Tried towing after new tires & algnment...it did not go well
We have a 2012 F-250 standard cab 6.2L, full 8' bed. Our trailer is a 2013 Cruiser CT29RLX travel trailer. I have sway bars on each side as well as 800 lb bars on each side for weight distribution.
Since we bought the trailer new in 2012, it has towed very easily and consistently. Last year the trailer towed perfectly with little sway or movement. Camping season start was delayed this year due to COVID-19 so I decided to replace the original equipment Continental tires with the same thing at 60,000 miles as they were starting to look bad even though I still had over 1/4" of tread. The tires were replaced and I then had the alignment done. I knew the right front was out because I had quite a bit of wear on the outside edge and the alignment printout showed it. I was running 65 PSI in the front tires and 75 PSI in the rear tires.
We hooked up the trailer for our first camping trip and got about 2 miles away from the house on a two lane highway and noticed that the front end felt it was on ice. Very light on the steering and each car passing in the other direction gave me a little wiggle. I was paying close attention and it seemed to do better when I was on a curve and had pressure on the steering wheel to make the curve. I then got on a 6 lane interstate and it seemed that the smallest thing such as grooves in the concrete were pushing me left and right. I had enough and turned around due the risk I felt that it posed to us as well as everyone else. The sway was bad enough twice in about 10 miles that I had to slowly apply the brakes to stop it.
Nothing has changed in the camper. No additional weight, nothing in any of the tanks. Sometimes I will carry water; however, having all that weight on the back end behind the axles brings sway on so I rarely do it.
On the trip back to the house, I pulled into a large parking lot and tightened the chain up by another link to put additional weight on the front end. It seemed to help a little but not much. I still felt every groove in the highway and it did not accomplish what I thought it would.
Without the trailer the front end does seem to have a little slop in it now that I am paying attention. It is usually going straight as again following a curve with some pressure on it seems to help somewhat.
I'm going to have to go to the alignment place because they are not answering the phone and are not returning my calls to make an appointment to have them check their alignment work as a starting point.
In the mean time, has anyone experienced or heard about anything similar? I wonder it is an alignment issue, new bad Continental tires, a front end linkage problem. etc..
Thanks for reading and any ideas you might send my way.
Since we bought the trailer new in 2012, it has towed very easily and consistently. Last year the trailer towed perfectly with little sway or movement. Camping season start was delayed this year due to COVID-19 so I decided to replace the original equipment Continental tires with the same thing at 60,000 miles as they were starting to look bad even though I still had over 1/4" of tread. The tires were replaced and I then had the alignment done. I knew the right front was out because I had quite a bit of wear on the outside edge and the alignment printout showed it. I was running 65 PSI in the front tires and 75 PSI in the rear tires.
We hooked up the trailer for our first camping trip and got about 2 miles away from the house on a two lane highway and noticed that the front end felt it was on ice. Very light on the steering and each car passing in the other direction gave me a little wiggle. I was paying close attention and it seemed to do better when I was on a curve and had pressure on the steering wheel to make the curve. I then got on a 6 lane interstate and it seemed that the smallest thing such as grooves in the concrete were pushing me left and right. I had enough and turned around due the risk I felt that it posed to us as well as everyone else. The sway was bad enough twice in about 10 miles that I had to slowly apply the brakes to stop it.
Nothing has changed in the camper. No additional weight, nothing in any of the tanks. Sometimes I will carry water; however, having all that weight on the back end behind the axles brings sway on so I rarely do it.
On the trip back to the house, I pulled into a large parking lot and tightened the chain up by another link to put additional weight on the front end. It seemed to help a little but not much. I still felt every groove in the highway and it did not accomplish what I thought it would.
Without the trailer the front end does seem to have a little slop in it now that I am paying attention. It is usually going straight as again following a curve with some pressure on it seems to help somewhat.
I'm going to have to go to the alignment place because they are not answering the phone and are not returning my calls to make an appointment to have them check their alignment work as a starting point.
In the mean time, has anyone experienced or heard about anything similar? I wonder it is an alignment issue, new bad Continental tires, a front end linkage problem. etc..
Thanks for reading and any ideas you might send my way.
