Need help - Weight distribution hitch installation pics

[bobby7718]

Hi,

I have bought a Jayco travel trailer together with a Camco Recurve R3 Weight Distribution Hitch recently.

The ride has been bouncing and swaying. Second visit to the dealership this afternoon, the technician adjusted the hitch a bit, seems getting a little better, but still bouncing and swaying on the way back to home.

Here is the detailed info of the TT and TV.

- TT: Jayco 267BHS, 30 feet, dry weight 5975.
- TV: 2017 Ford F150 with towing package (checked with dealership via VIN, was told max payload is 3000 lbs, and max towing capacity is 14,000 lbs).

Please also see the attachments for the pictures I took after today's adjustments.
- the altitude of TT and TV
- how does the setup looks like
- measurements before and after W/D





I know I need to expect some swaying if there is big sized truck driving by, not sure how much to expect. The ride I feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Need some help before either upgrade the TV.

Can someone please help to take a look at the pictures to see if anything significantly out-of-line could explain the bouncing/swaying.

In addition to the camper dealerships, where are the places to get the WDH professionally installed ?

Thank you in advance.

[Grit_dog]

^Description? Yes, it's like death wobble on a SFA vehicle. If you "think" you had death wobble or uncontrollable trailer sway, you didn't.
If either of those things happen there is no doubt in your mind that it happened. And with sway, there is a good chance you could end up rubber side up.
FWIW, with most never experiencing this, there is only 1 solution I'm aware of, if one is traveling at highway speeds and that is to get good tension between the truck and trailer until she's straight and then get slowed down immediately before the swaying gets going again.

Best option if you have electric or e over h trailer brakes is hammer the trailer brakes while still trying to accelerate gently. If no trailer brakes or surge brakes...FLOOR IT. Get as much tension between the 2 units as quickly as you can and then get on the binders AFTER as soon as it's straightened out.....and pray!

[parker_rowe]

There is no adjustment you can do to get rid of the push from getting passed or getting hit by a crosswind.

From my experience, the bigger the speed difference between you and the person passing you, the more you will feel it.

A push is not the same a sway. I think a lot of people get it confused. I'm not sure how to describe it but real sway but its no fun. I'm sure someone here has a great description.

[Grit_dog]

You can feel a “bit of sway” when catching a crosswind or passing a semi?
Dude, that’s normal and no wdh is going to make the big sail your towing disappear.
Maybe get someone else who knows towing to test drive your rig. Like a second opinion. I believe what your experiencing is normal.

[bobby7718]

Thank you Benk for the suggestions, will give it a try.

[BenK]

You are getting close, and suggest lowering the hitch head one more hole. As from the picture...it is pointing up a bit. Tongue pointing should be level at it's highest pointing and prefer pointing slightly down

As for washers, they tilt the head backwards, towards the trailer, and that makes the trunnion bars point lower. That in turn provides more 'potential' tension you can impart on the trunnions...meaning more weight can be transferred to the TV's front axle...which at this time don't think you need to do

[bobby7718]

Finally some updates.

Today I installed the newly arrived equalizer WDH(Equal-i-zer 4-point Sway Control Hitch 1000LB). Driving on highway seems a bit better, but still not reach the comfortable towing experience. Can still feel a bit sway(especially when been passed, or sudden cross-wind), I had to concentrate on steering wheel when that happened. Also went to the CAT scale to get some numbers.

I recall it was mentioned that the adjustments of the WDH(even equalizer one) also takes a few tries. In my first attempt, hitch head was on a higher side( coupler 23 1/8, head was 24), which caused a raise in the middle. (Also that measurement seems suggest over-adjust - front well was even lower after WD engaged).

In the second attempt, I lower the head 1 bolt hole (also recalled BenK's suggestion above), removed one spacer washer, which made the head up/away from the TT a bit.

Below are the results of my second attempt.

Any further suggestions will be highly appreciated. Thank you









Calculation was following this instruction. https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/25928885/gotomsg/25929827.cfm#25929827

[BenK]

Suggest one more thing before tossing more money at the situation…

Drop your WD Hitch head one bolt hole down on the shank…as long as there is ground clearance, which from your pictures, says there is

Then reset up everything as before and the goal is to have the trailer slightly pointing down from level.

That I has been the biggest help in solving others who have asked

Second is to transfer more weight off of the TV’s rear axle and over to the TV’s front axle. Not a ton of weight, just a bit more.

Good luck!

[Grit_dog]

If the trailer is really tail wagging on its own, without any input to cause it or wind or bad roads or …..then it’s usually 1 of a few conditions.
1. Trailer just grossly too heavy for the truck. Not the case here
2. Trailer tires too soft/ under inflated.
3. Insufficient tongue weight. Believe you posted healthy tongue weight though.
4. A lot of weight far aft of the axles. Either by ( bad ) design or some very heavy stuff in the back of the camper.
Just suggestions.

[bobby7718]

I am actually very new to towing. Had a few rental experience of class-c . That's about it prior to towing a TT.

Grit dog wrote:

Back to the trailer, someone else mentioned it, but how much experience do you have towing?
If you're new to towing, its possible that your comfort level or perception of how it "should" tow is not yet fully developed, so to speak.

Finally got the all front struts(bilstein 6112) and rear shock(bilstein 5100) replaced yesterday. The garage who did the installation doesn't do alignment, have alignment scheduled next Monday.

Gave a test drive, sadly, didn't change much, especially on the highway. (knowing I needed to do a bit adjustments since all measurements could change with the suspension replacement - but wanted to give it a try).

Ordered Equal-i-zer 4 point with sway control, as the last resort.

[Grit_dog]

bobby7718 wrote:
Not sure about the history, probably got a lot of towing for that 35K miles.

Does the inside of the hitch and the safety chain loops look like it had alot of towing?

Doesn't actually matter, but that would be tangible evidence, beyond it being ordered with a towing package.

Back to the trailer, someone else mentioned it, but how much experience do you have towing?
If you're new to towing, its possible that your comfort level or perception of how it "should" tow is not yet fully developed, so to speak.

[Grit_dog]

bobby7718 wrote:
Haven't yet - wanted to rule out the VT first.

Yes, the mechanic said the exactly same thing - he couldn't believe the struts could go bad on 37k mileage.

But he found both of fronts are bad with leakage, see attached pictures.

While not impossible (front struts were junk on my 2016 Chevy at about 60k miles), you should absolutely be able to feel if the struts are blown. It'll bounce like an old Buick over every speed bump.
The shafts of the shocks (struts) in your pic have a cover over them, thus any leaking oil from the seal would be on the inside, not the outside. And the one pic appears like the back side of the spring is clean. I believe that's some road debris/oil/undercoating, not leaky shock oil. Plus it looks like the shock covers aren't coated in it.

To each their own, but I'd go hit a couple speed bumps and see if they're shot or not. Although new Bilstein's will likely be stiffer and handle a bit better, I still maintain that there is NO problem with your truck.

[JIMNLIN]

I'm a slow typer. Sometimes my reply doesn't come after the person I'm replying to...and we know where that can sometimes lead too someone getting butz hurt.
Sooooo...being so slow I usually paste and copy only the part of someones long post and not all the replies.
Now....if I can just remember what I was gonna' reply about .....

[BarneyS]

Folks, this is to explain the "edited" posts above. It is not necessary or desirable to use the "quote" feature when replying to the person immediately above you. Just type your reply as if you were talking to the person. I don't know anybody who repeats the persons sentence when speaking to them and it is not necessary here.
Barney

[2112]

I installed Bilstein 5100s on my rear a few years ago because my axle started bumping the Timbrens while unloaded. They solved that problem but at a price of a stiffer ride unloaded.