2015 Towing Help!
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Joined: Jun 2016
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2015 Towing Help!
I'm hoping someone out there has experienced a similar problem and can help my father out with both of our trucks.
My dad and I have almost identical trailers (16ft long, flat front, torsion axles, electric brakes, weigh around 3k lbs empty and tend to be 5500-6k lbs when we load them). We've both towed our respective trailers with previous generation F-150's (Dad: '05, '09 and '11 Me: '10 and a '13). Our previous trucks have had a mix of aftermarket brake controllers or Ford installed and drive train combinations but we've never had any issue towing these trailers. We do use weight distributing hitches, but no anti-sway bars.
Now onto our '15's. We both ordered our trucks and they were built within a few days of each other last April. They're both 4x2 SCREW with 3.5 EcoBoost engines. Dad's is a Lariat with 3.55 rears and mine is an XLT with a 3.15 rear. With our latest F-150's, both of us have experienced our trailers getting "squirrely" on multiple occasions, and more often than not, they'll seem to get out of control multiple times during a single trip. We have adjusted our hitches, adjusted the position of the spring bars on the hitch, adjusted how we load our trailers (in fact in doesn't matter if the trailers are loaded or empty), pulled with the tow mode on and off, traction control on and off and the sway control under trailer settings on and off. We've tried everything that we can think of and nothing seems to make a difference.
I know that we could add anti-sway bars to our hitch setups, but I have a hard time believing that it's our hitch and trailer set up when we've used them with multiple previous generation F-150's with no issues. Has anyone either had or heard of a similar problem and know of a solution? Thanks for the help!
My dad and I have almost identical trailers (16ft long, flat front, torsion axles, electric brakes, weigh around 3k lbs empty and tend to be 5500-6k lbs when we load them). We've both towed our respective trailers with previous generation F-150's (Dad: '05, '09 and '11 Me: '10 and a '13). Our previous trucks have had a mix of aftermarket brake controllers or Ford installed and drive train combinations but we've never had any issue towing these trailers. We do use weight distributing hitches, but no anti-sway bars.
Now onto our '15's. We both ordered our trucks and they were built within a few days of each other last April. They're both 4x2 SCREW with 3.5 EcoBoost engines. Dad's is a Lariat with 3.55 rears and mine is an XLT with a 3.15 rear. With our latest F-150's, both of us have experienced our trailers getting "squirrely" on multiple occasions, and more often than not, they'll seem to get out of control multiple times during a single trip. We have adjusted our hitches, adjusted the position of the spring bars on the hitch, adjusted how we load our trailers (in fact in doesn't matter if the trailers are loaded or empty), pulled with the tow mode on and off, traction control on and off and the sway control under trailer settings on and off. We've tried everything that we can think of and nothing seems to make a difference.
I know that we could add anti-sway bars to our hitch setups, but I have a hard time believing that it's our hitch and trailer set up when we've used them with multiple previous generation F-150's with no issues. Has anyone either had or heard of a similar problem and know of a solution? Thanks for the help!
Found On Road Dominating
Joined: Oct 2012
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From: Eastern Canada
I'm hoping someone out there has experienced a similar problem and can help my father out with both of our trucks. My dad and I have almost identical trailers (16ft long, flat front, torsion axles, electric brakes, weigh around 3k lbs empty and tend to be 5500-6k lbs when we load them). We've both towed our respective trailers with previous generation F-150's (Dad: '05, '09 and '11 Me: '10 and a '13). Our previous trucks have had a mix of aftermarket brake controllers or Ford installed and drive train combinations but we've never had any issue towing these trailers. We do use weight distributing hitches, but no anti-sway bars. Now onto our '15's. We both ordered our trucks and they were built within a few days of each other last April. They're both 4x2 SCREW with 3.5 EcoBoost engines. Dad's is a Lariat with 3.55 rears and mine is an XLT with a 3.15 rear. With our latest F-150's, both of us have experienced our trailers getting "squirrely" on multiple occasions, and more often than not, they'll seem to get out of control multiple times during a single trip. We have adjusted our hitches, adjusted the position of the spring bars on the hitch, adjusted how we load our trailers (in fact in doesn't matter if the trailers are loaded or empty), pulled with the tow mode on and off, traction control on and off and the sway control under trailer settings on and off. We've tried everything that we can think of and nothing seems to make a difference. I know that we could add anti-sway bars to our hitch setups, but I have a hard time believing that it's our hitch and trailer set up when we've used them with multiple previous generation F-150's with no issues. Has anyone either had or heard of a similar problem and know of a solution? Thanks for the help!
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 4,146
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From: midwest
Others have reported this as well... I can't recall of someone found the magic "fix" so you may want to death the towing section here. Others have said it tows as well or better than the last gen
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Community Team
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 2,608
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From: Florida
I would say install hellwig sway bar, better rear shocks, and maybe airbags...
Yes these truck stock suck at towing... I made some changes to mine and much better now.
Lighter is not always better... I still will say I want my steel truck back. When I find the right used one it's mine. Even if I just have to buy it cash and deal with the 15 and ford later...
.
Yes these truck stock suck at towing... I made some changes to mine and much better now.
Lighter is not always better... I still will say I want my steel truck back. When I find the right used one it's mine. Even if I just have to buy it cash and deal with the 15 and ford later...
.
5 Year Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 277
From: In way too hot southern Georgia
You either need to disable the truck's sway control in the towing page on the dash or remove/disable any sway control you have on your trailer/hitch. The truck's sway control uses the rear brakes independently of each other to try to control sway. It tends to counteract the sway bar in trying to control the trailer. I've had the same experience and found shutting down the truck's controller helped cut down the swaying. Also a tech at the camping center I use said they have seen the same issue and recommended shutting down the truck control.
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Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 7
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I would say install hellwig sway bar, better rear shocks, and maybe airbags...
Yes these truck stock suck at towing... I made some changes to mine and much better now.
Lighter is not always better... I still will say I want my steel truck back. When I find the right used one it's mine. Even if I just have to buy it cash and deal with the 15 and ford later...
.
Yes these truck stock suck at towing... I made some changes to mine and much better now.
Lighter is not always better... I still will say I want my steel truck back. When I find the right used one it's mine. Even if I just have to buy it cash and deal with the 15 and ford later...
.