Can't stop sway

[cordellm]

I am relatively new to camping as my wife and I just bought our first camper this spring. We bought a Jayco Jayflight 287BHSW. I am pulling it with a 2016 F150 Super Crew with 5.5' box. I am using an Eaz-Lift weight distribution hitch, 1000 lbs spring bars with one friction sway control bar. I am very use to pulling large trailers, but a 24' enclosed trailer was the largest wall behind a pickup I've towed till now.

On my first trip out I left everything as the dealer had set up for me. I had a 60 mile trip on a 65 mph road and everything was great for the first 30 miles. I started to get into some rolling hills with a 10-15 mph tail/cross wind and I began to get enough sway in the trailer that I was very uncomfortable. I managed to maintain that speed to my destination but it was white knuckle.

I read some forums and thought I maybe didn't have enough tongue weight so for the return trip home I filled my fresh water tank (located right infront of the front axle.) The drive home (no wind) was great, no issues.

My second trip out the following weekend was on the exact same route. I don't remember the wind situation, but I had really no issues. The return trip home I was driving into mostly a 25 mph head wind with the occasional cross wind. I was barely able to even go 55 and had to drop to 45 most of the time to even maintain control as the sway was so uncomfortable.

Since then I have been doing everything I can think of to correct this. I took the entire rig to the scale and I have 860 lbs of tongue weight without being full of water. I make inflated the rear tires of my pickup. I lowered the ball on the hitch one hole to get a very minimal drop in the front of the camper. I tilted the head unit of the hitch to take a little pressure off the distribution bars and to allow the front axle of the pickup to lift slightly per Fords recommendations in the owners manual. I went for a test drive yesterday in a 10 mph wind and very minimal uses, little enough I could live with. Today I tried it again as the wind was 20 mph and once I got to 60 I couldn't maintain that speed as the sway was too nerve racking.

What am I missing or what suggestions do you have at this point?

[Tequila]

cordellm wrote:
Tequila - Currently the setup has on Camco friction sway bar.

That should be fine. Is the trailer second hand? If so check the suspension shackles. See http://www.mexicocaravan.com/suspension.html

I still suspect the truck is the issue. I would go for the stable loads, even if they do not solve it, your handling will improve a lot.

[zigzagrv]

My son started to have sway problems after a couple years with his trailer. He pulls it with a Chevy 2500, so not a tow vehicle problem. Turns out the sway bar knuckle on the trailer broke, which was causing the sway. Don't know if your trailer has a sway bar, but might be something to check.

[cordellm]

Tequila - Currently the setup has on Camco friction sway bar.

[cordellm]

bobbdot - I spent quite a bit of time reading instructions and watching videos to make sure I was take proper measurements. My TT tires are max inflated, the rear tires on the TV are just below max inflation and the front tires are at TV recommended pressure. In all of my measurements and when I went to the scale I had my TV loaded as I would if I were headed out for the weekend. I have all cargo loaded to the front of the trailer. I am still under my GVWR on both the TV and TT.

janechucknicodemus - I took weight off the WD bars as I could barely get them hooked up on the last chain. Do you suggest that is where it should be?

Thanks both of you for your replies.

[Tequila]

Also do you qqualizer bars have built in sway control, if not, you might consider an add on sway control.

[janechucknicode]

Do not take the weight OFF the WD Bars. Most likely your sway is caused by over loading and too light of tow vehicle.
MY 2 cents. over 70,000 miles and no sway yet. Except with a utliity trailer OVER LOADED.
Good luck
Chuck

[bobndot]

weight evaluation section explains what I want to say .
check your set up . Try to set up as the hitch mfg describes. Check youtube, lots of vids with measurements may be of help for set ups.

How much is in the bed of the TV , double check tire pressure all around , TT and TV as well as tongue weight on TT.
The way people load (cargo) in trailers can be a problem.

Make sure you have enough spring bar rating. A trip to the scales all loaded up might be in order.

Search the methods to check weights on scales, you have to make multiple passes. Advise the scale agent that you need consecutive passes to reduce your cost . It will take some time.

[Tequila]

cordellm wrote:
I am relatively new to camping as my wife and I just bought our first camper this spring. We bought a Jayco Jayflight 287BHSW. I am pulling it with a 2016 F150 Super Crew with 5.5' box. I am using an Eaz-Lift weight distribution hitch, 1000 lbs spring bars with one friction sway control bar. I am very use to pulling large trailers, but a 24' enclosed trailer was the largest wall behind a pickup I've towed till now.

On my first trip out I left everything as the dealer had set up for me. I had a 60 mile trip on a 65 mph road and everything was great for the first 30 miles. I started to get into some rolling hills with a 10-15 mph tail/cross wind and I began to get enough sway in the trailer that I was very uncomfortable. I managed to maintain that speed to my destination but it was white knuckle.

I read some forums and thought I maybe didn't have enough tongue weight so for the return trip home I filled my fresh water tank (located right infront of the front axle.) The drive home (no wind) was great, no issues.

My second trip out the following weekend was on the exact same route. I don't remember the wind situation, but I had really no issues. The return trip home I was driving into mostly a 25 mph head wind with the occasional cross wind. I was barely able to even go 55 and had to drop to 45 most of the time to even maintain control as the sway was so uncomfortable.

Since then I have been doing everything I can think of to correct this. I took the entire rig to the scale and I have 860 lbs of tongue weight without being full of water. I make inflated the rear tires of my pickup. I lowered the ball on the hitch one hole to get a very minimal drop in the front of the camper. I tilted the head unit of the hitch to take a little pressure off the distribution bars and to allow the front axle of the pickup to lift slightly per Fords recommendations in the owners manual. I went for a test drive yesterday in a 10 mph wind and very minimal uses, little enough I could live with. Today I tried it again as the wind was 20 mph and once I got to 60 I couldn't maintain that speed as the sway was too nerve racking.

What am I missing or what suggestions do you have at this point?

The issue may be the truck, that is a big trailer for an F150. If so, Torklift stable loads will help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrUNlLdWMl0