Hey everyone, I'm new here! Hope you all had a nice weekend. I just got back from a 6 hour drive to Lake Cumberland, and ran into some pretty sketchy situations while driving. I have a 6,100lb travel trailer (Keystone Sprinter) that is 25' in length. Trailer was dry with the exception of some clothing and food/drinks. When it was all loaded up, it was easily less than 7,000lbs. My truck is a 2003 Silverado 2500HD with the 6.6l Duramax. Short bed, extended cab, and has a tow capacity of 12,000lbs. I also am equipped with the "Curt TruTrack Weight Distribution System w/ Sway Control - Trunnion - 10,000 lbs GTW, 1,000 lbs TW".With this setup, I wouldn't expect many problems with sway, but the moment I drove any faster than 65mph, it got a little out of hand.On the way down I almost put the truck in the median of the free way because it got to swaying and I almost didn't hold on to it. I just had new E-Rated tires put on and noticed a lot of sidewall roll when the truck was pushed side to side, so I stopped on my way to Cumberland and had all brand new tires put on, (BF Goodrich, also an E-Rated tire), and they have 3ply sidewalls rather than 2-ply. This helped a little, (maybe gained 5mph without sway), and allowed me to run right at 64-65mph and would then sway as I got closer to 70mph. I got my doors blown off my travel trailers all day today. One was even a half ton pulling a 29' travel trailer that put the hurts on me!I then noticed it didn't sway hardly at all at 65-68mph with less fuel, and as soon as a put a full tank in it, it was a little more sketchy. But even at that rate you're talking a few hundred pounds on a truck thats 5,000+ lbs below its rated tow capacity. I'm not even close to the limit and it is scary to drive! Any thoughts? Thanks in advance everyone!!

You need to load much more weight in the front of the trailer to increase your tongue weight.

check tongue/hitch weight, you have plenty left. I bet you are only about 700lbs.I took a test ride and kept adding weight, finally worked ok.also in CA we are restricted to 55. I cant imagine 70mph. would scare mealso went with equalizer 4 point hitch. you will get it ok

I agree with the tongue weight comments. Which floor plan do you have? Rear kitchen? Where are your tanks locates? Tire tred wear on tt look ok? Air pressure good on all 8 tires? (TV and tt)

I have the RKS, so yes, rear kitchen. I take it that tends to be heavier in the rear than a bunk house or other plans?

Sure sounds like a tongue weight issue or a poorly set up WD hitch.

Major Sway Problems! Any ideas!? | Good Sam Community

myredracer
Explorer II
Jun 12, 2016
keymastr wrote:
Rear kitchen models always have tongue weight issues. Maybe you could pack your food and gear up front and move them to the kitchen after you arrive.

Sorry, but that's an urban myth. We have a rear kitchen and fully loaded up, our tongue weight is around 14.5 percent.

I've never heard of anyone having to load the front of a TT with sand bags to raise tongue weight. How were the 6660 & 500 lb numbers obtained?
keymastr
Explorer
Jun 09, 2016
Rear kitchen models always have tongue weight issues. Maybe you could pack your food and gear up front and move them to the kitchen after you arrive.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Jun 08, 2016
Yeah, are the 200lbs of bikes still on the back of the trailer?
Adam_H
Explorer
Jun 08, 2016
You might not need as many sand bags if you put a front hitch on your truck with the bikes up there. Or get a Toprails system and mount to the tongue.

Adam
Durb
Explorer
Jun 06, 2016
Do you have air bags? I've seen the scenario more than once ( especially with on board compressors) where the driver loads the weight distribution with the bags under low pressure. They then air up the bags to level the truck and go higher than the unloaded height. This has the effect of unloading your weight distribution bars. If your hitch has anti-sway incorporated with weight distribution then the anti-sway effectiveness goes away. It also stiffens the rear suspension creating a fulcrum which unloads the front tires. The trailer is now nose high and starts to sway, the driver freaks and adds more air to the air bags making things worse.

Your weight distribution system should bring your hitch up to 1" below your unloaded height. Your air bags should be deployed to raise the truck to unloaded height only.

I was following my son and his trailer was dancing all over the place. I called him over to the side of the road where we unloaded the air bags and increased his WD springs by a link. Completely different tow. Many think air bags are a panacea, they aren't.
TucsonJim
Explorer II
Jun 04, 2016
svt440 wrote:
Got some weights today. Trailer is 6,660lbs, and the tongue weight (at the jack) is 500lbs. Now I know at the jack isnt exactly what the tongue weight is, because I think the farther ahead you get from the axles the heavier it'll be, but its within three inches from the ball which is close enough to tell I'm really far off. Purchased a few hundred pounds of sand bags today and am going to put them under the queen bed in the front. There is a big space there we never use. I'll do this one bag at a time while sitting on the scales to get the tongue weight I'm after. Does 13% sound ideal?

I think you'll be right on the money at 13%. I'm glad you got the weights. 7.5% is not nearly enough and explains your bad sway problem.
svt440
Explorer
Jun 04, 2016
Got some weights today. Trailer is 6,660lbs, and the tongue weight (at the jack) is 500lbs. Now I know at the jack isnt exactly what the tongue weight is, because I think the farther ahead you get from the axles the heavier it'll be, but its within three inches from the ball which is close enough to tell I'm really far off. Purchased a few hundred pounds of sand bags today and am going to put them under the queen bed in the front. There is a big space there we never use. I'll do this one bag at a time while sitting on the scales to get the tongue weight I'm after. Does 13% sound ideal?
blt2ski
Moderator
Jun 04, 2016
Selling current RK model for an FK model travel trailer may also help in this situation. If you have 5 people in your truck, you already have lost potentially 1/2 of your payload. Yes, I would agree that you are probably closer to 2300-2600 lbs of actual payload. My family of 6 was closer to 1200 when my kids were adult sized teens. I pulled a 24' FK trailer all around the US and mostly NW US, in winter with snow and ice on the road to ski areas, upwards of 50-60 mph cross winds across bridges over the columbia river. NO SWAY. Then again, a noted, I had 13-15% HW. This is with no WD, wd and later a dual cam. Yes I did notice some difference with no bars, vs WD vs a dual cam. Dual cam being the best setup. BUT< I still would have no qualms about towing barless!

Your trailer has some issues that need to get solved first. not so sure a 5w is absolute best option.

Marty
Skidus1
Explorer
Jun 04, 2016
Funny reading about the tires and speed. Wife an I went out for Memorial Day weekend and was passed on the freeway by a truck and bumper pull trailer pulling a flatbed with bikes on it and for 2 miles after all we could smell was burning rubber. We were at 65 as I am aware of tire ratings, he was at least 70 plus mph when he went by.
hawkeye-08
Explorer III
Jun 03, 2016
Instead of loading the cabinets, for a temporary fix, perhaps putting all the kitchen items (food, dishes, pots and pans, etc) away, put them in some totes as far forward as you can inside the trailer. If you carry a toolbox in your truck, consider moving it inside the trailer near the front to add even more weight. See if that fixes your sway issues while you are shopping for your 5th wheel trailer. Please be careful, sway can cause you to have to change your pants.

Also make sure your trailer is not nose high when all set to leave.

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