Hi everyone yesterday my wife and I took the plunge and purchased an older WW Toy Hauler. We loaded up our Rhino in the back and hit the road for home, it was an 80 mile trip mostly interstate. As soon as we got on the interstate the horror began. I got up the top speed I will tow a TT, 65mph. The trailer started swaying so violently I s!@#$ my pants and literally had to pull over and stop. I have never ever experienced such a tremendous violent sway. The problem was defiantly because of the Rhino in the rear making the back end of the trailer too heavy. I had to get that thing out of the trailer and put it back in the pick-up bed. With the Rhino in the pick-up the trailer never swayed even the slightest. I even hit 70 briefly a couple times coming down hill.My question is is there any remedy for the sway??? I am still 800lbs under the GVWR with the Rhino in the back. I cant be the only one to have this problem with a toy hauler. The only reason we got the toy hauler was to get the freaking Rhino out of the truck. Thank You for the help

Slow your speed down. Only 1 time I had sway, and that was with my pop-up when we put bicycles on the rear bumper. Swayed like it was going to flip over. Only solution was to add more weigh to the front, or drive slower so it would not sway.Since we couldn't add more weight to the front, we had to drive slower.You may bite my head off when I say this, but 70 mph is just too fast for towing a trailer. You REALLY need to slow down.

What's a Rhino?With the Rhino in the back what is the tongue weight? With the Rhino in the back of the truck what is the tongue weight?

What hitch? What sway control? Really sounds like you need more weight in the front.

DutchmenSport wrote:Slow your speed down. Only 1 time I had sway, and that was with my pop-up when we put bicycles on the rear bumper. Swayed like it was going to flip over. Only solution was to add more weigh to the front, or drive slower so it would not sway.Since we couldn't add more weight to the front, we had to drive slower.You may bite my head off when I say this, but 70 mph is just too fast for towing a trailer. You REALLY need to slow down.70 is not too fast for towing, at all.

Most trailer tires are not rated for over 65 mph. I've found (in thousands of miles of towing) that 60 mph is comfortable speed if that is not above the speed limit. Your sway was from being rear-heavy/tongue light, and pushing the speed. First of all you need some serious weight on the front end of the RV. Then you need a really good hitch. Then you need to slow down.

Severe sway | Good Sam Community

35 Replies

fly-boy
Explorer
Jun 14, 2016
Swamp Man wrote:
fly-boy wrote:
As stated and as you know- add some weight up front and your problem is solved.

I drive 65 mph- if thats what the law provides for. If the law permits 80 mph then I drive 80-

PS- Driving below the speed limit is a real hazard so if you (this is directed to the folks that think life ends at 66 mph) aren't going to at least drive the speed limit you should stay off the highway! And for heavens sake- stay out of the fast lane unless you are passing someone. When you do pass, do it and don't spend 10 minutes. Be courteous and get out of the way.

Since you don't say anything about the tires mounted on your trailer, just in case you have not read the sidewalls, ST tires are rated for 65 mph maximum. It would not be nice to have an accident and try to explain how you were exceeding the speed rating on your tires. Also, 80 mph is the maximum speed. No where in the law does it say that you have to drive 80 mph. Reasonable and prudent for the conditions that exist. Since all of us pay for the highways, everyone has the right to use it. I agree with you one hundred per cent on staying out of the fast lane. Make you pass safely and move back to the right lane. My trailer has Uniroyal LT tires that are E rated. I don't drive over 70 mph.

My lowest rated trailer tires are G rated. It certainly is not reasonable or prudent to drive 15 or more miles an hour below the speed limit either. If a person can't or won't drive at or very near the speed limit with their rig they should get a smaller one or hang it up. They are a hazard.
Swamp_Man
Explorer
Jun 14, 2016
fly-boy wrote:
As stated and as you know- add some weight up front and your problem is solved.

I drive 65 mph- if thats what the law provides for. If the law permits 80 mph then I drive 80-

PS- Driving below the speed limit is a real hazard so if you (this is directed to the folks that think life ends at 66 mph) aren't going to at least drive the speed limit you should stay off the highway! And for heavens sake- stay out of the fast lane unless you are passing someone. When you do pass, do it and don't spend 10 minutes. Be courteous and get out of the way.

Since you don't say anything about the tires mounted on your trailer, just in case you have not read the sidewalls, ST tires are rated for 65 mph maximum. It would not be nice to have an accident and try to explain how you were exceeding the speed rating on your tires. Also, 80 mph is the maximum speed. No where in the law does it say that you have to drive 80 mph. Reasonable and prudent for the conditions that exist. Since all of us pay for the highways, everyone has the right to use it. I agree with you one hundred per cent on staying out of the fast lane. Make you pass safely and move back to the right lane. My trailer has Uniroyal LT tires that are E rated. I don't drive over 70 mph.
Swamp_Man
Explorer
Jun 14, 2016
There is a simple formula for curing this problem. A long time ago I was taught that you put 60 per cent of the weight of the trailer in front of the axles and 40 per cent behind them. As other have said, weight the trailer and truck, then separately. As one person suggested, load the Rhino with the heavy end forward. If your water tanks is in front of the axles, load it up to help offset the weight in the rear. But don't go over your trailers GVWR. As has been suggested, use a weight distributing hitch and sway control. Make sure that all of the trailer and truck tires are inflated to the correct pressure. With the above and other "good" suggestions, you should cure the problem.
lincster
Explorer
Jun 13, 2016
fly-boy wrote:

I drive 65 mph- if thats what the law provides for. If the law permits 80 mph then I drive 80-

PS- Driving below the speed limit is a real hazard so if you (this is directed to the folks that think life ends at 66 mph) aren't going to at least drive the speed limit you should stay off the highway! And for heavens sake- stay out of the fast lane unless you are passing someone. When you do pass, do it and don't spend 10 minutes. Be courteous and get out of the way.

Love it and totally agree.
fly-boy
Explorer
Jun 13, 2016
As stated and as you know- add some weight up front and your problem is solved.

I drive 65 mph- if thats what the law provides for. If the law permits 80 mph then I drive 80-

PS- Driving below the speed limit is a real hazard so if you (this is directed to the folks that think life ends at 66 mph) aren't going to at least drive the speed limit you should stay off the highway! And for heavens sake- stay out of the fast lane unless you are passing someone. When you do pass, do it and don't spend 10 minutes. Be courteous and get out of the way.
bluepost
Explorer
Jun 13, 2016
With any toy hauler it's a good idea to have a tw scale....especially if you'll be changing the load regularly.

Tongue weight. Fix it. Second battery, third battery, firewood, beer, bigger propane tanks. Anything you can to get weight on that tongue. It shouldn't sway without an anti sway device, get it set up properly, then get one for emergencies or evasive maneuvers.
tchil
Explorer
Jun 09, 2016
You can easily get your tongue weight by going to truck scales and weighing just your truck, then your truck with trailer, and then load the rhino and check again. The scales have three different sections. Just make sure your front axle and rear axle of the tow vehicle are on their own sections and the trailer is on it's own. If you can find a truck stop near you that has water you can further experiment with the tanks to see what effect that will have.
Blackdiamond
Explorer
Jun 06, 2016
Another thing to check....haven't seen it posted but might have missed it is that the trailer tongue be level or slightly angled down, if angled up it could cause sway.
otrfun
Explorer II
Jun 06, 2016
js2500hd wrote:
. . . My question is is there any remedy for the sway??? I am still 800lbs under the GVWR with the Rhino in the back. I cant be the only one to have this problem with a toy hauler. The only reason we got the toy hauler was to get the freaking Rhino out of the truck. Thank You for the help
Like everybody's sayin', it appears the added weight of the Rhino in the rear of your toy hauler has dropped your tongue weight down to dangerous levels.

Look under your toy hauler. Where are your fresh/black/grey tanks located? Try filling up some of the tanks that are located most forward of your toy hauler axles (closest to the truck). It's very possible filling up one or more of these tanks may increase your tongue weight enough to get rid of the sway.

Good luck!
beemerphile1
Explorer
Jun 06, 2016
Just a guess but you probably have 800-900# TW empty and the toy removes 200-300# from the tongue.

You need a WDH to restore the weight you are removing from the steer axle of the truck. A WDH also prevents you overloading the truck's receiver. The Equal-i-zer brand is good, relatively inexpensive, and integrates sway control.

Because of the way WW built their trailers putting fresh water in the tank will add back about 100# TW.

Forum Discussion

Severe sway

35 Replies

About Fifth Wheel Group

Related Content

Sway Control

Several questions

Sway Bars

I Am severely dissapointed.

Sway bar issues