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How to avoid getting blown all over the road

MyersAvionics
Explorer
Explorer
Hello All,

Curious on how I can avoid wind blowing the camper and my truck all over the place to the point of it being really annoying to drive and causing me to not even want to use it.

I have RAM 1500 with the 5.7 V8. It doesn't work too hard to pull my 29' toy hauler (7k lbs empty and ~8.5k with stuff loaded) at 65mph down the road. The problem comes in that even with slight side wind gusts I'm blown all over the place and I have to slow down to about 50mph to keep it drivable.

I have a BlueOx hitch with sway controls as well as the trailer friction sway control.

I have LT tires and after getting the weight distribution down pat, I have also installed airbags in the springs to keep the truck level. This helped, but I am still getting blown around the road.

I'm to the point of looking at a larger 2500 diesel RAM, or a full on drivable RV toyhauler, or just an RV that I would put a standard trail behind.

Before I go to these (expensive) extremes. Does anyone on here have any advice on something I could be missing?

Thank you,
62 REPLIES 62

memtb
Explorer
Explorer
IMO .....the felt effects of a cross-wind are directly related to the square footage of the rv side wall area and the weight of the rv.

Again.....my opinion.......your unit is pretty light for it’s surface area. On a recent trip we had several hundred miles of high winds (Oklahoma well into Wyoming). We had no control issues, while others (semi’s and rv’s) appeared to be struggling. But, our 40’ 5th wheel weighs in at 20K. In a wind situation, heavy weight is your friend.....until the wind overcomes the rv weight! Then things get real ugly....real fast!

Many folks get uncomfortable movement with their towed unit when passing a tractor/trailer at highway speeds. We rarely feel the wind from a passing semi! Weight is your friend......until it’s not! 😉

You simply have to determine your comfort level with your particular unit. In some situations.....that may mean parking her nose into the wind (like a boat on the water) until the wind subsides! memtb
Todd & Marianne
Miniature Schnauzer's - Sundai, Nellie & Maggie Mae
2007 Dodge Ram 3500, 6.7 Cummins, 6 speed manual, 3.73 ratio, 4x4
2004 Teton Grand Freedom, 39'
2007 Bigfoot 30MH26Sl

noteven
Explorer III
Explorer III
RV "bumper tow trailers" have their wheels in the pivot mount for a weather vane position, crossed with a teeter totter fulcrum.

Modern light duty trucks have fluffy suspensions.

I used a (bought used) ProPride hitch on a won ton single wheeler towing a heavy 32ft travel trailer (12500lbs). It stopped the wig wag from traffic bow waves and cross wind. It had certain other pains in the keester but it did not "sway". The rig went down the road like it was on rails.

BarneyS wrote:
Slow down to 60mph or less and put a Hensley hitch on the trailer.
Barney


X2 and verify proper setup of WDH.
2015 Crossroads Rushmore Springfield
2015 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Duramax

mkirsch
Nomad II
Nomad II
Toy haulers tend to have EXCESSIVE tongue weight, because the rear is left open for the garage, and all the "house" part of the trailer is ahead of the axles.

The fact that he needs airbags after the WDH is supposedly correctly adjusted strongly hints at this.

Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.

Devo_the_dog
Explorer
Explorer
atreis wrote:
How heavy is the tongue? Tongue weight should be 11-15% of total trailer weight. If you don't have enough tongue weight when fully loaded, it'll be all over the road, and potentially very unsafe.

Being a toy hauler, too light of a tongue is also the most likely scenario.

This is what I'd guess is the problem. Tongue weight is too light.

One of my trailers is a 34 ft bumper pull and I always check it with a tongue weight scale.
The dodge fan boys hate the dodge/ram dealerships. Now that I have owned a Mexican Fiat Oui-Oui, I understand why.

pitch
Explorer II
Explorer II
What velocity winds are you talking? Even 80,000 lb semis get blown around by crosswinds. One trip westbound across Nebraska we saw two tractor trailers flipped by the wind and at one point I pulled over and stopped. If you are having trouble in 15 or 20 mph winds you have a problem, faster than that is normal.

SDcampowneroper
Explorer
Explorer
Air bags says it all to me, if you needed them to level the load,then your WDH is not set up right or your WD bars are not sized right. .
Measure unloaded front and rear bumper height adjust until near equal front to rear loaded truck and trailer , thats the Weight distibution job. Air bags tells me your WD bars are not set up right.
Done right your 1/2 ton can do the job fairly, LT tires and air bags ? might as well bought a 3/4 ton

Trackrig
Explorer II
Explorer II
Your truck may pull it, but in my opinion, you don't have enough truck as to weight and wheelbase length to control that long of a trailer. The tail is wagging the dog.

I pull a 26' trailer with a 3/4 ton crew cab truck and eight ft bed. I have no wind problems at all. The tires are load range E.

Bill
Nodwell RN110 out moose hunting. 4-53 Detroit, Clark 5 spd, 40" wide tracks, 10:00x20 tires, 16,000# capacity, 22,000# weight. You know the mud is getting deep when it's coming in the doors.

1320Fastback
Explorer
Explorer
I heard a rumor opening a window on each side of the trailer even just a little bit helps reduce the sway from cross winds or big rigs bow wave.
1992 D250 Cummins 5psd
2005 Forest River T26 Toy Hauler

BurbMan
Explorer II
Explorer II
Our 34' TT was 6900 lbs empty and 8500 lbs loaded, and it wasn't even a toy hauler....I suspect you are much heavier than you think you are. You may just need to move the toy(s) forward some in the garage to add some tongue weight.

Sounds like you're headed down a path that many on this forum, including myself, have been down before. The coil springs in the 1500 trucks aren't able to resist lateral forces like the leaf springs in HD trucks. The fact that you added air bags in the coils to level the truck not only aggravates the problem, but is a red flag that the WD hitch is not as "dialed in" as you think it is. LT tires help some but there's only so much you can do there.

Load the trailer and get it weighed, see if you can adjust loaded to improve performance. At the end of the day, I think a 2500 is in your future. BTW, you don't need a diesel, the 6.4 hemi will handle that weight just fine.

JRscooby
Explorer II
Explorer II
The tongue weight will make trailer less stable. But it would be unstable in calm too. Fact is the large profile vehicle will be affected by wind. A lot of the solution must happen between the drivers ears.

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
Does the front suspension rise or compress when you get all hooked up?

atreis
Explorer
Explorer
How heavy is the tongue? Tongue weight should be 11-15% of total trailer weight. If you don't have enough tongue weight when fully loaded, it'll be all over the road, and potentially very unsafe.

Being a toy hauler, too light of a tongue is also the most likely scenario.
2021 Four Winds 26B on Chevy 4500

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Explorer II
Responders can't say "slow down" too many times. Check the tongue weight.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

Sjm9911
Explorer
Explorer
What year is the ram? And specs? The trailer is larger. What are you putting in the hauler section? As some said it might be taking weight off the toung.
2012 kz spree 220 ks
2020 Silverado 2500
Equalizer ( because i have it)
Formerly a pup owner.

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