Dealing with bow wave

Desert Captain wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:

stationaryfulltimer wrote:
I'm having issues with the bow wave from passing trucks. I have a Jayco 328RLS towed by a 1991 Chevy Suburban. I'm using a Reese Strait-Line WDH with 1500 pound bars. The front axle is about 100 pounds lighter than the unhitched weight, though I intend to fix that by adjusting the hitch a little.

I typically drive around 55mph on the interstate, and when the 18-wheelers fly by at 70, I get blown to the side a little. It's bad enough for me to be on-edge when towing, but I also don't have thousands of miles towing my camper under my belt yet.

I believe my bow wave issues may be partially due to the steering on my Suburban. The older 80s bodystyle Chevy trucks (for which my 91 shares bodystyles with) have very easy steering. The steering on these old trucks is so easy, that you can easily dry-steer from lock to lock with your pinky finger. Coincidentally, it's VERY easy to steer when the truck is moving. The entire steering/suspension assembly including steering box, tie rods, adjusters, ball joints, etc has been recently replaced and aligned, so they're all in good condition. I think the ease of steering is allowing me to be more easily blown around on the highway. Is this possible, and if so, would adding a steering stabilizer (shock for steering) improve the bow wave issues? How else other than watching the rear view mirror like a hawk and bracing for it can I help reduce the bow wave from passing trucks?

Thanks in advance. I'd really love to be more at ease when towing my home.

The part I bolded IS your main problem.

There is TOO MUCH difference in speed between you and the passing vehicle.

Honestly If you are truly and only going 55 on an Interstate road with posted 65+ speeds YOU ARE ON A "SUICIDE MISSION"..

I would recommend that if you don't feel "comfortable" towing at at least NEAR the speed limit ( say 60 MPH if posted at 65 MPH) then perhaps you should look for smaller lower speed limit roads.

Driving too slow is just as bad as excessive speeding since now you become an slow moving object in the way of others WANTING to go faster.

No matter how much you tinker with WD, hitch or even your vehicle suspension you will still feel the effect.

There are two things that you can do which will drastically reduce the effect..

#1, SPEED UP SOME as the passing vehicle approaches your trailer, doing so MINIMIZES the "difference" between your pressure wave and the passing vehicle pressure wave.

#2, MOVE OVER AWAY from the passing vehicles lane without going off the road (IE don't "hug" the CENTER LINE of the road), doing so puts SPACE between your pressure wave and the passing vehicles pressure wave. DISTANCE between vehicles reduces the effect of each others pressure wave, result is both vehicles will feel LESS pressure wave..

Doing BOTH of the above most likely will pretty much eliminate the effect you are feeling.

Congratulations on giving the worst advice EVER!!! :S

The OP is pulling a 35' TT with a half ton SUV and you think his only problem is going too slow??? The laws in a number of states, California comes to mind, require that vehicles towing NOT exceed 55. You have the nerve to shout at him that driving 55 constitutes a suicide
mission and then tell him to get off of the road because "you" think he should not be there. :R What color is the sun on your planet? :h

Yes, common sense and physics dictate that not hugging the centerline will help but not nearly as much as getting enough truck. More speed in an unstable rig is not the answer.

:R

Thank you for saying what I was thinking as I was picking my jaw up from the floor after reading the post you have quoted. There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG with driving 55 on even a 75mph interstate as long as you stay in the right lane except for passing even slower moving vehicles.

I do agree the bow wave effect can be further mitigated by hugging the right side of the right lane and I drive there normally when the shoulder is wide enough so it just gives me a little "EXTRA" room for vehicles overtaking me and is a little less stressful in maintaining a very strick position within my lane of travel.

Larry