Amped 28FS Sway Issues when towing....need help!
Okay, I am hoping for some new suggestions to try to help my issue. I have some serious sway issues with my new 2015 Amped 28FS. We dry camp everywhere so we have used it almost every time with full 160 gallons of water and nearly full fuel tanks. Pulling two ATVs and one dirt bike as well. Front storage compartments are fairly full with gear, tables, tools, ect...nothing out of the ordinary.
We started off with trying a new hitch design from Andersen, http://www.andersenhitches.com/catalog/andersen-nosway-weight-distribution-hitch.aspx. I discovered later it was a poor decision because it is rated for 1400 TW, way too little for the Amped 28. So I returned it to Amazon and went to eTrailer and bought the Blue Ox Sway Pro 20,000/2,000 system. Sadly, it still sways when loaded. When towing unloaded, it is very reasonable and tolerable but with the quads in it (only around 1000 lbs worth, one Honda utility and one KTM sport quad), loaded in the very back, it sways. Seeing how heavy these things are on the tongue, I can't imagine this would cause the problem.
Truck is a short bed 2005 Ram 2500 with airbags at 60-70 psi. I have 65 psi in the rear tires and 75 psi in the trailer tires. I even towed the trailer unloaded back from the dealership after taking in for warranty work and forgot to inflate the airbags on the truck and it was a windy day....towed quite decently. Nothing made me white knuckled. 3 weeks later with the quads and dirt bike (dirt bike loaded up into the kitchen area), and it sways a good foot back and forth when watching it in the side view mirrors when a gust of wind hits or a big semi passes. I can watch it in the left mirror and see the ladder and watch it disappear, reappear, disappear, repeat over and over until it settles for a little, then start all over. Can't tow it past 65 mph...already nervous at that speed. Had to use the brake controller's manual brake lever a few times to get it to settle down.
What gives?? I have never towed with the grey water full (empty it before leaving as we are camping in cow pastures at hare scrambles), and maybe a 1/2 full black tank. This past trip this weekend we had maybe 30 gallons of fresh both ways as we were lucky enough to have a race site at a location where there were hook ups. So having towed with full fresh and empty fresh, there seems to be zero difference.
What am I doing wrong? Is it just my SWB truck and I'm screwed? The blue ox does work better than the Andersen with sway...it feels like it sways the truck with it...feels more one with the truck so it's doing its job better, now it just moves me around more. Semis and bigger cars passing me suck me towards them as the pass the trailer, then push me away as they pass the truck. Downhills seem to irritate the sway issue more, and even a 15 mph cross wind will get it swaying on its own without passing traffic. Maybe this is normal and I'm overreacting? I upgraded from a 2006 Weekend Warrior FK2100 that was around 8000 lbs loaded and towed perfectly without any sway system, just a reese 10,000/1,000 WD hitch.
It's so bad, I don't know if I want to keep it. My truck only has 65k miles and a 6-speed so it's NOT getting replaced just to tow this thing better 10-12 times a year. I don't go more than 2.5 hours each way with it, and never plan to, but 2.5 hours of highway towing with it is giving me grey hairs and anxiety attacks. Are these issues 40 ft 5th wheel owners deal with?? Starting to think I should have gone 5th wheel instead.
Thank you!!
We started off with trying a new hitch design from Andersen, http://www.andersenhitches.com/catalog/andersen-nosway-weight-distribution-hitch.aspx. I discovered later it was a poor decision because it is rated for 1400 TW, way too little for the Amped 28. So I returned it to Amazon and went to eTrailer and bought the Blue Ox Sway Pro 20,000/2,000 system. Sadly, it still sways when loaded. When towing unloaded, it is very reasonable and tolerable but with the quads in it (only around 1000 lbs worth, one Honda utility and one KTM sport quad), loaded in the very back, it sways. Seeing how heavy these things are on the tongue, I can't imagine this would cause the problem.
Truck is a short bed 2005 Ram 2500 with airbags at 60-70 psi. I have 65 psi in the rear tires and 75 psi in the trailer tires. I even towed the trailer unloaded back from the dealership after taking in for warranty work and forgot to inflate the airbags on the truck and it was a windy day....towed quite decently. Nothing made me white knuckled. 3 weeks later with the quads and dirt bike (dirt bike loaded up into the kitchen area), and it sways a good foot back and forth when watching it in the side view mirrors when a gust of wind hits or a big semi passes. I can watch it in the left mirror and see the ladder and watch it disappear, reappear, disappear, repeat over and over until it settles for a little, then start all over. Can't tow it past 65 mph...already nervous at that speed. Had to use the brake controller's manual brake lever a few times to get it to settle down.
What gives?? I have never towed with the grey water full (empty it before leaving as we are camping in cow pastures at hare scrambles), and maybe a 1/2 full black tank. This past trip this weekend we had maybe 30 gallons of fresh both ways as we were lucky enough to have a race site at a location where there were hook ups. So having towed with full fresh and empty fresh, there seems to be zero difference.
What am I doing wrong? Is it just my SWB truck and I'm screwed? The blue ox does work better than the Andersen with sway...it feels like it sways the truck with it...feels more one with the truck so it's doing its job better, now it just moves me around more. Semis and bigger cars passing me suck me towards them as the pass the trailer, then push me away as they pass the truck. Downhills seem to irritate the sway issue more, and even a 15 mph cross wind will get it swaying on its own without passing traffic. Maybe this is normal and I'm overreacting? I upgraded from a 2006 Weekend Warrior FK2100 that was around 8000 lbs loaded and towed perfectly without any sway system, just a reese 10,000/1,000 WD hitch.
It's so bad, I don't know if I want to keep it. My truck only has 65k miles and a 6-speed so it's NOT getting replaced just to tow this thing better 10-12 times a year. I don't go more than 2.5 hours each way with it, and never plan to, but 2.5 hours of highway towing with it is giving me grey hairs and anxiety attacks. Are these issues 40 ft 5th wheel owners deal with?? Starting to think I should have gone 5th wheel instead.
Thank you!!
