2020 F-250 6.7 more sway than 2010 Tundra DC

[rab62184]

Well, this is officially my first post in the forum. So, we purchased a 2020 KZ Connect SE C312BHKSE for traveling, during covid, and because my wife has always wanted one. We love traveling and getting to go places, and it gives us control over the hotels since my wife is highly allergic to the fragrances they use when they clean rooms.

We were originally towing with my 2010 Tundra 5.7 DC 2wd 6.5' bed that has an ARE Z fiberglass shell on it. At 160,000 miles, the Tundra still drove like new. It would sway when cars passed, but not horribly, and took some work to get it up to 65 mph, but it worked okay. We pulled into a CAT scale and just a light load was 500lbs. over GVWR, and 160 lbs. over rear axle rating. I was ready for a new truck anyway, so the wife caved. We purchased a 2020 F250 Lariat 6.7 4wd Crew cab 6.5' bed recently and took it out.

I went through measurements, with height adjustment, weighing, and all, and adjusted the Husky 12,000 lb. WDH to get what I could as close to level on the trailer and original height on the front. When we took it out, it seems much more easily influenced by passing vehicles and susceptible to sway than the Tundra. Everything else about the towing experience was much better except for the sway was worse. All I have is the cheap-o Husky 12000 lb. WDH with good old fashion bars and chains, and friction sway control. Is the sway that is occurring because of the play in the balls on the sway control, or am I missing something here? I'm to the point of looking at new hitches, but what else can I do? This thing is going out of the lane when a semi passes and I can see the small fish-tailing back and forth when looking in the mirror at times.

I'm not new to towing, having towed boats many years, but towing walls is a different beast altogether. Any advice?

[move on]

What is your hitch weight? You should have approximately 10% of the trailer weight on the tongue.

[nicky8668]

Originally Posted by rab62184

Well, this is officially my first post in the forum. So, we purchased a 2020 KZ Connect SE C312BHKSE for traveling, during covid, and because my wife has always wanted one. We love traveling and getting to go places, and it gives us control over the hotels since my wife is highly allergic to the fragrances they use when they clean rooms.

We were originally towing with my 2010 Tundra 5.7 DC 2wd 6.5' bed that has an ARE Z fiberglass shell on it. At 160,000 miles, the Tundra still drove like new. It would sway when cars passed, but not horribly, and took some work to get it up to 65 mph, but it worked okay. We pulled into a CAT scale and just a light load was 500lbs. over GVWR, and 160 lbs. over rear axle rating. I was ready for a new truck anyway, so the wife caved. We purchased a 2020 F250 Lariat 6.7 4wd Crew cab 6.5' bed recently and took it out.

I went through measurements, with height adjustment, weighing, and all, and adjusted the Husky 12,000 lb. WDH to get what I could as close to level on the trailer and original height on the front. When we took it out, it seems much more easily influenced by passing vehicles and susceptible to sway than the Tundra. Everything else about the towing experience was much better except for the sway was worse. All I have is the cheap-o Husky 12000 lb. WDH with good old fashion bars and chains, and friction sway control. Is the sway that is occurring because of the play in the balls on the sway control, or am I missing something here? I'm to the point of looking at new hitches, but what else can I do? This thing is going out of the lane when a semi passes and I can see the small fish-tailing back and forth when looking in the mirror at times.

I'm not new to towing, having towed boats many years, but towing walls is a different beast altogether. Any advice?

Maybe too much truck too little trailer? I had the same problem. I was towing a 3000 lbs little camper with a midsize suv and moved up to an F250 and found I had more sway. I have the husky WDH as well. I took the WDH spring bars off and it towed much better. So after that, I just removed all washer from the WDH head and level the head with the coupler, then put as little tension on the spring bars as possible and just use it as a sway control. It worked fine since then.

When using the WDH, you are not only transferring weight to the front axle, it also transfer a lot weight to the trailer axle. F250 has a heavy butt and leveling that with spring bars put a lot weight to the trailer axle as well, so that may equivalent to a “light tongue” towing.

[tuffr2]

You guys are telling me a Tundra tows the same or better than a 2020 F-250 diesel? That you get less sway with the Tundra?? That makes no sense. Even the short bed crew cab will have a 160" wheelbase.

[mistercee]

Originally Posted by rab62184

Well, this is officially my first post in the forum. So, we purchased a 2020 KZ Connect SE C312BHKSE for traveling, during covid, and because my wife has always wanted one. We love traveling and getting to go places, and it gives us control over the hotels since my wife is highly allergic to the fragrances they use when they clean rooms.

We were originally towing with my 2010 Tundra 5.7 DC 2wd 6.5' bed that has an ARE Z fiberglass shell on it. At 160,000 miles, the Tundra still drove like new. It would sway when cars passed, but not horribly, and took some work to get it up to 65 mph, but it worked okay. We pulled into a CAT scale and just a light load was 500lbs. over GVWR, and 160 lbs. over rear axle rating. I was ready for a new truck anyway, so the wife caved. We purchased a 2020 F250 Lariat 6.7 4wd Crew cab 6.5' bed recently and took it out.

I went through measurements, with height adjustment, weighing, and all, and adjusted the Husky 12,000 lb. WDH to get what I could as close to level on the trailer and original height on the front. When we took it out, it seems much more easily influenced by passing vehicles and susceptible to sway than the Tundra. Everything else about the towing experience was much better except for the sway was worse. All I have is the cheap-o Husky 12000 lb. WDH with good old fashion bars and chains, and friction sway control. Is the sway that is occurring because of the play in the balls on the sway control, or am I missing something here? I'm to the point of looking at new hitches, but what else can I do? This thing is going out of the lane when a semi passes and I can see the small fish-tailing back and forth when looking in the mirror at times.

I'm not new to towing, having towed boats many years, but towing walls is a different beast altogether. Any advice?

It sounds like you have the same issue as I have when I went from an F150 to an F350....not enough weight being transferred back to the front truck axle with the current WDH setup.

Our trailer's GVWR is 9500 lbs (last weigh was 8900) and while I do not feel like it's a big issue, I can tell when a semi is approaching. It's definitely not enough to make me worry about anything, but not something not expected from a 1 ton.

I would suggest you load up as for camping and hit the CAT scale and take your 3 weights:

Truck + RV with WDH bars attached
Truck + RV with WDH bars disconnected and placed in bed of truck
Truck only

Post back with weight results. Consensus on my results was too little weight going back to the front of the truck. As your trailer's GVWR is similar, I suspect that may be the issue.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by rab62184

Well, this is officially my first post in the forum. So, we purchased a 2020 KZ Connect SE C312BHKSE for traveling, during covid, and because my wife has always wanted one. We love traveling and getting to go places, and it gives us control over the hotels since my wife is highly allergic to the fragrances they use when they clean rooms.

We were originally towing with my 2010 Tundra 5.7 DC 2wd 6.5' bed that has an ARE Z fiberglass shell on it. At 160,000 miles, the Tundra still drove like new. It would sway when cars passed, but not horribly, and took some work to get it up to 65 mph, but it worked okay. We pulled into a CAT scale and just a light load was 500lbs. over GVWR, and 160 lbs. over rear axle rating. I was ready for a new truck anyway, so the wife caved. We purchased a 2020 F250 Lariat 6.7 4wd Crew cab 6.5' bed recently and took it out.

I went through measurements, with height adjustment, weighing, and all, and adjusted the Husky 12,000 lb. WDH to get what I could as close to level on the trailer and original height on the front. When we took it out, it seems much more easily influenced by passing vehicles and susceptible to sway than the Tundra. Everything else about the towing experience was much better except for the sway was worse. All I have is the cheap-o Husky 12000 lb. WDH with good old fashion bars and chains, and friction sway control. Is the sway that is occurring because of the play in the balls on the sway control, or am I missing something here? I'm to the point of looking at new hitches, but what else can I do? This thing is going out of the lane when a semi passes and I can see the small fish-tailing back and forth when looking in the mirror at times.

I'm not new to towing, having towed boats many years, but towing walls is a different beast altogether. Any advice?

I did not see this mentioned and I am not aware of your towing experience, so is it possible your new truck is so tall the trailer is now nose high? Can you snap a pic or two and post it?

I also didn't research the trailer you mentioned. Weight, length, GVWR and such would be helpful to know.

[NevadaNick]

Push from passing trucks is not sway, the slight fishtailing is. Leave the bars at home and go for a drive.

[Elev8torguy]

Something in you setup isn't right as other have mentioned. My 2019 f250 was super confident towing our trailer. My 2020 f350 was even better. Good luck getting it right and when you do you will never look back. Guaranteed at 160k miles your super duty with ride like new also.

[Dave Pelletier]

It's not the truck, it's the trailer. Make sure the height is level or slightly tongue down and you should have at least 12 - 15% trailer weight minimum.

Once set up properly, there should be no comparison to towing with an F250 vs. your old Tundra.....apples and pumpkin pie.

on edit; too much weight transfer off the tongue can cause instability too. ditto on the comments to try it without the WD hitch for reference.....and to check the weights.

Dave

[sanda]

I went from a 1500 to 2500. My wdh chains now hold very little tongue weight because of the extra suspension on the 2500. I still use the wdh loosely for going through steep dips in roadways.

[JIMNLIN]

A couple of points.
New trucks have new tires. New tires can have tread squirm till their broke in. Takes several hundred miles for proper break in period on big heavy load E tires.

Another point is load E tires on a 2500 truck pulling a bumper pull trailer can have too much pressure. This has the center of the tread doing most of the work.

These type issues can lead to sway issues/bad handling issues in strong side winds or passing trucks.

[nicky8668]

I forgot one thing. Are you using a reducer sleeve? If so, the play will cause a lot sway, longer the trailer, worse the sway.

[tuffr2]

A F-250 is very likely to use a hitch receiver reducer.

But this is news to me that it will cause sway using the reducer.

I have towed a 29' total length 6,500lb travel trailer with a reducer but did not notice sway. But this was with a dually truck so maybe I did not notice the sway.

[mistercee]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

A F-250 is very likely to use a hitch receiver reducer.

But this is news to me that it will cause sway using the reducer.

I have towed a 29' total length 6,500lb travel trailer with a reducer but did not notice sway. But this was with a dually truck so maybe I did not notice the sway.

F350 with Blue Ox reducer here. It's a nice tight fit, no sway issues.