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07-14-2016, 05:42 AM
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#1
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Site Sponsor
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 123
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Tuson Anti Sway
I'm a fairly new TM owner, having purchased it in November from a ember forum. Conventional wisdom is that the TM doesn't sway, due to its profile, and for a couple thousand miles I believed that to be an absolute. Pulling the TM with my expedition and a WDH the rig was rock solid. However a recent emergency maneuver cause by another poor driver convinced me that this wasn't an absolute truth.
I was coming south on I90 when another vehicle swerved across the highway to get to the exit. I gues he missed it, and figured moving across two lanes was the way to get there. He misjudged, and put his brakes on in front of me, forcing me to slow then change lanes...NOW. I awoided the accident, but I learned something.
Perhaps I performed the maneuver wrong, or perhaps there is a limit to the Vaunted TM stability, or perhaps I needed more toungue weight( though the trailer was nearly empty). In any case, what I saw in my rear view mirror and felt in the steering as the trailer swayed left my heart pounding, and I decided I needed something more.
Now, Tge WDH and swing hitch don't leave me room for a sway bar. Spotted the Tuson electronic Sway control on Amazon for $292 and snatched it up. A review about this gem can be found here:
Took it out for a test drive and tried a couple lane changes, and felt the brake controller doing its job. The trailer never swayed before in these conditions, but the back end seemed to overshoot a little. That overshoot was gone.
Whether it truly makes a difference or not will need a longer road test, and an emergency maneuver I hope I never have to make again.
__________________
Tim & Michele
2720SL The "Inator"
Tanium 600lb WDH, Atwood power Jack, 2 inch lift kit, 15 inch tires, 200W Solar, T105 Pair, Yamaha EF1000i w/ propane conversion, Tuson TSC electronic sway control, Trojan Hydrolink battery watering system
2005 Ford Expedition
Factory tow Package, Tekonsha P3 brake controller, Grand Aero Tow mirrors
TRailer Valet XL
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07-14-2016, 08:41 AM
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#2
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Site Sponsor
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 123
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Will post pics later today
__________________
Tim & Michele
2720SL The "Inator"
Tanium 600lb WDH, Atwood power Jack, 2 inch lift kit, 15 inch tires, 200W Solar, T105 Pair, Yamaha EF1000i w/ propane conversion, Tuson TSC electronic sway control, Trojan Hydrolink battery watering system
2005 Ford Expedition
Factory tow Package, Tekonsha P3 brake controller, Grand Aero Tow mirrors
TRailer Valet XL
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07-14-2016, 10:31 AM
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#3
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TrailManor Master
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Jo-juh
Posts: 420
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I hope you never have to make another accident avoidance maneuver again.
Do you test and calibrate your brake controller each time?
__________________
Mark
'20 Ford F250 Lariat 6.7 L 4WD (Herschel)
'22 Keystone Cougar 32BHS 5er (Mellencamper)
'01 Ford Excursion Limited 7.3 L PSD 4WD (Rudolph) (Sold)
'18 Keystone Cougar 29BHS (Sold)
'15 Prime Tracer 25BHS (Traded)
'06 TrailManor 2619 (Traded)
:cwmddd:
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07-14-2016, 11:04 AM
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#4
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Site Sponsor
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 123
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Well, the tekonsha has a bunch of self diagnostics. It lets me know about opens, shorts, and the voltage & current delivered to the brakes. The manual lever checks the stopping power of the brakes.
The Tuson also checks opens and shorts, and has a visible indicator. So yep, every time we roll we check out brakes.
__________________
Tim & Michele
2720SL The "Inator"
Tanium 600lb WDH, Atwood power Jack, 2 inch lift kit, 15 inch tires, 200W Solar, T105 Pair, Yamaha EF1000i w/ propane conversion, Tuson TSC electronic sway control, Trojan Hydrolink battery watering system
2005 Ford Expedition
Factory tow Package, Tekonsha P3 brake controller, Grand Aero Tow mirrors
TRailer Valet XL
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07-14-2016, 11:11 AM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
Posts: 10,199
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You had sway with a 2720 behind an Expedition? I'm impressed! In 15 years of TM ownership, towing a 2720 about 10,000 miles a year behind an Explorer (next size down from an Expedition), we've been through a few emergency maneuvers such as you describe. Never a sign of sway.
Although it is a little late, let me relay a small step that made our ride feel better, and may help your situation. Increase the tire pressure in the tow vehicle. The tires on our Explorers were rated 44 psi max according to the sidewall information. However, the sticker in the driver's door says to inflate to 35 psi, and every garage jockey did it. It is important to realize that this is a "cushy" setting that makes the vehicle feel more comfy and less truck-like to the driver, and it is fine for non-towing applications. But when we hooked up the TM, the ride always felt just a bit mushy. Boosting the tire pressure from 35 psi to 40 psi always made it feel a lot better.
Is this relevant to you? I don't know. But for us it was quite noticeable, and quite effective.
When you describe sway, was it a repetitive wag-wag-wag thing? Or was it just a one-time sensation of over-correction? The former is definitely dangerous. In my experience, the latter is not, since it corrects itself immediately with no requirement for me to do anything.
I think I understand how the Tuson works, although they are a little short on technical detail. But from what I understand, it should be valid. From a technical point of view, I think their demo video is complete BS, so that concerns me.
Good luck with it, and keep us posted.
Bill
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07-14-2016, 12:39 PM
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#6
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BannedUsers
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 466
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Blue Ox
I like my Blue Ox Sway Pro WDH. It works great and I have never had any sway in over 6,000 miles with it in all kinds of conditions pulling a 3124KS. That includes a blowout at 70+ MPH fully loaded....never a hint of sway and was rock solid tracking straight as an arrow! But I hope you have the best of luck with this new device. Keep us posted. I would like to know how it works and where and how you did the install.
Tom
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07-14-2016, 01:59 PM
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#7
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Site Sponsor
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 123
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It wasn't the wag wag thing. If it were on an oscilloscope I'd say it looked like overshoot on an underdamped system. Scary as all get out.
__________________
Tim & Michele
2720SL The "Inator"
Tanium 600lb WDH, Atwood power Jack, 2 inch lift kit, 15 inch tires, 200W Solar, T105 Pair, Yamaha EF1000i w/ propane conversion, Tuson TSC electronic sway control, Trojan Hydrolink battery watering system
2005 Ford Expedition
Factory tow Package, Tekonsha P3 brake controller, Grand Aero Tow mirrors
TRailer Valet XL
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07-14-2016, 02:16 PM
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#8
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Site Sponsor
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 123
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It's worth noting that the bulk of the time, I expect the Tuson to be inactive. The only time I'll know if it does the job I bought it for will be in a situation like before.
Could it wind up being an expensive gimcrack? Yep.
Is it worth the money to play with? I think so. At $300 anyway. Just to satisfy my own curiosity about the product.
Could I do a blue ox? Yep.
How to test it? Ahhhhh THAT is an INTERESTING question.
Will I imitate the review video? No way. Nope. Uh-uh. Can't make me.
__________________
Tim & Michele
2720SL The "Inator"
Tanium 600lb WDH, Atwood power Jack, 2 inch lift kit, 15 inch tires, 200W Solar, T105 Pair, Yamaha EF1000i w/ propane conversion, Tuson TSC electronic sway control, Trojan Hydrolink battery watering system
2005 Ford Expedition
Factory tow Package, Tekonsha P3 brake controller, Grand Aero Tow mirrors
TRailer Valet XL
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07-14-2016, 02:25 PM
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#9
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Site Sponsor
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 123
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I'm willing to bet that it was my steering wheel that made it so scary. Does it get any easier with practice? you guys tell me
__________________
Tim & Michele
2720SL The "Inator"
Tanium 600lb WDH, Atwood power Jack, 2 inch lift kit, 15 inch tires, 200W Solar, T105 Pair, Yamaha EF1000i w/ propane conversion, Tuson TSC electronic sway control, Trojan Hydrolink battery watering system
2005 Ford Expedition
Factory tow Package, Tekonsha P3 brake controller, Grand Aero Tow mirrors
TRailer Valet XL
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07-14-2016, 02:32 PM
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#10
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Site Sponsor
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 123
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Correction: it was my handling of the steering wheel that made it scary.
__________________
Tim & Michele
2720SL The "Inator"
Tanium 600lb WDH, Atwood power Jack, 2 inch lift kit, 15 inch tires, 200W Solar, T105 Pair, Yamaha EF1000i w/ propane conversion, Tuson TSC electronic sway control, Trojan Hydrolink battery watering system
2005 Ford Expedition
Factory tow Package, Tekonsha P3 brake controller, Grand Aero Tow mirrors
TRailer Valet XL
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