Does the trailer stability assist feature interfere with BC or Wt dist. hitch?

Hi,

I have the vision package included with my LR4. This package includes "Trailer Stability Assist" and I was curious if it will interfere with an external brake controller?

also, any clue if it interfere with a weight distribution hitch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyNjRq46lDs

I just want to make sure before I add either one on the LR4 now that I have upgraded from a pop-up to a hybrid trailer for camping.

Cheers,
Mike

Hmmm.... A topic beat to death but always comes back.

- I can't see TSA interfering with brake controllers. It is simply going to apply the trailer fitted brakes based on how you have them loaded/sensitive. I would allow the trailer brakes some room to function, not set to hard stop the trailer. Then again that is a recommendation outside TSA.

I look at it the other way, can WDH's and anti-sway interfere with TSA. In my experience I think they can as TSA functionally uses individual brake application, engine power, traction control.

I personally run without WDH and anti-sway as I have TSA.

There is also this on WDH and LR air suspentions:

..... A bulletin from Land Rover Australia states do not use load leveling devices on Discovery 3 fitted with air suspension.

Which hybrid did you get? We pulled a Rockwood Roo 23IKSS last year with a Hensley hitch. If the TSA was active I didn't notice. The Hensley uses a different approach to sway control but the WD function is similar to other makes.

Talking with the Andersen Hitch people this year they did have problems with F-150 sway control introduced in 2011 but it went away when that sway control was turned off. They have a number of LR4 customers who have no issues.

BTW, if you know someone looking for a hybrid, we are selling ours and it is in great shape. We decided to go with a hard side as we didn't need to the sleeping space for the weight.

I didn't seem to find any previous threads on this sorry....but the WDH issue has me confused.

I should probably ask this question first as it hasn't been made crystal clear in the manual: Is the vision package with the radar and Tow Assist the same thing as TSA (trailer stability assist)? I have the stickers with the dots I I have to place on the trailer etc.

Moving on.

TSA + Brake controller:
My concern was if the TSA is active oscillating the brakes on the LR4 and the potential of the brake controller (I pinch it if it starts swaying) would be a "matter vs. Anti-matter" situation. Where one corrective action would totally have unintended consequences to the other and enter me into one of the outer rings of towing hell. I'm still not sure which of the two systems will handle the situation.

Now the other subject I have poured through the forums on... Weight Distribution Hitches...I see people with and without WDH. Frankly i'm confused on whether to get one at all. I don't see any literature telling me to NOT use one, but I have seen it mentioned here, and of course the nearly equal posts of people using them vs not using them.

I'm towing a Rockwood Roo 183 with an empty weight of 3,860 lbs. and loaded weight probably no more than 4,150 and a tongue WT of 457lbs.
The trailer has the dual axle with the independent suspension.

I was worried about getting to close to the 550 lbs limit listed in my manual for that ridiculous LR hitch adapter.

I drive a 2016 LR4 V6 SC

The vision pack tow assist is the stickers/camera stuff. The trailer stability feature is the brakes/TC safety features.

I'm not even sure my trailer stability stuff works given that my LED trailer doesn't trip the dash light. (im looking into the resistors install now).

I don't feel like I have ever needed that feature however. It's rock solid and I am towing more weight than you will be on a standard OEM setup.

MBW That is nice boat!

How much of a tongue lift (hight of the tongue part) did you require to get the load level? I have noticed that the OEM hitch drops my tongue about 3-4". It appears I would need a tongue that brings my ball hight about 8" up to get things level again to compensate for that silly adapter. I don't see that you are using a WDH so as you stated I think your assessment is correct.

As for the WDH.
I'm just going to get a brake controller only for now. is everyone mounting them on the lower left side?

Thanks

Well,

Land Rover got back to me today about my initial concern of TSA affecting manual activation of a brake controller, they also gave a definitive statement on using a WDH Hitch. So i was mostly correct about the worry of manually activating a brake controller with TSA active.


________________Begin LR statement__________________________________
Hello Michael,

1) A weight distribution hitch will effect the air suspension on your vehicle so it's not recommended on our vehicle with independent suspension and air springs.

2) No the brake controller used manually will not effect TSA and the TSA only operates the vehicle brakes. You should never have to use the manual operation of the brake controller because the vehicle TSA should have already corrected and trailer sway. Trailer assist package is only a target put on the trailer to help you back up to the trailer aligning the hitch so no it will not effect the TSA.


(I asked about where to locate a brake controller optimally, he gave me a part number to boot. This appears to be a 199.00 prodigy)

3) We install a brake controller from NAPA auto parts part number 89747 and you will need a jumper wire to adapt it to the vehicle harness NAPA part number 89740. we mount it to the under side of the dash just to the left of the steering column and the vehicle harness is located at the left kick panel.

Hope this answers you questions if you need any thing else let me know.

LR guy --- (name omitted for Privacy)

machmike said:

MBW That is nice boat!

How much of a tongue lift (hight of the tongue part) did you require to get the load level? I have noticed that the OEM hitch drops my tongue about 3-4". It appears I would need a tongue that brings my ball hight about 8" up to get things level again to compensate for that silly adapter. I don't see that you are using a WDH so as you stated I think your assessment is correct.

As for the WDH.
I'm just going to get a brake controller only for now. is everyone mounting them on the lower left side?

Thanks

Click to expand...

For my 2013 trailer a straight bar works great. I don't use a brake controller, my ShoreLand'r has dual axle 10" disc brakes with surge actuator which seems to work really well. I haven't felt the need to add a controller.



Zoomed in, sorry for quality.

Thanks Mike for the LR clarification. It agrees with the AU site. This is what I have been saying:

1) A weight distribution hitch will effect the air suspension on your vehicle so it's not recommended on our vehicle with independent suspension and air springs.

The LR air suspension will level the vehicle with different pressures at each corner. This is dynamic and active 100% of the time. Drop your trailer on the hitch and your LR will level out and maintain level throughout your trip.

A WDH will try and force weight forward and the air suspension will compensate. The air suspension will fight the WDH and actually produce unsafe conditions.

From a long ago discussion - http://www.landroverworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=69523&postcount=10

"....Sway is almost always an unsafe loading condition, or an unsafe trailer mechanical condition. You won't have sway if your trailer is loaded correctly, hitched correctly, and in good mechanical shape. If you overlaod any rating. . .sway is usually the result and warning sign....."

Appears LR is saying the combo of air suspension and WDH cannot achieve a safe loading condition.

I guess my question is why do people not find the oem setup with standard trailer setups to be enough? I see a lot of threads on other hitches and controllers, which I suppose you need if your trailer doesn't have a mechanical actuator type setup... but ya.. what is wrong with OE hitch?

I'm only one data point, but my boat is heavy as **** and I have towed it all over the place and never noticed any issues. Under braking its smooth and controlled (though you really know its back there, even with trailer brakes). I am pretty sure my trailer knows to not put the brakes on when in reverse based on the lights/harness which is ok to back into the water with because it has sealed water tight LEDs that don't burn out on contact with water.