Is it just me

[updateob21]

5th wheel and bumper pull apply different dynamic forces all together. Less roll with bumper pull therefore less need for sway/anti-roll bar..

Having no sway/anti-roll bar is the compromise for better off-road 'manners' in the Tremor. That is how it is marketed after all.

Having said that, a sway/anti-roll bar is not a useless device doing bumper pull, IMO. Sudden evasive maneuvers (think moose test) will invoke tons of body roll even without a trailer attached. Put a trailer behind a vehicle and the added 'push' will make it much worse. Sway/anti-roll bar can help mitigate.

Out of the box, my previous '18 F-150 had an uncomfortable tow with a 6000# boat/trailer, ~460# tongue weight, well within rated capabilities. Squirmy is how I would describe it. Great road manners empty but not towing. 2000# air bags at 10 - 12 psi cured it. Changed shocks out to Bilstein 4600's as well to help control the increased spring rate. Added Hellwig bar for good measure considering the evasive maneuver possibility. Pissed me off that I had to spent close to $1,000 to get a good tow but it was worth it.

I will be terribly disappointed if I have to do the same on a 250 Tremor when it comes time to tow a 7500# car/trailer.

I still say check the tongue weight.

having a tongue weight of 460# on a 6k combo. is severely under target... No wonder you had issues lol

 

[Birdhunter39]

Did our first big tow last weekend with the 7.3 Tremor. 32' approx 9k camper on flat highway about 60 miles each way. Rental camper w/ WD hitch sat a little high in the front. WD hitch had a big impact on squat so guessing that means fair bit of weight put back on the front. Aired up to just under 60/70 for the tow. Turned off truck anti sway. This was my first time towing a camper and first time with anything over about 4k with the Tremor. Previous tow experiences are about 6k boat with Tundras.

Winds 15-20 on first day, 10 or so second day towing.

I never exceeded the speed limit. Felt no issues from semi's passing. Did feel the wind once in a while which is an uneasy feeling at 60mph with a 32' sail behind you. Never got a dash warning or anything, just could feel a bit of sway when the wind was up. Zero up/down bounce thanks to the WD hitch.

Overall a great towing experience. Had no sense of tire squish. Not sure i'd be comfortable doing 70 with it but i'm new to big ass camper towing so hard to say if that's me or the setup. That camper was the biggest thing we'll ever tow so i'm completely happy with what we got. HUGE improvement over the Tundra in terms of power and control.

 

[Birdhunter39]

Towed same trailer with the same hitch for the last 18 years. Same tongue weight. Hell even the same wife. 1998 Expedition. 2011 F150. 2021 F350 Tremor 6.7. Running around 12% tongue weight on a 28’ travel trailer. 7000 lbs.

Stock truck towed like crap. Wandered. Not trailer induced but truck induced. At first I thought it was me. Constantly countering. Best I can determine is oversteer.

Adjusted tire pressure front/rear 60. Helped.
Helwig rear sway. Helped.
Fox ATS front stabilizer. Helped.
Duratrac break in. Helped.

All have combined to better the experience but it’s still not quite right. Next it’s the tires which has helped many with the crazy Ivan experience.

So you are towing 7k with the rear tires 10 - 20 psi under recommended? If so i'm not sure you needed to do the rest of that stuff.

 

[Birdhunter39]

OP mentions his 2020 XLT 7.3 was more stable.

My question is if he bought a set of non tremor super duty wheels/tires would the only difference in the trucks be the 1/2" higher front springs and reportedly softer front sway bar?

 

[RedZilla]

Did our first big tow last weekend with the 7.3 Tremor. 32' approx 9k camper on flat highway about 60 miles each way. Rental camper w/ WD hitch sat a little high in the front. WD hitch had a big impact on squat so guessing that means fair bit of weight put back on the front. Aired up to just under 60/70 for the tow. Turned off truck anti sway. This was my first time towing a camper and first time with anything over about 4k with the Tremor. Previous tow experiences are about 6k boat with Tundras.

Winds 15-20 on first day, 10 or so second day towing.

I never exceeded the speed limit. Felt no issues from semi's passing. Did feel the wind once in a while which is an uneasy feeling at 60mph with a 32' sail behind you. Never got a dash warning or anything, just could feel a bit of sway when the wind was up. Zero up/down bounce thanks to the WD hitch.

Overall a great towing experience. Had no sense of tire squish. Not sure i'd be comfortable doing 70 with it but i'm new to big ass camper towing so hard to say if that's me or the setup. That camper was the biggest thing we'll ever tow so i'm completely happy with what we got. HUGE improvement over the Tundra in terms of power and control.

I think your experience and detailed description is spot on for a good setup. You were pulling an unfamiliar large trailer with your Tremor for the first time. Your setup sounds like it was correct based on your description. Your experience was favorable with caution. If you pulled that rig regularly you would become very comfortable with the wind effects on the trailer, which were typical for any rig that size. Thanks for sharing the thorough explanation.

Again your experience proves the Tremor is designed to pull large, not overly heavy trailers with ease and without unusual sway characteristics. You are even driving the 7.3 version with 600 less weight on the front axil and still had no issues. I know I'm going to get some guff for saying this but those having sway issues with a stock Tremor, regardless of engine, are experiencing setup problems. It's not the Tremor suspension and it's not the tires. Way too many examples on the forum of great towing experiences with stock trucks and variety of trailers.

Overloading could be a problem for some, but proper hitch setup and weight distribution/tongue weight is almost always the solution on a new truck/trailer situation that's within the load capacity of the truck.