Trailer Sway on a 3,500 Pound Trailer Behind a 2008 Ford F-150 Full Size Pickup

Expert Reply:

There are other types of sway control out there. There are not, to my knowledge, any shock-absorber type sway control systems. You are right though, the friction systems are not the most effective. There are dual cam systems that instead of correcting sway, they hold the trailer in a straight line and keep the sway from even starting. See part # RP66072.

You can buy a heavier system than you need, but that can result in a rough, uncomfortable ride. We always recommend selecting a system that would put your tongue weight in the middle of the systems tongue weight range. For a 350 pound tongue weight, a 100-600 pound tongue weight system would be ideal.

That being said, a 3,500 pound trailer load should not necessitate a weight distribution system with a full size pickup like your 2008 Ford F-150. If you are having sway problems with that kind of a load, I would suspect that your trailer is riding nose up or does not have enough weight on the tongue. You might want to try re-distributing some of the weight and increase your tongue weight. Find the total weight of the trailer and make sure the tongue weight does not exceed 15 percent of the total weight. For a 3,500 pound loaded trailer, you want the tongue weigh to be between 350 and 525 pounds.

If your trailer is not quite level, riding a bit nose up, you may be able to use a ball mount with a bit longer of a drop to get the trailer level or slightly nose down. I have added a link to an article that shows you how to select a ball mount that will get the trailer level, you might want to go a bit further with your drop so the trailer rides a little lower and heavier on the nose to reduce sway problems.

expert reply by: Patrick B