What is Trailer Sway Control?

So I am thinking of getting a TT which will require actual consideration of the capabilities and safety of my 2015 4x4 DCSB. Around 3000# dry.

My Tacoma has the Tow package so class IV hitch and 7 pin and the coolers are great. I'll need an EBC of course though I am not looking forward to having that in the cab.

But, there is no way I would tow such a heavy trailer using such a light truck without some weight distribution. I was assuming I'd need a weight distribution system paired with it.

Then I remembered the package comes with something called Trailer Sway Control. What is that? It's not a true WDS right?

(Also, forgive the question a little bit, I am away from the truck for a while and don't have it or a manual handy)

 

A lot of good information can be found here
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-tacoma-towing-bible.4031/
The answer to your particular question can likely be found in section 7.

 

I tried towing an ATV trailer with 2 ATV's for a gross of about 1700# and I was not impressed. I went back to using the 3/4 ton p/u. As far as I remember sway bars are part of the trailer hitch that attach to the truck hitch. I would think very serious about using a heavier truck and not the Tacoma. It will be like the tail wagging the dog.

 

Not all trailers and not all loads are equal.
A poor trailer design or a trailer not properly “load proportioned” will also cause sway.
And a combination of the 2 make for a horrible towing experience.

I do tend to agree, that the 4.0 Tacoma w/Tow Package is a bit “over rated” in Towing Capacity or GCWR. In my experience anything on the + side of 4,500 Trailer Weight is not at all a comfortable towing experience for me.

Many others tow more. I just don’t “want” to with my Tacoma.

 

"the package comes with something called Trailer Sway Control. What is that?"

Did you ever get an answer to this?

 

Vehicle based trailer sway control is typically programming built into the Vehicle Stabilty Control (VSC) System that attempts to use the vehicle brakes and engine power management to counteract trailer sway.
The Tacoma being such a light truck probably wouldn't see much benefit from it but it is there.

https://youtu.be/ie_szIujKYI

 

Dm93 is correct.

If you are towing and the truck detects sway, it tries to use the (truck) brakes to counteract.

Keep in mind that the vehicle's "sway control" is a hail mary pass for when you are already out of control and don't have much hope of saving it. You really don't want to see it kick in, or at least I hope I never see it kick in.

It is no substitute for a WDH with sway bar. If you are towing at 60% of hitch weight and/or tongue weight, you should strongly consider one.

And again, the towing bible link above holds the answers to which you seek.

 

WDH hitch should 100% be on the menu for that setup.

While 3klbs isnt that heavy and the truck will pull it fine, the travel trailers are big sails and get pushed around a lot. A WDH will help with overall truck / trailer stability SO much.

 

Found this also:
https://youtu.be/bojvwM-OrPw

 

Thanks for all the replies.

I definitely agree on an additional weight distribution system and sway control. I have a E2 weight distribution hitch and it works well towing a 4300lb RV with my 2015 Tacoma Prerunner Longbed with the Tow Package. It has work on hills, pretty much stay in 3rd gear for most roads and keep the RPMs below 3500. IF it is really flat or downhill I may bump it into 4th. You can almost watch the gas needle drop though.

I get a little bounce but not much. I am thinking about putting a Roadmaster Active Suspension kit on it to reduce the bouse. https://activesuspension.com/

 

I just sold my RAS springs. I ran them for a good 5 years with zero complaints. It was a great trailer-helper system. Definitely reduced porpoising.

I'm running Icon leaf springs now, so I didn't really need them anymore.

 

That is good to hear.

I have wondered where the stress gets transferred to? Seems like it has to go somewhere at the connection points.

How much were you carrying with those?

 

Its a completely different function than a WDH. So as we know, a WDH acts like a spring "bridge" in that it relieves a little bit of weight off the rear axle and redistributes it towards the front and trailer axles. By contrast the RAS acts like suspension reinforcement - there is no change in weight distribution, it simply stops the leaf pack from sagging. What makes it unique is that it is pulling on the axle in a different direction than the leaf pack - so while the leaf spring is pushing down on the axle, the RAS is pulling on the leaf spring to keep it in a bow shape. The net result is less axle wrap and less porpoising.

The majority of porpoising is coming from the interactions between your trailer tongue (and to a degree your WDH) and leaf pack. They are bouncing their stored energy back and forth against each other like a tennis match, to the point where it's overwhelming your shocks ability to dampen it. The RAS puts an extra rubber band against your leaf pack and pulls it in a direction that helps quell that transferring.


I used mine to carry a variable load, either my 3100 pound trailer (wet), or bed load, or both.

 

Good to know, many thanks.

 

One mistake I think I made was going with larger tires than recommended. They are only 1 inch taller, but that is 3.3%. Torque calculations are proportional, so I basically reduced my towing capacity of 6500lbs, which is based on recommended tire diameter, by 214lbs.

May not seem like much, but I am interested to see what changes when I go back to factory recommended size with my next set of tires.