Hello. I am hoping someone can lend me some advice. My wife and I traded in our motorhome for a truck / trailor. Our first trip was supposed to happen this morning but I'm home typing this instead.
We have an 87 Ford F-150 shortbed with 302, 4 speed overddrive. It's in excellent condition and runs like new. It's a new vehicle for me as I've only owned it a few weeks. About the same time we purchased a 24', 5000 pound travel trailer. We had the trailer brake system installed along with a hitch professionally installed this last week. I was told by the dealer I didn't need an anti sway system. We loaded up the trailer with maybe 500 pounds of stuff then took off. All fine until I got on highway a mile from home. Two problems. First was I had a terrible time getting the truck up to 45 MPH. Never got it higher than 45 MPH. The second problem was at 45 MPH the sway was very noticeable, so much so that I did not feel safe going faster. I struggled with it, got off at next exit, turned back. We stopped then checked to make sure the trailer brake system wasn't locked or set incorrectly. The emergency trailer brake cable pin was all in the way in. The trailor brakes were not hot nor did they smell. No brake burning smells from the truck at that point. We looked for a switch for the overdrive in case that was the problem with speed but we never found one. I believes it has automatic overdrive but I am hoping the seller will call me back soon to confirm. We disconnected the trailer electric cable and drove a short while on a side road. Seemed a bit better easier to pull but I cannot be certain. It could've been my imagination (I did not want to drive far with the cable disconnected nor fast as I would be braking with just the truck). I was so concerned about the sway and lack of speed I started back home on the side roads with the electric cable reconnected. A few miles later we smelled a horrible brake burning smell. I think it was the truck brakes braking both the trailer and the truck. We pulled over again then followed all the instructions for setting the trailer brake control as shown on the DVD we received (even though the dealership said to use their instructions which were totally different). We then started back home very slowly. My wife slowly applied the trailer brake slider bar and it definitely slowed us down.
After a weekend trip lost and a $50 lost reseveration fee I'm left wondering why my truck wouldn't pull a trailor of that size. The dealership assures me a 302 F-150 should easily pull a 5,000 pound trailer. I am also wondering if I had been able to get up to 55 MPH or higher if the sway would have disappeared. I was told by two employees of the dealer for a rig of this type I didn't need an anti-sway system. Anyone know about sway disappearing at higher speeds? Anyone have any ideas why my truck couldn't pull a trailer of this weight?
Any advice GREATLY appreciate. Signed very disappointed and discouraged.
We have an 87 Ford F-150 shortbed with 302, 4 speed overddrive. It's in excellent condition and runs like new. It's a new vehicle for me as I've only owned it a few weeks. About the same time we purchased a 24', 5000 pound travel trailer. We had the trailer brake system installed along with a hitch professionally installed this last week. I was told by the dealer I didn't need an anti sway system. We loaded up the trailer with maybe 500 pounds of stuff then took off. All fine until I got on highway a mile from home. Two problems. First was I had a terrible time getting the truck up to 45 MPH. Never got it higher than 45 MPH. The second problem was at 45 MPH the sway was very noticeable, so much so that I did not feel safe going faster. I struggled with it, got off at next exit, turned back. We stopped then checked to make sure the trailer brake system wasn't locked or set incorrectly. The emergency trailer brake cable pin was all in the way in. The trailor brakes were not hot nor did they smell. No brake burning smells from the truck at that point. We looked for a switch for the overdrive in case that was the problem with speed but we never found one. I believes it has automatic overdrive but I am hoping the seller will call me back soon to confirm. We disconnected the trailer electric cable and drove a short while on a side road. Seemed a bit better easier to pull but I cannot be certain. It could've been my imagination (I did not want to drive far with the cable disconnected nor fast as I would be braking with just the truck). I was so concerned about the sway and lack of speed I started back home on the side roads with the electric cable reconnected. A few miles later we smelled a horrible brake burning smell. I think it was the truck brakes braking both the trailer and the truck. We pulled over again then followed all the instructions for setting the trailer brake control as shown on the DVD we received (even though the dealership said to use their instructions which were totally different). We then started back home very slowly. My wife slowly applied the trailer brake slider bar and it definitely slowed us down.
After a weekend trip lost and a $50 lost reseveration fee I'm left wondering why my truck wouldn't pull a trailor of that size. The dealership assures me a 302 F-150 should easily pull a 5,000 pound trailer. I am also wondering if I had been able to get up to 55 MPH or higher if the sway would have disappeared. I was told by two employees of the dealer for a rig of this type I didn't need an anti-sway system. Anyone know about sway disappearing at higher speeds? Anyone have any ideas why my truck couldn't pull a trailer of this weight?
Any advice GREATLY appreciate. Signed very disappointed and discouraged.