What Would Cause Trailer Sway That Starts at 55 Miles Per Hour

Updated 10/07/2015 | Published 10/06/2015

Question:

I have a 2013 Ford F150 XLT with GVW of 7100 lbs. I recently purchased a bumper pull camper. It has an empty weight of 7400 lbs and loaded weight of 9500 lbs and is 33foot 7foot bumper to tongue in length. Have the load leveler and swaybar installed and am experiencing swaying and bouncing when traveling at 55-60 mph. Truck and trailer is raised with the jack in order to attach load leveler. Truck swats 2 1/2 to 3 inches when setting back down. What would be your recommendation to help beef up the trucks suspension? I pull about once a month. Also, are prices shown for a single unit or for a pair?

asked by: Frank B

Expert Reply:

The kind of sway/bouncing that you described right at 55 miles per hour is due to improper trailer loading nearly every single time. You want to have your tongue weight equal to 10-15 percent of the total trailer weight otherwise you will get sway.

What you need to do is move the weight of as much cargo as you can forward in your trailer so that you can get your tongue weight higher. Doing so will get rid of the sway.

Since you mentioned you have a weight distribution system and are still getting 3 inches of sway it also sounds like it is rated too low for your setup.

The best way to pick out a weight distribution system is to base it off of the loaded tongue weight of the setup when it is loaded and ready to tow. This figure also includes the weight of any cargo behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle. I attached a help article on determining tongue weight for you to check out as well. You will want the loaded tongue weight of your setup to fall right in the middle of the tongue weight range of the system you use.

Once you know your tongue weight you will want to check out the link I attached that has all of the weight distribution systems we carry. You will be able to select your tongue weight from the filters to see what would be rated for your setup.

The # SSA5MTKT has been confirmed to fit your 2013 Ford F-150 and will help with sag, but not the sway you are describing. These are also sold in pairs.

expert reply by: Jameson C