Shaking/Shuddering while towing trailer
Hi, I have a 2012 Honda Odyssey. I have a Class 3 hitch installed, and am pulling a 2800 pound, 17' Viking trailer. I use a Weight Distributing Hitch with Sway Control (550 pound rated), and also have...
Forum Discussion
First I would weigh the trailer tongue to see how heavy it is. You should be under 350 lb. A bathroom scale will go nearly that high. If it's over 350, you are overloading your hitch. You don't want to have it tear off while driving, right? If you are over 350 lb, the only good solution is to have a custom receiver fabricated... Can-Am in Ontario does a bunch of these, but a good welding shop could duplicate it too.
Next, the motion problem. The trailer tongue will always try to bob up and down when you go over even small bumps, creating an uncomfortable jiggly-jerky sensation that many folks call 'porpoising'. You said you are getting this motion when towing on the ball alone. A minivan's soft rear suspension will let you really feel this motion. Adding a properly adjusted WD hitch should remove 3/4 of this sensation. But you'd need a lightweight WD hitch, because you are already (I suspect) close to if not over the 350 lb limit. The lightest one I know of is the Andersen No-Sway, which is what I used on my rig to eliminate most of that motion.
The other possibility that comes to my mind is that maybe you have a trailer tire out of balance.
Next, the motion problem. The trailer tongue will always try to bob up and down when you go over even small bumps, creating an uncomfortable jiggly-jerky sensation that many folks call 'porpoising'. You said you are getting this motion when towing on the ball alone. A minivan's soft rear suspension will let you really feel this motion. Adding a properly adjusted WD hitch should remove 3/4 of this sensation. But you'd need a lightweight WD hitch, because you are already (I suspect) close to if not over the 350 lb limit. The lightest one I know of is the Andersen No-Sway, which is what I used on my rig to eliminate most of that motion.
The other possibility that comes to my mind is that maybe you have a trailer tire out of balance.
