sway control

[Onebel]

I have a 17 foot hilo trailer and would like to know if I will need to install a left or right sway control bar to not make it jerky. I read that left and right sway bars for over 26 feet trailers are needed but mine is only 17 feet. Help please so I will not be misled if I go to the RV store and buy something that I don't really need.
Thank you,
just a confused lady

 

[Wrascal]

I would venture this guess ... if you have an adequate towing vehicle (TV) then you won't need a sway (nor weight distributing) type hitch.

Now if you're close then maybe. If you're TV is too little then you'll need all that, lots of insurance, nerves of superman and lots of luck.

So, tell us what you've got in mind?

 

[sam-HILO]

sway control needed or not

Welcome to the forum. What is your tow vehicle ? You may need to post a picture all hitched up. Maybe you need some adjustment with the hitch that you have? Make sure you have the right amt. of air in all your tires.

 

[JackandJanet]

Add Sway Control

I have a 17 ft HiLo, and my tongue weight is close to 500# (460# with the fresh water tank empty and over 500# with it full). This weight was measured with a Sherline tongue weight scale. The listed weight is much less, around 350#, but it's a lie.

I would NOT recommend pulling a trailer with this much hitch weight unless you have a weight distributing hitch, or, a BIG tow vehicle with a heavy duty suspension (something on the order of a Ford F250 or Chevy or Dodge 2500 or bigger). That much weight is too much to put on the rear axle of any tow vehicle that's smaller, especially if you load up for a camping trip which will add more weight.

If you have a WD hitch, you might as well add sway control - it doesn't cost that much more. Some WD hitches combine weight distribution and sway control with no extra parts. I have that for my trailer and have no sway problems at all. But, I've been behind some trailers without sway control and it's not a pretty sight. It's a real "tail wagging the dog" effect. Not safe at all.

Just my 2 cents, but you already compromise safety a bit just by towing. I'd try to stack the odds in my favor if I were you.

- Jack

 

[Onebel]

Sway control

Hi my towing vehicle is a 2004 Toyota tundra V8 4WD, it comes with the built in towing package when we bought the truck.

Tow rating... 6,500 lbs.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating... 6,600 lbs.
Gross Combined Weight Rating... 13,100 lbs.

2001 Hi-Lo 17 ft trailer, 3800 pounds

 

[JackandJanet]

Hi my towing vehicle is a 2004 Toyota tundra V8 4WD, it comes with the built in towing package when we bought the truck.

Tow rating... 6,500 lbs.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating... 6,600 lbs.
Gross Combined Weight Rating... 13,100 lbs.

2001 Hi-Lo 17 ft trailer, 3800 pounds

That's close to my specs with my F150 and 1707T. Of more concern than the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of your Tundra is the Gross Axle Weight Rating of the rear axle. It's probably about half of the GVWR or about 3300#, but it should be on a door sticker where you found the GVWR.

You also have a trailer axle limit of 3500#.

I strongly urge you to take the truck and trailer to a CAT scale and have the combination weighed in the loaded configuration you plan to go camping with. You should include all the passengers you plan to have on board too. It takes very little time to do this and the cost is around $15 as I recall (may have been less). You may be unpleasantly surprised at the results.

Ideally, you would like to be no closer to the limits than about 80%, but I doubt you'll be able to achieve that. The best you can do is to distribute the weight over your tow vehicle axles with a Weight Distributing Hitch and if you do that, you might as well add sway control.

- Jack

 

[C317414]

Here's a great guide published by Toyota: http://a230.g.akamai.net/7/230/2320...a/media/vehicles/2008/tundra/towing_guide.pdf.

 

[Onebel]

Sway control

Thank you guys, I will check into all your recommendations