you *really* do....

2) search the forums for much more detailed and lively discussion on this topic

3) yes you need it.
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Old 02-16-2018, 04:43 AM   #8
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Most replies have overlooked that your tow vehicle F150 has OEM sway control built in, as does our Ford Transit. With a short single-axle trailer, your sway control may do the job fine on its own IMO. Indeed, adding sway control to the trailer’s hitch setup might conflict with your F150’s computer commands when your rig sways.

The jury is still out on this in my opinion.

As was just suggested by SSM, I would search above in the blue-bordered box for terms like “F150 OEM sway control” etc.. There were a couple of threads that discussed the OEM TV systems, but I am on the road now and can’t find them.

More later after I get back home.

You could also check with your Ford dealer or on the F150 forums for more feedback.

Good luck!

Peter

PS — We are NOT talking about weight distribution systems here, just to be clear. Only sway control.
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Old 02-16-2018, 07:06 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by n2916s View Post
Unusual question for an Airstream Forum...
Why is that? Because it’s an Avion?
It’s seems completely relevant to ask a question on this forum about an aluminum vintage travel trailer related issue.
Vintage Kin after all.

An unusual question for this forum would be, “how do I install the cams for a 90mm Schneider Angulon on my Linhof Technika IV?”
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Old 02-16-2018, 08:13 AM   #10
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I am in the "cheap insurance" group. The sway control is built in to my WD hitch, so I don't have to do anything extra to get sway control. It is always there.

As far as relying on the Ford's OEM sway control, the way it works is judiciously applying the truck brakes. I would rather not have the truck brakes being used all the time to keep sway under control. For me, that is just emergency rescue operation when all other factors, like proper trailer loading and hitch sway control, have failed.
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Old 02-16-2018, 08:38 AM   #11
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The integrated sway control on your F150 should be all you need. If you feel like your trailer sway is excessive even with the F150's integrated sway control then add some mechanical sway control. Personally, I think all of this sway control and weight distribution is a bunch of marketing nonsense so I don't use it and tow on the ball. Trouble free, I might add.
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Old 02-16-2018, 09:05 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MNash56 View Post
Brand new to towing and planning a trip out west this summer.

I have an Avalon Suntrail Sport Special. It's a relatively little trailer at 2500lbs and 350 young weight. Overall size of the shell is 15'L x 7' W and it sits 9' tall.

I'm pulling it with a F150 Supercab which has built in sway control.

Advice?
Contact Andy at Can-Am RV Centre. They have decades of testing / study on a wide variety of tow vehicles. They cover everything from proper setup to sway control etc. They just saved me tens of thousands on a TV. With proper setup, my guess is you will be perfectly fine. But at my experience level, that is literally a guess. Give Andy a ring. You won't regret it. 1 (866) 226-2678
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Old 02-16-2018, 09:29 AM   #13
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In my experience, single axle trailers are MORE prone to deadly sway than dual or triple axle trailers. This is primarily because they have less footing on the ground and are more sensitive to out-of-balance loading. 50 extra pounds in the tail end of a short, single axle can eliminate your tongue weight. I'm very experienced, and I've towed travel trailers for tens of thousands of miles over 45 years, but I make mistakes in loading occasionally.

For those occasions, I would at least want a minimal form of sway control. While the new technology with sway control is great, there are some sudden, drastic sway events that the brakes can't stop.

So my answer to your great question is YES!
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Old 02-16-2018, 10:03 AM   #14
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We towed a Casita 17' Spirit Deluxe travel trailer for five years. Loaded with our stuff, our Casita weighed 2904#. Tongue weight about 400#. The first year we towed with a Silverado Extended Can 4x4, with no WDH, but with a single bar sway control. Sway control was good. We did experience some porpoising (sp?) with uneven road surfaces and transitioning from highway onto bridges and back onto highway.

The second year we still towed with the Silverado, but deleted the single bar sway control and added an Andersen WDH with built in sway control.

The third, fourth and fifth years we towed with a F150 SuperCrew 4x4 and the Andersen WDH.

Adding the Andersen WDH made a world of difference in ride and control with both the Silverado and the F150. The tv and tt felt more connected and not sloppy. Excellent sway control and no more porpoising.

I believe your tt is similar to the Casita in terms of dimensions and weight - I think you would like using a WDH with sway control.

Good luck with your decision.

(Expecting to take delivery of a 2018 23FB in March - still researching what WDH to use and how to get the tailgate down while hitched without hitting the jack...)
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Old 02-16-2018, 10:08 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iansk View Post
Why is that? Because it’s an Avion?

I read him as being ironic - it's a question that's posted and debated often in AirForums. The emoticon may have been missing - I don't think an insult was intended. I could be wrong....
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Old 02-16-2018, 10:11 AM   #16
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You are better off attempting to prevent sway than trying to stop it after it has started! The friction control is proactive, acting to prevent it before it starts. The truck sway control is reactive, only coming on after sway is occurring.

I tow my single axle 3,000# Minuet with one friction sway control even though my Tundra has built in "sway control". I also tow on the ball as I found it only drops the tail of the truck 1" and was too stiff with equalizer bars.
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Old 02-16-2018, 11:07 AM   #17
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Porsche Cayenne's have a computerized sway control as well some of the Touareg's. There is a Youtube video towing a trailer at speed thru a salom course. I can't imagine any truck with a solid axle and a box frame 100% capable of duplicating this. With a F150 I would add the bar. ( belt and suspenders). Once a big rig blows by you at 80+ you will know.
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Old 02-16-2018, 11:14 AM   #18
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---------------------snip------------------

Once a big rig blows by you at 80+ you will know.
That's called experience. First you get the test, then you get the lesson...can be a bit rough on your personal serenity and concurrently cause 'laundry problems'.

It's far better to "Be Prepared" for "any old thing", as Lord Baden-Powell put it.
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Old 02-16-2018, 11:40 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iansk View Post
Why is that? Because it’s an Avion?

It’s seems completely relevant to ask a question on this forum about an aluminum vintage travel trailer related issue.

Vintage Kin after all.



An unusual question for this forum would be, “how do I install the cams for a 90mm Schneider Angulon on my Linhof Technika IV?”


That would be "Avalon" not "Avion" -- not a vintage kin.
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Old 02-16-2018, 12:00 PM   #20
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Yes.
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