2015 R-Pod 179

Just a note on the "Built in Sway Control" by Ford (or any other manufacturer), it will only work after your trailer is getting blown around and is "out of control".  Then the computer applies the car's breaks to compensate for the motion that is being imparted on it by the trailer.  A friction "sway control" device on the hitch works by using friction to prevent your trailer from getting blown side to side in the first place and thus keeping your entire rig in a safer condition.  At that point, if your TV's sway control kicks in, you know it would have been even worse since it already overcame the friction on your hitch.

There are several different types of hitches out there, even ones like an "Equalizer" WD & Sway that doesn’t have separate chains, just two bars, pretty slick.  Many of our smaller TVs like the Explorer etc require the WD to spread the load out evenly across the frame; heck when I have the car loaded down it starts to squat even without the trailer.  And as far as "max tow capacity", don’t forget to look at your Max Payload, Gross Combined Weight Rating, etc.  When I am loaded with my wife, kid, dog and some personal items, my trailer weight can only be ~4000lbs, not anywhere close to the 5000 lb max capacity the Explorer claims.  There are lots of good web pages with "max tow calculators", it's worth checking into.  If you have transmission, axle seals, suspension etc etc go out while towing over the "max limits", Ford or Lexus or whoever are smart enough to say "you should have read the manual..."  Not trying to preach, I spent hours and hours researching and learning what it all meant so just trying to pass on the knowledge.