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pedwards2932 ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 21 Sep 2020 Online Status: Offline Posts: 333 |
![]() Posted: 27 Sep 2020 at 6:48am |
From Ford: Model (Option Code) (536)(1)
Trailer Wiring Harness (4-Pin) X
Hitch Receiver X
Trailer Sway Control X
(1) Available with 2.0L EcoBoost® I4 only. Available as dealer
accessory with 2.5L I4 engine and 1.5L EcoBoost® I4 engine (I have the 2.0L w Ecoboost)
I think the Sway Control is varies to power to each wheel to control sway with brakes. I had the brake controller professionally installed as running the wires on the car would be a total pain without a lift. I was in the foothills of Penn and VA as I didn't want to take I95 around DC so it was hilly but no wind. The Aeroplus looks interesting. I don't have racks on my Escape so I guess I'd have to add them as well.
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pedwards2932 ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 21 Sep 2020 Online Status: Offline Posts: 333 |
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I thank you for your input on the Escape as you have real world experience. It sounds like the conditions you were towing in with your Escape would have been a challenge with any TV. I guess what a lot of folks don't take into account is looking into another TV was going to cost me about $10,000 and then I would have a vehicle that would get significantly worse mileage when not trailering. I get about 27 mpg on highway and 21-22 around town. Would a WDH provide any measure of stability assist?
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offgrid ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
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There are certainly conditions that would challenge any rig, but the more marginal the setup the more likely that is to occur. In many cases we can avoid those situations by choosing to wait until conditions improve, but often surprises happen. The other consideration with a marginal rig is lack of flexibility in the form or reserve capacity if the mission changes and say one wants to do a little boon docking or carry a couple extra passengers. I too have towed for many years and originally thought that I might tow an rPod with a 3500 lb rated vehicle. I would have been overweight. Being a Toyota guy, I was looking at a Rav4 and got the Highlander instead. Cost is certainly an major consideration for me and most of us on this forum. If it wasn't we would probably be driving around in much more elaborate dedicated RV's. I couldn't handle a $10K cost difference either, so I buy used vehicles so the cost difference is not much. The Highlander gets a couple less highway mpg than the Rav with the same drive train not towing, there's wouldn't be any measurable difference towing because towing fuel consumption is dominated by the trailer air friction. For sure a wdh will help improve rig stability, including sway stability. When you hang a trailer on the back of a TV it unloads the front axle. That is especially true for a compact vehicle with a short wheelbase. Resistance to sliding is proportional to weight and the front axle is your steering control and has the best brakes on the rig, so taking load off it reduces its ability to control the rig. The wdh puts the weight back where its supposed to be. The problem with a wdh is that that load redistribution is not constant, it depends on the road being flat. If you say drive over a high spot the wdh loses tension and load shifts back to the rear TV axle from the front. That's why wdh's generally don't increase tow capacity. But they do help ride, handling, and braking. |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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pedwards2932 ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 21 Sep 2020 Online Status: Offline Posts: 333 |
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Being retired I am neither in a hurry or time restricted so I feel uncomfortable I am pulling off and waiting. When I checked on trading in and getting an Explorer with 5000 tw it was going to cost 10,000 plus the worse mileage I would have when not towing. I had absolutely no sway pulling it from Penn but there was no wind and I drove between 55 and 60. It is only me, wife, and dog.....trailer isn't big enough for anymore. Never intend to carry water and closest I will come to boondocking is sleeping overnite while on the road. If these conditions change or I feel uncomfortable with weights I will look into another TV.
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pedwards2932 ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 21 Sep 2020 Online Status: Offline Posts: 333 |
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Now to my original issue. I think the 1 #30 Propane is more than enough for me. I think I can make an adapter to use the single tank. I could cap off the unused line on the regulator or just get a single regulator? I can't seem to find any decent looking single tank mounts?
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podwerkz ![]() Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
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I keep a single 30pounder on the trailer and a spare (exchangeable) 20 pounder in the pickup bed. Works well for me. Of course I can reverse that when the 30 pounder runs low.
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r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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StephenH ![]() podders Helping podders - pHp ![]() ![]() Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6418 |
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An alternative to a WDH with sway control is electronic sway control such as that from Tuson, Hayes, or Lippert. I have the Hayes Sway-Master which I added after our accident. I never wanted to be in the situation where applying the trailer brakes (which the Escape won't do since the factory sway control only controls the vehicle wheels) would have helped bring the trailer back in line. In the midst of an incident, there is not always time to think about reaching for the manual control. The Hayes Sway-Master applies the trailer brakes if it detects a sway situation.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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pedwards2932 ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 21 Sep 2020 Online Status: Offline Posts: 333 |
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That sway control looks great.......I'd have to move the terminal board to make room for it. The Hayes looks to be about $370 from the manufactorer. It uses GPS and gyro. Lippert about same price uses accelerometer and gyro. Tuscon is $550 somehow monitors yaw? I would worry a little about using GPS if you lost signal? It will definitely be my next purchase. Thanks.
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offgrid ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
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I tend to agree about the gps LOS issue. The Tucson does look interesting, I hadn't looked at it before.
I think it can probably do what it needs to with just an accelerometer. Its mounted on the front crossmember so in a sway event it measures lateral acceleration of that point relative to the axle. Displacement in mathematical terms is just the second integral of acceleration, so from the acceleration it can know how far the sensor has been displaced side to side. If it knew how far the unit was from the axle it would be able to easily calculate the yaw angle, but I don't see where it is ever actually programmed for that distance so it probably doesn't know the actual angle,. But it probably doesn't need to, it can learn what is normal yaw while turning and distinguish oscillations in yaw due to sway from that. Interesting device, but boy is it pricey.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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StephenH ![]() podders Helping podders - pHp ![]() ![]() Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6418 |
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Pitch: front to back tilting movement. Yaw: side to side movement. Roll: Just like it sounds rotational movement in line with the trailer. |
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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