Tongue Weight and Handling

[BubbaChris]

Here's one I want to run by the collective wisdom here. My TT wants to sway above 60mph.

I suspect some of it could be from being light on tongue weight. I was only at 9% when I had it weighed some months ago.

So I want to do some testing before rearranging gear inside. My assumption was I'd need to put the extra weight into the pass-through or next to the bed inside.

But I mentioned this to an RV tech and he said I could just put the extra weight into the very back of my SUV. There's a certain logic to what he's suggesting, but I can't quite believe it is truly equal to putting the weight in the TT.

If I'm doing my tests on a non-camping weekend, I can try it both ways. But my earliest test opportunity may be a camping weekend where just tossing the weight into the TV would simplify life.

So I'm interested in the opinions you nice folks have.

[handye9]

naturist wrote:
There is one other small detail not covered above: tire pressures in the TV rears.

When you add the tongue weight of your trailer, it is easy to overload the TV tires unless you increase their pressure. Vehicle makers are semi-famous for setting the pressures to give a nice comfortable ride, at pressures that may not be quite up to the task of carrying a "full-load." It is thus possible that the TV tire pressures, while fine for everyday use, are not up to the task when the rig is back there. If you did not increase the rear tire pressures when you hitched up, the symptom you would get would be sway.

So you might have a look in your TV owner's manual, which might call for more air when fully loaded. Just a suggestion.

Good example:

My F250 (load range E tires)

Sticker, on the door post, says 65 PSI. The tire side wall says max cold is 80 PSI. Owners manual does suggest increased tire pressure, for heavy loads.

I have both, TC and TT, and use one or the other, frequently. There is a definate difference (loaded or unloaded), in ride and control, between the two air pressures. I try to keep them at 75 PSI. Everytime I take the truck in for an oil change, I have to tell the grease monkeys, not to let out of my tires.

[Wishin]

You definitely need more weight in the front of the trailer to get your tongue weight % up to where it needs to be. Aim for at least 13% if you can get there. The two models of trailers I've had both tend to have heavy tongue weights (15%+) and I've never experience sway, ever. They are incredibly stable at any speed unless disturbed by some other force (passing vehicle, wind, etc.) These other forces may want to move me around some, but they have never triggered sway for me. On the other hand, I once loaded my utility trailer with lumber and bagged pea stone, and it had too little tongue weight and wanted to sway badly over 45 mph. I had several bags of stone in the back of the tow vehicle as well, and that didn't prevent the sway at all. You need the tongue weight where it needs to be, putting it in your tow vehicle will not help at all.

Getting your tongue weight % correct is far more important than anything else, if sway gets bad enough it will cause a wreck no matter what hitch or vehicle you have. Hitch, hitch set-up, and a proper tow vehicle are incredibly important, but you need to start with a stable trailer.

[goducks10]

Typical Northtrail. BTDT. They come from the factory under weighted on the tongue. Your dry tongue weight is 7% from the factory. Mine was 9%. You'll never get rid of the sway since the axles are placed near the middle of the TT. Only thing I found to work was buying a used Hensley Arrow. TT still waggled some but it didn't affect the truck. About all you can do is add tongue weight and make sure your TT tires are maxed at 50psi. Or get a Hensley Arrow/ProPride.

[APT]

Do you have the scale weights from a few months ago? Also, what WDH are you using?

[Peg_Leg]

The pic in your sig looks like the TT axles are closer to the center (front to rear). You could remove the spare from the rear bumper. A quick way to add more tongue weight would be to add water to any tanks located in front of the axle.

Be careful as adding weight could just increase the speed at which sway begins to show itself. A unstable trailer could quickly become unmanageable.

Good luck and be safe.

[naturist]

There is one other small detail not covered above: tire pressures in the TV rears.

When you add the tongue weight of your trailer, it is easy to overload the TV tires unless you increase their pressure. Vehicle makers are semi-famous for setting the pressures to give a nice comfortable ride, at pressures that may not be quite up to the task of carrying a "full-load." It is thus possible that the TV tire pressures, while fine for everyday use, are not up to the task when the rig is back there. If you did not increase the rear tire pressures when you hitched up, the symptom you would get would be sway.

So you might have a look in your TV owner's manual, which might call for more air when fully loaded. Just a suggestion.

(It should be noted that many years ago some friends and I went out to the woods with a chain saw and loaded up their van with firewood. The thing swayed all over the road something awful. We stopped, added a little air to the rears, and voila! It flew straight as an arrow on the way home.)

[ScottG]

More weight in the front of the TT and make sure it isn't nose high.

[RCMAN46]

If you redistribute the weight in the trailer to get your tongue weight percentage to 15% I suspect you will find your sway problem fixed.

Moving weight from the trailer to the rear of the TV may only overload the rear axle of the TV which probably is close to it's limit now.

[GaryWT]

More weight in the TV can lower the TV and lower the front of the trailer some put it is a lot smaller percentage than just adding the weight to the trailer. Also, when you move things to the front of the trailer you are moving things from behind the axles. Sometimes it is too much weight in the back and not all about tongue weight.

[Dtaylor]

Towing with the same vehicle as you, just a different year model, I found most of the sway I was getting was because of the tires. Going to a heavier truck tire will have a heavier side wall. It will effect your non-towing ride a little but greatly improve your towing.

[trop-a-cal]

60% of cargo weight should be in front of the center of the axle(s). Static,(level not moving), tongue weight is by design of the hitch. Dynamic,(moving)goes from positive to negative as road changes grade, so on level,(static), no more than 4inches up or down from level tow vehicle to trailer. Of course proper tire inflation and good suspension is a must too, for both.

[aftermath]

Before we get much farther into this discussion, what kind of hitch do you have? While tongue weight is quite important, nothing is more important than having a properly set up weight distributing hitch with sway control. Integrated sway control is the best.