Need advice on toy hauler swaying on freeway

[09KZMXT266]

I would greatly appreciate any feedback and advice please. My TV is a 2012 Toyota Tacoma DBL Cab short bed 4x4 with a 4.0 V6. I just bought a toy hauler that is 22' long and weighs 3600#s dry with a TW of 620#s. I pulled it home 350 miles in my Dad's 3/4 ton with no issues using just the hitch ball mount. Tonight I picked up my rig from E-Trailer where they installed the break controller and WD Hitch. The hitch looks to be installed correctly, but I'm a total newby and could be mistaken. Both the truck and trailer look to be pretty level, although the front of the TV may be a little raised. Normally my truck is raked and now it sits level.

On the way home I was fine until I entered the freeway and at about 45 mph I started to feel the trailer walking around behind me. It spooked me enough that I exited the freeway to take surface streets
home.

I know it will all change after I load my gear and a 980# Harley in the back. But, should I be getting sway at 45 mph on the freeway with a properly installed WD Hitch? Is it possibly due to not enough load in the back of the toy hauler? I was thinking adding more weight to the rear would only increase sway?

I realize I would be better off with a different TV, but I really, really, wan to keep my Tacoma if I can.

Help!!!!!!!

[BarneyS]

When using the tongue weight scale, be careful that you get the weight pressing STRAIGHT DOWN on the scale. It is very easy, when you put the device under the coupler, to have it just a very small bit off center of the coupler which will cause sticktion in scale and throw off the reading quite a bit. Good idea to take several readings in succession to make sure it is consistant.
Barney

[09KZMXT266]

Stevepro172 wrote:

09KZMXT266 wrote:

APT wrote:
You've got the new truck, right? Can you get the new weights while adjusting the WDH? When you do this, take 3 passes. The two you have done, truck alone and truck/TT. Also get one with the truck/trailer without the WD bars attached. This will provide actual TW.

Your OEM Ford receiver should be good for at least 960 pounds, probably 1150.

I will do this, but not until I get to 1000 miles per the manual. I'm only at 460 now. So, I plan on driving the heck out of her this weekend to try to get to 1k miles ASAP. Once I do get to 1k miles, I'll weigh everything again with the new truck. I'm hesitant to weight the truck and trailer on the hitch ball mount because the limit on the hitch states 500 lbs. without WD Hitch. If what the other poster said is correct and I have 1k TW, then I really don't want to put double the max on the Hitch ball mount. Although, maybe it would be okay just for a short time to re-weigh? I really think, in the end, I'll find out the TW is not 1k lbs. If it is, I'm screwed even worse than I thought.

My Ram 1500 says the same thing about the hitch. 500lbs without WDH and 1000lbs with. I will pull my trailer without the bars for 5 miles to put it back into storage without issue. You will be fine taking off your bars to get the true tongue weight!

I've decided to buy a tongue weight scale. Sounds like an invaluable thing for someone like me to have with my toy hauler. I'm obviously going to have to move a lot cargo around to get the TW correct. With no room for error due to only 1200lb payload, knowing exactly where I stand as I load up will be nice. Luckily I live down the road from E-Trailer, so I can just run by and pick it up. 🙂
Today, I'm going to take a long drive to get closer to the 1k mile mark. At some point today I'll fill up, and weigh my truck as well. That way, I'll at lease have one base measurement before I even tow with the new truck. After I get to 1k miles, I'll hook up and re-weigh. Maybe someday I'll actually camp in the new VRV. 🙂

[Stevepro172]

09KZMXT266 wrote:

APT wrote:
You've got the new truck, right? Can you get the new weights while adjusting the WDH? When you do this, take 3 passes. The two you have done, truck alone and truck/TT. Also get one with the truck/trailer without the WD bars attached. This will provide actual TW.

Your OEM Ford receiver should be good for at least 960 pounds, probably 1150.

I will do this, but not until I get to 1000 miles per the manual. I'm only at 460 now. So, I plan on driving the heck out of her this weekend to try to get to 1k miles ASAP. Once I do get to 1k miles, I'll weigh everything again with the new truck. I'm hesitant to weight the truck and trailer on the hitch ball mount because the limit on the hitch states 500 lbs. without WD Hitch. If what the other poster said is correct and I have 1k TW, then I really don't want to put double the max on the Hitch ball mount. Although, maybe it would be okay just for a short time to re-weigh? I really think, in the end, I'll find out the TW is not 1k lbs. If it is, I'm screwed even worse than I thought.

My Ram 1500 says the same thing about the hitch. 500lbs without WDH and 1000lbs with. I will pull my trailer without the bars for 5 miles to put it back into storage without issue. You will be fine taking off your bars to get the true tongue weight!

[09KZMXT266]

BarneyS wrote:

09KZMXT266 wrote:

carringb wrote:

09KZMXT266 wrote:


Okay, now you're scaring the heck out of me. 🙂 Guess I still have a lot to learn. I would have thought that if the truck by itself weighed 5000 lbs without a trailer and 5500 lbs with one, the TW would be 500 lbs. 5500-5000=500?

True, if you have the trailer sitting on a regular ole hitch ball. Not the case with weight distribution, since the trailer axles have to react the same moment which picks up the back of the truck and put weight on the front axle.

So, assuming it was a WD Hitch, would the TW be more or less than 500 lbs.?

It would be less. It would be around 400lbs if you weighed it with the WD hitched up. The extra 100lbs would be found on the trailer axles because the chains on the WD hitch are pulling down on the trailer A frame at the same time they are pulling up on the bars.
Barney

Thanks, I would agree which is why I'm finding it hard to understand the one poster saying my TW is 1000lbs.

I'm reading all the sticky's on WD Hitches, etc. It's a lot to digest. Actually, I find myself getting even more confused.:)

[chevor]

I have experienced sway also with my 3/4 ton when pull light short tandem axel trailers. I stick to pull longer heavier trailers and there is less problems.

[BarneyS]

09KZMXT266 wrote:

carringb wrote:

09KZMXT266 wrote:


Okay, now you're scaring the heck out of me. 🙂 Guess I still have a lot to learn. I would have thought that if the truck by itself weighed 5000 lbs without a trailer and 5500 lbs with one, the TW would be 500 lbs. 5500-5000=500?

True, if you have the trailer sitting on a regular ole hitch ball. Not the case with weight distribution, since the trailer axles have to react the same moment which picks up the back of the truck and put weight on the front axle.

So, assuming it was a WD Hitch, would the TW be more or less than 500 lbs.?

It would be less. It would be around 400lbs if you weighed it with the WD hitched up. The extra 100lbs would be found on the trailer axles because the chains on the WD hitch are pulling down on the trailer A frame at the same time they are pulling up on the bars.
Barney

[09KZMXT266]

carringb wrote:

09KZMXT266 wrote:


Okay, now you're scaring the heck out of me. 🙂 Guess I still have a lot to learn. I would have thought that if the truck by itself weighed 5000 lbs without a trailer and 5500 lbs with one, the TW would be 500 lbs. 5500-5000=500?

True, if you have the trailer sitting on a regular ole hitch ball. Not the case with weight distribution, since the trailer axles have to react the same moment which picks up the back of the truck and put weight on the front axle.

So, assuming it was a WD Hitch, would the TW be more or less than 500 lbs.?

[09KZMXT266]

APT wrote:
You've got the new truck, right? Can you get the new weights while adjusting the WDH? When you do this, take 3 passes. The two you have done, truck alone and truck/TT. Also get one with the truck/trailer without the WD bars attached. This will provide actual TW.

Your OEM Ford receiver should be good for at least 960 pounds, probably 1150.

I will do this, but not until I get to 1000 miles per the manual. I'm only at 460 now. So, I plan on driving the heck out of her this weekend to try to get to 1k miles ASAP. Once I do get to 1k miles, I'll weigh everything again with the new truck. I'm hesitant to weight the truck and trailer on the hitch ball mount because the limit on the hitch states 500 lbs. without WD Hitch. If what the other poster said is correct and I have 1k TW, then I really don't want to put double the max on the Hitch ball mount. Although, maybe it would be okay just for a short time to re-weigh? I really think, in the end, I'll find out the TW is not 1k lbs. If it is, I'm screwed even worse than I thought.

[APT]

You've got the new truck, right? Can you get the new weights while adjusting the WDH? When you do this, take 3 passes. The two you have done, truck alone and truck/TT. Also get one with the truck/trailer without the WD bars attached. This will provide actual TW.

Your OEM Ford receiver should be good for at least 960 pounds, probably 1150.

[carringb]

09KZMXT266 wrote:


Okay, now you're scaring the heck out of me. 🙂 Guess I still have a lot to learn. I would have thought that if the truck by itself weighed 5000 lbs without a trailer and 5500 lbs with one, the TW would be 500 lbs. 5500-5000=500?

True, if you have the trailer sitting on a regular ole hitch ball. Not the case with weight distribution, since the trailer axles have to react the same moment which picks up the back of the truck and put weight on the front axle.

[09KZMXT266]

carringb wrote:

09KZMXT266 wrote:


I guess I really don't understand then. When I disconnect the trailer the truck weighs 800 lbs less. Why would that mean the TW was 1000 lbs.? I'm not getting it. It really upsets me too that the manufacturerer said the TW was 620 lbs. that's 380 lbs off if you are correct.

Its because the missing 200 pounds was sitting on the trailer axle. Weight distribution "sends" weight both directions. I actually remove some links on my WD on my Jayco trailer because the axles were overloaded if I did full weight distribution.

BTW - if you think the specs on your TH were bad.... My Weekend Warrior had a "dry" tongue weight of 850 pounds. My actual dry tongue weight was 1800 pounds, and if I had the tanks full and kitchen stocked and nothing in the garage, it was 3200 pounds! I had to custom fab my receiver to handle the tongue weight (with PE approval) and my first hitch (a Hensley) tore itself apart on the first trip.

Okay, now you're scaring the heck out of me. 🙂 Guess I still have a lot to learn. I would have thought that if the truck by itself weighed 5000 lbs without a trailer and 5500 lbs with one, the TW would be 500 lbs. 5500-5000=500?

[carringb]

09KZMXT266 wrote:


I guess I really don't understand then. When I disconnect the trailer the truck weighs 800 lbs less. Why would that mean the TW was 1000 lbs.? I'm not getting it. It really upsets me too that the manufacturerer said the TW was 620 lbs. that's 380 lbs off if you are correct.

Its because the missing 200 pounds was sitting on the trailer axle. Weight distribution "sends" weight both directions. I actually remove some links on my WD on my Jayco trailer because the axles were overloaded if I did full weight distribution.

BTW - if you think the specs on your TH were bad.... My Weekend Warrior had a "dry" tongue weight of 850 pounds. My actual dry tongue weight was 1800 pounds, and if I had the tanks full and kitchen stocked and nothing in the garage, it was 3200 pounds! I had to custom fab my receiver to handle the tongue weight (with PE approval) and my first hitch (a Hensley) tore itself apart on the first trip.

[09KZMXT266]

APT wrote:

Steer axle= 2560
Drive axle= 2860
Trailer axle=3320
Total weight=8740

I then un-hitched and weighed just my Tacoma.

steer axle= 2560 (no change)
Drive axle= 2060 (800 lbs. less)
Total weight=4620

Steer axle=2880 (320 lb. increase).
Drive axle=2400 (450 lb. decrease).

That +800 pounds using a WDH which puts about 20% of weight back on the trailer's axles, so about 1000 pounds. Read the sticky thread on how a WDH works.

Your first weights the truck axles were 5420 total. Using 3 fewer links was 5280, so that 140 pounds went back onto the TT axles. Do you think TW changed by 140 pounds?

I guess I really don't understand then. When I disconnect the trailer the truck weighs 800 lbs less. Why would that mean the TW was 1000 lbs.? I'm not getting it. It really upsets me too that the manufacturerer said the TW was 620 lbs. that's 380 lbs off if you are correct.

[APT]

Steer axle= 2560
Drive axle= 2860
Trailer axle=3320
Total weight=8740

I then un-hitched and weighed just my Tacoma.

steer axle= 2560 (no change)
Drive axle= 2060 (800 lbs. less)
Total weight=4620

Steer axle=2880 (320 lb. increase).
Drive axle=2400 (450 lb. decrease).

That +800 pounds using a WDH which puts about 20% of weight back on the trailer's axles, so about 1000 pounds. Read the sticky thread on how a WDH works.

Your first weights the truck axles were 5420 total. Using 3 fewer links was 5280, so that 140 pounds went back onto the TT axles. Do you think TW changed by 140 pounds?

[09KZMXT266]

APT wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Did anyone see what the OP is towing?

Yes, a TT with at least 1000 pounds of tongue weight before adding 1000 pounds of motorcycle. That's 3/4+ ton territory.

80bs including the hitch. TT weighs 3300 lbs dry & 4200 lbs with Harley.