2011 Expedition EL2008 Keystone Cougar 29BHSSpent tons and tons of time setting up my WDH, taking measurements before/after hitched up, adjusting the ball tilt, adjusting the number of links added, etc, etc. Towed all last summer...nothing too excessive, longest trip was from Cincinnati to Sandusky (Cedar Point) 230miles. No big issues. A little shifty on HW when being passed, but stayed around 60-65mph and was fine.Fastforward to last weekend's trip. Coming home we had a short bit on the HW and it seemed quite a bit more "bouncy", or unsteady. It was short a short trip so I admittedly was lazy:-didn't use the sway bar-hadn't dumped either tank...say 25 gallons total?The only other difference from last year was that we've had the tires rotated recently. The fronts now have slightly better tread than the backs.Sorry for the long post. So my question is....just a symptom of the no sway bar and extra weight? Just me getting used to towing again? Or, would rotating the tires necessitate going through the entire setup process again? Something I'd rather not do of course, but will if need be.Thanks!

Yes, both of those two items could cause problems. For sure, lack of a sway bar would. 25 gallons of waste water certainly could, depending on where the tanks are located. Behind the axles could certainly add some "bounce".

Atlee wrote:Yes, both of those two items could cause problems. For sure, lack of a sway bar would. 25 gallons of waste water certainly could, depending on where the tanks are located. Behind the axles could certainly add some "bounce".Yes, the tanks are located behind the axles.

Also, find out the exact tire pressure you need, and verify that you have it.

coolmom42 wrote:Also, find out the exact tire pressure you need, and verify that you have it.Another thing I failed to do on this trip. It was short enough that I procrastinated on a couple things. Leaving again this weekend and will make sure to add these to my to do list.

Do you know the weights on the TT and payload and towing capacity of the Expedition? Ever been to a scale? Have you added air to the TT tires since the last season? What psi do you run on the Expy when towing and does it have P or LT tires? What spring bar rating do you have?Internet specs say the TT is 32 1/2' long, 7800 GVWR with dry hitch weight of 850 lbs. I would expect the tongue wt. to be around 1,000 - 1,100 lbs with the trailer fully loaded for camping. Internet says the Expedition El can tow max. 8900 lbs and max. receiver load is 890 lbs. Payload capacity looks to be 1620 lbs but depends on options. Not sure on the GCWR.It looks like you will be well over the max. receiver load (tongue wt.). With just one passenger and groceries + camping gear in the Expy, payload will be around 400-500 lbs. Add one or more kids and dog, the payload in the Expy could be closer to 1,000 lbs. It looks you will loaded near or even well over the payload capacity.So, a first look at the numbers suggests that you will be over the receiver tongue weight rating and close to or over on the Expy payload capacity. Don't know about the GCWR or RAWR. Basically you are pushing or exceeding the Expy's capabilities.I would say the extra wt. in the holding tanks(s) would have little or no affect on handling/sway. If the tire pressures are down, that will definitely affect handling/sway. (Please note that it is extremely important to have the correct psi in the trailer's tires because if you don't, the resulting internal heat will damage the tires, increasing the risk of a blowout.) Under-rated spring bars could contribute to poorer handling/sway. When the TT is hooked up, is it level to slightly nose down?I would go to a scale asap and calculate your max. payload capacity, tongue weight and TT weight. Then you will know exactly where you stand on actual weights and can make an informed decision from there. A photo with the TT hooked up and a closeup of the WDH might help.

Should I worry? | Good Sam Community

badercubed
Explorer
Jun 02, 2016
Not sure if you can get them for a 2011 Expedition, but perhaps look into some Coil SumoSprings to help in the rear end of the vehicle. A lot of people do things to their trucks, there is no reason not to get a little extra help on your SUV.
Greene728
Explorer
May 27, 2016
acritzer wrote:
Didn't get a chance to check the details on my tires, but I'll assume you're correct and I have P rated tires. Before getting a set of LT, should I simply make sure to go right up to the max 44 psi?

Would the 42 I set it at be any different?
Thanks.

I would yes. The Max PSI will give you the max load capability of the tire. Max PSI equals stiffer firmer tire to tote the weight you are asking of them.
But when you upgrade the tires, I wouldn't go max PSI on the LT tire. There are charts recommending proper PSI for weights being applied to the tires. I would check these charts and get recommendations for the LT to your specific application.
Terryallan
Explorer II
May 27, 2016
acritzer wrote:
Didn't get a chance to check the details on my tires, but I'll assume you're correct and I have P rated tires. Before getting a set of LT, should I simply make sure to go right up to the max 44 psi?

Would the 42 I set it at be any different?
Thanks.

MAX psi will help, but stronger tires will really help
acritzer
Explorer II
May 26, 2016
Didn't get a chance to check the details on my tires, but I'll assume you're correct and I have P rated tires. Before getting a set of LT, should I simply make sure to go right up to the max 44 psi?

Would the 42 I set it at be any different?
Thanks.
acritzer
Explorer II
May 26, 2016
More things to think about. Thanks guys. Probably will want new tires after this summer anyway.
Greene728
Explorer
May 26, 2016
acritzer wrote:
jake2250 wrote:
I wouldn't worry,, You spent the time and got it set up and it did fine,, you forgot the sway bar and had tanks full,, made it a little wobbly,, next time dump and hook up the sway bar and youll be good!!

Just got done with the tires. Trailer wasn't too bad. About 60 psi with 65 being max. Really mad though about the suv. Guys told my wife they checked when they rotated. No way. Max is 44, all four were 10-15 under that.
I set them at 42 for now.

Based on your max tire pressures on the Expy you have P rated tires. For the weights your adding I'd highly recommend a LT tire. The ride will suffer some, but not terribly if you don't max them out. I'd say run 55-60 psi in them and I bet your see a tremendous difference! With LT tires and your sway bar, I'd say you'd be good to go.
Terryallan
Explorer II
May 26, 2016
acritzer wrote:
jake2250 wrote:
I wouldn't worry,, You spent the time and got it set up and it did fine,, you forgot the sway bar and had tanks full,, made it a little wobbly,, next time dump and hook up the sway bar and youll be good!!

Just got done with the tires. Trailer wasn't too bad. About 60 psi with 65 being max. Really mad though about the suv. Guys told my wife they checked when they rotated. No way. Max is 44, all four were 10-15 under that.
I set them at 42 for now.

It's possible that the tire guys set it at the recommended psi for normal driving, and not for towing. You don't need to max them out when not towing.

I would however suggest you invest in a stronger tire. A tire that has a 44 PSI max, usually only rated for 2175lb. IF you step up to a tire with a 50lb max, it will be rated to 2601, and have much stronger side walls, and so control the TT much better. Yes you can tell a difference.
acritzer
Explorer II
May 25, 2016
jake2250 wrote:
I wouldn't worry,, You spent the time and got it set up and it did fine,, you forgot the sway bar and had tanks full,, made it a little wobbly,, next time dump and hook up the sway bar and youll be good!!

Just got done with the tires. Trailer wasn't too bad. About 60 psi with 65 being max. Really mad though about the suv. Guys told my wife they checked when they rotated. No way. Max is 44, all four were 10-15 under that.
I set them at 42 for now.
jake2250
Explorer
May 25, 2016
I wouldn't worry,, You spent the time and got it set up and it did fine,, you forgot the sway bar and had tanks full,, made it a little wobbly,, next time dump and hook up the sway bar and youll be good!!
acritzer
Explorer II
May 25, 2016
Overall I'd say yes, just as long as I'm not doing anything stupidly dangerous of course!

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