Will I need sway control ?

[Jubal]

Howdy All
We are in the process of configuring the purchase of a 19' Escape TT and trying not to go 60% over the base price ! Our tow vehicle is a 2012 Toyota Tundra, 5.7L with the tow package. Toyota Tundra Truck - 2013 Performance and Specifications
The towing capacity is 10,400 lbs. So I assume I will not have a problem with towing capacity or tongue weight . I do not think a weight equilizer hitch is necessary, but do I need a sway control device ?
Thank you, Jubal

[Jim Bennett]

Jubai, with that truck I really doubt you would need sway control, and definitely not a WDH.

[hippo]

Towing your Escape with a Tundra you will not need a WDH. When I took delivery of a Escape 19 in 2010 Reace told me to put the hitch bars back into the truck, you don't need them. Smaller Truck yes big truck NO.

[dave macrae]

I would agree with Jim, I suspect the trailer will tow very nicely behind your truck. Our 19ft tows very nicely behind our Yukon with a 8400 lb tow capacity with no wdh or any form of sway control.

[gbaglo]

It all depends on the trailer and the tow vehicle. You need to establish this first, and let us know before we can say anything useful to you.

[Ray N]

I was wondering the same thing for our 2011 Tundra (with small V8, however), pulling a new 21'. I just looked in our manual and it said I wouldn't need a weight distributing hitch with trailers weighing less than 5000 pounds, but recommended anti-sway bars for trailers weighing over 2000 pounds.

[Jubal]

We are towing a 2013 19' Escape with a 2012 Tundra, regular cap, 8' bed, 5.7L engine, factory tow/haul package. The specs list trailer sway control. We towed with at least 40 mph constant cross winds and did not need WDH or sway control. We averaged 15 mpg. N. Indiana to Colorado and returned through S. Dakota.

[Ray N]

Originally Posted by Jubal

We are towing a 2013 19' Escape with a 2012 Tundra, regular cap, 8' bed, 5.7L engine, factory tow/haul package. The specs list trailer sway control. We towed with at least 40 mph constant cross winds and did not need WDH or sway control. We averaged 15 mpg. N. Indiana to Colorado and returned through S. Dakota.

Glad to hear it.
Yes, our 2011 Tundra also has "trailer sway control" built in, (and we also have the factory tow/haul package), so I was wondering why the manual recommends anti-sway control for all but the lightest trailers. Maybe the built-in sway control isn't meant for handling larger trailers? We've never had a hint of sway with our EggCamper, but it is only about 2000 lbs.

[Jubal]

The Tundra trailer sway control is part of the stability control and ABS brake system. I suspect the 2K recommendation for sway control is a legal disclaimer. The 19' Escape axles are far enough aft to minimize sway movement. We usually travel with aprox. 8-12 gallons of water in the fresh water tank and empty black and grey water tanks.
We had one incident in Wyoming when we nearly harvested an antelope. We had to rapidly change lanes and back again as the antelope doubled back. The truck and trailer performed very well without any resultant sway.

[CADreamin]

All this talk about the Tundras and the WDH made us think ... We'll be towing our 19' Escape with our 2004 Tundra, Double cable, 4WD, factory installed tow package. The tow capacity is around 6400 lbs. We've decided to get the Andersen WDH from Escape and wonder if there are any issues with using this WDH with our Tundra. Any thoughts or anyone have any experience with this setup?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Jubal

I suspect the 2K recommendation for sway control is a legal disclaimer.

Toyota manuals seems to advise a sway control device for trailers over 2000 pounds, regardless of the Toyota model. It seems completely unnecessary to me, especially with a small trailer on a Tundra. When we set up to tow our Boler (like a wide Escape 17') with out Sienna (minivan), I checked with Toyota for details about the type of sway control required and they said it was no longer required. I have never used a sway control device or weight-distribution system, and our Sienna does not have any kind of stability control... and we have no sway concerns. Your Mileage May Vary.

I agree - the sway control statement and the 45 mph towing speed limit in the Toyota manuals seem to have little connection to reality.