Towing and ESP

Wobbly · **Posted:** Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:45 am

Does the '06 Liberty's ESP enhance emergency handling when towing a trailer? The Bosch ESP for some Mercedes has an added trailer stabilization function to minimize trailer sway. The Liberty's system doesn't appear to have this feature.

The Dodge Durango also has ESP with trailer sway control.

jinstall · **Posted:** Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:42 am

I really do not see how it would help unless the trailer was connected to teh ESP system on the Liberty. To answer your question, no it does not.

action · **Posted:** Mon Jan 29, 2007 11:20 am

I cant see it hurting anyway, it helps keep the rear end in line in slippery conditions, fishtailing with a trailer in tow sucks.

jinstall · **Posted:** Mon Jan 29, 2007 1:08 pm

Did not work with my Libby when I hit 107kph going down hill. Fishtailing like crazy till the inertia brakes kicked in. not cool.

Wobbly · **Posted:** Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:42 pm

jinstall wrote:

Did not work with my Libby when I hit 107kph going down hill. Fishtailing like crazy till the inertia brakes kicked in. not cool.

Does your trailer have an anti-sway hitch like an AKS ?
http://www.al-ko.de/fahrzeugtechnik/car ... n/aks.html

jinstall · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 4:24 am

No it does not. Most of it is from not being able to load the trailer correctly. Gutten FWD race cars are hard to balance.

Wobbly · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:28 am

jinstall wrote:

No it does not. Most of it is from not being able to load the trailer correctly. Gutten FWD race cars are hard to balance.

We recently purchased a 20' 4500# travel trailer to be pulled by the CRD we're looking for.
We'll use a Reese dual-cam stabilizer and a weight distributing hitch to try to control sway.
http://www.reese-hitches.com/straight_line_hitch_wd.htm
This hitch can't be used with surge brakes, though.

There's a good description of European stabilizers at: http://www.swift-owners-club.com/soc1/t ... isers.html

jinstall · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 1:49 pm

Speed limit is 100kph on the autobahn so no real need to do anything except watch my speed.

kb61751 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 2:02 pm

Wobbly wrote:

jinstall wrote:

No it does not. Most of it is from not being able to load the trailer correctly. Gutten FWD race cars are hard to balance.

We recently purchased a 20' 4500# travel trailer to be pulled by the CRD we're looking for.
We'll use a Reese dual-cam stabilizer and a weight distributing hitch to try to control sway.
http://www.reese-hitches.com/straight_line_hitch_wd.htm
This hitch can't be used with surge brakes, though.

There's a good description of European stabilizers at: http://www.swift-owners-club.com/soc1/t ... isers.html

Wobbly, let me know how the CRD pulls the trailer. Thanks.

litton · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 4:25 pm

Wobbly wrote:

jinstall wrote:

No it does not. Most of it is from not being able to load the trailer correctly. Gutten FWD race cars are hard to balance.

We recently purchased a 20' 4500# travel trailer to be pulled by the CRD we're looking for.
We'll use a Reese dual-cam stabilizer and a weight distributing hitch to try to control sway.
http://www.reese-hitches.com/straight_line_hitch_wd.htm
This hitch can't be used with surge brakes, though.

There's a good description of European stabilizers at: http://www.swift-owners-club.com/soc1/t ... isers.html

Woobly, you are REALLY pushing the safety limits for towing. Remember that 4500 lbs is without any options, water, or personal items such as beer. Take it to a scale and have the actual wt. verified to be sure the dealer didn't pull a fast one one you. I stongly recommend you take adaquate precautions with your set up and travels least you end up on your side.

Check out the resources on this site. I have used them extensively when setting up my WK for towing.

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fusea ... rum/26.cfm

Above all......be safe.

Wobbly · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:17 pm

litton wrote:

Wobbly wrote:

jinstall wrote:

No it does not. Most of it is from not being able to load the trailer correctly. Gutten FWD race cars are hard to balance.

We recently purchased a 20' 4500# travel trailer to be pulled by the CRD we're looking for.
We'll use a Reese dual-cam stabilizer and a weight distributing hitch to try to control sway.
http://www.reese-hitches.com/straight_line_hitch_wd.htm
This hitch can't be used with surge brakes, though.

There's a good description of European stabilizers at: http://www.swift-owners-club.com/soc1/t ... isers.html

Woobly, you are REALLY pushing the safety limits for towing. Remember that 4500 lbs is without any options, water, or personal items such as beer. Take it to a scale and have the actual wt. verified to be sure the dealer didn't pull a fast one one you. I stongly recommend you take adaquate precautions with your set up and travels least you end up on your side.

Check out the resources on this site. I have used them extensively when setting up my WK for towing.

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fusea ... rum/26.cfm

Above all......be safe.

Thanks for the link. I've been browsing that site and have encountered the running dispute between "the weight police", and those who seem to think that all the weight ratings are merely suggestions.
I'm going to VERY cautious, especially since I've never towed a large (to us) trailer before. The listed unloaded weight of the trailer is 3800#, so there's some load capacity. From what I've read, RV manufacturers are notorious for lowballing weights. Keeping the water and waste tanks near empty may be a tactic we follow.

We made a deal for our CRD today, but it's near the east coast and the weather isn't very tempting.

jinstall · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:43 pm

Aw take it in stride, the drive home for me was 400 miles and sun, rain and then snow. 2000 miles in the first week.

WWV · **Joined:** Mon May 15, 2006 1:01 pm **Posts:** 121

I've towed my 3800 lb coleman camper 100's of miles. Loaded, it was probably closer to 4200lbs. Until I shifted most of my weight forward, it swayed like mad anywhere from 35 mph to 65 mph. After I shifted wieght, I could get up to around 71(speed limit 75 btw ;-)

) mph and then it would just take off if I made any type of move other than going perfectly straight. Otherwise, plenty of torgue and pull. Got me up and down mountains like a chame and got between 19 and 21 MPG.

I've moved weight forward, back, in, out....anything I could think of. It was pretty hairy when it started to squirm and not always easy to correct. Takes gentle touch, no big movements.

I have 06 sport with factory hitch and elec brakes. Before next year of towing, I will be looking for some sort of antisway device. I strongly suspect it's more to do with my trailer then the CRD.

WWV

Wobbly · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:37 pm

WWV wrote:

I've towed my 3800 lb coleman camper 100's of miles. Loaded, it was probably closer to 4200lbs. Until I shifted most of my weight forward, it swayed like mad anywhere from 35 mph to 65 mph. After I shifted wieght, I could get up to around 71(speed limit 75 btw ;-)

) mph and then it would just take off if I made any type of move other than going perfectly straight. Otherwise, plenty of torgue and pull. Got me up and down mountains like a chame and got between 19 and 21 MPG.

I've moved weight forward, back, in, out....anything I could think of. It was pretty hairy when it started to squirm and not always easy to correct. Takes gentle touch, no big movements.

I have 06 sport with factory hitch and elec brakes. Before next year of towing, I will be looking for some sort of antisway device. I strongly suspect it's more to do with my trailer then the CRD.

WWV

From what I've read, weight ahead of the trailer axles reduces sway, but too much weight on the ball reduces steering effectiveness ( and exceeds hitch rating). The weight distributing hitch, when used with an anti-sway device, seems to be the answer. The $3000 Hensley Arrow hitch is supposed to be the ultimate hitch. Owners of either Reese dual cam or Equal-i-zer hitches seem to be happy with the reduction in sway.

onthehunt · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:50 pm

I would suspect the factory tires also. Get an lt rated tire. Much stiffer sidewalls. They will reduce your sway quite a bit also.

Towing and ESP

Who is online