stop the Bucking!

[MacMcCaskie]

On a recent trip we ran into a few spots on the highway when the rig started to buck violently (hitch moving up and down rapidly). The TV is a Toyota Tacoma Pre-runner with tow package, and the trailer's a star-craft popup. BTW, the tire air pressure was low on the trailer.

I'll be getting a lighter TT soon and wondered if I will need something such as a weight distribution hitch to stop the bucking. Or was it all due to the tire pressure?

[KenNTennessee]

hbillsmith, I ended up at 7 threads on my Anderson also. It improved the bounce, but did not stop it. Since 7 threads is about as far as you can go with the deep socket, I was considering removing a link to get even tighter.

[johninedmonton]

hbillsmith wrote:
Just finished a 4700 miler Texas-Minn-Indiana and back. One day I left camp with the Anderson compressed at only 4 or 5 threads and experienced terrible chucking. Stopped at a roadside park and cranked up to 7 threads and no more chucking. BTW I also use SLIP on the ball and significantly reduces creaking noise.

The SLIP may be part of your issue. The Andersen pivots inside of the aluminum shank, the trailer doesn't pivot ON the ball. Using SLIP could be conflicting with the sway control system, thus causing your problem.

I would clean the SLIP off of the ball and tongue receiver, and see if that makes a difference.

It's possible that it's not the issue; but the Andersen is designed to move with the ball.

[hbillsmith]

Just finished a 4700 miler Texas-Minn-Indiana and back. One day I left camp with the Anderson compressed at only 4 or 5 threads and experienced terrible chucking. Stopped at a roadside park and cranked up to 7 threads and no more chucking. BTW I also use SLIP on the ball and significantly reduces creaking noise.

[westend]

Sometimes, you can't remove all of the bucking on a concrete road surface. It's due not so much to the spacing of the expansion joints, themselves, but to what is happening in between the joints. Heavy traffic will actually bend the slabs so that each expansion joint is at the end and beginning of a slight ramp. If the spacing of your axles is just right and at a certain speed, the harmonic bucking will be extreme.

About the only thing Hitler got right was the dimension of the Autobahn. There is no bucking on that freeway as the slab is 21"-30" thick, compared to our Interstate system which is 11" thick.

[KenNTennessee]

Thanks, I have changed the tension on the WDH several times on this trip to see if it would make any difference. I started out setting it exactly per the manufacturer's step by step procedure and recommendations. I've ended up quite a bit tighter, (more weight on the front axle of the TV) which seemed to help some, but it's still not good. Before I bought the Anderson, we would literally get sick to our stomachs from bouncing on some concrete Interstates. It's not that bad now, but it's still not right.

[W_E_BGood]

KenNT...I have an '08 Tundra 4X4 1K/10K Equal-i-zer WDH towing a 25' Keystone Outback 6K dry/normally just short of 7K loaded and 760 tongue wt. Had the same problem of horrible bucking. Got Airlift 5000 airbags which helped some (and are still very useful for towing shorter distances w/o the Equal-i-zer bars), but still way too bad. What I eventually found was I really needed to "tighten-up" the WDH connection (following the factory video guide and measurements) to transfer more to the truck and, in relative terms, it really put the pressure on the hitch bars. THAT stopped the bouncing/jouncing. I know you've got an Anderson, but maybe there's an answer there for you.

[KenNTennessee]

We are on an extended trip, over 7000 miles so far. Had serious bucking issues with this new 26' Evergreen Sun Valley trailer first trip, so invested in an Anderson weight distributing hitch for anti-sway and anti-bounce before starting this trip. Never had any sway problems with the old "spring bar" EasyLift weight distributing hitch, but had severe bounce and bucking with this new trailer. We never had that with the old 23' rockwood trailer, same 2012 GMC truck and hitch. Both trailers have tandem axles.
Anyway, the Anderson hitch did help some, but it did not cure the problem. Still get a pronounced bounce on concrete roads when the joints are uneven. It's much worse with the trailer than without it on the same road, so the truck shocks seem okay. I'm thinking that this trailer has a long overhang behind the rear axle, and although it has 12% of the weight on the tongue, that overhang and some flex in the frame just give it enough leverage to cause the bounce.
I'm thinking of a suspension upgrade, adding shocks to the trailer. Has anyone done this, and what were the results? Thanks for your help.

[noteven]

We use an Air Safe hitchClicky when towing tag hitch trailers.

[johninedmonton]

djsamuel wrote:

johninedmonton wrote:

I'll try that, thanks. Probably makes it easier to tighten. My 9 year old daughter can actually do most of the tightening and connecting, but needs me to finish it off. Now maybe she'll be able to do it all!

It does make it easier since you're tightening the nuts without the weight of the trailer on the chains. When I tighten the 3 turns, some tension is placed on the chains, and then, after fully lowering, the weight of the trailer provides the rest of the tension. I can't imagine tightening those chains up while also fighting the weight of the trailer.

I like your choice of manual labor! Very impressive for a 9 year old.

She's a good kid. She doesn't really tighten much, to be honest. But she can hook up the chains, thread them to a minor tightness, and... well... most everything except tightening it up. She's awesome.

[djsamuel]

johninedmonton wrote:

I'll try that, thanks. Probably makes it easier to tighten. My 9 year old daughter can actually do most of the tightening and connecting, but needs me to finish it off. Now maybe she'll be able to do it all!

It does make it easier since you're tightening the nuts without the weight of the trailer on the chains. When I tighten the 3 turns, some tension is placed on the chains, and then, after fully lowering, the weight of the trailer provides the rest of the tension. I can't imagine tightening those chains up while also fighting the weight of the trailer.

I like your choice of manual labor! Very impressive for a 9 year old.

[mike243]

Shocks are on the menu to help control my bucking, 02 mod with original shocks need upgrading , factory only last til a good set are needed

[johninedmonton]

djsamuel wrote:
Just wanted to follow up. We made the return trip today with the Andersen. I backed off the nut settings by a half turn for the trip back. I think that really dialed it in. Excellent towing, really can't feel the trailer back there whether driving slow speeds or at 60MPH. Was towing a Camplite 21BHS with a Ram 1500.

I lower the trailer onto the ball and stop just as the ball is seated in the hitch. I hand tighten the nuts, and then tighten them an additional 3 turns before lowering the trailer fully onto the truck. Works great; and am really pleased with the Andersen.

I'll try that, thanks. Probably makes it easier to tighten. My 9 year old daughter can actually do most of the tightening and connecting, but needs me to finish it off. Now maybe she'll be able to do it all!

[djsamuel]

Just wanted to follow up. We made the return trip today with the Andersen. I backed off the nut settings by a half turn for the trip back. I think that really dialed it in. Excellent towing, really can't feel the trailer back there whether driving slow speeds or at 60MPH. Was towing a Camplite 21BHS with a Ram 1500.

I lower the trailer onto the ball and stop just as the ball is seated in the hitch. I hand tighten the nuts, and then tighten them an additional 3 turns before lowering the trailer fully onto the truck. Works great; and am really pleased with the Andersen.

[johninedmonton]

I bought my Andersen WD last spring, after trying 2 other hitches first. I would NEVER go back to a traditional hitch. Good choice!