Issue Towing TT with Lane Centering

[Waxer]

I am on my first trip towing our 19-foot travel trailer this week and I experienced a pretty significant issue when attempting to use lane centering while towing. I have about 2,500 miles on my Platinum PB 4WD with max tow. While traveling on a two-lane highway at about 65 mph, I engaged the lane centering feature on the steering wheel to see how the truck and trailer behaved. Once engaged, it took only about 10 seconds for the truck to start into what I would describe as a speed wobble. Left unchecked, it felt like the condition was getting progressively worse to the point that I quickly disengaged lane centering and the truck and TT went back to normal. The experience was uncomfortable for me and freaked my wife out. Making things worse with her, I tried to put the lane centering on two more times to see if I could alter the outcome by changing my steering response but the result was the same. My TT tows like a dream normally and I have never had an issue with sway (WDH used). I had the adaptive cruise control on the first of the three trials. I have used lane centering without towing and it has worked seemingly as advertised (I am not a big fan as it ends up feeling like I am fighting the system after awhile).

Has anyone experienced similar results while towing, or have you used lane centering while towing without issue? Makes me think that using BlueCruise while towing is a long, long way off (if ever) because of the complexities involved.

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[daemonic3]

Are you referring to using the lane center assist button, but NOT while using adaptive cruise with lane keeping? Or while using adaptive cruise?

I have used it with the adaptive cruise while towing and did not have anything dangerous happen. You can feel it making minor adjustments all the time which is fine with me but I absolutely would not take my hands off the wheel. In multi-lane freeways I tend to drive in the right lane towing so I am constantly getting warnings that the system has gone inactive every time I pass an exit and entry ramp (because it can't see a line on the right side) but I'm fine with it.

Honestly I don't really need the lane centering and I just want to lock in 60mph but it has not felt unsettling or dangerous at all and it took me about 1 minute to get used to the wheel making the constant minor adjustments.

 

[Lugusthedog]

Pretty much agree with everything Terry just mentioned. I tend to hug the right a little when towing so have to fight it a bit. I also did not have sway, but I think the truck feels it some, especially if it was windy and tended to make many more minor adjustments. Thats when I turned it off. Like Terry, if it was not windy I would set it at 63 and be happy. Still more time towing to fully decide.

 

[ricko24]

I'm wondering if the constant adjustment of lane centering is ultimately causing the increasing sway/wobble that can't be overcome by your specific set-up. I wonder too is others have experienced.

I haven't and don't plan on using the lane centering while towing our 16ft airstream. Just the adaptive cruise. I like to be as right as possible in the right lane at max 65mph.

 

[daemonic3]

Pretty much agree with everything Terry just mentioned. I tend to hug the right a little when towing so have to fight it a bit. I also did not have sway, but I think the truck feels it some, especially if it was windy and tended to make many more minor adjustments. Thats when I turned it off. Like Terry, if it was not windy I would set it at 63 and be happy. Still more time towing to fully decide.

Exactly. I'll have to see what happens in wind, and I'll either turn it off or just white knuckle and not use cruise altogether.

Very helpful, thanks!

 

[Waxer]

Are you referring to using the lane center assist button, but NOT while using adaptive cruise with lane keeping? Or while using adaptive cruise?

I have used it with the adaptive cruise while towing and did not have anything dangerous happen. You can feel it making minor adjustments all the time which is fine with me but I absolutely would not take my hands off the wheel. In multi-lane freeways I tend to drive in the right lane towing so I am constantly getting warnings that the system has gone inactive every time I pass an exit and entry ramp (because it can't see a line on the right side) but I'm fine with it.

Honestly I don't really need the lane centering and I just want to lock in 60mph but it has not felt unsettling or dangerous at all and it took me about 1 minute to get used to the wheel making the constant minor adjustments.

Yes, I tried the lane center assist button with both adaptive cruise control activated and without. Results were similar with the progression into excessive sway/wobble. It’s good to hear that you didn’t have the same experience. I’m generally not a fan of the lane centering feature, and using it while towing seems to make little sense, but I thought I’d try it to see the response and now wonder if others have had issues. From the initial responses it sounds like not, and I agree with the general consensus that it is not really needed while towing.

 

[jvongraves1]

Same issue, adaptive cruise without lane centering while towing everything is solide and no sway.
With lane centering and 27 foot RV it is constantly adjusting. Not enough to cause concern but
those constant small adjustments does cause tire scuffing.

 

[GolfR]

I'm a little confused by some of the comments here. Can you enable lane centering without cruise control set? I understand that you can disable the adaptive/intelligent cruise functionality and use a more traditional (set at speed that will slam into the car in front of you) mode. But you have to enable some sort of cruise control in order for the lane centering to work right?

You can use lane keep assist without cruise control, is that what some people are talking about because there is a pretty big difference between lane keep assist and lane centering.

Thanks!

 

[Pedaldude]

Lane centering can only be activated when adaptive cruise control is on.

As for the OP’s question, if I had to guess, I would say that I suspect the lane centering algorithm’s frequency and the natural frequency of your travel trailer setup is the same, resulting in the driver induced oscillation when the lane centering is activated.

What is your tongue weight when trailering? It could also be inadequate tongue weight and you are subconsciously correcting for it while driving.

 

[daemonic3]

I had to pick up the trailer to take home for the weekend, and did some experiements!

I went ahead and used the adaptive cruise + lane centering as per usual, and let it do all the little corrections, while my hands still are firmly on the wheel (this is what I've been doing on my trips).

I verified that you can use the simple button to turn off the lane assist, and it also turns off lane centering. I tested by letting it drift and I did not get a correction or a vibration warning. So that seems to work fine if anyone was experiencing sway and didn't want to have to futz with the driver assistance menu every time trailering and untrailering.

Then I did the drift test with the adaptive cruise, and as expected, it applied enough correction to center me again. But I tried it again with my hands hovering over the wheel instead of holding it. Indeed, the algorithm's frequency of correction matched the resonant frequency of sway for me at 60mph. I didn't let it get out of control but I could feel it building up.

So bottom line: Only allow lane centering while towing if your hands are providing enough resistance (kind of like "sway control") on the wheel. Or just turn it off with the button, or disable it in the Sync menu.

 

[laujoyjoy]

"So bottom line: Only allow lane centering while towing if your hands are providing enough resistance (kind of like "sway control") on the wheel. Or just turn it off with the button, or disable it in the Sync menu."

Totally agree. I have used lane centering while towing during my 2000 mile trip. While the truck making tiny adjustments to stay within the lane, those tiny steering movements will amplifier to the trailer. While it's not violent but it's visible looking at my mirror. I too have to firmly holding my steering wheel to minimize the sway.

I realized even without towing, lane centering still make those tiny steering adjustments but mostly it's not that noticeable.

 

[Dinozero]

I had to pick up the trailer to take home for the weekend, and did some experiements!

I went ahead and used the adaptive cruise + lane centering as per usual, and let it do all the little corrections, while my hands still are firmly on the wheel (this is what I've been doing on my trips).

I verified that you can use the simple button to turn off the lane assist, and it also turns off lane centering. I tested by letting it drift and I did not get a correction or a vibration warning. So that seems to work fine if anyone was experiencing sway and didn't want to have to futz with the driver assistance menu every time trailering and untrailering.

Then I did the drift test with the adaptive cruise, and as expected, it applied enough correction to center me again. But I tried it again with my hands hovering over the wheel instead of holding it. Indeed, the algorithm's frequency of correction matched the resonant frequency of sway for me at 60mph. I didn't let it get out of control but I could feel it building up.

So bottom line: Only allow lane centering while towing if your hands are providing enough resistance (kind of like "sway control") on the wheel. Or just turn it off with the button, or disable it in the Sync menu.

From your owners manual there is a warning with a caution symbol. Ford says “do not use this system when towing a trailer. Failure to follow these instructions could result in the loss of control of your vehicle, personal injury or death.”

To be clear: I’m addressing the lane centering function.

 

[Waxer]

From your owners manual there is a warning with a caution symbol. Ford says “do not use this system when towing a trailer. Failure to follow these instructions could result in the loss of control of your vehicle, personal injury or death.”

To be clear: I’m addressing the lane centering function.

Thanks for that input. I have really hated not having a hard copy of the owner's manual. I need to resolve that.

 

[Pedaldude]

Sure enough, it’s there in addition to warnings against modified steering wheels, which may or may not be a response to the folks with Teslas jamming water bottles into and attaching weights to the steering wheel.

It would be nice if Ford mentioned it in the configurator, since I was looking forward to towing in the flyover states that still have 55mph speed limits with lane centering on.

You have to wonder though, if this was a law department decision or if the engineers found out for themselves that the lane centering was creating unwanted oscillation because they could easily disable the lane centering when a trailer is plugged in.

If you didn’t get an owner’s manual with your truck, ask the dealer for one. They’re supposed to supply one, even if the vehicle is used.

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