How to avoid getting blown all over the road
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May-04-2021 11:07 AM
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,
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May-05-2021 08:28 AM
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
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
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May-05-2021 07:43 AM
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.
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May-05-2021 07:42 AM
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 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Duramax
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May-05-2021 06:59 AM
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.
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May-05-2021 06:33 AM
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.
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May-05-2021 05:59 AM
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May-04-2021 09:08 PM
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
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May-04-2021 07:10 PM
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
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May-04-2021 05:19 PM
2005 Forest River T26 Toy Hauler
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May-04-2021 02:57 PM
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.
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May-04-2021 02:20 PM
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May-04-2021 02:09 PM
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May-04-2021 02:00 PM
Being a toy hauler, too light of a tongue is also the most likely scenario.
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May-04-2021 12:34 PM
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May-04-2021 12:25 PM
2020 Silverado 2500
Equalizer ( because i have it)
Formerly a pup owner.