# Do I Need Sway Bars?



## MacTeam (Jul 27, 2008)

Hi there,
We have just purchased a 2009 30BHDS towing behind a F-150 SuperCrew w/ 5.4 3.73 axle. Wondering if we need to buy sway bars. Any recommendations? We have only towed this thing <200kms with limited highway but it feels OK (then again i have nothing to compare it too!).








So are sway bars/weight distribution bars worthwhile? Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Bruce


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## 4ME (Sep 11, 2006)

Short answer....Yes
Long answer.....Yes

A must..............Yes


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

4ME said:


> Short answer....Yes
> Long answer.....Yes
> 
> A must..............Yes


^^X2 plus weight distribution


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## egregg57 (Feb 13, 2006)

CamperAndy said:


> Short answer....Yes
> Long answer.....Yes
> 
> A must..............Yes


^^X2 plus weight distribution
[/quote]

X3 Yup


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## john7349 (Jan 13, 2008)

With no WDS & sway control, a sudden gust of wind and it's all over with...


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

ABSOLUTELY !!!! im surprised your dealer let you leave without a proper setup.....Actually, no im not surprised at all at what they do.

Definately get a good WD and sway controll setup. Ask any questions you might have and you will get very good advice here!

And before i forget..... *WELCOME AND CONGRATUALTIONS on the new Outback !!*


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## 4fun_timers (Dec 16, 2007)

I agree with all the others. If your F-150 has the same undercarriage as mine, weight distributing inst really an option. My max tongue weight ratings are, 500lb- weight carrying or 990lb- weight distributing. My OB dry tongue weight is listed at 625lb, actual when loaded is 825lb. Either way, its not an option for me







Once adjusted correctly, a good weight distributing system with sway control makes a huge difference.

Also, WELCOME and CONGRATULATIONS on the new OB!!!!!!!!


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## kjp1969 (Apr 25, 2004)

Bruce Macdonald said:


> Hi there,
> We have just purchased a 2009 30BHDS towing behind a F-150 SuperCrew w/ 5.4 3.73 axle. Wondering if we need to buy sway bars. Any recommendations? We have only towed this thing <200kms with limited highway but it feels OK (then again i have nothing to compare it too!).
> 
> 
> ...


Yes.
We Crashed


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Most around here would reccommend a very good sway control system (Equal-i-zer, Reese Dual Cam, Hensley or Propride). The latter are the best, but will set you back a bit. Before you do though, check your weights. I'll bet you are either right on the edge, or over wieght. Then finally, I will caution you that many of us with tralers in that length range don't tow long with a 1/2 ton before deciding that we'd rather be safe than sorry. Don't worry, you'll need the WDH with good sway control for the 3/4 ton pickup too.


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## Collinsfam_WY (Nov 9, 2006)

You tow a 30BHDS behind an F150????

-CC


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## webeopelas (Mar 11, 2006)

collinsfam_tx said:


> You tow a 30BHDS behind an F150????
> 
> -CC


My reaction exactly and the dealer let him out without a WDH or sway control as well.


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

CamperAndy said:


> Short answer....Yes
> Long answer.....Yes
> 
> A must..............Yes


^^X2 plus weight distribution
[/quote]

What they said!


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## Colorado Outbacker (Jun 6, 2005)

Hi









You should be just fine to pull your new Outback when you put your new WDH and Sway bars on your new F250 or F350







.

Take care and please be very careful with your tranny temps. Welcome aboard







!!!
Tony


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## Rubrhammer (Nov 27, 2006)

First off please describe the hitch you are using. You may just not know the terminology for what you now have. 
I can't imagine that you would be towing that trailer without any WD hitch. I'm assuming you bought this from a dealer and not private sale. If I'm correct and in fact the dealer did send you down the road with no WD, please post that dealer's name hear so we can spread the word to avoid that dealer. An act like that borders on criminal and I don't doubt that if something disasterous happened while set up that way they could be held accountable.
You must have some doubts about your setup or you wouldn't have asked the question. Please don't tow without WD and some form of sway cocntrol. The truck you have is marginally capable of pulling that trailer safely. I pull 27' of trailer with a half ton truck but my trailer only weighs in at about 5600#. Look at the Proride or Hensley. There are a ton of threads on hear that explain the differences in hitches, search out these topics and plan to spend a few hours digesting what you read. A lot of people put in their signature what equipemment they have. Most will welcome PMs asking how they like their setup. Welcome to the forum and let us know more on what you have and about yourself. Its a family here.
Bob


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## uhls1986 (Mar 20, 2008)

Wow, I have a 21rs, 2500 Dodge diesel,sway bar and guess what ... It still sways


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## jozway (Jan 28, 2008)

I would consider a bigger tv if I were you and sway and weight dist.


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

Absolutely get a good weight distribution system....wouldn't even consider towing that size trailer without one....Also, like a couple of the others have said....get a bigger, more capable(3/4 ton) truck. ---Mike


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## kycamper (Jun 1, 2008)

uhls1986 said:


> Wow, I have a 21rs, 2500 Dodge diesel,sway bar and guess what ... It still sways


I have the 21 RS and tow with a 2006 Durango and had some sway with a 750# WDH with friction sway bar and had weighed it and tongue weight all loaded (It was 5080 # with Tongue Weight of 560#) The sway was not bad, but I had NO sway with my previous TT (SOB lightweight, towed with V-8 Explorer). I felt a little uneasy and shelled out the $2500 for the Propride hitch and am very happy and drive much calmer AND safer. If you by the Hensley or the Propride, there is NO sway, but there is that cost. We will all gladly buy a bigger TV for more $$$, but we are hesitant to buy a Hensley or Propride. I am not preaching and do not wish to start a commotion, I simply think BOTH a larger TV AND a Hensley or Propride is your SAFEST set-up, not to say that other setups are not safe


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

uhls1986 said:


> Wow, I have a 21rs, 2500 Dodge diesel,sway bar and guess what ... It still sways


Then your trailer tongue weight, WDH and/or anti sway are not set up correctly


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

Agree with others you probably have at least weight distribution. And only the most blatantly incompetent dealer would have let you leave without any kind of sway control whatsoever. They surely knew that trailer would really be pushing the specs of that truck (if it isn't actually well over them), so they'd be pretty stupid it seems to me to create a lawsuit waiting to happen.


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## cookie9933 (Feb 26, 2005)

Bruce,
Good to hear from you, that you have asked this question. As everyone else already said, YES, you need both. Weight distribution keeps your truck riding level. Without WD, your truck's rear tires and suspension will be doing all the work and your front tires will have LESS weight on them. This results in poor control in the braking AND steering departments. Sway control is something you may think you don't have a problem with, UNTIL IT HAPPENS. Road irregularities and especially wind guts can get sway going real quick. With a trailer as long as your 30 footer it would be more pronounced. Get a good sway control product set up properly and you will probably never experience significant sway. Disregard that possibility and you are taling a big risk, IMHO.

Bill


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## Scooter (May 9, 2005)

Hi Bruce, 
My 2 cents. 
Please Forget the WD and Sway , You need a larger TV or a smaller TT
Once you get either...then yes consider getting a good WD and sway setup. 
Good luck with your decision. Remain Safe.

Perhaps this site will help with your decision

What can I Tow
- DAVE


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## MaeJae (May 12, 2005)

Scooter said:


> Hi Bruce,
> My 2 cents.
> Please Forget the WD and Sway , You need a larger TV or a smaller TT
> Once you get either...then yes consider getting a good WD and sway setup.
> ...


X2... 
If you value your life and those that travel anywhere near you.

Please be safe!
MaeJae


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Scooter said:


> What can I Tow


This is a great site. Be sure to read all the links on the left.


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## Paul (May 14, 2008)

23 Posts so far. YUP X 23


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

From the huge numbers of 1/2 tons towing 30 footers, youll be fine with a good hitch..

Not perfect, but doable. I prolly see 5-10 of them a day...

I actually see way more 1/2 tons towing bumper pulls than 3/4 towing bumper pulls... But I see way more 3/4 tons with 5er's than 1/2's with 5ers.

I have seen over 10 f150's towing Outback 5th wheels.. They actually look pretty stable too, rolling down the highway.

I live on the road for a living..

For instance, I left Elkhart, In yesterday, and delivered an Rv in Springfield, Mo. This morn. Now I am sitting back in Elkhart tonight..

Pu an RV bound for Phoenix for a tue morn delivery..

Stop in Colorado, my home for a day tues night and wed,

I will be back in Elkhart next fri afternoon to get another.

Carey.


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## Scooter (May 9, 2005)

I think with that setup once you add payload , gasoline , Driver , Passenger, gear , batteries , Propane , water , 
you are going to max out on GCWR long before you reach a Max Tow figure. Also the TV's 138 inch wheelbase 
becomes an issue haulin a trailer of that length 33feet (396 inches) .

Here is a simple Tow calculator you can use

Tow Calculator

When I plugged in the numbers for The TV you described this is what I got 
For your setup Max Trailer weight is 6300lbs (your TT weighs 6260 dry without gear , batteries , Propane , water ,) 
if you added a 10% safety margin max trailer weight would be 5670

Having owned 2 f-150'S with similar setup as yours I can tell you from personal experience having to play the weight distribution 
game gets real old real fast. I suggest read all comments here then Before you head out on the highway work all the numbers yourself
to decide. It doesn't take long to work the numbers and it will give you peace of mind with any decision you may make.


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## MacTeam (Jul 27, 2008)

Well thank you all for the comments... didn't realize that this topic would ignite such a firestorm








Anyways I have now installed a Husky WDH and dual sway bars installed. Heading this weekend to see how it all works out. Many thanks for all your comments.

I do however *disagree *with the comments about the TV (F-150 5.4l 3.73 axle) being isufficient for this TT. The Ford manuals state that this rig will tow 9,300 lbs which is well within the 6220# tare plus 1330# load even factoring in a 10% grace. I have it set up with a good electric brake controller and now with the WDH I feel that I am well within limits. A 3/4 ton is nice but unneccessary for this TT IMHO. Time will tell.

Anyways, thanks to all, great site, way too much info to digest!!


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

My experience was different, but best of luck to you and safe travels!


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## CanadaCruizin (Jul 3, 2004)

We had a bit of sway and it turned out the ball joints on the Dodge needing replacing. Got them fixed and tows like a dream. Just thought I'd add my $0.02 as I originally thought it was my hitch setup and was researching the Hensley. Still paid about as much as a Hensley but she's rock-solid now. Not all problems are due to the hitch.


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## kyoutback (Jul 12, 2004)

Bruce Macdonald said:


> Well thank you all for the comments... didn't realize that this topic would ignite such a firestorm
> 
> 
> 
> ...


By dual sway bars I hope you mean dual cam sway bars and not 2 friction bars.


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## MacTeam (Jul 27, 2008)

kyoutback said:


> Well thank you all for the comments... didn't realize that this topic would ignite such a firestorm
> 
> 
> 
> ...


By dual sway bars I hope you mean dual cam sway bars and not 2 friction bars.
[/quote]

2 Husky anti-sway bars, one on each side of the tongue. they are friction bars as I understand it...


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Bruce Macdonald said:


> By dual sway bars I hope you mean dual cam sway bars and not 2 friction bars.


2 Husky anti-sway bars, one on each side of the tongue. they are friction bars as I understand it...
[/quote]

Oh, I missed that. Be VERY careful!









By the way, if you ever are so inclined, anyone here would be happy to walk you through the weight calcs and show you that you are very likely over the max weights on that F150.... Or you can always check it at a truck scale....

Regardless, we are not trying to be harsh, just concerned for safety.


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## Rubrhammer (Nov 27, 2006)

Bruce, there have been posts here regarding the capacities of your tv. The main concern is not the total tow rating of the truck but the length of the trailer vs the wheel base of the truck and the rear axle capacity. It is very easy to exceed the rear axle cap on 1/2 ton trucks of all brands. A lot of us on this site have weighed our rigs in travel trim so that we know what we really have. I would recommend doing that some time when you see a CAT scale. The friction sway controls are generally used effectively on trailers up to 24'. Trailers exceeding that length have a lot of leverage and can overcome the friction mechanism. Hopefully this combination will work for you. Happy traveleing.
Bob


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Nathan said:


> By dual sway bars I hope you mean dual cam sway bars and not 2 friction bars.


2 Husky anti-sway bars, one on each side of the tongue. they are friction bars as I understand it...
[/quote]

Oh, I missed that. Be VERY careful!









By the way, if you ever are so inclined, anyone here would be happy to walk you through the weight calcs and show you that you are very likely over the max weights on that F150.... Or you can always check it at a truck scale....

Regardless, we are not trying to be harsh, just concerned for safety.
[/quote]

Ditto ! Please be safe and Enjoy.

Remember its not only how well it tows its also how well it stops, handles and recovers when challenged by adverse conditions or situations. Vehicles are built with limitations and its our responsibility to make sure we keep within them - Your Insurance will be sure to check it out if something were to go severly wrong before paying out a claim. If these limits were overloaded, they wont pay out the claim.

Make it a point to get to a scale - CAT Scale, T/A, Pilot, etc usually have them. for about $8 you can get your total weight (GCVWR) and axle weights. Unhook the trailer and get the truck weight. Then come home and run the numbers. I actually found that this was really fun checking all of the numbers and seeing just off the manufactures specs are.

Enjoy your trip !!


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## Collinsfam_WY (Nov 9, 2006)

Tow rating is just one of the weights you should be entirely comfortable with. Typically, most mfg's these days pump up tow rating so that they can market being #1 on TV ads. Yay. Speaking for myself, I had to learn about GVWR, GCVWR and Payload as well. My suspicion is that you are well over one if not more of those when rolling down the road. As you are aware - it's your call though. I personally wouldn't pull anything more than my 23RS with my '02 F150 given the conditions I normally tow in. I have seen people who swear that a very similar truck can pull a 28RSDS "with no problems"..."like a dream" (paraphrasing). Even with my 23RS, I "have problems" and it doesn't tow "like a dream". I would describe my towing experieces as "ok". Not great or good - just "ok".

I will say though that a recent change to my setup has substantially altered my perceptions of towing my camper. I want to tow a few more times before I talk much about it though. We have been so busy lately and haven't been able to get back out on the road. I am hoping to do so weekend after next.

-CC


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