Trailer advice

grainger12002 · Mar 31, 2003

Wondering about weight distribution and sway control, do they really help? pulling a 24 ft 3500lb trailer w 1995 Ford f 150 4wd v8 a\t. Any opinions out there also, where do I order from if I decide to purchase? Thanks

Anonymous Poster · Mar 31, 2003

I like my weight distribution hitch, I don't use it for the short haul and slower speed. Any trailer/rv dealer should be able to fix you up with a good one and set it up for you. If you have long arms and deep pockets look on the web for Hensley hitch. Its on my list of thing to get, they sell direct. It does both wieght and sway control.

hensley hitch
reese hitch
there are many others but its a start

cheers
Tony

MRHURT · Mar 31, 2003

the weight distribution hitch will help if you hook up to the trailer and your truck squats a lot. it is much easier to drive a truck with it level than bend down in the middle. takes to much weight off the front tires. the sway control will help at speed going down the road. a 3500lbs 24ft trailer (i am guessing a camper) will have some sway to it, pulling it with something like a crewcab truck would not have as much as a shortbed truck. just my thoughts!

thcri · Mar 31, 2003

I guess I am wondering what you plan on putting on that trailer. I know that I pull a 18ft trailer that has two axles on it and if I put too much weight on the trailer your pretty much taxing a 1/2 ton pickup. Now I do have one of them F150 Crew Cabs and it is a light pickup.

murph

dmccarty · Mar 31, 2003

grainger12002,

Check out http://www.thedieselstop.com/. This
used to be FordDiesel.com. They have a towing section that
will give you more answers than you could ever want. With
a F150 you might easily overload the towing weight.

I saw a F150 a few month back with a large trailer, a skid
steer, and the truck bed was loaded as was the trailer with
landscape material. I can't believe there was much wieght
on the front tires. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif The truck and trailer looked
like a shallow V. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I don't think you are going down that path I just threw out
what I saw. I think my F350 might have had problems with
what they where towing.

If a DMV or trooper had caught them it was going to be ugly.

Hope the web link helps,
Dan

Bird · Mar 31, 2003

( Any opinions out there )

Yep, no way I'd do without them if you're talking about an RV. In my years of RVing, I lost count of the number of people I ran into with brand new rigs and after talking to them awhile, found it was their second rig. They said they wrecked the first one because their dealer didn't tell them about sway controls; absolutely amazing! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif With my first travel trailer (which was called a 24RB model, but was actually 25' 3" and weighed in at about 4,000 pounds empty), I started towing it with my 3/4 ton Chevy without the weight distributing lift bars (but sure did have the sway control) because the Chevy had overload springs and it sat pretty level. However, within two months, I added the lift bars because even if you don't put enough tension on them to shift much weight, they prevent bouncing up and down on wavy roads.

Egon · Mar 31, 2003

The addition of air bags will also help. They are adjusted so the truck is level and the front wheel alignment is where it's supposed to be.

Egon

RanchMan · Apr 1, 2003

Sway control was the best $100 bucks I ever spent. Saw a fellow just the other day who had his trailer race him down hill - both his tow vehicle and his Airstream were on their sides. Awful lot of money down the drain when a $100 investment probably would have prevented the problem to begin with... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Since I don't have anything with too excessive a tongue weight, I use the airbag system - self install was pretty easy - just count on spending a Saturday afternoon to get it set up properly. Another good investment. One benefit I figured out was that when riding on some of the rougher roads on my place with extra passengers, the trailer hitch can drag a little on some of the dips. 'Course now all I do is hit the button to put in an additional 20-30 lbs in the rear end and the trailer hitch doesn't drag any more. A nice temporary fix...

Gary_in_Indiana · Apr 1, 2003

A nice temporary fix... 

I think the fix is permanent (the airbag installation). The 'temporary' part is when you fill them. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Those airbags sound like something I ought to consider. Even when I pull my trailer empty it squats the rear end of my Tahoe pretty good. The trailer is very tongue heavy as it's designed to have a majority of the load on the rear half with the tandems set further back than "normal" to compensate for that.

shado · Apr 1, 2003

Weight distribution (or balancing the weight on the trailer) is a very important factor when towing at normal highway speeds. Now if we're not refering to a 'gooseneck' trailer, one of my concerns is not overloading the 'tougne weight' of the hitch itself. The tow capacity may go well up to 10,000 pounds, but the weight on the tougne is a lot less, maybe at 1,000 lbs.. I was towing a car from way up north and right after I got it loaded, I knew I was going to have to re-position it. The trailer had a tendency to sway around now & then. After moving the car forward another foot & a half, made a big difference. And I did not need any air bags or sway controls to get this great improvement, drove all the way home 55 MPH without any problem. Most trailers capable of a least hauling a car have their axles closer to the rear of the trailer than they are towards the front. That way, their will be some weight applied to the tougne. But having to 'correct' the height of a vehicle's rear, I would wonder if the 'tougne weight' is being exceeded. If you don't want to worry about that criteria, then you'd have to go with a 'gooseneck' design, which is what I want to do next time I get the funds up to purchase a trailer. And just to let people know, I have had experience hauling a skid steer on a car trailer with the same GMC 1500 series 4X4 (& no trailer brakes), this is not the most pleasant feeling going downhill, but the episode can make one appreciate what inertia is all about.
J.W.

Anonymous Poster · Apr 1, 2003

I just bought a new Bri-Mar 12,000 gvw equip trailer. When hooking it up at the dealer, I notice I have a 500 lb tounge wt hitch. I opted to get a 1200lb hitch installed, 229.00.. I didn't opt for the equalizer hitch set up only because at times I do pull other trailers from a friend of mine. I felt the permanent hitch to the truck was better ,
as his trailers do not have equalizer/sway sytems either.. My trailer and tractor gross wt is somewhere around 8900 lbs. His can go substantially more at times. I do have a need for the trailer as I need to install lots of water jugs and some hand tools. Perc testing, and one needs lots of water available..

Egon · Apr 2, 2003

The equalizer hitch will allow you to tow without the torsion bars in place. All you need is the right sized ball. The torsion bars are the expensive part of the hitch.

Egon

RayBee · Apr 2, 2003

I too plan to pull an 18 ft trailer with an F150. Curious about what amount you think is too much for the Ford supercab I plan to tow with? Mine is a 4.6L- V8. Thanks .....Raybee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I think the trailer and B2710/BH/FEL weighs in at 6000#.

Egon · Apr 2, 2003

Your manual should state the towing and load limits. They may even be posted on a door sticker.

Egon

Bird · Apr 2, 2003

Ray, in addition to engine size, would have to know which transmission and which rear end to get the "official" trailer towing capacity (along with how much weight you have in the truck itself). Those ratings are on page 130-135 in the Owner's Guide for my '99 F150 Supercab. It shows trailer weight of 5,700 for the 3.08 rear end and 7,000 for the 3.55 rear end with automatic transmission (considerably less with manual transmission).

Now what you can actually do safely and comfortably also depends on whether the trailer has brakes, how far you're going, level or hilly terrain, how fast you want to drive, etc.

Bottom line is that I wouldn't hesitate to drive your rig at all myself. I'd probably turn off the overdrive and I'd keep a close watch on the temperature gauge if I was going very far.

RayBee · Apr 2, 2003

Thanks Bird /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif My "99"- F150 has auto/tranny and 3:55 rear end, I suppose the 6000 lbs is safely within the scope of this combo. And yes I do have brakes on both axles of trailer. The trailer is rated for 9K, so maybe an upgrade to the reciever and ball is in order? ...RayBee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Bird · Apr 2, 2003

( upgrade to the reciever and ball is in order? )

Maybe so, depending on what you have now? If it already has the load distributing hitch platform (2" square receiver under the bumper), then all you need is the proper hitch head and ball (hitch balls come in various weight ratings themselves and I'd be sure to get one rated for 8,000 pounds if it were me).

I used to do lots of trailer towing, but don't anymore, so when I bought my '99 F150, I just wanted the Supercab and fuel economy (along with tilt wheel, cruise control, air-conditioning of course), so I just have the 4.2L V-6. I've only had it a year, and it does not have the hitch platform, just a 2" ball on the bumper and I've not yet hooked a trailer onto it. But on the bumper, it says maximum trailer weight 5,000 pounds and maximum tongue weight 500 pounds. If or when I go back to RVing, of course, I'll promptly trade trucks. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif But in the meantime, it's a great one for my use.

Sounds like your rig is pretty well set up assuming you have the brake controller to go with the trailer brakes. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

RayBee · Apr 2, 2003

Bird: .... That's all good info., as usual.
I definately will consider the upgrade to the hitch. ....Thanks, Ray /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

grainger12002 · Apr 7, 2003

HEy Bird: MY 1995 F150 v8 4wd,pulls a 24 ft trailer,4000 # and 400 tongue,no problem. I saw the equalizer and anti sway used for $250 and thought I might give it a try but I think I will wait and keep looking. Mine has a nice reese hitch,good brakes and air shocks and pulls fine-Auto tranny as well. My next one will be a 250 or even 350,depepnds on the budget !!