Trailer sway issies

[fowlthing]

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Posted: 09/03/22 08:26am Link | Quote | Edit | Print | Notify Moderator
2020 Model. Pulling with 2021 Ram 2500 Diesel. Have 3000 miles plus with no issues.

Now at speeds as low as 30 mph can hit a bump and side to side rocking translates into trailer sway. Worse going uphill. Had a trip this weekend and put two new tires on the rear axle. My tire shop only had two.

Is this axles out of alignment?? Shocks on the truck? ( 30k miles on truck).

I pulled the tires off and bearings are good. Measured and axles are same distance between tires. Did not measure to the pin.

Tread is still good on front axle. And was good on the two that were replaced. Wear is even. Could not detect that they were out of round when jacked up and spun the wheels.

Any help is welcome. Have years experience of towing trailers. The sway is dangerous. Not a slight annoyance. Thanks.

[Cummins12V98]

Head in sand syndrome!!!

[fowlthing]

Will check the truck for a broken spring or sway bar. Thanks for the input from everyone

[Flan]

Take a look at the sway bar, make sure it isn’t broken or missing bolts where it attaches to the axle.

[fowlthing]

Using an Anderson hitch. And this model does not have the basement I have seen it but this Milestone does not have it. Thanks for the info. No weight changes from the first 3000 miles of towing. But something must be broke somewhere.

Have not checked the springs on the truck yet. Other springs and axles to pin box are the same.

Thanks for the help.

[Cummins12V98]

If Icemans numbers are what the OP is towing he is WAYYYYYY out of his league with any 2500 SRW.

Load up, hit the CAT Scales and report back. Also let us know who told you this combo "will tow just fine" !!!!!

[TXiceman]

I addition to being under trucked, that model Ram 2500 has rear coil springs. This is known to be less stable than a leaf string truck.

That model trailer has a rear basement (under the living area). If this is loaded too heavily, it will lighten the pin weight which can lead to poor handling.

Ken

[MFL]

^OP has not responded to several asking about "what hitch using"? If OP is using some type of gooseneck adapter to save hitch wt, a broken frame/weld could be the sudden cause of problem.

Not as likely if using a conventional FW hitch.

Jerry

[GIB2]

You mentioned all the suspension I'd be looking on top of pin box to make sure no welds to the trailer frame have broken . The weld on our fifth wheel are less than desirable although they never broke. Costs nothing to look.

[nickthehunter]

Do you have something really heavy loaded behind the axles of the trailer?

[TXiceman]

UVW1
14200 lbs

Hitch Weight1
2900 lbs

GVWR
16800 lbs

Length2
41' 4"

I think you do not have enough horse to pull that trailer per the above numbers. A loaded camper of 16,800 lbs will have a loaded pin weight of roughly 3400#.

Forget the unloaded weights unless you never plan to add anything to the trailer including food, clothes, water or propane. But I have yet to see a camper that does not bring along clothes, food, propane, pets, wife and kids.

Ken

[JIMNLIN]

Agree with weighing your trucks front and rear axle while hooked to the trailer and road ready.

Your 2500 has a 6000 rawr for carrying all the load in the bed.
Many newer gen 2500 Ram trucks rear axle can weigh in the 3000 lb range leaving around 3000 lb in the bed payload.

Overloaded rear axle (tires/wheels/rear spring pack) and worn out shocks on a truck with rear coil springs can make a bad handling combo.

A 2500 with a 6k rawr isn't a good replacement for a one ton srw truck with a 7230 rawr = a 1230 lb loss for carrying weight in the bed.

A 5th wheel trailer adds little to no weight on the trucks front axle.

Get all the trucks axle weights first and go from there.

[fj12ryder]

What kind of tires, and what psi are you running them on the truck? What kind of hitch? Do you see any movement in the front of the trailer when you set it down on the truck, like it's flexing some? I'm assuming you've checked all the shackles, and any related suspension bolts, and hangers.

And I'll agree that is one big a$$ trailer for a 3/4 ton truck. Have you scaled the truck and trailer?

[ford_truck_guy]

I’m with Jerry on this.. my buddy has a Solitude 375RES that we took my truck to pick up down in Nashville (16 hrs) ..

Towing that trailer with a 2500 is a stretch… I'm assuming your RAWR and tire capacity are both well over max…. Those are the 2 numbers that i look at..

If your over your tire capacity, that could give you the feeling of squishy/squirming..

[MFL]

That is a big FW, may be close to 4K pin wt when loaded. A bit much for the 2500 with softer springs than your F350 had.

You likely do need some suspension help. Some airbags, Timbrens, or other.

Jerry

[bgum]

Check all tire pressures truck and trailer. Is the two new tires the same size and grade ( C D E F)as the front two?