Should I worry?

[acritzer]

2011 Expedition EL
2008 Keystone Cougar 29BHS

Spent 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!

[badercubed]

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]

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]

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]

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]

More things to think about. Thanks guys. Probably will want new tires after this summer anyway.

[Greene728]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Overall I'd say yes, just as long as I'm not doing anything stupidly dangerous of course!

[Adam_H]

acritzer wrote:

Adam H wrote:
Fill the TV and the TT tires to max (sidewall), offset any weight caused by full waste tanks by shifting cargo forward, install your sway control and go... Don't sweat the small stuff.

Adam

You sound just like my neighbor. He's always suggested a more casual approach.

Well we get so "wrapped up around the axle" here. This is supposed to be fun, right?

Adam

[acritzer]

Adam H wrote:
Fill the TV and the TT tires to max (sidewall), offset any weight caused by full waste tanks by shifting cargo forward, install your sway control and go... Don't sweat the small stuff.

Adam

You sound just like my neighbor. He's always suggested a more casual approach.

[Adam_H]

Fill the TV and the TT tires to max (sidewall), offset any weight caused by full waste tanks by shifting cargo forward, install your sway control and go... Don't sweat the small stuff.

Adam

[acritzer]

I asked the question, so I can't get mad when "pushing the limits" comments come around, but boy it sucks to hear!
Back when we got started I did as much research as I could, got many many opinions. Added an additional transmission cooler, etc. Had settled into the idea that I was "OK", but not overly secure or confident I suppose. A beefier truck would be best, but doesn't fit our family.

I will for sure check and fill the tires, be cautious on packing, and anything else I can.