New Tow Rig

OdiN1701 · 06-02-2020, 11:17 AM

Well we used to tow our 174BH with my 2017 Tacoma. I put a WDH on and it did just fine. Well the wife was wanting something with more room for passengers, so we could take a friend or two of the kids camping with us if we wanted to.

So we got a 2020 Expedition Limited with the HD Towing Package. This gives us 9,200 lbs. towing capacity. I went and hooked it up yesterday to see how it worked.

First off, the ball mount I had was too high, the trailer wasn't level. So I ordered a mount with less rise.

Next, measured the sag in the rear with it hooked up. It dropped 1". Seems okay, doesn't look too weighed down. But that's without water in the tank, and no cargo in the back of the rig. Wondering if I will need the WDH or not. The trailer is only 2960 lbs. dry, and has a max of 3750 lbs. That's well under the towing capacity. It has an integrated brake controller and sway control.

Anyone have a similar setup? Just curious how it will do.

Colorado · 06-02-2020, 01:24 PM

I would definitely use it regardless. You won’t be able to determine IF you need it until you have BOTH the TV and the camper LOADED. Your Expedition only has 600# tongue weight (TW) without the WDH but your TW goes up 930# with a WDH. I would also weigh everything so you know exactly where you stand with your GVWR and GCVWR. Payload limits typically gets used quickly because it includes TW, fuel, passengers everything in your TV.

Does your WDH have the sway bar option?

DocBrown · 06-02-2020, 01:56 PM

It's possible you won't need it. The determination is in the steering. If the weight on the hitch raises the front end up enough to reduce steering control, then you need a WDH. However as Colorado said, you have the hitch, just use it. It will be that much more added stability, especially if you load the vehicle with people. In either case you will want sway control of some sort.

OdiN1701 · 06-02-2020, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocBrown

It's possible you won't need it. The determination is in the steering. If the weight on the hitch raises the front end up enough to reduce steering control, then you need a WDH. However as Colorado said, you have the hitch, just use it. It will be that much more added stability, especially if you load the vehicle with people. In either case you will want sway control of some sort.

Well the TV has built-in Trailer Sway Control system. Supposedly it works pretty well.

Vista · 06-02-2020, 02:10 PM

Odin, I can't help answering your questions, but what WDH did you use on the Taco set up?

OdiN1701 · 06-02-2020, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vista

Odin, I can't help answering your questions, but what WDH did you use on the Taco set up?

I used an Equalizer WDH w/ sway control. It works really well.

Vista · 06-02-2020, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OdiN1701

Well the TV has built-in Trailer Sway Control system. Supposedly it works pretty well.

For what it is worth, so did your Tacoma. That built in TSC is not what you really think of with a WDH.

Colorado · 06-02-2020, 02:14 PM

The TV sway control is designed to slow you down if sway occurs. Sway is a result of improperly loaded trailer/camper or excessive speed. If you weigh everything and combine that with a sway bar on your WDH you won’t need to rely on your vehicles sway control. There’s plenty of CAT scales in Colorado that will make getting your weight numbers very easy.

Vista · 06-02-2020, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OdiN1701

I used an Equalizer WDH w/ sway control. It works really well.

Awesome. What size?

OdiN1701 · 06-02-2020, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vista

Awesome. What size?

I don't remember.

Camper_bob · 06-02-2020, 03:37 PM

Personally, I would go ahead and use the WDH anyway. Of course, you should weigh it to get it dialed in right too. But I think it unlikely that you won't have ANY unloading of the front end.

And I haven't looked in a few years (since vehicle anti-sway was first introduced), but when I did look at it, the vehicle's dynamic controls for sway events didn't kick in until WELL into a sway event. It's not like they constantly prevent and control sway like a physical sway device or WDH with integrated sway control would. I remember thinking to myself that I would need a new pair of britches if my vehicle's anti-sway software kicked in. I would much rather have a properly configured WDH to PREVENT sway than depend on my vehicle's software to STOP an already occurring sway event.

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