Trailer Sway Control (TSC) v. 3rd Party Sway Bar

Toyota's Trailer Sway Control (TSC) was included with the Tow Package for my 2012 TRD Off-Road. Plan to tow various trailers (probably 5k lbs max).

Should I rely on the TSC system or use an actual sway bar attached to the hitch? If the latter, how would the two interact with each other? Obviously don't want the two to cancel each other out or to act unpredictably.

 

Wow. Nobody here has the answers? Not even an opinion? Well, guess I'll carefully try the TSC system first (since it's already there) and switch to a sway bar if that ultimately doesn't work sufficiently.

 

I've never heard of it. Care to elaborate on it? Are there extra parts that they provided to you?

 

Never heard of what? Trailer Sway Control? It's part of the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system. Basically, TSC helps to control trailer sway by selectively applying the brake pressure for individual wheels and reducing engine torque when sway is detected. If you have a 2012, you can find more information in the owner's manual on pages 200 through 206.

 

Overkill can be fun, but the best option is to load the trailer properly, shouldn't be any sway with a properly loaded trailer.

 

Timbren "bumpstops" might be a good idea too. In fact, you might want to look into those before the sway-bar.

 

I see it also in my owners manual although they cover the TRD and 4WD. I have the Prerunner. So, do I have it also, although my truck is not TRD?

 

Actually, your suggestion is quite reasonable - something I've considered. Welding the trailer to the truck might be overkill.

I've never seen a trailer yet, no matter how well loaded, that didn't sway under the right conditions - larger vehicles passing, sudden gusts of side winds, sudden loss of side winds, and so on. Heck, even a large, heavily loaded, semi will sway with a good side wind.

The manual is a bit vague, but it appears to added with the OEM V6 Tow Package (perhaps a module or some other addition to the VSC system). Thus, if you have a V6 and that tow package, you likely have the Trailer Sway Control (TSC) system as well.

 

That's not sway, that's wind-blow, and nothing can stop it. Not anti-sway bars, not electronic braking sway control.

Sway is what happens when you load a trailer too far back and it starts oscillating side to side independent of wind interference. Sometimes crosswinds can initiate a trailer sway, but the sway itself is self-sustaining. A properly loaded trailer will immediately begin following correctly behind the tow vehicle after it is pushed over by wind. An improperly loaded trailer will begin to sway and each oscillation will sway further out unless some corrective action is taken, like motion resisting anti-sway bars or braking.

 

I run both.

I have driven with the sway bar loosened (not tightened the friction bolt down) and with it tightened. It is a little more stable at high speeds with the sway bar tightened down. So for the little additional money I like the added security of both.

 

I understand what you're saying (a trailer should always be loaded properly), but sway also includes what happens after a trailer is pushed to the side by an external force (wind or whatever). It will always recoil back afterwards and oscillate side-to-side several times before settling down. This happens regardless of how well it's loaded. And this is the type of sway we're attempting to control/reduce with either Toyota's Trailer Sway Control (TSC) system or a sway bar.

I'll probably ultimately end up using both as well. I'm not convinced Toyota's TSC system is enough to handle the job alone (willing to give it a try though), while a conventional sway bar is a tried and true solution.