cancel
Showing results forย 
Search instead forย 
Did you mean:ย 

Sway control for Aluminum framed trailer?

TommyC83
Explorer
Explorer
Ill start off by saying I'm not new to towing or use of wd/sway setups so no need to cover the basics or debate the use of either. More so seeing what if anything others have used in a unique situation such as I feel mine is.

I have a 24' livin lite VRV with off-road package (3" lift and good lt tires) unloaded the trailer is about 5000lbs and tongue weight is right around 800lbs without anything in it. So with extra battery, propane and the front storage carrying the usual items I'm probably about 1000lbs on the tongue. I am towing with a 13 Ram 3500 srw so tongue weight is a non issue.

With my trailer loaded with everything including my rzr everything is great pulls staight no sway, no wind or semi truck induced sway issues at any speed. The problem is when we don't take the rzr and are traveling lite the trailer is a handful and can be sketchy at any speed over 55 with slight wind of big trucks. I know my tongue weight is fine so I'm blaming it on the fact that it's just a lifted, underweight, wind sail when unloaded.

I don't want to to go with a full WD setup because first it's not needed nor do I want the added stress applied to the trailer frame. I also don't care to bolts the steel bracket to the frame for a generic friction sway setup. Which leaves me wondering what the hell I can do? Anyone using anything on their aluminum trailers?
13 REPLIES 13

bikendan
Explorer
Explorer
avgjoetx wrote:
I have the same issues. What did you end up with? The Anderson?


This thread is over 3 years old. Not sure if you'll get an answer.
Best to PM the member.
Dan- Firefighter, Retired:C, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur:W, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever(RIP:(), 2014 Ford F150 3.5 EcoboostMax Tow pkg, 2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255 w/4pt Equalizer and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes

avgjoetx
Explorer
Explorer
I have the same issues. What did you end up with? The Anderson?

hvac
Explorer
Explorer
We have a 21 RBS Livin lite, she was a handful when delivered. I added an additional 350 lb tongue weight and the Andersen hitch. Night and day difference. Tracks steady and very predictable. The aluminum frame is more durable than you think,the design is no airstream, seems to be very heavy in low center creation from the flat back. Added vortex wind generators, 50% from top to mid line. Picked up 1 mpg.

mkirsch
Nomad II
Nomad II
Dutchmensport,

Your headlights are borderline too high when not towing, if the slight difference from an 800lb tongue weight with WD engaged is causing oncoming traffic to flash you.

Unless you are not mentioning the 4000lbs of stuff in the bed of the truck.

Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.

TommyC83
Explorer
Explorer
That's some good info. I will raise it up a bit and see how it handles before I but any other setups.

Thanks

mkirsch
Nomad II
Nomad II
carringb makes an interesting point. If lowering the front puts the weight on the front axle, shortening the effective wheelbase and reducing tongue weight, perhaps the opposite is true?

Have you tried towing it WITHOUT lowering the ball?

Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.

carringb
Explorer
Explorer
camperforlife wrote:
It has to be a tongue weight issue when unloaded. If you drop the ball one notch unloaded, I would drop it one more or move more weight up front.


The opposite happens with rubber torsion axles, because there is no equalizer between the axle. When the trailer is nose-down, more of the weight is carried by the front axle, therefore shortening the effective wheelbase and reducing tongue weight. Of course, the opposite holds true too. Not to mention the potential for overloading tires. Trailers with rubber torsion axles MUST BE TOWED LEVEL.
2000 Ford E450 V10 VAN! 450,000+ miles
2014 ORV really big trailer
2015 Ford Focus ST

camperforlife
Explorer
Explorer
It has to be a tongue weight issue when unloaded. If you drop the ball one notch unloaded, I would drop it one more or move more weight up front.

TommyC83
Explorer
Explorer
rexlion wrote:
If you eliminate WD/Sway hitches and friction sway bars right from the start, I don't know what's left.

Just a thought... is hitch weight more with the rzr loaded than without? Enough so that perhaps the trailer is riding a bit nose-up when unloaded, but nose-down when loaded? If so, a bigger drop on the drawbar might help.


I do lower the ball a notch when trailering empty to maintain a pretty level setup (usually just a touch nose down) I'm sure the tongue weight is increased a good bit when fully loaded but even my unloaded numbers are plenty heavy as its nearly 20%. I think it's just the overall combination when unloaded just compounds the issues.

TommyC83
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks for the input. That Anderson setup is interesting as I hadn't seen that one yet. Seems like it would be a good option for an aluminum frame since its pulling forward vs. down I'd assume it would be less stress on the trailer. I'll have to send them an email and see what they think.

Thanks

rexlion
Explorer
Explorer
If you eliminate WD/Sway hitches and friction sway bars right from the start, I don't know what's left.

Just a thought... is hitch weight more with the rzr loaded than without? Enough so that perhaps the trailer is riding a bit nose-up when unloaded, but nose-down when loaded? If so, a bigger drop on the drawbar might help.
Mike G.
Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one's thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. --Frederick Douglass
photo: Yosemite Valley view from Taft Point

carringb
Explorer
Explorer
You sound like a good candidate for the Anderson No-Sway which, assuming your coupler is compatible (they have a list of incompatible couplers on their website). This will give you the best ride and good sway dampening, and be easy to hook up to your trailer. It won't re-distribute tongue weight all that well, but for your combination that's just fine. Maybe even desirable to maintain traction.
2000 Ford E450 V10 VAN! 450,000+ miles
2014 ORV really big trailer
2015 Ford Focus ST

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
If you get a WD system with built-in sway, like the Equal-i-zer, you do not have to drill holes anywhere on your frame. The L brackets which hold the bars on the tongue are U style brackets that go over and under the tongue frame and are held on by tightening the bolts between the front and back of the bracket. No holes.

This way, you have the WD system and Sway control at the same time.

Sounds like you need the sway control, when traveling empty.

Here's another thought, I realized this just this week, after towing for 30 plus years myself and my parents example from the time I was 6. You may not notice it, but if you attach your camper to your truck hitch, the back end of the truck does SQUAT down. With NO WD, the squat is still there. Do you realize when you put that weight the truck back end, the headlights are angled upward! I have WD (Equal-i-zer), but returning home from Florida a couple days ago, we traveled all night. I normally do not drive at night, but wanted to get home. My headlights were angled much higher then when NOT towing, and I have an Equa-i-zer, a 3500 dually diesel and tongue weight of about 800 pounds! One would not think with a set-up like that the slight difference in rear squat would matter! Well it did. I had LOTS of drivers coming the other direction flashing their lights at me. When I reacted by flipping on my brights, I realized my headlight angle was really way to high. This does not happen when NOT towing.

So you know, you REALLY do need to keep WD on your rig. You're experiencing sway, can't drive over a specific speed limit. When driving back roads or off road, simply remove the bars then if you want.

My advise ..... Equal-i-zer, or some other such system that does not require holes and has built in sway.