stop the Bucking!

Could be a lot of things. One not mentioned is are you towing this trailer level or is the tongue too high or low. Maybe you need an adjustable ball mount to keep the trailer level.
A WDH is probably not necessary with a trailer that small. It won't necessarily cure the bucking anyway. Nothing will fix it 100%. Sometimes the spacing of the bumps and your speed are just exactly wrong and everything jumps around.

MacMcCaskie wrote:
Or was it all due to the tire pressure?

That one. Soft tires bounce.

There's nothing like flabby tires to cause that action on a trailer- especially one you've towed problem free prior to the "bucking" event.

Folks would be doing themselves a real favor if they ALWAYS do as you did in this case- think about what's changed any time something strange occurs.

Not many pups require WD hitches, but can't say for sure without knowing more details on the trailer weights etc.

Could be a number of factors causing the bucking. A Taco should be able to handle a pup without problems. The distribution of the weight, especially on a single axle tt is very important to handling. I would check the tongue weight first. Too light on the tongue could cause bucking or if it's almost balanced front to back would cause it to seesaw. You want it to be tongue heavy, at least 12-15% of the trailer weight should be on the tongue.

Also consider the truck shocks. Are they old and worn out. Might want to upgrade to heavier duty and make sure the trailer and truck tires are aired up.

MacMcCaskie wrote:
On a recent trip we ran into a few spots on the highway when the rig started to buck violently (hitch moving up and down rapidly). The TV is a Toyota Tacoma Pre-runner with tow package, and the trailer's a star-craft popup. BTW, the tire air pressure was low on the trailer.

I'll be getting a lighter TT soon and wondered if I will need something such as a weight distribution hitch to stop the bucking. Or was it all due to the tire pressure?

PS. You should get a weight distribution hitch anytime you haul a TT of any kind. It distributes the weight so the front end stays on the ground.

In my experience a WDH can cause that by being either too tight or too loose. So you may want to play with the adjustments.
The biggest thing to stop the porpoising though was to install Bilstien shocks. They seem to have a lot of rebound dampening and it really helps. The Bils completely stopped the bounce with mine.

Scott

It won't make much difference either way. It is the expansion joints in the pavement. The only thing that works for me with my MH is to steer to the side/edge of the lane you are in. Also when on blacktop roads the bounce goes away. I have also found that the interstates are, due to heavy truck traffic, really bad when on concrete. Good luck

Get a 800 pound wd with that trailer and a sway bar. Make sure all tire pressure is set to to tire manufacturers specs. Also make sure trailer is level with truck. Use a drop hitch if needed.