Hello all, I am new to rv.net and have found it to be a great resource, I guess now I need your help. Towing speeds above about 50mph it feels like the front end wants to wonder and I am constantly making corrections. Sometimes it almost feels like it is pulling to one side. I am running a weight distro hitch and an anti-sway, I will try and attach some pics for your critique. My tow vehicle is a 2013 F150 lariat 4x4 Ecoboost with a 9,500 tow, 15,700 max weight truck trailer occupants, 3,750 front axle, 3850 rear axle. I just got back from the cat scales and these were my numbers front axle 3,320, rear 3,500, trailer 6,460, total weight all together is 13,280. C rated tires at 35psi, but they say on the sidewall they can be ran at 50psi. I am towing a 2013 Aerolite 33' super slide. I sag about an inch and a half. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

First off, I would recommend airing up those tires to their max of 50psi for better control, less flex and less heat.Not sure how the WD hitch affects front end handling (I don't tow a TT), but your description almost sounds like your front end is too light in relation to the tongue weight.

That is what I was thinking. The door has a recommended PSI of 40 cold, which is about where I am usually at cold. The sidewall of the tire says max PSI of 50 under max weight, just seeing if it is ok to go above what the vehicle recommends. I adjusted the heck of of the WD hitch, and I couldn't quite get it 100%, is it possible the WD hitch doesn't have enough umph for the tongue weight? I don't have anything in my bed, and I moved all the weight out of the front of the trailer, just 2 full LP tanks and a deep cycle battery.

Yes, tire pressure and lack of weight on the front probably is the cause. You should go up 1 more link on the chains but you may have to adjust the hitch head to tilt back a bit to accomplish that to keep the bars level.Might take a bit of tinkering but you'll get it.

Wandering is usually a low tire or lack of weight on front axle. Definitely try 50 psi in all tires. The rear of the truck shouldn't sag. Your load bars appear to be parallel to the trailer frame so perhaps you need to go to more angle on the ball so there is more pull on the load bars to come up to parallel or go to a heaver load bar.

jscheelar wrote:---I just got back from the cat scales and these were my numbers front axle 3,320, rear 3,500, trailer 6,460, total weight all together is 13,280.---Did you also measure the axle loads without the trailer attached?Did you measure the axle loads with the trailer attached but with no load on the WD bars?Ron

Front End Drift At Freeway Speed | Good Sam Community

39 Replies

jscheelar
Explorer
Aug 05, 2014
dougE - how would I know if the hitch isn't enough? I had the dealer install it and they did a TERRIBLE job, I had to redo the entire hitch. the bars are rated at 1,000. Would I need to get a beefier WD hitch. I can call the dealer and tell them they gave me to small of a hitch for the trailer. I will try max psi in all my tires and see if that helps also. I have the hitch angled all but one wacher currently and have three links dangling, which I really had to torque on it to get it up there.
kgarrett9999
Explorer
Aug 05, 2014
I found that Ford's recommendation to restore 50% of the change in front end height isn't adequate. On a recent 3800 mile vacation, I drove several hundred miles with the recommended 50% and was fighting it constantly. The next day I took one more link on the hitch which actually restored about 110% and it handled significantly better.
johntank
Explorer
Aug 05, 2014
I would try going to 45/50psi in truck tires first, 35psi is too low for a C rated tire with the load you have on them. JMHO
goducks10
Explorer
Aug 05, 2014
Have you measured the front of the truck before and after hitching up? Ford recommends bringing the front back to 50% or more of the hitched to unhitched number. IE, 34" unhitched, 36" hitched without WD. So you need to return the front to 35" or less and not to exceed 34". IMO run the max sidewall psi in all tires when towing your setup.
Ron_Gratz
Explorer
Aug 05, 2014
jscheelar wrote:
---I just got back from the cat scales and these were my numbers front axle 3,320, rear 3,500, trailer 6,460, total weight all together is 13,280.---
Did you also measure the axle loads without the trailer attached?

Did you measure the axle loads with the trailer attached but with no load on the WD bars?

Ron
DougE
Explorer
Aug 05, 2014
Wandering is usually a low tire or lack of weight on front axle. Definitely try 50 psi in all tires. The rear of the truck shouldn't sag. Your load bars appear to be parallel to the trailer frame so perhaps you need to go to more angle on the ball so there is more pull on the load bars to come up to parallel or go to a heaver load bar.
spud1957
Explorer
Aug 05, 2014
Yes, tire pressure and lack of weight on the front probably is the cause. You should go up 1 more link on the chains but you may have to adjust the hitch head to tilt back a bit to accomplish that to keep the bars level.

Might take a bit of tinkering but you'll get it.
jscheelar
Explorer
Aug 05, 2014
That is what I was thinking. The door has a recommended PSI of 40 cold, which is about where I am usually at cold. The sidewall of the tire says max PSI of 50 under max weight, just seeing if it is ok to go above what the vehicle recommends. I adjusted the heck of of the WD hitch, and I couldn't quite get it 100%, is it possible the WD hitch doesn't have enough umph for the tongue weight? I don't have anything in my bed, and I moved all the weight out of the front of the trailer, just 2 full LP tanks and a deep cycle battery.
caberto
Explorer
Aug 05, 2014
First off, I would recommend airing up those tires to their max of 50psi for better control, less flex and less heat.

Not sure how the WD hitch affects front end handling (I don't tow a TT), but your description almost sounds like your front end is too light in relation to the tongue weight.

Forum Discussion

Front End Drift At Freeway Speed

39 Replies

About RV Tips & Tricks

Related Content

Rough freeways.

Front end bounces horribly when going over 55 mph

Slide out drifts open

Travel trailer front lights stay on

Signals on freeways